It's not every day a Hollywood actor visits the Pyes Pa hills for first class military style training – so how did Zero Dark Thirty star Jason Clarke end up in Tauranga this week?

The 43-year-old star of the Oscar nominated Bin Laden thriller is in Tauranga training for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Candy Store – both of which will be filmed this year.

Australian born actor Jason Clarke trains at Loaded NZ in Pyes Pa. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

'I'm off to Vancouver to start filming Dawn of Planet of the Apes.

'We're there for a month, then off to New Orleans for three months.”

It's been a busy year for Jason with two high-profile films being released and two more in the bag.

Jason's latest film The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Carey Mulligan will open at the Cannes Film Festival in May, followed by the American action thriller White House Down with Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx in July.

'I have met some amazing people and been in some amazing places.”

His most high-profile role to date has to be the role of CIA agent in the political action thriller Zero Dark Thirty.

Despite not winning the Academy Award nomination for Best Picture (picked up by Argo), and criticised by some, Jason says the film, centering around the US hunt for Osama Bin Laden, has received incredible feedback.

'All the letters – one I received from the mother of the pilot of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon – it was incredible.

'We stuck to the facts, it was what happened.”

Up at Loaded NZ off Pyes Pa Road Jason is feeling the pain of hours of training with former SAS soldier and military specialist Barrie Rice and stunt specialist Bomber, as well as the shooting team of Ric Black and Gregory Jervis.

'It's the perfect place to train, we can shoot, we can throw knives, and we can run. You're not bothered by anything – it is the perfect place.”

Jason, Barry and Bomber have worked on films before training hard for Zero Dark 30 where all three were based in Jordan training the Navy Seal team for the film.

'We did some waterboarding. It's always good to sample something so you have an idea of what you are doing,” says Jason.

Waterboarding is a torture technique whereby water is poured over a cloth covering the face to create the sensation of drowning. It is reported to have been used by the CIA in interrogating Al Qaeda suspects.

Barry, who has worked as security for wealthy businessman and A-list stars, says training is about making the film as realistic as possible.

'When we trained with the Seal team we did a week's boot camp at the special forces training camp in Jordan.

'We did interrogation and stress positions. The options that they (CIA) had. We did some waterboarding. Then we'll rehearse scenes for the movie,” says Barry.

'Since it was a Navy Seal raid we had to ensure it was the way they would do it.”

Both Barry and Bomber have been working Jason hard with hours of hand to hand combat, arms training and weapons techniques.

Born and raised in Winton, Australia where his father was a sheep shearer, Jason didn't always know he wanted to act. After high school he went to University to study law, but decided it wasn't for him.

He started acting with roles in popular Australian television shows including Home and Away, Blue Heelers and All Saints before making the move to Los Angeles about 10 years ago.

Although he enjoys the Tinseltown lifestyle, he says it can be a tough place.

'You have to know places and people. It's a good town once you get to know it.

'There are a lot of Australians and New Zealanders there.”

This is Jason's first trip to Tauranga arriving in the country on Wednesday to be taxied straight into training at Loaded on Thursday.

Despite not getting to see many of the sights, Jason says Tauranga does have good Sushi.

'It was great Sushi.”

He's hoping to get to explore more of the city before he leaves for Vancouver next week.