Cyclone Alfred: Lord of the Rings actor David Wenham abandons Perth movie tour, catches emergency flight home

A well-known Lord of the Rings actor abandoned his movie premiere event in Perth to be with his family in Brisbane amid Cyclone Alfred.

David Wenham was scheduled to appear at Luna Palace Cinemas in Leederville on Wednesday night to discuss his new movie, Spit, but instead decided to catch an emergency flight back home at 10.20am before the airport closed.

“I’ve just got the last seat on a plane back to Brisbane so I can actually get into Brisbane before the cyclone hits,” Wenham said in a video from Perth Airport.

“I’ve got family there who are a little bit panicked at present, so I’m so sorry I’m not there, I hope you understand.”

The actor instead appeared on the screen at Luna Palace Cinemas via zoom.

“I’m gutted that I am not there with you tonight,” he said.

“It’s a little bit weird over here I’ve got to tell you, I arrived here a couple hours ago and it does feel rather surreal... it is serious and unfortunately the weather reports are telling us that it’s actually going to get worse.”

The film, in cinemas nationally from March 6, is a spin-off of the 2003 crime-comedy Gettin’ Square’s main character.

Wenham took part in a live Q&A on Tuesday night at Hoyts Carousel alongside social media stars Sam and Teagan Rybka, who also appear in the film.

The 59-year-old actor and producer from Sydney is best known for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and Lieutenant John Scarfield in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.