November 23, 2025 • 57 mins
Fearlessly Failing with Hugh Sheridan: From Ballet to Broadway and everything in between!
In this honest and vulnerable episode of "Fearlessly Failing," I sit down with Hugh Sheridan, aka Australia's favourite son! The multi-talented Australian actor, singer, and dancer who captured hearts as Ben Rafter in "Packed to the Rafters." Hugh opens up about his journey from ballet school to NIDA, and the rollercoaster of triumphs and devastating rejections that have shaped his career.
Hugh shares raw stories of near-misses that would break most spirits - from being cast in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" only to have it pulled, to losing the lead in "Dirty Dancing" due to scheduling conflicts that left him running through the desert in tears. Despite the heartbreaks, including being dropped from "Hedwig" shortly after opening up about his personal life, Hugh's resilience shines through.
00:05:12 - Hugh's early years performing carols in his backyard and his journey through ballet school
00:19:30 - The life-changing "Packed to the Rafters" role and how Ben Rafter changed Australian masculinity
00:31:45 - The devastating "Dirty Dancing" rejection that became a pivotal moment
00:47:20 - Hugh's upcoming projects including "Tick, Tick... Boom!" and his Christmas album "The Merriest" You can listen to it here: THE MERRIEST
00:53:10 - Advice for creatives facing rejection: "Someone else is getting that role who needed it, and your role is still waiting for you"
Hugh's perspective on rejection is refreshingly generous - believing that when you don't get a part, it's going to someone who needed it more, while your perfect role is still waiting. His Christmas album "The Merriest" is out now, and you can catch him performing in "Tick, Tick... Boom!" and "Into the Woods" in 2026. Don't miss this masterclass in resilience from one of Australia's most authentic performers.
You can follow Hugh on insta here: https://www.instagram.com/hugh_sheridan/
And you can listen to Hugh's new Chrissy album on apple here! I've been listening to Mele Kalikimaka on repeat! It's unreal!! Listen here!
Big love,
Lola
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Get a I'm Lola Berry, nutritionist, author, actor, TV presenter,
and professional oversharer. This podcast is all about celebrating failure
because I believe it's a chance for us to learn,
grow and face our blind spots. Each week, I'll interview
a different guest about their highs as well as their lows,
(00:26):
all in a bid to inspire us to fearlessly fail.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hello friends.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Today's guest is someone that has been on my dream
guest list for I'm going to say two or three years,
and it finally happened. Hugh Sheridan, actor, singer, dance. He's
such a triple threat. He was in Los Angeles for
a little chunk of time and we literally recorded this
the day before he flew back to Australia because he's
(00:57):
doing loads of carols. So if you're going to see
carols in oh yeah, there's a good change, you'll see.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Hugh Sheridan singing.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And he's got a brand new Chrissy album, The Marius,
which is officially out now on Spotify, So go and
have a listen.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It is so good.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
This episode is very vulnerable, very honest. Hugh is the
real deal. I hope you love this chat as much
as I did.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hugh Sheridan. We are on.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Hello listeners, this is I'm Margaret Throsby and you are
listening to ABC Radio National classic of him Today where
he is Hugh Sheridan and Lola Berry at the Patiomitage
in West Hollywood. This is a sound check. We're talking
all things love, leisure, life and major fails. Thank you.
(01:46):
If you're just joining us, that's right here with Hugh
Shardon and Lola Berry.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I don't need an intro. No, you just did it
all for me.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
You don't, Yeah, yeah, And Margaret Throsby to.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
You, can I say you have been such joy to research.
I have been binge watching you for the last three
days straight.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
No, it was, And what an incredible career.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
If you're listening's got She's got a dollar each way
and I going that way, and I going that way,
She's gone across.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
No, honestly, like such an incredible career. I have to
start by asking about this Strowan ballet that like, I
had no idea this was your past.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Well it was.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
It was a necessary part of my past because I
started doing performing when I was very very little.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Ironically, actually, the first.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
One of the first things that people always talk about
from when I was very little was I used to
do carols.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
By candlelight, which I love.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
But I do carols by Sheridan Line in the backyard
with like all the toys and the cats and the
dogs lined up.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Cats are very hard to keep still watch and learn,
you know.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And I would do carols and all my brothers and
sisters and people from the neighborhood were.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Invited to come.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
You're one of seven, right.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Number six of seven.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, And so I would do carols by Cameline in
the backyard, and.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So I always sang.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I was always like, you know, Dodger and Oliver and
Colin in the Secret Garden, Tommy and Pippi long Stocking.
I just did every sort of amateur musical that I could,
Barnaby and Hello Dolly, and but I could never I
wasn't a good dancer. I could act and sing. I
started acting when I was five. I got put into
acting classes because not because my parents were stage parents,
(03:32):
but I think they were just trying to channel my energy.
Energy got it into being theatrical. And apparently before I
was five I wanted to be singer, and then five
on when I was like, no, I'll be an actor.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Oh wow, and this is young.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah, I was really young.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
But I do remember I was at a school in
Adelaide called the Only Youth Theater Company, and I remember
I had a teacher that taught like the little junior
class was actually the head of the school and he
was from Melbourne and he was a wonderful guy. And
I just remember thinking, hang on, this is like an
(04:11):
adults job. You can dress up and play and do
play playing. I mean, that's where it comes from, and
that can be your career. So I started that and
then I think my parents probably, I think a lot
of people were aware that when you know, I did
a musical, there was sort of like the people that
could dance, and then there's people that sort of like
(04:32):
the step.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Clap group, and I was one of them.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And back then Adelaide is such a great city now,
but back then in the nineties it was sort of.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Very very Bogan. It was like it was not a
good place for a young guy who wanted to creative.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, so I had to learn how to dance to
get out.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Pretty much.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
The only way you could get a scholarship to school
interstate was to as a dancer, and I was really bad.
