Despite being the face of two prime-time TV shows, Early Edition and Friday Night Lights, 45-year-old Kyle Chandler has only had a modest presence on the big screen, perhaps because the hustle and bustle of Hollywood doesn’t gel with the actor’s laid-back, small-town upbringing. But that’s set to change with his co-starring role in Super 8, the highly anticipated monster movie from the brilliant mind of writer/director J.J. Abrams — the director of 2009′s Star Trek reboot and co-creator of TV’s LOST — and executive producer Steven Spielberg (who surely needs no introduction).

Set in small-town Ohio during the summer of 1979, Super 8 follows a group of kids as they endeavor to shoot a scene for their amateur Zombie movie — shot on Super 8mm, of course — at a local train station. While the camera’s rolling, an oncoming military train spectacularly derails, allowing for some dangerous, top-secret cargo to escape. As the US Air-force take control of the investigation, Sherrif Deputy Jackson Lamb (Chandler) is left to address the sudden influx of calls from distressed locals who claim their dogs and family members have inexplicably gone missing. The kids, along with Deputy Lamb, take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of the mystery before their once-peaceful township descends into chaos.

Chandler, who was recently in Australia to promote the film, shared with us his experiences making SUPER 8, from the daunting audition process to the challenges of working in front of a green screen. You can listen to our full interview below!

SUPER 8 hits Australian cinemas June 9.