May 8, 2025 • 40 mins
Today, we're joined by 5 x logie winner and one of Australia's most beloved actresses, Asher Keddie. Asher is usually more reserved when it comes to her private life but it was really refreshing to hear her say that she is feeling more and more comfortable actually speaking about herself and what her motivations and ambitions are, rather than just about the characters she plays.
Asher has a reputation of playing complex and layered, strong female characters in shows like ‘Offspring’, ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ and she’s now back as Evelyn Jones in Season 2 of ‘Strife’, a series inspired by Mia Freedman's memoir Work, Strife, Balance. The show delves into the life of a modern woman juggling the demands of career, motherhood, and personal identity in the digital age.
We’ve had quite a lot of conversations on the podcast about the expectations of us to ‘do it all’ and make it look easy and we wanted to speak with Asher today about motherhood and the complexities of juggling her career alongside family life.
We spoke about:
- The ‘actual’ story of how Asher got into acting (and it’s not the narrative that’s circulated)
- Why Asher chose to stay acting in Australia rather than going to Hollywood or NY
- The ‘care less’ factor you gain as you get a bit older and feel more confident
- What drew Asher to Strife
- Dealing with rejection
- Whether the ‘expiration date’ of women is shifting
- Mum guilt and making work decisions with family in mind
- The evolution in her relationship in the last 14 years
Season two of STRIFE is out now on Binge and it’s brilliant!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode was recorded on camragle Land. Hi guys, and
welcome back to another episode of Life on CUD.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm Laura, I'm Brittany.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Now today we are joined by five times Loki winner
and one of Australia's most beloved actresses, Asha Ketty. If
you haven't heard of Ash Ketty, I'm sure you have,
but Asha has a reputation of playing some incredibly complex
and laid strong female characters.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
You'd probably know her.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Best from her role in Offspring, but also one of
my favorites, which was Nine Perfect Strangers, and she's now
back as Evelyn Jones in season two of Strife. If
you haven't watched Strife, it is on Binge season one
and it's Blue slee based around Mia Friedman's life and
how she started the media company Mamma Mia. The show
dells into the life of a modern woman juggling the
demands of career, motherhood, and personal identity in the digital age.
(00:53):
I was really excited about this interview with Asho because
I feel like historically she is very private about her
personal life and has lived this public persona doing incredible
shows across Australian TV. But a lot of people have
not really seen an insight into her personal life or
who she is when she's not on screen playing these
female roles. I feel as though in this conversation we
(01:15):
really touched on mother heard the complexities of juggling career
alongside family life, and I think that it's something and
one of the reasons why Asha has been so successful
in both is because of how she's approached her ability
to prioritize family whilst she's still prioritizing her work at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, and it's.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Interesting that she does tap into that a little bit
in this interview, saying she recognizes how private she was,
and she recognizes how close she was and didn't want
to give anything, and how a lot of.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
People took that as her being cold.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
And it's nice now that she has evolved a little bit,
I guess with society with the way that we do
interviews like podcasting now and she has become more open
and she's more relaxed in it, which I think is
really really nice to see.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
What I will recommend for.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
You guys if you haven't watched it, and Laura, I
know you said Nine Perfect Strangers was your favorite.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Well, I haven't seen Offspring.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
But I've seen nine Perfect Strangers and I was obsessed
so Offspring.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I mean it was one of her earlier shows that
she feelmed, one of the first ones that catapulted.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Asher into Australian media.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
I think from my memory the first time I remember
her she was in her early thirties.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
But the show is called Offspring. You can still watch it.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
There's multiple seasons and it truly.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Is one of my favorite Australian TV shows that I
have ever seen. Like you will completely immerse yourself in
it and be lost in it. The stories, the characters,
the acting, everything, it is so brilliant.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I cannot stress that enough.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Well it's BRIT's Vibe of the week. Everyone. Anyway, let's
get into the chat with Asher.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Asher, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Thank you, Thanks having now you've.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Been acting since you were a teenager, and I am
going to say I was. I am a super fan.
Probably my favorite moment in TV history of Australian history
is like, no, and I've never My sister and I
say to each other all the time. It's in Offspring
with Billy and you say, I will love your baby.
Oh oh, that moment has just gone down in history
(03:08):
for me, and sometimes my sister and I will still
just say to each.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Out of nowhere, I will love your baby. We will.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I've never sobbed so hard.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It was a special moment.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
It was it was just beautiful. But what got you
into acting? Because I know you were sort of on
another path?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Well, I don't know really where this I think may
have been misconstrued over the years.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
The ballet, Yeah, I'm stretched, let's just full this apart
of it.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
So I think I was doing ballet for you know,
I guess six or seven years, so quite a lengthy
amount of time. And you know, I started going to different,
I guess, higher level places to dance and things were developing,
and I did dislocate my knee and was unable then
to dance for quite some time. But in that break
(03:53):
of not dancing, which was probably about three months, I
think what happened this story it's just because the narrative
has changed over the years, but I think what happened
was that someone was making a production company, were making
an ad for a dancewear like leotards and tights and whatever.
They came to the studio that I was training at,
(04:15):
but I wasn't training I wasn't dancing that day still,
but I was just there and they saw me and
they asked my mum, just she want to be in
an ad for this dance, where I said, yeah, that'd
be fun. I mean I had been performing since I
could walk, you know. I mean I was dancing at home,
I was seeing I was creating characters NonStop, so it
(04:36):
kind of just didn't feel like this big event that happened.
It just happened, and I was like, yeah, cool, let's
do that. And then an agent spotted me in that ad,
and then I started quite quickly at the age of nine,
working in At the time, lots of mini series were
happening and big kind of co productions between the US
and Australia, and I happened to land some role in
(05:00):
those until sort of around fourteen fifteen, and I stopped
fourteen and went to school again. Yeah, big chunk of time.
It was a big chunk of time. Yeah, I mean
I came back and forth to school, but not a lot.
I mean I really was tutored for most of those
years out on a film set. That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I mean when you think about at the time basically
being and doing what a child style would do. But
then having the disconnect to go back to school and
stuff probably is what set you up on a path
for an adult career in acting that wasn't influenced by
everything that. I feel like a lot of people who
do acting when they're very young seem to have to
deal with it.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Makes sense.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I feel like a lot of people who come from
child acting don't necessarily continue their careers into adulthood.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yes, I mean, I think for me, I just because
I really lived and breathed it for quite a number
of years as a child. It became like home to me,
and Cruise became like family, and so what it's given
me is a gift in a lot of ways. Moving
into an adult career in acting, I guess what it's
(06:05):
given me is a great gift, and that it's given
me relaxation at work. So it's just so familiar to me.
A film set and the people that make drama so
familiar to me in all their different ways, different lots
of managing, navigating lots of different personalities. At one time,
I'd been doing that since I was a kid, So
(06:28):
I think I'm really relaxed in the environment. And that
was a that's half the battle as an actor is
to relax, you know, so you can deliver a performance
and interpret what the director wants from you and the
story needs from you and stuff. So it was a
good thing for me. And I know I've heard all
the stories about how terrible it can be for young
people acting, but I just really haven't known any different.
(06:52):
I mean, there was a time, I have to say,
when I was around sixteen to twenty where I wanted
to be a horse fed. I was obsessed with all
and I still am, and I've lived with them for
a large part of my adult life. And I thought, oh,
I'll be a vet science and I did really well
in my VCE, and I thought I can do that.
That's an option for me. But strangely, everyone else around
(07:14):
me in my life thought, well, that's what she's going
to The progression is to become an adult actor. And then,
of course I was invited into the Melbourne Theater Company
and did an amazing first show with the most extraordinary
actors Metelaws and Robert Menzies and amazing director and then
I was hooked. That was it. It was just I
(07:35):
was like, oh, this is where I meant to be
this is what I meant to pursue.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
I'll just ride horses and and I'll live with them,
and that enough.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
But I'm still kind of ye. Look, I've stopped reading
the Vet Science now, but I did for many years.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Well, we've seen you so much in huge Aussie series
and a lot of things that have been filmed here,
even international series that have been filmed in Australia. We
saw you with nine perpostration, Nicole Kidman. Did you ever
go and do the LA thing? Did you ever go
and try and quote unquote make it internationally or now?
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I was never your car. No, Look, it just wasn't
my path and it doesn't need to be now, which
is so great for actors living in Australia because of
the streaming services and the landscape changing so much over
the last really five years, because our work's reaching now,
you know, and so many productions and international productions are
being made here. But when I was younger, because I
(08:30):
was in the I started in the theater and I
was given the opportunity to perform fairly consistently each year
through my twenties with the MTC in particular and sometimes
the STC. I think that was my path. I was
really happy doing that. I mean it was such an
extraordinary way to grow up as an actor. And I
(08:52):
didn't go to drama schools. I mean what I did
was learned from the best of the best on stage,
and I learned how to manage myself emotionally and physically.