But I worked and worked and worked, and then I
auditioned for the VCA Secondary School a few times and
didn't get in, and then eventually, you know, on the
third shot, I got in. But I also got into
(05:18):
the Australian Ballet School, so I went there and it
was sort of like I fell into the dance, and yeah,
it became.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Like suddenly it was my whole life.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And I was studying opera secretly at the VCA under
Monique Prener.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
It was an amazing opera singer.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And there was this point in my life where it's
sort of like I could have gone to be a
countertenor with the VCA or stayed at the Australian Ballet School.
But I also auditioned for Nida for the acting. I
got in, so I went and I did that because
I figured I'd sort of done singing and dancing at
at a high level and I wanted to focus on
(05:58):
the acting.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Do you remember your Nier audition.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I remember walking into a room and they're like, and
you're a crocodile on day one.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Oh wow, that's that. Yeah, No, we didn't have that,
we did we did all the monologues. And I remember
I didn't really want to go to Nighter to be
I wanted to go to Rada.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
I had high missions.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
That's that's London, right.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
That was too expensive. My parents like there's no way.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Like when I auditioned for this training ballet school, I
didn't even tell my parents, Like they didn't find out
until I got a callback for Melbourne. Oh wow, and
then one was like, oh shit, well we're going to
have to go to Melbourne.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So neither is like the most celebrated I would say,
acting school in all of Australia.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, wouldn't you say?
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Yeah? Yeah for sure?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Did you look like you're such a as such a
successful actor singer?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
You you're the triple threat. We know this.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
How much did Nider play Because I know when you're
at Nier it's like the contact I was a crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah they were insane, Yeah they were It was really
it was really tough and I missed the ballet so much,
and I you know, I think I was so focused.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
There was actually an interview that I did with the
Adelaide Advertiser with Peter.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
They called him and I've still got the article somewhere
and says.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
The headline was heugh York here York or something like that.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Oh, that's a very great And in the interview.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
He said, you know, so what do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know, You've got into the Australian Ballet School and
I said, oh, look, you know, I think I'll probably
go there for a couple of years and then I'll
go to NIDER. And he said he told me later
on that he just thought I was just such an
idiot that I could go to the Australian Ballet School
and then tonight.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
But he said, that's exactly what you did, and it was.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
But I was very I was pretty aware of the
fact that I'd been performing since I was young. I
knew I was doing and I think NIDER, in so
many ways took a lot of that confidence away from me,
like you leave, which is probably common of what you've
heard of people, especially those that went to NIDER. You know,
(08:15):
I was there from two thousand and three to two
thousand and seven, which was what people commonly call the
very end of the harder years.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Oh really were there?
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Yeah, it was a real transfer.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's like break you down, build up, Okay.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
The year after I left.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Eventually they did a wipe and clean of all got fired,
and it even the good ones got fired, but it
was it needed to happen. And from what I understand,
it's a much much, much more healthy environment now.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So when you were there, though you were at night,
a lot, like contact hour was over sixty or something, meant.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I was like sixty seven.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You can't hold a job downcause you've got crazy amounts
of contact hours, right, so you're cleaning in the off time?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I used to clean houses in character.
I mean I had jobs like I worked at Morrissey. Yeah,
of thing, but I could never hold it down because
I could only really work part time, of.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Course, because you've got to be on call.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Thursday nights and weekends, which meant that you got paid more,
of course, and so they didn't like that. And then
also often you know, we'd have to see a play
or be performing on a Thursday night, so I couldn't
even do that. And then on weekends sometimes we were
performing and we have plays to see and so yeah,
you just end up getting fired from job after job.
