The Second Son is a gangland fiction podcast adapted from Loraine Pack’s novel. It is a brand new podcast audio series that is seeing a lot of traction since its release in spring of 2024! I’ve had the pleasure of listening to quite a few episodes and they are incredible. It’s like watching your latest true crime show but while driving. I had the privilege of interviewing Grant Lyndon, one of the voice actors on the show. You can listen on Spotify if you’re in the states but it’s also through a new app called LiSTNR.
Creatives: for The Second Son
Series writer: Mahmood Fazal
Director and senior producer: Zlatina Matolov
Drama producer: Stephanie Van Schilt
Executive producer: Jennifer Goggin
Audio Production, Sound Design, Foley, Mix & Original Music: Matt Nikolic
Original Music: Vincent Assaf
Who are you and what are you most known for?
Hey, I'm Grant Lyndon. I'm most known for my roles in House of Bond and Hostile Forces. In voice, I'm known for voicing iconic brands like Toyota & Soda Stream, being the narrator of the reality show Aussie Lobster Men, and most recently, I played Knox in the audio drama Gripped: Second Son. He's the head of a biker gang that runs a meth lab and is at war with two rival street gangs.
Why were you interested in playing the character Knox?
I wanted to play Knox mostly because, as an actor, I would never be cast in this type of role. I just don't fit the physical mould. It allowed me to get down and dirty and really get inside the head of a drug-crazed megalomaniac.
What's it like recording an audio drama?
Recording an audio drama is super fun! You can really get deep inside the world of the character, and the levels of expression with subtlety- where I love to play.
Does your character interact with a lot of the cast? If so, who do you love working with most?
Knox mostly interacts with the heads of the rival gangs and his henchmen, Panza, Baz, and Daz. I loved working with everyone on this as it's such an ensemble-driven drama, but I'd have to say working with Andy Ryan, Chris Miller, and Jack Eliis—our biker gang—was bloody awesome. It was equal parts gripping and hilarious in the booth.
How is recording a character different from being on a film set? Are there any similarities?
When you record a character in a drama, you must create the aesthetic with your voice and tone. You need to give a full three-dimensional character by inspiring and activating the listener's imagination. On set, you have costumes, sets, and other characters that you play opposite to create the world that you're in. In an audio drama, you need to bring all of that into how you speak your point of view and how you deal with each character, using emotion and levels of intensity. Sometimes, you find yourself being even more physical in the booth than you are on set because only a small percentage of the physical expression ends up on tape. On camera, you can be more subtle and draw your audience in by not giving too much away. There are similarities, though. You need to commit deeply on a physical level and really listen to the other characters. It's incredible that you can really hear whether you ARE or are NOT truly listening to the other character in the scene and responding to them truthfully.
What was a favorite moment for you while making Second Son?
Without a doubt, my favorite part of making Second Son was our initial table read with the whole cast in the same room. It really brought the whole world to life in a way you can't do in small groups in a studio. That feeling of ensemble and connection was palpable throughout the whole recording process, and I believe it ended up on tape beautifully.
How did you get involved in the project?
I responded to a standard audition brief from my agent. I loved it from the first page and really took my time crafting the Knox that I felt from those first few pages.
What's next for you?
On camera, I've been working on a great period drama series by BBC called Ten Pound Poms. It's the story of the people who paid ten pounds to jump on a ship from England with the promise of a new life in Australia in the 1940's. And I'm super stoked to say that Aussie Lobster Men has just been given the green light for series five.
What kind of research did you do to get into the character Knox?
For Knox, I really dug deep into the very animalistic and tribal aspects of myself. There's a great deal of these less savory and likable characters that live within us - as in all humans lie all behaviors. As a performing artist, you have permission to get down & dirty with these parts of yourself that, because of social conditioning and protocol, don't often see the light of day. I also looked at tribal behaviors—both animal & human.
Fun Questions!
If you could only take 5 items with you to an abandoned island what would they be?
Real butter, a surfboard, The Beatles - Abbey Road, dark chocolate, and English Breakfast tea.
If you could have any meal right now what would it be?
My mum's meatloaf.