Actually in terms of it was such great preparation for
the rigor of what it feels like to be at
the center of a show like Strife for example, or
Offspring or whatever. It wasn't my path to go. I
(09:15):
just didn't feel the urge to do it. And then
when I may have had a little itch to go
overseas in New York in particular, I met my now husband,
Vincent and his little boy Luke and my step son,
and life took another That was a big curve ball.
I mean I was just about on the plane and
I met them and I stayed.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I think that's something that's really incredible, though, because a
lot of people who maybe feel as though they had
that passion to go and pursue something that's overseas, or
they feel as though that their career might hinge on
doing something that feels big and different, But then there
is you know, the instances where people make the decision
to prioritize family or prioritize a different life. But yet
(09:58):
you can still manage incredible career alongside being a mum
and having a family life. And I think something that
I think is really admirable that you have done so
well is you have your private life and you have
a public life. They are very separate lives. And it's
something that I think must have been a conscious decision
throughout your career to keep those things very separate.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I think so, yeah, I mean it has been conscious.
I mean it's shifted over the years. When I first
met my family and had my little boy, Valentino, I
was really I mean I was pretty uptight about protecting us,
I guess yeah, And I don't feel that way anymore.
I'm a little I mean, I really enjoy speaking like
this to you. I like talking about life now because
(10:42):
I'm just not holding honors tight, you know. And actually
it's very easy to keep your life private if you
want to. Absolutely. I didn't realize that when I was
kind of in the hoopler of Offspring days, and you know,
there was so much attention on me and we were
being followed everywhere, and I was quite up tied about that,
as I said, but it's not that hard to be private,
(11:03):
and we don't find it hard anymore. I only talk
about things I'm comfortable talking about, and these days it's
kind of pretty much anything. I mean, I'm really you know,
there's a k less factor that comes into play too,
when you get a bit older, and everyone talks about that.
We've heard that, We hear that all the time, but
it's true, you know, and you just hold on a
(11:23):
little less tightly to the things you think are important,
but really they're not. What's important is what happens inside
your own home and what happens in your workplace for yourself,
and you have control over that. That's the thing.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
I think something really relatable for a lot of our listeners,
and you know, us ourselves for our time of life.
When you had your son, Valentino, you were in your forties,
and I remember reading it, and I still remember people
talking about it that was quote unquote an older mum
or an older pregnancy, and that's what people were reporting
on it at the time.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
How old were you at the I didn't know. Did
you dig up? I saw things of magazines, perhaps bombing
us at the hospital as I was leaving and stuff
like that curiated me, But I didn't see that.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Well, it's just the things that I have read is
just at the time forty now it's normal, but I
guess a couple of years ago, a child in your forties,
like my sister in law just had a baby at
forty two. It's completely normal now, But then it was
a bit like, oh, wow, like she's doing that in
her forty.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Well that, yes, I see, I was forty when I
had him, and I she's so young. Yeah, but I
you know, we've been trying to have him for quite
a while, so that's sort of just how. It wasn't like, oh,
I'm forty, I be I have a baby, let's get pregnant,
because it's not as easy as that as we all
know at that age. Yeah. Interesting, isn't it that it
has shifted that You're right?
Speaker 4 (12:48):
What I was going to ask, was that a conscious
decision more based around that you had prioritized your career
or were wanting to porize your career, or it was just.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
No, I just didn't want to have a child until
I met I mean, I wasn't it wasn't at the
top of my agenda. I wasn't something that I felt
would define me. I suppose through my thirties I wanted
to have a child and build on out the family.
When I met Vincent and Luca, I met the right person.
I met my person that I wanted to do that with.
So then it became right. I got to do this.
(13:22):
I really don't want to miss out on this. It's important.
It was really important to both of us that Luca
had a little brother or sister too.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
It's interesting because I know that. I mean, you can
say that brit like, I'm thirty nine. I'll be two
months short of forty by the time I have this baby.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
No one, I haven't even started yet. No one's even blinked. Like,
no one cares. I mean, thank god.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, I mean the only person who cares is my obstration.
But apart from that, no one cares. I would say,
you pick some really incredibly powerful female lead roles and
you're on the publicity tour for Strife at the moment,
or anyone who doesn't know Strife is based off Mia
Friedman's life. We have a friendship with me, but we
also like have followed what she has created through mom
(14:02):
and Mia and throughout her life.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I know, right, how do you go about choosing and
what is your kind of like I guess litmus for
when you're choosing a female lead role. And why was
it that this story something that you were so attracted
to about Mea?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Well, I was attracted to me first. I was attracted
to MEA's experience, I suppose, as you know. I mean,
she's fascinating and I have so much respect for her,
and she puts herself out there in a way that
I find mortifying personally, so.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
She really doesn't on the one hand of the spectrum
we talk about private lives verse sharing your life.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Mia does that dance very well, I would say, so.
I do the opposite right in life. I play characters,
and that's where I'm for the most part comfortable. Mia.
Someone in Maya's domain, and it's certainly she was at
the forefront of all of it. You know, where strife
is based AROUNDY ten to twenty thirteen puts usuff up,
(15:00):
but they're in a way that really does require a
very particular kind of courage, I think, and she's done
it so well and there must have been moments. There
have been moments I know in her life where she's
thought why am I doing this? But she's so committed
to women's voices being heard, and I think that's what
(15:23):
I admire so much about her and why I wanted
to make the show. What I was interested in is
the complexities of womanhood. I thought it was a great
vehicle to really lean into that, the themes of all
the many different themes of womanhood and what we can
all relate to. I suppose, so, I guess in terms
of it doesn't have broader way. In terms of the characters,
(15:46):
the women that I have played and have wanted to play,
there's always a similar pool for me, and that is
I want to be able to expose the vulnerabilities and
the strengths of women in an authentic way, that genuine
when we connects with other women so that we can
learn and we can talk to each other and we
can have conversations. So in a sense, what Meya has
(16:07):
done this is similar in a way to what actors
like myself want to do, or storytellers, you know, producers
like Brunner, Pap Andrea want to do. We want to
explore those complexities, and we want to connect with an
audience not just female, but male as well. You know,
I think that's important.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Did you know Mia before you took this role on personally?
And then so then what was your I guess how
did you sort of get to know her?
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Did you shadow her? Did you sit down to lunch
with her? Did you immerse yourself?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
You know, because we decided very early on that the
character was going to be built from the ground up,
so it's not Maya obviously, she has a completely different
personal life Evelyn in Strife. What we decided was to
explore the startup in that period of women's media, online media,
(16:58):
and MEA's book Strife Work Balance was the perfect example
of what we could explore. And so I guess I
met her. She came down to Melbourne and I met her,
and I had already committed to the show. We were
in you know, development for it, it was being written,
and we talked for a few hours at my house,
just sitting there drinking tea. Strinks so much tea, I
(17:19):
don't even like tea. I'm just sitting there going, oh
my god, I can't even come.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
You get stuck in a tea circle totally.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
She also loves a chat though I love the chart.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Yeah, she also loves to leave by six pm and
being bad.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
That's right, but so do I. So we do have
quite a few things common in that way. Yeah. We
make very early dinner dates. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
We went to dinner with her recently and we had
to book five thirty.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, eight o'clock she called it. She was like, we're
done now everyone, I'll understand that. I really understand that. Yes.
So I spent time with her, of course, And what
we did was just developed the story together with along
with Brunner and Steve and made up stories and of
course Sarah Scheller our creator, head writer, show runner, executive producer,
(18:02):
amazing magics everything onto the page that I want her to.
We just talked and talked and talked. We talked about
We shared our own stories of those complexities that we
wanted to explore, about being a woman trying to invest
as much time in professionals pursuit as personal ones, failing
(18:24):
all the time but succeeding as well, like you know,
and the ambition being really strong, but yet you're torn
and that guilt, that mother guilt that we all have
all those things and many many more, I suppose, and
the second series is really great in that way too.
That we decided early on that it was important definitely
to me that the audience was able to connect a
(18:45):
male and a female audience was able to connect on
a more experiential level than the first series. I think
I love the first series. I love what we explored
and we introduced as ideas. And this time, I think,
as most seconds series of for the opportunity to do,
we go much deeper into the emotional journey of this
woman and her relationships.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
Specifically, I was about to say, I loved the first season,
but where do you take it to the next level
in season two?