(09:46):
I worked at Mark, so like wow, And then yeah,
cleaning was just good because it was so flexible and
I quite enjoyed it.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
And I would do it in character. And so instead
of people.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Leaving their house when come I come over, who was
my character. I'd put a scarf around my head and
I become as this little old Italian woman and scrub
their toilet. Sometimes I'd get out of toothbrush and get
to give them.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
You'd give them like give it right.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, yeah, give them how I'd like do all their
cabinets and everything. And these were like you know mothers
in the eastern suburbs.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Sometimes you'd find like drugs and abuse them. So what
is this?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
You know, I'd love that you turned into a whole
like character exploration here.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So and then the call comes for packing the rafters.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yes, yeah, I pack to the rafters.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
You were twenty two, right, yeah, maybe so.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
The whole class actually auditioned, and that was like another point.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah really before that we weren't allowed to audition.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah, when you're in there.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
And Aubrey Meller, who was the director of the school
just for the three years that I was there, because
he also had to leave because it was just so toxic,
he said, well, what's the point in these students, like,
you know, they can't audition for anything they're gonna leave
and like my jobs, and so he actually opened it
(11:12):
for us to go on audition, and a lot of
the kids like got jobs in it was a good
Pacific rim.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah with Scott Eastwood, I remember that.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
And then Jessica Moray and I got casting Back to
the Rafters, which was just totally.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So she played Rachel.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Right, you're Ben, Yeah, and yeah, no one, none of
my peers could believe.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
That I got that.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Well, can I say so that I have been binge
watching Ben was so lovable, like such a do first. Yeah,
so like all you care about was like it felt
like it was family and like caring for everyone else
and you were like the feel good like you had
very much like Golden Retriever.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
And yeah, that's very accurate. And that's that's how I
created the character. I think that's why I was lucky
enough to land it. And I got given like a
huge compliment a couple of years back because people, a
lot of the younger people that watched it and now
you know, they're out in clubs in like twenty five,
(12:15):
but when they watched it, they were, you know, ten fifteen.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
That sort of age and they.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
A group of young guys like I often get approached
by young guys that go out and they're like, you,
you know, you changed sort of the the man, the
masculinity in Australia.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Your character was honored for all that.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, it was like everything was very like guys were
guys and they didn't cry and they didn't necessarily we
didn't really have shows where guys could show how much
they loved their mom, yeah, love their dad and try
you know, this trying thing. And they said, you really
changed that for us, and that was a huge thing
(13:00):
for me because the show was massive and I think
Ben could have been played a lot tougher.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
But after the first few episodes.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They started more writing for me and I based him
off like a few different people in my life, like
certainly my brothers were better at cricket, more sporty.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah yeah, yeah, but you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
A Kansian and so I have like a lot of
this sort of sensitivity and empathy and that's sort of
these different things that I think are really important for
guys to be able to explore. And subsequently, as my
career has gone, that's become more of my path is
also being a little bit more enlightening about men embracing
(13:46):
their emotions and their mental health and just saying it's
okay to be you and you're allowed to feel all
these things. And obviously mental health but men worldwide and
especially in Australia is still the number one issue.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
It's the number one cause of death.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
And so it's good to have been able to launch
my career with a character like that that I could
bring so much of myself to.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, can I say about a week ago, you and
I were celebrating a mutual friend's fortieth birthday and you
sung up a storm. You were phenomenal, and I put
a few instant stories up.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
So I'm a millennial. I'm forty years old. I can't tell.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You how many females wrote to me though, and were like,
oh my god, that is my child. That's who I
watched on TV having the biggest crush on ever. Like,
I think you underestimate your like power in this span
that show had and like being that kind of like
like you said, like this like mental health is like
(14:46):
an episode I watched recently, Like Ben had loads of
anxiety because the bar he worked out got like people
came in with guns and like he was super vulnerable
about that, and like I think.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Like, yeah, he was so so scared. Yeah yeah. But
like my point is is, like I think, like being the.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Same age, but being the same age as you like
and growing up and seeing like sensitive men is like
such an empowering thing for a woman as.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Well, Like how yeah really set the bar very high
for what women expect.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And then I watched back to the rafters, of course,
and then I went through your whole IVF experience with
you and your character.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Well that was yeah, that was that was that was tough.
I think my brother was going through well, he'd experienced
a miscarriage and so it was really really close to
me at that time. So that was a storyline that
was sort of very I remember shooting that and just
(15:56):
it was it was not something.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
That I had to call on the emotions for.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
It just sort of it with our family and and
you know, it's I know a lot of people that
have gone through IVF and and.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
It's it's super super tough.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
So interestingly enough, though I was shooting five bedjeams at
the same time and the same storyline, I was like,
what are these writers doing? They was going oh, well,
we've got it on the male white male.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Through the draw.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Well, let's just do the IVF miscarriage. Yes, put that now.
But it is something that needs to be talked about
and explored. And also, I think what was called about
both of those characters two very different takes and situations,
but they both explored the fact that there's that guys
(16:45):
can really suffer through that, which is something that is
never talked about. So I was really happy and very
lucky to be playing both of those characters.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
And then when I ran into last weekend, I was like,
oh my god. I was shopping in Port Melbourne in
Thomas Ducks and I saw you in one of the
aisles and I was like, that's hush, and you were like, well,
that's when I would have been doing House Husbands. Can
you believe my first memory of you is Thomas Ducks
(17:14):
in Melbourne Ducks.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I was so starstruck when I saw you, do you know,
like seriously.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
And that would have been what how many.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Years ago that it's a long time ago, what eight
nine years ago?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Yeah? Yeah, eight?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So that was my first experience of you. I was like,
oh my goodness, this Handsome Devil down Aisle four. Was
you doing your shopping?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
So?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
And then yes?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And then how I feel like you've done all these
Australian shows that are like the fabric of Australian drama.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Does it feel like you're kind of part of that?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I mean it feels like I was. I hope that
I'm still part of it.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Like It's been a long time since I've done TV
work over there, but I'd like to be doing more
of it. But you know, it's just matter. It's just
one of those acting things. It's playing the waiting game.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Can we talk about that?
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Because I said to you before this, like with the
beautiful beast that is acting, comes a whole lot of rejection,
like not even nose, just like donuts. We will do
this audition and then have to completely let it go
and then hear.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Nothing like how do you?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Because like and to me you are you are like
one of Australia's favorite children, Like you know, you kind
of grew up on the screen in many ways.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
I was Australia's favorite son for many years. I was
the boy next door. Now I think I'm like the
man out of the back fence, throw the.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Ball that no one talks to no, not never the
cops again.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
But how do.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
You, like, do you face rejection as an actor and
how do you handle that?
