"The director of Occupation, a guy called Luke Sparke, wanted to meet me because he was a fan of Jango Fett [Morrison's character in Star Wars] and I was his first choice for my character."
Morrison says as an actor it is important to keep working otherwise he runs the risk of becoming "stale".
"I had a big movie coming up, so it was nice to keep at it."
He has been shooting alongside Home and Away stars, which he says is a lot like their Shortland Street. "But not as good though."
When shooting wrapped on the low-budget Australian flick he went straight back to America to film Aquaman where he works alongside Jason Mamoa and Nicole Kidman.
He laughs at the fact he sometimes finds himself "rubbing shoulders with the real big wigs".
"Sometimes I have to pinch myself really. It's crazy being a little boy from Rotorua and getting to meet all of these people."
In August shooting will begin on Occupation 2 and Morrison said he was really looking forward to being back on set.
"I play a father who's getting away from his past, headed for Queensland.
"Then it all goes wrong, aliens arrive and, trapped in a small town, we form a little resistance."
Morrison says the only difference between working on a high-budget and low-budget film is the morning tea.
"On high-budget films, we get three or four chocolate biscuits, on low-budget we just get Round Wines," he laughed.
Morrison says he is still figuring out where to next once filming wraps.
"There are a few things knocking on the door, but it's a tough business and things change all the time."
He doesn't know when he'll be back in Rotorua but wants to acknowledge the many people from Rotorua who have helped his family after the death of his niece, Talei Morrison.
"I got to live and experience true aroha throughout that whole time," he said.
Occupation will be on screen in New Zealand from July 26.