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Like, what are we expecting that is different?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, she's expanding her business and she's completely under siege
when we meet her again sort of, you know, between
six and three and six months after we've left off
in season one where the rug's been pulled. She's been
terribly betrayed by someone that was working for her editor
and she's under siege and her former editor, same person
(19:35):
at the end of series one that betrayed her has
moved to another company is starting up a rival online
women's media business, horrendous, terrifying. We also realize that she's
being trolled brutally and being undermined every day on her
own site, ripped apart for her privilege and her faux
(19:58):
feminist voice as it's put, She's really cops a lot
on a daily basis, and we start to look at
the cost of that. But that storyline about the troll
plays out very unpredictably, I have to say, and I'm
really excited about that.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
This to me is something that's fascinating, So I think
for anyone who is close to home for it in
terms of like women working in media, it is something
that and I know that obviously it's based loosely around
me as experiences, but it is something that she still
deals with on the daily end. There's always the criticism
that comes. And something that I find really interesting that
happens for a lot of people is that people love
(20:34):
the relatability of someone until they become successful, and then
we love to say, well, you're no longer relatable or
now you're privileged, and you know, we kind of forget
all the hard work that went into creating what it
is to become that success in the first place, and
it's something that i've i mean, moving away from Strife
for a second, but specifically about me. I've seen that
play out on her social media and there is a
(20:56):
really unfair and unjust element to that as well.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
But it's upsetting to see that.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Usually when we retrospectively, we're watching back to a time
of her life or a period of time in social
media in that generation. And it would be nice to
reflect and say, what a crazy time that was, like
look at the trolling, look at the way they were treated.
But we can't do that because it's never gone away.
We still live in a world where we're being trolled
more than ever. You mentioned a little bit earlier just
(21:22):
about failure and in this industry and entertainment, especially as
an actress.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Maybe not so much now, I'm assuming not.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
At all now, but you get a lot of rejection
in your career, like constantly auditioning for roles and you're
rejected ninety nine times, not you asher specifically.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
It's a young person, a young actor, for sure, that's
the path. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
I even auditioned for season one of Strife actually also
got rejected.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
How was that rejection?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
But it was rejected, and I was like thanks man,
throwing your bone. But how do you how do you
deal with rejection because a lot of.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
People don't deal well and take it really personally, and
not just in entertainment, in anything, going for a job,
going on on a date, somebody doesn't want to see
you on a second date. I'm dealing with that with
a friend at the moment. She's like, I don't understand.
I'm constantly rejected. And I think, as someone in your
position who had experienced that a lot when you were younger,
how do you grapple with that?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I learned really young, I think because it's painful rejection.
And of course in my early twenties, I really wanted
the job, you know, like every actor you really want
the job. You think, oh this is this is it.
I've got to play this. Who else can play this?
I've got to play this role. I get it, and
I wish i'd known then what I know now. Being
(22:34):
a producer and someone that does make casting decisions, I
wish possibly it's a but this is what I'm leading to.
It's a very complex process casting, and so I wish
i'd known then, and I talk to young actors about
it now. It is not personal there are so many
(22:56):
elements at play, There are so many variables, there is
an ensemble to put together in a whole show. It's
about energy. It's not just about who is a wonderful performer.
There are many actors that audition for a role that
could play the role really well. That's the truth. But
it's about so much more than that anyway. The rejection
when you're a young actor is really difficult to deal with.
(23:19):
I have many shortcomings. One of my strengths I think
that I tapped into quite young in my twenties was
the ability to let it wash over me and let
go quite quickly if something didn't well come my way.
I learned early that if it's not meant for you,
it won't be you won't have it. You know, you
won't be able to do it. I never took it
(23:42):
too personally. I just I'm quite resilient in that way.
I was able to recover quickly. And I'd see some
of my actor friends fall into depressions or I think,
oh God, but what about flowing forward the next ones
around the corner.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Yeah, you can't change you, No, you can't.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
So I was quite good at doing that quite early.
I think but letting things go. I move on from
things quite quickly. It has been said to be cold
at times roughout my life. But well, you know, I
don't know. I think resilience is a good thing, and
it's actually an important thing in this industry that I'm
work in. Anyway.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Well, I think it also is like the differentiator between
people who are actually able to maintain and sustain careers
first people who who leave because they can't handle the
rejection of it and probably stop early. I mean, there's
been lots of discussion over the last few years, in particular,
i'd say the last five years around the roles that
keep expanding for women as actors as we age. And
(24:41):
you know, there used to be that thing that it
was like, well, once you hit forty or you've hit
thirty five, it's no.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Longer as rolls.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yeah, well, I mean, and there was no longer opportunities
because people who were in their thirties were playing mums
of teenagers, you know, which is not the case. Now,
what's been your experience as your career has developed and
continue to blossom over the lasted of five six, seven
years in terms of how you've seen the industry change the.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Possibilities of playing really interesting women, not just the girlfriend
or the grammar. Yeah, yea. My experience has been really good,
and I think that when Offspring came along in my
early thirties, it was a terrific opportunity. At that time,
I suppose to lead a show and be at the
center of it in every scene. It was a very
(25:26):
buoyant show. She was a very childlike character in a
lot of ways, trying to grow up. I think that
helped me to be honest, and it certainly helped me
find the area of drama that I really enjoy, the
sweetest spot for me, which is comedy drama. I love it,
you know, I love funny bones. I love it. But
I also love really moving, heartfelt drama, and I love
(25:49):
the challenge of combining the two and walking that line.
I think with the roles that came after that, it's
such a tricky thing to answer. I haven't experienced the
age in a way that you're wondering about. Perhaps that's
because I refuse to believe it or accept it, but
I also think it's even acknowledge it. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Potentially it's also because things are shifting rapidly, like we're
living in the shift like we're living in the changing time.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
It's also because we see the Bruno papingreas of made
up stories we see there is with the spoons. We
see the women that are creating the opportunities because they're
sick of not having them, so they're creating their own
production companies that are fully female founded.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
That's right, Yeah, and that's what we're all doing now
because it's the way we can tell the stories that
we want to tell.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Well, women never even used to have the lead role,
you know, like to say that a woman lead.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
That's what happened with me, is that because I landed
that lead role as Nina Proudman in my early thirties
and then I did seven seasons of that show. I remember, well,
that was really great for me because it was entirely
from the female point of view. So it was one
of the first shows that was female lead and highly popular. Yeah.
(27:00):
So it was a gift in that way, and it
was the beginning of the change.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Said for a real precedent here in a stream.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
It did in Australia.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah, what do you think about this idea of having
it all? You're obviously a mum to two. You're very successful,
You're still working a lot. Do you think you can
have it all? Do you think you can do both concurrently?
Or what do you think it.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Takes to live that life.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
I just don't put that expectation on myself or any
of the women or men in my life at all.
I think it's completely elusive. I've said before I think
that the notion is bullshit. I just don't get I
don't understand the I'm sorry to reject your question in
that way, but I suppose I feel strongly that you mean.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Bullshit of the saying having it all is bullshit? Or
what's the bullshit?
Speaker 1 (27:47):
The notion that we can have it all? Yeah, and
someone might be this extraordinary, super human person to be
able to balance all the bulls in the air all
of the time, I think is crazy and it's a
terrible expectation that we place on ourselves and other people.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah, And we look in, we look in from the
outside and we go, well, that person successful, they have
a seemingly beautiful, happy family life. They must be doing
it all all the same time. And I think it's
an observation rather than a reality. But actually, something you
said when you were describing strife, you said, like the
mum guilt and you're like something that we just all
we all experience, and you kind of were talking about
it from a character perspective. But then also that statement,
(28:26):
even though it was just like a little bit like
off the cuff, it is the reality is, especially when
you're when you're you know, a career driven person and
you're also a mom at the same time, like those feelings,
that duplicity happens and no one can escape it.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
No, Well, the kids are ever present, aren't they. I mean,
they are in my mind always. I was just doing
an interview earlier this morning and my little one val
asked me if I had just wink just once in
the enduring the interview offer true, And I said, this
is last night before I got on the plane to
come here. And I said, I'll try, and remember, daring,
(29:01):
the live television in the morning is very very fast,
and I'm talking about strife, and I may not be
able to squeeze it in, but I'll try. And of
course to get a wink, I know, I forgot.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Why don't you do it right now? We can send
him the video there you go.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Hi, baby, But I you know, they're ever present and
there's just that pool all the time, and I love it,
like I want it. I want to feel like that
about the kids. But when you've got to focus, you know,
on something that's really intense, like a particular day at
work as an actor might be very intense and ask
(29:38):
a lot psychologically, and but you're still trying to work
out the soccer run that make sure someone at home
in there don't forget to pick them up and the
you know. So that's the juggle, isn't it. And it's
the same in any industry, I'm sure for any parent working. Yeah,
but that's the thing that is beautifully relatable. You know.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
We're like even sitting here doing this all today, we
were like, okay, we're back to back, but I have
to leave at this time because I have to go
and get the kids.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
So I was like, I might be walking out of
the middle of an interview.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, and that's today, Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
We're early in the day.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
But I said the same thing, and I was like, cool,
you go and I'll just do it. Like I don't
have kids, I've got nothing to run home too. So
I was like, that's the balance, right, But it also
takes I think, and this I say this looking at you, Laura,
with Matt and your kids. It takes a partner that's
also willing to make some sacrifices to allow you to
go back to work.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
It makes life a lot easier when you have a
partner that shows up with parody and actually like does
the parenting as well alongside you, and you're not left
to do everything. I think for the people who have
to experience that, that's a whole different ballgame. But yeah,
I mean I think that there isn't a woman out
there who is juggling motherhood alongside a career that wouldn't
relate to those feelings.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Dyes, of course. Yeah, yeah, you want to care, You
want to put as much I mean, I want to
invest as much time in all my relationships, whether they're
personal or professional, including the children. It's not easy to
do that, and I don't know if it's possible.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Do you find that it makes you more conscious about
the jobs that you choose and the things that you
actively pursue, because I think you have to be very
decisive because you're like, well, if I'm going to give
my time to this, it's time away from this. So
it's only going to be something that I'm absolutely passionate
about doing.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Yeah, other kids, the family for me come into play.