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Yeah, I mean it's been it's been a huge, huge,
huge part about it. I mean I was very lucky
for so long to have a fairly steady run of roles.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
I think.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
There's there were amongst that was huge, huge, huge rejection
on so many levels and so many unfortunate near misses,
which I think, you know, it used to be very
uncall to talk about that sort of thing, but like
I feel as though now I can say, like I
remember like flying to New York and.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Testing for.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Into the Woods for the and and I like, did
the audition really well Bernie Tellsey's office, and then he
told me in the audition that they'd already offered it
to I think Crispine just before I went in, and
he he was you know, he was like, I'm sorry
that we couldn't wait, but they were doing like you know,
(19:55):
that was like a very big star studded Yeah. And
I and it's the same sort of thing happened when
with Eddie Redmain was Into the Woods. Although I remember
I was doing a funny thing happened on the way
to the Forum and Cameron McIntosh came back into the
dressing room and he was like, oh, I couldn't believe
(20:17):
that he even knew. He was like, I'm so sorry,
you know, and I said I would have cast Eddie
as well, and he was brilliant, like he was actually
so I was like, but I you know, I said
I would have done that.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I remember I got cast in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
By Andrew Lloyd Webber years and years and years ago,
and and that was for like a world tour, and
then that got pulled the pin on because there was
a production that was happening in Canada that was going
to Broadway and they didn't want to have two productions
on in New York at the same time. So I
(20:54):
actually I went and met the director in London, and
then I went to Anita to see the production and
I had a feeling that it might not do well,
and it didn't. And subsequently when the show's come back, Andrew.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Wouldn't even seen me for.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah, which was I mean, but that's fine, you know, like,
you know, I got the role at one stage.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
But I mean, he's a very very.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Smart and wonderful man like obviously, but I want to
taken it personally.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
But I think it's so hard not to take it personally.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
I remember, I remember, years and years and years ago,
after i'd finished Rafters, the first I got offered a
job doing this show called I Will Survive.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's actually big one, but I think I can talk
about it. I don't care.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
And my agents really really really wanted me to do it,
and because it was very good money, but it was
hosting a show searching for a a triple threat, and
I was sort of like, no, I've left Rafters and
I really want to just focus on.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Acting and stuff.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Eventually I caved and I said yes because I was
getting pressure from my American agents at the time and
my Australian agents to just do it that like it's
three months, it's this sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
And I left New York.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
I was living in New York time, and I stopped
in LA and I did an audition for Dirty Dancing
for the remake Kenny Otaga directing and choreographing it, and
I nailed it. I knew, I just knew that I
was perfect this role. And I flew back to Australia
to do the photoshoot for I was Vibe, and then
I got called to come back.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
To do the test for it.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Which was at the Athletics Club here in LA There
was like fifty producers and investors there watching and I
had to learn the dance in front of everyone, and
I had two of Michael Jackson's dancers from This Is
It This was just after he passed away, and Kenny
of had choreographed it and they were there and I
(23:03):
got through the whole dance like the dancers were going,
no one's gone this far, I don't worry, and I
was like, this is cool, because the dancing was the.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Hardest part of me.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
And I managed to get the whole dance done, and
then came to singing and acting, which I knew I
was going to nail. And I called my agents and
I was like, I'm going to get this, like this
is this is mine and they were like, you know,
don't get ahead of yourself all this sort of thing.
And I left the audition and Kenny was up there
(23:32):
like showing me the girls that he's going to cast,
and it felt very, very very sure. And then later
that day I went to go and meet the head
of lions Gate and I was.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Like, this is it, this is this is it. Got
back to.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Australia in start shooting for and we were in Dubbo
and there I will survive. I've had a two week
clash with the rehearsals of Dirty Dancing and there was
no there seemed to be no way around it. Kelly
(24:08):
Abbey was the director, I was the choreographer and I
will survive. And she said she called Kenny because she
knew it and said like I will teach you the
dancers and need something.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
They couldn't really move around it, and then I killed
my agents.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I said, well, I'm going to quit, like I can't,
like this is my opportunity. And at that point Channel
ten had threatened to sue Lionsgate if I left the show,
and so Lionsgate were like we don't want you no
matter what, Like there's no moving around her. And that
was a really, really, really tough moment in my career
(24:42):
because I just I was in At that point, we
left Dubbo and I was in Coba, which is like,
I mean, I love all of Australia.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Coba. If you don't know, it's.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
About four hours west, maybe more of Sydney, and it's
not the most exciting place. And if you're thinking about
your life on Broadway and that sort of thing, and
you're in Coba with a bunch of people that are
trying to win a reality show and they're doing drag
(25:18):
An Street and you're just thinking about all the week
you've done your whole life to get to this point.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
I remember, I just put on my shoes.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
It was the day that they were doing the final
callbacks and the chemistry tests in La and I just
I ran.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I ran out into the desert.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
I had my phone on shuffle and I was crying
and crying, and I just kept running and running until
I couldn't run anymore. And this song came on that
was from my first album called.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
All Right, and it's like life is lonely and confusing
when you lose your way, but life is learning. I
can show you you'll live through the pain. It can
hold you, it can choke you, tear you up inside.
