The world is full of doom and gloom, so today we're bringing you something a little bit different for your Monday.

It's a conversation with David Wenham, the Australian actor who has starred in blockbusters like Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Spartan epic, 300.

More than 20 years ago, though, he played a character by the name of John Frances Spiteri, a two-bit criminal and ex-addict in the Aussie indie classic Gettin' Square.

Wenham now stars in a spin-off about Spiteri, called Spit, which debuts this week.

Today, David Wenham on why, here in Australia, and unlike North America or the United Kingdom, we celebrate the downtrodden, the criminal and the devastated, rather than classic success stories.