As soon as a job is possibility is presented straight away, Okay,
so where is it for? How long is the duration?
Could I take the youngest child with me? None of
that wouldn't quite work? Okay, so how to And it's
straight away that thought for me. So it always comes
into play for me. Now the decision about work is
(31:38):
influenced by the kids because we all live together. We
all live our lives together. You know, I'm not a
single person.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
How often do you say no to jobs? And if
you are saying no to something, what's it based on?
Speaker 2 (31:52):
More family, more the role.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
It's always a combination of things. I think. Yeah, I
do say no. I mean that was another lesson to
learn as soon as you can. I think in any
industry that you're in, it's okay to say no to
things and empower yourself in that way and improve your
confidence and your self worth and appreciate that you have
something to offer. That was something I got good at
fairly early, I suppose, But that's because I had really
(32:15):
great people around me, The same people that are around
me now are my agent, Lem Higgins of twenty years
that's a maazing yeah who helped me to understand that
it was okay to say no and to not feel
like I was going to miss out on an opportunity,
because not every opportunity is right for you. Just because
someone wants you to do something, no matter what industry
(32:36):
you're in, doesn't mean that it's the right thing for
you to do.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
I think a lesson I've learned in that sense is
just that not only is it not right for you, but.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
Sometimes a no is what will bring you more yeses.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That's right, yeah in the future, because that no could
get clearer about.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
What you want to pursue. I suppose. So things have
just got clearer and clearer for me over the years
as I've moved through my career in different jobs about
the kind of stories I want to tell. Definitely the
people I want to work with, and it's not hard
to say no now, But certainly sometimes the family come
into play, and there are certain things that I still
(33:14):
grapple with a little bit in terms ofposing vulnerabilities or
certain roles. I look at sometimes and think, oh, I
just I don't know if I'm quite ready for that.
I don't have a sense of Okay, I'm fifty now,
I've just got to say yes before I miss out.
There are some things I'm still not ready for that
(33:36):
maybe in five years time I might be, and hopefully
I'm still working and getting those opportunities.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
What do those things look like? When you say that
you see a vulnerability that you don't know if you're ready.
Is it because of a life experience that you don't
feel like you can tap into.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Or is it a story that you're not about that.
It's more I know what you're asking, it's not about that,
and I feel uncomfortable even talking about because I haven't
expressed this before. This is where we are. We're doing
your podcast, and it's fine, welcome. Since having my family,
I feel conscious about exposing myself within certain stories and
(34:14):
situations that I think will impact them in a way
that I don't want it to. So I'm conscious of
being a public person in that way, a person that's
on television in you know, the public domain, I guess,
or film or whatever, playing characters, and that is of
course the you know, that's what I want to do.
(34:34):
It's what I've always wanted to do. But there have
been a couple of roles that have come up with
I've felt morally unsure about and that it may affect
my children looking me up on the net with things
out of context as well. I'm a little more careful
about things like that. Now.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
There was I mean, with Nine Perfect Strangers. Their character
you played in that was a mum who had lost
their son, and I remember what a scene and I
think not even just a scene, it was actually just
the character development of it, like the devastation, the coming
to terms with the impact it has on your whole family,
the feelings of wide into enough as a mum, and
(35:12):
that I watched that thinking as a mom, you yourself
playing that role. I mean, I thought that that was
incredibly impressive, and I thought that would have been a
really hard character to tap into because you would imagine
that being your own child. We can't not absolutely, you
know if I was watching it imagining it being my
own child, so I can.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Yeah, And you go there, and of course you live
with the character that you're playing for the time that
you're playing it and in a little bit afterwards as well.
It's a very strange space to be in. Yeah, that
brought up a lot of fear in me. Actually, oh god.
If ever there was a time I was holding on
tight to my sons, it was then during that shoot. Yeah,
(35:54):
sometimes the role has a much deeper impact than another
one might, and that was that was a particular role.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Well, that was one that had impact. As if you are,
I would say as well, it was really powerful.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
I did hear you say at the Marie Claire interview
that you probably hold on a little too tight to
your youngest. Do you think that's off the back of
roles like that?
Speaker 1 (36:14):
No, I honestly, I think it's just me.
Speaker 5 (36:16):
Just a session.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
I'm completely obsessed with both of them. Yeah, you know,
as Vincent and I have gone on in our relationship,
we're nearly at fourteen years now, we don't hold on
so tight. We just kind of have established we're so
very much together. But we've established a much less kind
of obsessive, yeah, obsessive thing about each other. But the kids,
(36:43):
I mean, I'm obsessed. I just adore them. I love
being with them. I want to be with them all
the time. They're fascinating to me, Like most parents are
fascinated by their children. I just think they're so great,
and I want to I don't want to miss it
anything with them, So I have to remind myself not
(37:03):
to hold on too tight, I suppose because they're boys
and I'm trying to encourage them to be independent as
well and look after themselves. But the hard thing is
that I really like doing all that.
Speaker 4 (37:13):
Yeah, you don't want them to You got to think
of the future though. You don't want to think like
when they're twenty years old and they're in a relationship and.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
She's like, you're such a mummy's boy like that. Yeah,
now you know.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
You don't have to worry about that.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
I live with my mother in law and my husband's
a complete mummy's boy, and it's the best.
Speaker 4 (37:29):
You also spoke about how he puts his head on
her lap to get head masters.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
They love each other too much. They have a special relationship.
As long as they grow up and they look at
me and their dad and think, wow, they're cool. We
love them and they always felt good with them. Really,
that's all we care about.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
Well. Season one and two of Strife is out now
on BING. Season one is absolutely brilliant. Season two just
as good. What are we going to see next?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
From you?
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Because you are executive producer on Strife as well. Are
you going to start leaning more into that space? Oh?
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yeah, I love it. It's just added so much much
to my life creatively producing and telling stories in a
more holistic way, I suppose from the beginning, and working
with people I really want to work with, like Bruno
and Steve and Katie Amolson you know, he's wonderful, Sarah
Image and Banks who I produce fake with. I mean,
I've just had the most fantastic years building those stories
(38:20):
and finishing them, like going through the whole letter process
until we're ready to deliver, and actors kind of do
that anyway. But it's really nice to now know that
I can say, I'm just I'm going home to Melbourne
for six months and I'm just going to work from home.
And that's what I do all day, every day, just
(38:40):
whether you're in pre production or post production. So it's
just added so much. But yet I can still do
the soccer runs and the school pickups and make the dinner.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
You hear a lot of actors and actresses say they
don't want to watch themselves, but as executive producer, somebody
that is combing through the whole thing to give it
the okay, you're watching every single thing you do?
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Yeah, how do you feel watched yourself back? Oh, I'm
well over that now. I was just like offspring again.
Was the beginning of becoming comfortable watching myself. I had
no choice if you're in every scene, no, no, no,
I don't even look at the Occasionally I'll watch something
and think I don't notice the way I look anymore.
That's a great release actually of stress that kind of
(39:20):
went with those Offspring days. But occasionally I'll watch a
scene and the way it's been cut edited in its
first round, and I'll think, actually, I think we found
something much more interesting in take four of that, particularly
find that can we have a look at that instead?