You're gonna be oh, all right.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
And then there's this part that's like, because they don't
see the way you cry, they don't have to live
your life. It feels like this will never end when
you can't find the strength inside.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
Just look to me. I'm on your side.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
And then it's like, won't let you be on on
And it's like a big belt. I won't say it
because we're in a hotel room, but I remember I
just stopped. I was crying, and this horse came over
and I was like panning the horse and I was crying,
and it was like I'd written and recorded this song
for this.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Moment to remind me that it was gonna be okay.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
And then when I got back to Koba, I get
a message from my agent saying they're not gonna make
the movie anymore because no one could.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Studio was so set on you. And one of the
guys was.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
A really good singer and dancer, he couldn't act. And
the other one was really good actor and singer, but
he couldn't Dane, So they didn't make it.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
So that was like a kind of silver lining, but
it was still shit, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Like but but then again, I think everything in life
happens for a reason, nothing happens by chance.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
And even where.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I am right now in my life, I'm like, I
know that I have confidence that you know, there's a
bigger picture, and maybe my life wouldn't have been exactly
where it is right now and everything that's happened, I
don't think. I mean, we all have like little regrets,
but not really because as long as you're happy where
(27:43):
you are right now, that's the main thing, because we
wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for everything else.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Totally. I mean, I mean that's such amazing perspective.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
To have.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
But some days it's like I need your song, like
in my head, it's going for a run.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
My question for you is, and.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
This is a really hard question for actors, but like
what's your north start? Like what would be the dream
if your agent called you up tomorrow and they're like, Hue,
this is what you're auditioning for and you just knowing
your bones like this is for you.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
What would be like?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Because I feel like I feel like you've had so
many wins in Australia, You've had so many on stage wins.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I want to see you in an American feat film.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Sorry, just just projecting my own once over here.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
I mean I would love that too.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
I mean I would love all about my mind north
Stary is just to keep working.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
I really love working. Yeah, and the last.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Few years have been not so much. I did a
film last year in Sri Lanka. I was working there
for quite a few months and I worked out after
a little while that the director and he was also
the producer, was potentially a con artist. The crew telling
(29:00):
me that they hadn't been paid, and then I was
trying to get hold of my agents to find out
if I'd been paid anything. The whole thing was a sham,
like it's not coming out, and I was playing with
the lead. It was a huge amount of work, a
lot of time commitment. I turned down other jobs for it,
and like nothing came after that, nothing was resolved. Like
(29:22):
the year before that, my father played nieces had passed
away and so I took a bit of time off
to spend with them, and I had like a bit
of a sabbatical, which in retrospect is probably a stupid
thing to do, because I guess out of sight and
of mind is a real thing.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Especially I can show you this thing.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Thing sort of dropped off in a big way there,
and then this year has been exactly like pretty damn
slow as well.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
So but he's just put out a christy album, that's
all that's that's.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
I think that's the secret for anyone young listening. For me,
it's been a good reminder that because that even before
when I was doing like, you know, Rafters, I was
just sort of mainly doing Rafters, but we still had
lots of downtime and other people would get jobs and.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I'd be like, hmm, nobody wants me. So I would
create shows.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Like I created my band the California Cream as well,
and I'm bringing them back to Australia now.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
For Adelaide Fringe, the Adelaide.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Fringe, and I would create sort of like one man
shows and to be able to rely on yourself and
also yeah, the album, Like I did an album last
year as well. In the downtime, obviously it eats up
a lot of money. It's better if you've got someone
to help you. Yeah, in these instances, I've just done
it myself and I'm hoping that it pays off. But
(30:45):
you just got to keep going and keep throwing stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
At the wall.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Well, I'm a little Christmas person. And this new album
it's called The Merriest, right, the Merriest, Oh, which you are?
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It is such Maybe not when we're talking about favors.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
But you know, but that's all part of it, you know,
it's an important part.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
I think it's healthy to talk about it.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Christmas is a hopeful time of yew right, and you
do certainly a meaningful time of year.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
But you do all these carols. You're literally find Australia tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I'm flying tomorrow to do like, Like, if there's a
carols and my name is not on the bill and
you want me there, just contact the organizer.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
I'll be there.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So you're doing Adelaide Carols, doing Sydney Carrol, I'm.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Doing two carols in Adelaide. I'm doing two carols in Sydney.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
I'm doing Yeah, I'm doing some of the twenty third
at Double Bay Carols in the Domain on the nineteen.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Yeah, I'm doing the Adelaide.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I'm going to be there on the nineteenth. Oh really,
I should try and see you.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
I feel I'm mad for Christy Carroll.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I'll bring you backstage.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I'll stop it.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
She had hair on the podcast. She's great.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Oh so good, she's so gad.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
She's great and she's a realistic.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, I feel so this is the thing.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I'm excited for you, Like I know you've shared really
like openly about fellow You're in tough times, and I
think every actor feels that, like I've got to make
this a bit of a director mentor and I'm like,
you're crushing it, mate, You're never not working.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
It's like, yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I'm not where I want to be, you know, like
we've always were always like chasing that yes, yeah yet
kind of thing. But it feels like this whole christmasy thing,
like the album you're going back and you're essentially touring
all over Australia with Carol's like how flipp and cool.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
I know.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
I was talking to one of my nieces the other
day and she was having a bit of a rough
time and so I had a nice chat with her
and she was like, well, how are you going. I
was like, I had just been offered a role in
a play.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That what it is.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
But I went to meet to meet the crew in
New York and.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
We had a great meeting.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I thought it was like unreal, And this was a
play that I was hesitant to do because I had
like full frontal nudity in quite a moment and stuff
like that. And I was like no, but you know,
I'm going to challenge myself and I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
This is gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
And then like a few days later, my agent was like, oh,
so after meeting you, they just don't think that you're
right for the role.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
I was feeling, so what did I say? Like, what
did I do in that meeting that was so wrong?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Since then I actually spoke to the director who was like, no, no, no,
you were fine. He's like, literally because they'd cast two
other characters already, and it was like, I just don't know.
