His interest however in smaller and more personal films led to his performances in the short films Mona Lisa and 296 Smith Street. This brought him to the attention of Director Spike Jonze for his adaptation of the children's story Where The Wild Things Are. In 2013, he won Best Actor at the St Kilda Film Festival for his titular role in the film Joey. Following that up with a Green Room Award the next year for his performance as Lophakin in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of The Cherry Orchard.