Local ‘‘superhero’’ has a bright future

Local ‘‘superhero’’ has a bright future

By Sunny Liu

Docklands has its very own Thor to save the day.

Actor, wrestler and personal trainer Andrew Lutomski has been dubbed the “Docklands Thor”.

“A couple of years ago I was stopped by a lady at the post office and she told me I looked a lot like Thor. So I have been cosplaying Thor ever since,” he said.

Mr Lutomski made his first Thor appearance at the 2015 comic convention and wowed the crowd with his uncanny resemblance to the Marvel character.

Just like a regular Docklander, Mr Lutomski uses the tram to get around. But a real-life superhero hopping on a tram surely will grab people’s attention.

“I’m always stopped by people for photos when I’m in my Thor costume. I’m happy to be the local superhero,” he said.

Mr Lutomski made the big move from Canberra to Melbourne three years ago and happily settled down in Docklands.

“Canberra was like a country town and acting options there were very slim. The move has really helped me get into the environment of professional acting,” he said. “Docklands is the ideal location for my career because it’s so easy to get to places. Saving time is really important for me.”

Though he is best known for being the local Thor, Mr Lutomski has proven he is much more than a superhero’s doppelganger.

He has landed his first leading role in a television drama series last year, playing private investigator Matt in the Melbourne independent production Counter Play.

The drama, produced and directed by local creative talent Chrys Phillips, has attracted more than one million views online. Some of the scenes were taken in Docklands.

“Being on the set is a very cool experience and has helped me start off my acting path in television,” Mr Lutomski said. “I just love the experience of picking up more skills along the way.”

Mr Lutomski did not attend an acting school and self-taught himself acting skills.

Having been a professional wrestler, he has found some amazing overlap between wrestling and acting, which eventually drew him to become a professional actor.

“A wrestling match is like putting on an improvising performance. It’s sports entertainment,” he said. “Being an actor requires a lot more preparation and rehearsing in advance and we usually follow a script. But there are still a lot of similarities between these two experiences.”

No one from Mr Lutomski’s family in Canberra is in the acting business. But they are his number-one fans.

“My family is really supportive and I’m very grateful,” he said.

Mr Lutomski says he has formed a close bond with the Docklands community after the past three years of living here, though he is also open to international opportunities.

“I hope I can go into full-time acting and get into some international productions in the near future,” he said.

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