He's like, I literally just don't think that's going to fit.
He was like, but it's not your talent or anything.
But I felt I was feeling very shit about it.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
And that's what we.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Do though, right, Like you get a rejection and you're like, well,
it's all me.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Well, but I mean it was wrong and then it
was a rejection, which is sort of like what had
happened with Jesus Christ Superstar and with I mean, I
remember I was cast in Dream Love.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
I worked on that for five years. I did the
workshops for.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Five years, and I don't really know. I mean, David
Campbell's a good friend of mine, was you know, I
mean we haven't really spoken or seen each other, and
he never reached out. But I it was about a
week before that was starting, and I was in I
was in Aspen and I was heading back and things
(34:22):
kept shifting around, and that was the first year I
was doing California Crunis Club, and I said to my
manager at the time, I said, look, we're going to
cancel the California Greeners Club, because I said, I've been
working on this show for so long, ith so important
to me. I'd met Bobby Darren's manager, I'd met his
best friend, I'd met all these people who had at
the time had to confirm me for the role, and
(34:42):
we were guns are blazing. And then I got a
call and they said, no, we've actually offered the role
to David Campbell last minute. And I was on contract. Like,
I mean, technically I could have sued them.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
I turned down other work.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Yeah, Mormon, I mean like there's a lot of yeah,
and I didn't because I did not want to go
down that road. My agents, understandably, were very upset. I
was more upset on a very personal level because I
put so much into it, and.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
That was an incredibly hard, hard let down as well.
But it was sort of like we were both I.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
Was on contract and then they gave to someone else
and they said, well, you know, he's on morning television
and he's like right for the crowd. And I remember
saying I wanted to bring this to a younger crowd.
At the time, I was so like yeah, busy and
high with packed the rafters. It was like I was
going to bring this music to a different crowd. And
I'm sure the show was absolutely fantastic, but it was
(35:43):
a devastating time and so it's sort of like for
the young people listening and for war for everyone. I'm
sure there's a lot of other actors that would resonate
with this where it's sort of like you can even
have the role and still lose it, Like you can
be on contract and still lose it.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
How do you navigate that?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
It's really really tough, Like it's it's very very tough,
especially I think in Australia where people.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Just think that you're like you're just the winner.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
You know, a lot of a lot of peers just
think that it's so easy for me because it's like, oh,
he you know, got rafteds.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
It's like I started training when I was five. Yeah,
I went to the Australian Ballet School. I studied opera.
I've had so many rejections and still do it all
the time.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I did, like, I think my first three auditions in
like a couple of years. What happened in the last
few months and I didn't get any of them.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
But that's like.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Part of it is just I was just happy to
have some auditions.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm auditioning for the waitress on Monday.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
And once they.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Hear this, they probably will be like, well, there's no
way he's getting it anyway, but no same produces. I
was dream lover, but but then again you never know it.
And but it's I'm just happy that they're seeing me.
I you know, the people that did like Fantomoth that
(37:16):
are doing the opera wouldn't even see me.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
That was the first role.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
I played out of Niter and I was like, can
I please audition for that? No response? I remember last
year opera, so they was doing what was guys and Dolls,
which is so me like fun luck be a lady.
Luck if you've ever been a lady to wick in with.
I mean, my dad opened for Frank Sinacha for fo
(37:42):
sake what Yeah, And they wouldn't even see me for
an audition. So like people that think that it's easy,
like get buckle up, it ain't easy for me.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
It ain't easy for anybody.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I think the industry can be very clique and you've
got to be in there and you've got to be
that person until the right people come along and they
see you.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
You know, I was so excited. I told you about
tiktick Boom.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, that was my next question.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yeah, Tic tick Boom's coming back and I'm doing that
in cans And.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I'm was it so much fun to do?
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It?
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Was?
Speaker 4 (38:18):
It was really fun?
Speaker 3 (38:20):
It was It was tough because the director of the
first time had played the character and I don't know.
I mean, I'm sure it was a two way straight
I'm you know, but I remember like a few days
it was the end of week one and he took
me aside outside and said, like, what do we need
(38:41):
to do? Do you need a coach? Do you need
It's like we've just done the first run. It's a
very big wordy play. I had COVID pretty badly just
before that and even actually started working with it. At
that point, we were like aware of the fact that
it's not life in Earth.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
I was trying.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Really hard and he was just like, you're awful, terrible and.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
That's not the same director that you're going to work with.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
But the same amazing producer who like helped me get
through it.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
But he was that was really tough.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
And I'm sure you know what have I You know
that these click CLICKI people, But the show, by the
end of it, that was an incredible like you know,
we opened like two weeks after that conversation, so.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Hard, like and no one knows about that, right, You've
still got to show up and give it a hundred percent.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
I remember like the first reviewer came to like the
first preview, and she put the review out on opening
night saying that, like I didn't quite hit the mark,
and I didn't really care because I was like, I'm
just doing this the best that I can under extreme circumstances.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
But you never sort of stopped learning from that.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
And I'm very excited to be doing Into the Woods
with stayed up for South Australia. Yeah next year in
July August in Adelaide, which I'm through because I've always
wanted to play baker.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
And that's happening California, Green is well.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
I mean they're smaller jobs, but they're great jobs, brilliant roles,
good work, meeting material I have to ask.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
But I love camera like film, TV or stage like
I feel like they're different homes.
