The actor, who plays an army private in the series felt pressure to do his role justice.
“For me, it was a personal battle of backing myself to tell a story that is so real and so important,” Pullar tells WHO. “This is not just a piece of entertainment. We’re dealing with delicate, sensitive issues. War is a reality for a of people.”
The series focuses on soldiers’ struggles to deal with PTSD after returning from Afghanistan. “The realty of what soldiers go through made this so much harder for me,” Pullar, who plays private Jarrod Vogel, admits. “I had to trust my imagination and my gut and do the best job I could do.”
Pullar stars alongside other young performers, such as Julian Maroun (Corporal Peter "Pepsi" Aboud) and former rugby player, Marco Alosio (Isara'elu "Izzy" Uleli), as well as experienced actors Jay Ryan (Sergeant Sean "Speedo" Collins), Ewen Leslie (Captain Ted Nordenfelt) and Kate Mulvany (Ted’s wife Kim).
New Zealand-born Alosio, who makes his acting debut in Fighting Season, says the series is a tribute to war veterans currently competing in the Invictus Games.
“Those are the guys who we’re doing this for,” Alosio says. Adds Maroun: “A lot of these returned veterans come back from war and it can be really tough. Hopefully, this is a good tribute tor the troops.”
Playing soldiers, you might assume all the actors hit the gym to pump up for their roles. Some did, and some didn’t.
“I remember Jay (Ryan) pulled us all aside one day and said, ‘We can’t all be ripped and six packs,’” Pullar says. “So, there was one scene we shot where I was supposed to be lifting weights and I told the director I would read a book in the corner while they were doing that.”
For Maroun, whose character has to strip off his clothes, he ensured he put in plenty of hours in the gym. “The audience is going to see me almost completely naked, so they can judge how hard I worked out,” he laughs.
* Fighting Season airs Sunday, 8.30pm (AEDT), on FOX Showcase