That's the fun of being able to be involved, But
(39:41):
you actually do have to be detached in a way
to be objective about it. And I think, I'm look,
I think I'm I care less about myself now to
be able to do that, does that make sense? To
be objective and actually just think of the story as
opposed to how I've said something? Well completely?
Speaker 3 (39:59):
You know, Also, if you're worried about just looking at
the way that you look to you'd be like, well,
I don't look good and take four might have been
better acting.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
Let's just take one, you know, and let's put that
filter only.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Thank you so much for coming and being a part
of the pod, and for being so open as well,
you know, I mean, it's it's refreshing to hear you
say that you're at a point in life where you
don't feel as though you need to hold on so
tightly to the rein of your personal experiences, but you
share it so beautifully.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Thank her, Thank you so much, my pleasure. Thanks Thanks Ash,
This episode was recorded on camragle Land. Hi guys, and
welcome back to another episode of Life on CUD.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm Laura, I'm Brittany.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Now today we are joined by five times Loki winner
and one of Australia's most beloved actresses, Asha Ketty. If
you haven't heard of Ash Ketty, I'm sure you have,
but Asha has a reputation of playing some incredibly complex
and laid strong female characters.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
You'd probably know her.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Best from her role in Offspring, but also one of
my favorites, which was Nine Perfect Strangers, and she's now
back as Evelyn Jones in season two of Strife. If
you haven't watched Strife, it is on Binge season one
and it's Blue slee based around Mia Friedman's life and
how she started the media company Mamma Mia. The show
dells into the life of a modern woman juggling the
demands of career, motherhood, and personal identity in the digital age.
(00:53):
I was really excited about this interview with Asho because
I feel like historically she is very private about her
personal life and has lived this public persona doing incredible
shows across Australian TV. But a lot of people have
not really seen an insight into her personal life or
who she is when she's not on screen playing these
female roles. I feel as though in this conversation we
(01:15):
really touched on mother heard the complexities of juggling career
alongside family life, and I think that it's something and
one of the reasons why Asha has been so successful
in both is because of how she's approached her ability
to prioritize family whilst she's still prioritizing her work at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, and it's.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Interesting that she does tap into that a little bit
in this interview, saying she recognizes how private she was,
and she recognizes how close she was and didn't want
to give anything, and how a lot of.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
People took that as her being cold.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
And it's nice now that she has evolved a little bit,
I guess with society with the way that we do
interviews like podcasting now and she has become more open
and she's more relaxed in it, which I think is
really really nice to see.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
What I will recommend for.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
You guys if you haven't watched it, and Laura, I
know you said Nine Perfect Strangers was your favorite.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Well, I haven't seen Offspring.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
But I've seen nine Perfect Strangers and I was obsessed
so Offspring.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I mean it was one of her earlier shows that
she feelmed, one of the first ones that catapulted.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Asher into Australian media.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
I think from my memory the first time I remember
her she was in her early thirties.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
But the show is called Offspring. You can still watch it.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
There's multiple seasons and it truly.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Is one of my favorite Australian TV shows that I
have ever seen. Like you will completely immerse yourself in
it and be lost in it. The stories, the characters,
the acting, everything, it is so brilliant.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I cannot stress that enough.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Well it's BRIT's Vibe of the week. Everyone. Anyway, let's
get into the chat with Asher.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Asher, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Thank you, Thanks having now you've.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Been acting since you were a teenager, and I am
going to say I was. I am a super fan.
Probably my favorite moment in TV history of Australian history
is like, no, and I've never My sister and I
say to each other all the time. It's in Offspring
with Billy and you say, I will love your baby.
Oh oh, that moment has just gone down in history
(03:08):
for me, and sometimes my sister and I will still
just say to each.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Out of nowhere, I will love your baby. We will.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I've never sobbed so hard.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It was a special moment.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
It was it was just beautiful. But what got you
into acting? Because I know you were sort of on
another path?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Well, I don't know really where this I think may
have been misconstrued over the years.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
The ballet, Yeah, I'm stretched, let's just full this apart
of it.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
So I think I was doing ballet for you know,
I guess six or seven years, so quite a lengthy
amount of time. And you know, I started going to different,
I guess, higher level places to dance and things were developing,
and I did dislocate my knee and was unable then
to dance for quite some time. But in that break
(03:53):
of not dancing, which was probably about three months, I
think what happened this story it's just because the narrative
has changed over the years, but I think what happened
was that someone was making a production company, were making
an ad for a dancewear like leotards and tights and whatever.
They came to the studio that I was training at,
(04:15):
but I wasn't training I wasn't dancing that day still,
but I was just there and they saw me and
they asked my mum, just she want to be in
an ad for this dance, where I said, yeah, that'd
be fun. I mean I had been performing since I
could walk, you know. I mean I was dancing at home,
I was seeing I was creating characters NonStop, so it
(04:36):
kind of just didn't feel like this big event that happened.
It just happened, and I was like, yeah, cool, let's
do that. And then an agent spotted me in that ad,
and then I started quite quickly at the age of nine,
working in At the time, lots of mini series were
happening and big kind of co productions between the US
and Australia, and I happened to land some role in
(05:00):
those until sort of around fourteen fifteen, and I stopped
fourteen and went to school again. Yeah, big chunk of time.
It was a big chunk of time. Yeah, I mean
I came back and forth to school, but not a lot.
I mean I really was tutored for most of those
years out on a film set. That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I mean when you think about at the time basically
being and doing what a child style would do. But
then having the disconnect to go back to school and
stuff probably is what set you up on a path
for an adult career in acting that wasn't influenced by
everything that. I feel like a lot of people who
do acting when they're very young seem to have to
deal with it.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Makes sense.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I feel like a lot of people who come from
child acting don't necessarily continue their careers into adulthood.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yes, I mean, I think for me, I just because
I really lived and breathed it for quite a number
of years as a child. It became like home to me,
and Cruise became like family, and so what it's given
me is a gift in a lot of ways. Moving
into an adult career in acting, I guess what it's
(06:05):
given me is a great gift, and that it's given
me relaxation at work. So it's just so familiar to me.
A film set and the people that make drama so
familiar to me in all their different ways, different lots
of managing, navigating lots of different personalities. At one time,
I'd been doing that since I was a kid, So
(06:28):
I think I'm really relaxed in the environment. And that
was a that's half the battle as an actor is
to relax, you know, so you can deliver a performance
and interpret what the director wants from you and the
story needs from you and stuff. So it was a
good thing for me. And I know I've heard all
the stories about how terrible it can be for young
people acting, but I just really haven't known any different.
(06:52):
I mean, there was a time, I have to say,
when I was around sixteen to twenty where I wanted
to be a horse fed. I was obsessed with all
and I still am, and I've lived with them for
a large part of my adult life. And I thought, oh,
I'll be a vet science and I did really well
in my VCE, and I thought I can do that.
That's an option for me. But strangely, everyone else around
(07:14):
me in my life thought, well, that's what she's going
to The progression is to become an adult actor. And then,
of course I was invited into the Melbourne Theater Company
and did an amazing first show with the most extraordinary
actors Metelaws and Robert Menzies and amazing director and then
I was hooked. That was it. It was just I
(07:35):
was like, oh, this is where I meant to be
this is what I meant to pursue.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
I'll just ride horses and and I'll live with them,
and that enough.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
But I'm still kind of ye. Look, I've stopped reading
the Vet Science now, but I did for many years.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Well, we've seen you so much in huge Aussie series
and a lot of things that have been filmed here,
even international series that have been filmed in Australia. We
saw you with nine perpostration, Nicole Kidman. Did you ever
go and do the LA thing? Did you ever go
and try and quote unquote make it internationally or now?
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I was never your car. No, Look, it just wasn't
my path and it doesn't need to be now, which
is so great for actors living in Australia because of
the streaming services and the landscape changing so much over
the last really five years, because our work's reaching now,
you know, and so many productions and international productions are
being made here. But when I was younger, because I
(08:30):
was in the I started in the theater and I
was given the opportunity to perform fairly consistently each year
through my twenties with the MTC in particular and sometimes
the STC. I think that was my path. I was
really happy doing that. I mean it was such an
extraordinary way to grow up as an actor. And I
(08:52):
didn't go to drama schools. I mean what I did
was learned from the best of the best on stage,
and I learned how to manage myself emotionally and physically.
Actually in terms of it was such great preparation for
the rigor of what it feels like to be at
the center of a show like Strife for example, or
Offspring or whatever. It wasn't my path to go. I
(09:15):
just didn't feel the urge to do it. And then
when I may have had a little itch to go
overseas in New York in particular, I met my now husband,
Vincent and his little boy Luke and my step son,
and life took another That was a big curve ball.