Speaker 4 (40:34):
I think they're all are brilliant.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
I think you know, film feels incredibly slow and difficult
and could be very tiring. Theater is very tiring, but
you're electric while you're out there. You know you've got
all the adrenaline and all the rush and essentially you
know you know that once the show starts, you know
(40:57):
when it's going to end. Film and television is like
this long, laborious thing. You don't know when you're going
to be on set. You don't You've sort of got
to keep between this cool medium of like I'm going
to make this work and I've got to be ready
to go, go, go, but you never know when that's
going to be and it could be hours and hours
and hours and things get shifted around you to weather
(41:18):
and all.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
That sort of thing. So it's it's tough, but they're different.
But there's so.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
I love working on film because film TV is such
a you know, working with cameraman and working with shots
and working with great directors that listen to you. And
I love working with directors that I've worked with before
and it can become so collaborative and they listen to
my ideas because I really, I mean, I would love
(41:47):
to direct. I wrote a film that Bronze Pictures picked
up and we were set to sort of do and
we haven't. I know, well we we didn't bite the
bullet on it. I think mainly because of COVID, And
it was like I think it was twenty twenty one,
like my dad died, I got canceled for Headwig, like
(42:11):
I lost my job.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
I think I told you before this Headwig stuff that
would have been. I imagine a lot of grief, like entwined
in like that cancelor like you were doing art, yeah,
I mean playing multiple.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
Roles, by the way, when you playing every character.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Yeah yeah, it's one yeah really or a person show,
but it's yeah, it was. It felt incredibly unfair, But
I think that that dates back to what I was
saying about people just looking at me and thinking, oh,
it's so easy for him, like he just got that role,
not really understanding the years and years and years of preparation.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
And work, and that that role was a big part
of my life. Like I'd essentially.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
Come out open about my private life in Stellar magazine
the week before.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, I read the article the week before.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
Like I got lost the job.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
And I did that because I felt to play Hedwig authentically,
you need to have you need to be as vulnerable
as you can. Yeah, And that was a big part
of it for me. But I didn't know that I
was going to lose the job later and subsequently like
lose all of my opportunities to.
Speaker 4 (43:30):
Play leading men in anything. You know.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
It was just like I was the leading man in
everything when I didn't talk about private life, and then
ever since then it's sort of like no opportunity to
play any of that.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
No one looks at me.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
Well, I mean, I guess it's just, you know, we
like to think that things have changed, and I guess
to a degree, for a couple of people, they sort
of do. I think Jonathan Bailey is the first person
that I've ever seen that was open about his life
before becoming famous get a lead role in anything, And
(44:07):
he is an exceptional superstar.
Speaker 4 (44:10):
He's a different beast.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
So but yeah, I can't think of anyone else that
you could name that was previously open about their private
life and then getting cast in leading men roles theater maybe,
but like, yeah, it's still tough, especially in Australia.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
They're like, I mean, I'd love to play Pete Allan.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Oh yeah, could you imagine so fun? Yeah, here's the
thing like having listened to a lot of pods with
you now, having read articles and interviews like I said,
I love a deep dive. You're so honest. I feel
like that is like the hallmark of who you are.
(44:59):
Does it feel good to be like, well, this is
who I am?
Speaker 4 (45:03):
I feel like, you know, at this point in my life.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
I think once I did that Stellar article, I was
just like, well, if you give everyone everything, that's it. Like,
I mean, I lived for so long with journalists chasing
me and stalking me, but like stalked and set up
in situations and written about without mentioning my name and stuff.
(45:30):
But I knew and it was very hurtful, and it's
sort of things that I think in today's age, they
wouldn't get away with.
Speaker 4 (45:39):
Writing that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (45:41):
They would not be able to write what they used
to write and like guess who don't see and Shelly
Horton's column and stuff like that about the young star
with his boyfriend walking five feet behind, which was not
true anyway, but it it hurt a lot at the time,
like really hurt because I was super young.
Speaker 4 (46:01):
I was a house cleaner that was suddenly well known.
Oh I wasn't.
Speaker 3 (46:07):
I didn't ask for it. When I was at nighters.
My teacher said, or you were never working film and television,
and I was, yeah, yeah, yeah, Tony Nights.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
That bad. But he said I didn't have the right
look for it.
Speaker 3 (46:20):
But I was happy with that because I was like,
that's fine, I'm just going to do theater. And I
wanted to do theater because it's not just going to
do But ironically it's hard to get into that as well.
So I think what I'm trying to say, that's sending
too negative because we are focusing on.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
A lot of the bad things.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
But I guess that's part of it because you see
this success thing. But it is a matter of determination
and you just keep going and even if people like
don't like you, or have prejudice or think things or
have opinions whatever, you just got to keep going because
(46:59):
eventually will move on as well, and there'll be new
people that will see you for.