I mean I was just about on the plane and
I met them and I stayed.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I think that's something that's really incredible, though, because a
lot of people who maybe feel as though they had
that passion to go and pursue something that's overseas, or
they feel as though that their career might hinge on
doing something that feels big and different, But then there
is you know, the instances where people make the decision
to prioritize family or prioritize a different life. But yet
(09:58):
you can still manage incredible career alongside being a mum
and having a family life. And I think something that
I think is really admirable that you have done so
well is you have your private life and you have
a public life. They are very separate lives. And it's
something that I think must have been a conscious decision
throughout your career to keep those things very separate.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I think so, yeah, I mean it has been conscious.
I mean it's shifted over the years. When I first
met my family and had my little boy, Valentino, I
was really I mean I was pretty uptight about protecting us,
I guess yeah, And I don't feel that way anymore.
I'm a little I mean, I really enjoy speaking like
this to you. I like talking about life now because
(10:42):
I'm just not holding honors tight, you know. And actually
it's very easy to keep your life private if you
want to. Absolutely. I didn't realize that when I was
kind of in the hoopler of Offspring days, and you know,
there was so much attention on me and we were
being followed everywhere, and I was quite up tied about that,
as I said, but it's not that hard to be private,
(11:03):
and we don't find it hard anymore. I only talk
about things I'm comfortable talking about, and these days it's
kind of pretty much anything. I mean, I'm really you know,
there's a k less factor that comes into play too,
when you get a bit older, and everyone talks about that.
We've heard that, We hear that all the time, but
it's true, you know, and you just hold on a
(11:23):
little less tightly to the things you think are important,
but really they're not. What's important is what happens inside
your own home and what happens in your workplace for yourself,
and you have control over that. That's the thing.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
I think something really relatable for a lot of our listeners,
and you know, us ourselves for our time of life.
When you had your son, Valentino, you were in your forties,
and I remember reading it, and I still remember people
talking about it that was quote unquote an older mum
or an older pregnancy, and that's what people were reporting
on it at the time.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
How old were you at the I didn't know. Did
you dig up? I saw things of magazines, perhaps bombing
us at the hospital as I was leaving and stuff
like that curiated me, But I didn't see that.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Well, it's just the things that I have read is
just at the time forty now it's normal, but I
guess a couple of years ago, a child in your forties,
like my sister in law just had a baby at
forty two. It's completely normal now, But then it was
a bit like, oh, wow, like she's doing that in
her forty.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Well that, yes, I see, I was forty when I
had him, and I she's so young. Yeah, but I
you know, we've been trying to have him for quite
a while, so that's sort of just how. It wasn't like, oh,
I'm forty, I be I have a baby, let's get pregnant,
because it's not as easy as that as we all
know at that age. Yeah. Interesting, isn't it that it
has shifted that You're right?
Speaker 4 (12:48):
What I was going to ask, was that a conscious
decision more based around that you had prioritized your career
or were wanting to porize your career, or it was just.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
No, I just didn't want to have a child until
I met I mean, I wasn't it wasn't at the
top of my agenda. I wasn't something that I felt
would define me. I suppose through my thirties I wanted
to have a child and build on out the family.
When I met Vincent and Luca, I met the right person.
I met my person that I wanted to do that with.
So then it became right. I got to do this.
(13:22):
I really don't want to miss out on this. It's important.
It was really important to both of us that Luca
had a little brother or sister too.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
It's interesting because I know that. I mean, you can
say that brit like, I'm thirty nine. I'll be two
months short of forty by the time I have this baby.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
No one, I haven't even started yet. No one's even blinked. Like,
no one cares. I mean, thank god.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, I mean the only person who cares is my obstration.
But apart from that, no one cares. I would say,
you pick some really incredibly powerful female lead roles and
you're on the publicity tour for Strife at the moment,
or anyone who doesn't know Strife is based off Mia
Friedman's life. We have a friendship with me, but we
also like have followed what she has created through mom
(14:02):
and Mia and throughout her life.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I know, right, how do you go about choosing and
what is your kind of like I guess litmus for
when you're choosing a female lead role. And why was
it that this story something that you were so attracted
to about Mea?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Well, I was attracted to me first. I was attracted
to MEA's experience, I suppose, as you know. I mean,
she's fascinating and I have so much respect for her,
and she puts herself out there in a way that
I find mortifying personally, so.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
She really doesn't on the one hand of the spectrum
we talk about private lives verse sharing your life.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Mia does that dance very well, I would say, so.
I do the opposite right in life. I play characters,
and that's where I'm for the most part comfortable. Mia.
Someone in Maya's domain, and it's certainly she was at
the forefront of all of it. You know, where strife
is based AROUNDY ten to twenty thirteen puts usuff up,
(15:00):
but they're in a way that really does require a
very particular kind of courage, I think, and she's done
it so well and there must have been moments. There
have been moments I know in her life where she's
thought why am I doing this? But she's so committed
to women's voices being heard, and I think that's what
(15:23):
I admire so much about her and why I wanted
to make the show. What I was interested in is
the complexities of womanhood. I thought it was a great
vehicle to really lean into that, the themes of all
the many different themes of womanhood and what we can
all relate to. I suppose, so, I guess in terms
of it doesn't have broader way. In terms of the characters,
(15:46):
the women that I have played and have wanted to play,
there's always a similar pool for me, and that is
I want to be able to expose the vulnerabilities and
the strengths of women in an authentic way, that genuine
when we connects with other women so that we can
learn and we can talk to each other and we
can have conversations. So in a sense, what Meya has
(16:07):
done this is similar in a way to what actors
like myself want to do, or storytellers, you know, producers
like Brunner, Pap Andrea want to do. We want to
explore those complexities, and we want to connect with an
audience not just female, but male as well. You know,
I think that's important.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Did you know Mia before you took this role on personally?
And then so then what was your I guess how
did you sort of get to know her?
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Did you shadow her? Did you sit down to lunch
with her? Did you immerse yourself?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
You know, because we decided very early on that the
character was going to be built from the ground up,
so it's not Maya obviously, she has a completely different
personal life Evelyn in Strife. What we decided was to
explore the startup in that period of women's media, online media,
(16:58):
and MEA's book Strife Work Balance was the perfect example
of what we could explore. And so I guess I
met her. She came down to Melbourne and I met her,
and I had already committed to the show. We were
in you know, development for it, it was being written,
and we talked for a few hours at my house,
just sitting there drinking tea. Strinks so much tea, I
(17:19):
don't even like tea. I'm just sitting there going, oh
my god, I can't even come.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
You get stuck in a tea circle totally.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
She also loves a chat though I love the chart.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Yeah, she also loves to leave by six pm and
being bad.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
That's right, but so do I. So we do have
quite a few things common in that way. Yeah. We
make very early dinner dates. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
We went to dinner with her recently and we had
to book five thirty.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, eight o'clock she called it. She was like, we're
done now everyone, I'll understand that. I really understand that. Yes.
So I spent time with her, of course, And what
we did was just developed the story together with along
with Brunner and Steve and made up stories and of
course Sarah Scheller our creator, head writer, show runner, executive producer,
(18:02):
amazing magics everything onto the page that I want her to.
We just talked and talked and talked. We talked about
We shared our own stories of those complexities that we
wanted to explore, about being a woman trying to invest
as much time in professionals pursuit as personal ones, failing
(18:24):
all the time but succeeding as well, like you know,
and the ambition being really strong, but yet you're torn
and that guilt, that mother guilt that we all have
all those things and many many more, I suppose, and
the second series is really great in that way too.
That we decided early on that it was important definitely
to me that the audience was able to connect a
(18:45):
male and a female audience was able to connect on
a more experiential level than the first series. I think
I love the first series. I love what we explored
and we introduced as ideas. And this time, I think,
as most seconds series of for the opportunity to do,
we go much deeper into the emotional journey of this
woman and her relationships.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
Specifically, I was about to say, I loved the first season,
but where do you take it to the next level
in season two?
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Like, what are we expecting that is different?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Well, she's expanding her business and she's completely under siege
when we meet her again sort of, you know, between
six and three and six months after we've left off
in season one where the rug's been pulled. She's been
terribly betrayed by someone that was working for her editor
and she's under siege and her former editor, same person
(19:35):
at the end of series one that betrayed her has
moved to another company is starting up a rival online
women's media business, horrendous, terrifying. We also realize that she's
being trolled brutally and being undermined every day on her
own site, ripped apart for her privilege and her faux
(19:58):
feminist voice as it's put, She's really cops a lot
on a daily basis, and we start to look at
the cost of that. But that storyline about the troll
plays out very unpredictably, I have to say, and I'm
really excited about that.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
This to me is something that's fascinating, So I think
for anyone who is close to home for it in
terms of like women working in media, it is something
that and I know that obviously it's based loosely around
me as experiences, but it is something that she still
deals with on the daily end. There's always the criticism
that comes. And something that I find really interesting that
happens for a lot of people is that people love
(20:34):
the relatability of someone until they become successful, and then
we love to say, well, you're no longer relatable or
now you're privileged, and you know, we kind of forget
all the hard work that went into creating what it
is to become that success in the first place, and
it's something that i've i mean, moving away from Strife
for a second, but specifically about me. I've seen that
play out on her social media and there is a
(20:56):
really unfair and unjust element to that as well.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
But it's upsetting to see that.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Usually when we retrospectively, we're watching back to a time
of her life or a period of time in social
media in that generation. And it would be nice to
reflect and say, what a crazy time that was, like
look at the trolling, look at the way they were treated.
But we can't do that because it's never gone away.
We still live in a world where we're being trolled
more than ever. You mentioned a little bit earlier just
(21:22):
about failure and in this industry and entertainment, especially as
an actress.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Maybe not so much now, I'm assuming not.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
At all now, but you get a lot of rejection
in your career, like constantly auditioning for roles and you're
rejected ninety nine times, not you asher specifically.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
It's a young person, a young actor, for sure, that's
the path. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
I even auditioned for season one of Strife actually also
got rejected.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
How was that rejection?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
But it was rejected, and I was like thanks man,
throwing your bone. But how do you how do you
deal with rejection because a lot of.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
People don't deal well and take it really personally, and
not just in entertainment, in anything, going for a job,
going on on a date, somebody doesn't want to see
you on a second date. I'm dealing with that with
a friend at the moment. She's like, I don't understand.
I'm constantly rejected. And I think, as someone in your
position who had experienced that a lot when you were younger,
how do you grapple with that?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I learned really young, I think because it's painful rejection.
And of course in my early twenties, I really wanted
the job, you know, like every actor you really want
the job. You think, oh this is this is it.
I've got to play this. Who else can play this?
I've got to play this role. I get it, and
I wish i'd known then what I know now. Being
(22:34):
a producer and someone that does make casting decisions, I
wish possibly it's a but this is what I'm leading to.
It's a very complex process casting, and so I wish
i'd known then, and I talk to young actors about
it now. It is not personal there are so many
(22:56):
elements at play, There are so many variables, there is
an ensemble to put together in a whole show. It's
about energy. It's not just about who is a wonderful performer.
There are many actors that audition for a role that
could play the role really well. That's the truth. But
it's about so much more than that anyway. The rejection
when you're a young actor is really difficult to deal with.
(23:19):
I have many shortcomings. One of my strengths I think
that I tapped into quite young in my twenties was
the ability to let it wash over me and let
go quite quickly if something didn't well come my way.
I learned early that if it's not meant for you,
it won't be you won't have it. You know, you
won't be able to do it. I never took it
(23:42):
too personally. I just I'm quite resilient in that way.
I was able to recover quickly. And I'd see some
of my actor friends fall into depressions or I think,
oh God, but what about flowing forward the next ones
around the corner.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Yeah, you can't change you, No, you can't.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
So I was quite good at doing that quite early.
I think but letting things go. I move on from
things quite quickly. It has been said to be cold
at times roughout my life. But well, you know, I
don't know. I think resilience is a good thing, and
it's actually an important thing in this industry that I'm
work in. Anyway.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Well, I think it also is like the differentiator between
people who are actually able to maintain and sustain careers
first people who who leave because they can't handle the
rejection of it and probably stop early. I mean, there's
been lots of discussion over the last few years, in particular,
i'd say the last five years around the roles that
keep expanding for women as actors as we age. And
(24:41):
you know, there used to be that thing that it
was like, well, once you hit forty or you've hit
thirty five, it's no.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Longer as rolls.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yeah, well, I mean, and there was no longer opportunities
because people who were in their thirties were playing mums
of teenagers, you know, which is not the case. Now,
what's been your experience as your career has developed and
continue to blossom over the lasted of five six, seven
years in terms of how you've seen the industry change the.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Possibilities of playing really interesting women, not just the girlfriend
or the grammar. Yeah, yea. My experience has been really good,
and I think that when Offspring came along in my
early thirties, it was a terrific opportunity. At that time,
I suppose to lead a show and be at the
center of it in every scene. It was a very
(25:26):
buoyant show. She was a very childlike character in a
lot of ways, trying to grow up. I think that
helped me to be honest, and it certainly helped me
find the area of drama that I really enjoy, the
sweetest spot for me, which is comedy drama. I love it,
you know, I love funny bones. I love it. But
I also love really moving, heartfelt drama, and I love
(25:49):
the challenge of combining the two and walking that line.
I think with the roles that came after that, it's
such a tricky thing to answer. I haven't experienced the
age in a way that you're wondering about. Perhaps that's
because I refuse to believe it or accept it, but
I also think it's even acknowledge it. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Potentially it's also because things are shifting rapidly, like we're
living in the shift like we're living in the changing time.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
It's also because we see the Bruno papingreas of made
up stories we see there is with the spoons. We
see the women that are creating the opportunities because they're
sick of not having them, so they're creating their own
production companies that are fully female founded.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
That's right, Yeah, and that's what we're all doing now
because it's the way we can tell the stories that
we want to tell.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Well, women never even used to have the lead role,
you know, like to say that a woman lead.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
That's what happened with me, is that because I landed
that lead role as Nina Proudman in my early thirties
and then I did seven seasons of that show. I remember, well,
that was really great for me because it was entirely
from the female point of view. So it was one
of the first shows that was female lead and highly popular. Yeah.
(27:00):
So it was a gift in that way, and it
was the beginning of the change.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Said for a real precedent here in a stream.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
It did in Australia.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah, what do you think about this idea of having
it all? You're obviously a mum to two. You're very successful,
You're still working a lot. Do you think you can
have it all? Do you think you can do both concurrently?
Or what do you think it.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Takes to live that life.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
I just don't put that expectation on myself or any
of the women or men in my life at all.
I think it's completely elusive. I've said before I think
that the notion is bullshit. I just don't get I
don't understand the I'm sorry to reject your question in
that way, but I suppose I feel strongly that you mean.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Bullshit of the saying having it all is bullshit? Or
what's the bullshit?
Speaker 1 (27:47):
The notion that we can have it all? Yeah, and
someone might be this extraordinary, super human person to be
able to balance all the bulls in the air all
of the time, I think is crazy and it's a
terrible expectation that we place on ourselves and other people.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah, And we look in, we look in from the
outside and we go, well, that person successful, they have
a seemingly beautiful, happy family life. They must be doing
it all all the same time. And I think it's
an observation rather than a reality. But actually, something you
said when you were describing strife, you said, like the
mum guilt and you're like something that we just all
we all experience, and you kind of were talking about
it from a character perspective. But then also that statement,
(28:26):
even though it was just like a little bit like
off the cuff, it is the reality is, especially when
you're when you're you know, a career driven person and
you're also a mom at the same time, like those feelings,
that duplicity happens and no one can escape it.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
No, Well, the kids are ever present, aren't they. I mean,
they are in my mind always. I was just doing
an interview earlier this morning and my little one val
asked me if I had just wink just once in
the enduring the interview offer true, And I said, this
is last night before I got on the plane to
come here. And I said, I'll try, and remember, daring,
(29:01):
the live television in the morning is very very fast,
and I'm talking about strife, and I may not be
able to squeeze it in, but I'll try. And of
course to get a wink, I know, I forgot.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Why don't you do it right now? We can send
him the video there you go.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Hi, baby, But I you know, they're ever present and
there's just that pool all the time, and I love it,
like I want it. I want to feel like that
about the kids. But when you've got to focus, you know,
on something that's really intense, like a particular day at
work as an actor might be very intense and ask
(29:38):
a lot psychologically, and but you're still trying to work
out the soccer run that make sure someone at home
in there don't forget to pick them up and the
you know. So that's the juggle, isn't it. And it's
the same in any industry, I'm sure for any parent working. Yeah,
but that's the thing that is beautifully relatable. You know.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
We're like even sitting here doing this all today, we
were like, okay, we're back to back, but I have
to leave at this time because I have to go
and get the kids.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
So I was like, I might be walking out of
the middle of an interview.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, and that's today, Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
We're early in the day.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
But I said the same thing, and I was like, cool,
you go and I'll just do it. Like I don't
have kids, I've got nothing to run home too. So
I was like, that's the balance, right, But it also
takes I think, and this I say this looking at you, Laura,
with Matt and your kids. It takes a partner that's
also willing to make some sacrifices to allow you to
go back to work.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
It makes life a lot easier when you have a
partner that shows up with parody and actually like does
the parenting as well alongside you, and you're not left
to do everything. I think for the people who have
to experience that, that's a whole different ballgame. But yeah,
I mean I think that there isn't a woman out
there who is juggling motherhood alongside a career that wouldn't
relate to those feelings.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Dyes, of course. Yeah, yeah, you want to care, You
want to put as much I mean, I want to
invest as much time in all my relationships, whether they're
personal or professional, including the children. It's not easy to
do that, and I don't know if it's possible.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Do you find that it makes you more conscious about
the jobs that you choose and the things that you
actively pursue, because I think you have to be very
decisive because you're like, well, if I'm going to give
my time to this, it's time away from this. So
it's only going to be something that I'm absolutely passionate
about doing.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Yeah, other kids, the family for me come into play.
As soon as a job is possibility is presented straight away, Okay,
so where is it for? How long is the duration?
Could I take the youngest child with me? None of
that wouldn't quite work? Okay, so how to And it's
straight away that thought for me. So it always comes
into play for me. Now the decision about work is
(31:38):
influenced by the kids because we all live together. We
all live our lives together. You know, I'm not a
single person.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
How often do you say no to jobs? And if
you are saying no to something, what's it based on?
Speaker 2 (31:52):
More family, more the role.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
It's always a combination of things. I think. Yeah, I
do say no. I mean that was another lesson to
learn as soon as you can. I think in any
industry that you're in, it's okay to say no to
things and empower yourself in that way and improve your
confidence and your self worth and appreciate that you have
something to offer. That was something I got good at
fairly early, I suppose, But that's because I had really
(32:15):
great people around me, The same people that are around
me now are my agent, Lem Higgins of twenty years
that's a maazing yeah who helped me to understand that
it was okay to say no and to not feel
like I was going to miss out on an opportunity,
because not every opportunity is right for you. Just because
someone wants you to do something, no matter what industry
(32:36):
you're in, doesn't mean that it's the right thing for
you to do.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
I think a lesson I've learned in that sense is
just that not only is it not right for you, but.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
Sometimes a no is what will bring you more yeses.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That's right, yeah in the future, because that no could
get clearer about.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
What you want to pursue. I suppose. So things have
just got clearer and clearer for me over the years
as I've moved through my career in different jobs about
the kind of stories I want to tell. Definitely the
people I want to work with, and it's not hard
to say no now, But certainly sometimes the family come
into play, and there are certain things that I still
(33:14):
grapple with a little bit in terms ofposing vulnerabilities or
certain roles. I look at sometimes and think, oh, I
just I don't know if I'm quite ready for that.
I don't have a sense of Okay, I'm fifty now,
I've just got to say yes before I miss out.
There are some things I'm still not ready for that
(33:36):
maybe in five years time I might be, and hopefully
I'm still working and getting those opportunities.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
What do those things look like? When you say that
you see a vulnerability that you don't know if you're ready.
Is it because of a life experience that you don't
feel like you can tap into.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Or is it a story that you're not about that.
It's more I know what you're asking, it's not about that,
and I feel uncomfortable even talking about because I haven't
expressed this before. This is where we are. We're doing
your podcast, and it's fine, welcome. Since having my family,
I feel conscious about exposing myself within certain stories and
(34:14):
situations that I think will impact them in a way
that I don't want it to. So I'm conscious of
being a public person in that way, a person that's
on television in you know, the public domain, I guess,
or film or whatever, playing characters, and that is of
course the you know, that's what I want to do.
(34:34):
It's what I've always wanted to do. But there have
been a couple of roles that have come up with
I've felt morally unsure about and that it may affect
my children looking me up on the net with things
out of context as well. I'm a little more careful
about things like that. Now.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
There was I mean, with Nine Perfect Strangers. Their character
you played in that was a mum who had lost
their son, and I remember what a scene and I
think not even just a scene, it was actually just
the character development of it, like the devastation, the coming
to terms with the impact it has on your whole family,
the feelings of wide into enough as a mum, and
(35:12):
that I watched that thinking as a mom, you yourself
playing that role. I mean, I thought that that was
incredibly impressive, and I thought that would have been a
really hard character to tap into because you would imagine
that being your own child. We can't not absolutely, you
know if I was watching it imagining it being my
own child, so I can.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Yeah, And you go there, and of course you live
with the character that you're playing for the time that
you're playing it and in a little bit afterwards as well.
It's a very strange space to be in. Yeah, that
brought up a lot of fear in me. Actually, oh god.
If ever there was a time I was holding on
tight to my sons, it was then during that shoot. Yeah,
(35:54):
sometimes the role has a much deeper impact than another
one might, and that was that was a particular role.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Well, that was one that had impact. As if you are,
I would say as well, it was really powerful.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
I did hear you say at the Marie Claire interview
that you probably hold on a little too tight to
your youngest. Do you think that's off the back of
roles like that?
Speaker 1 (36:14):
No, I honestly, I think it's just me.
Speaker 5 (36:16):
Just a session.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
I'm completely obsessed with both of them. Yeah, you know,
as Vincent and I have gone on in our relationship,
we're nearly at fourteen years now, we don't hold on
so tight. We just kind of have established we're so
very much together. But we've established a much less kind
of obsessive, yeah, obsessive thing about each other. But the kids,
(36:43):
I mean, I'm obsessed. I just adore them. I love
being with them. I want to be with them all
the time. They're fascinating to me, Like most parents are
fascinated by their children. I just think they're so great,
and I want to I don't want to miss it
anything with them, So I have to remind myself not
(37:03):
to hold on too tight, I suppose because they're boys
and I'm trying to encourage them to be independent as
well and look after themselves. But the hard thing is
that I really like doing all that.
Speaker 4 (37:13):
Yeah, you don't want them to You got to think
of the future though. You don't want to think like
when they're twenty years old and they're in a relationship and.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
She's like, you're such a mummy's boy like that. Yeah,
now you know.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
You don't have to worry about that.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
I live with my mother in law and my husband's
a complete mummy's boy, and it's the best.
Speaker 4 (37:29):
You also spoke about how he puts his head on
her lap to get head masters.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
They love each other too much. They have a special relationship.
As long as they grow up and they look at
me and their dad and think, wow, they're cool. We
love them and they always felt good with them. Really,
that's all we care about.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
Well. Season one and two of Strife is out now
on BING. Season one is absolutely brilliant. Season two just
as good. What are we going to see next?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
From you?
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Because you are executive producer on Strife as well. Are
you going to start leaning more into that space? Oh?
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yeah, I love it. It's just added so much much
to my life creatively producing and telling stories in a
more holistic way, I suppose from the beginning, and working
with people I really want to work with, like Bruno
and Steve and Katie Amolson you know, he's wonderful, Sarah
Image and Banks who I produce fake with. I mean,
I've just had the most fantastic years building those stories
(38:20):
and finishing them, like going through the whole letter process
until we're ready to deliver, and actors kind of do
that anyway. But it's really nice to now know that
I can say, I'm just I'm going home to Melbourne
for six months and I'm just going to work from home.
And that's what I do all day, every day, just
(38:40):
whether you're in pre production or post production. So it's
just added so much. But yet I can still do
the soccer runs and the school pickups and make the dinner.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
You hear a lot of actors and actresses say they
don't want to watch themselves, but as executive producer, somebody
that is combing through the whole thing to give it
the okay, you're watching every single thing you do?
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Yeah, how do you feel watched yourself back? Oh, I'm
well over that now. I was just like offspring again.
Was the beginning of becoming comfortable watching myself. I had
no choice if you're in every scene, no, no, no,
I don't even look at the Occasionally I'll watch something
and think I don't notice the way I look anymore.
That's a great release actually of stress that kind of
(39:20):
went with those Offspring days. But occasionally I'll watch a
scene and the way it's been cut edited in its
first round, and I'll think, actually, I think we found
something much more interesting in take four of that, particularly
find that can we have a look at that instead?
That's the fun of being able to be involved, But
(39:41):
you actually do have to be detached in a way
to be objective about it. And I think, I'm look,
I think I'm I care less about myself now to
be able to do that, does that make sense? To
be objective and actually just think of the story as
opposed to how I've said something? Well completely?
Speaker 3 (39:59):
You know, Also, if you're worried about just looking at
the way that you look to you'd be like, well,
I don't look good and take four might have been
better acting.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
Let's just take one, you know, and let's put that
filter only.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Thank you so much for coming and being a part
of the pod, and for being so open as well,
you know, I mean, it's it's refreshing to hear you
say that you're at a point in life where you
don't feel as though you need to hold on so
tightly to the rein of your personal experiences, but you
share it so beautifully.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Thank her, Thank you so much, my pleasure. Thanks Thanks Ash,
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