Speaker 4 (47:03):
Who you are.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
So it's a resilience game.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
It is definitely a resilience game. It takes a huge,
huge amount of resilience. But I think the resilience part
of it, and the rejection and the constant head fucks
and the tears and the wondering and the questioning and
the all.
Speaker 4 (47:25):
Of that is also really good parts of life if
you're game enough to take it on.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
When I was doing the lighting of the Christmas lights
the other night, I had a friend there and she
we went and had a drink afterwards, and she was like,
I just wish I could be happy, like working in
an office or like having I just want to be
content with.
Speaker 4 (47:53):
This like that life.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
And I said, well, I said, that's a huge personality
adjustment flow me and for you. And she said, well basically,
And I said, basically, you just want to be a
different person. Yeah, And she's like yeah, And I said,
I can't really imagine that because I don't even.
Speaker 4 (48:11):
Know what I could do.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
No, you're through and through, Like I.
Speaker 3 (48:14):
Don't know, I've done it since I was so little.
But at the same time, you can you can fight it,
or you can just keep going and embrace it and go.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
Oh that was early one, or that was.
Speaker 3 (48:29):
The bad things that have happened over the years, like
in personal life or in professional life. I don't I
feel like, I mean, I hope I'm going to touch
wood when I say yeah, yeah, that, I don't think
it could get that much worse.
Speaker 1 (48:49):
No, But they always say there's a saying once you
get to a rock bottom, it's the most beautiful place
to be because you have the opportunity to make a
change and for you as well, like having researched you,
I'm sure like any actor has all these kind of
like tough years and years where like the auditions don't
come in or you get canceled for like unfair reasons.
Speaker 4 (49:12):
But at the same sometimes you have a few of them.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
But at the same time, I.
Speaker 1 (49:18):
Think like your honesty and your vulnerability is your superpower.
Like I think that you're like, this is who I am.
I'm going to be honest about these shit things that
have happened, and I'm still going to move forward, And
I think that that is what is inspiring.
Speaker 3 (49:32):
There's been so many other good things as well, yeah, like.
Speaker 2 (49:37):
Amazing Loki's my friends.
Speaker 3 (49:39):
Yeah, I was saying to my friend Press and I
was like, you know, like we were watching Bennett Peters.
I was like, I close for her, and then I
was like, that was the same year I opened for
Liza Minelli. Like all these other cool things that are
like moments that make make everything so much better and
you've got to hang on to them and you I
(50:00):
never finished saying, but like I was when I was
talking to my niece the other day and she'd been
having a hard time and I was like, she's like,
how are you going. I was like, oh, she's like
that You've recorded a Christmas album and it's done, it's
coming out.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
I said yeah, and she's like that's huge, and I
was like, yes it is.
Speaker 3 (50:20):
I was like, but I forget because it was, you know,
I put so much work into it. But I think
sometimes when you're doing it yourself and you're you know,
taking money out of your mortgage and playing to musicians
and you just never know what's going to happen with
music these days, without having a huge label behind you
(50:42):
and you're doing yourself, it's sort of like are you
I'd grown to expect nothing from it.
Speaker 4 (50:49):
But then again, you never know you.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
And you're doing even though you've got all those feelings,
you're still doing the thing. So I could talk to
you all day long, but I have to ask you
to someone that's listening to this, an actor or a
creative singer writer, and they've had a couple of rejections,
what is your advice for those days where you just
don't really want to get out of bed or you
like it all feels it just feels like everything's stacked against.
Speaker 3 (51:13):
You with rejection. For me, for the most part, and
it is the best and probably the healthiest way to
look at it, is someone else is getting that role
and hopefully, I mean, you know, it's it's always pain
in the bum when you get rejection and you look
(51:36):
and you see that it's the same person that always.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
Gets the role against you, which has happened to me
if you jo.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
And they're completely wrong for it, but completely that was
a mistake. And then the movie comes out it's a flop,
and you go to say, but for the most part,
it's going to someone that needed that role, and that
your role is still sitting there waya for you.
Speaker 2 (52:00):
So it's like trust, well, yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:02):
And also you know you didn't get the role, but
someone else is rejoicing and they got it, and that
could be the break that they needed. It's like when
you've got money in your pocket and you lose you while,
or like you drop fifty bucks.
Speaker 4 (52:16):
And you're like, oh, and then you think, but someone
picked that up? Who really needed that fifty bucks?
Speaker 1 (52:22):
You, my friend, were a true cancerrian to have that answer,
and you're such a care and.
Speaker 3 (52:28):
I just don't think about the people that you know
that really really needed it, maybe just a little bit
more than me and and even you know in the
down times or like it's been a bit of a
try spell and that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (52:41):
But you latch on to the affirmative totally.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
You have to.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
Eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't
mess with mystery in between.
Speaker 4 (52:51):
Accentuate the positive.
Speaker 3 (52:53):
But I do like, even with these little shows and
things that are coming up, because you know, it's a
few more shows than I had last year, I will
get paid for them.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
You're doing something you love.
Speaker 3 (53:05):
I'm doing roles that I love, and you just you've
got to just momentum.
Speaker 1 (53:09):
I think like when you're doing more of what you love,
like as esoteric, because this might sound it brings in
more of that energy like the like.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
I also think it's really important to not discriminate against
roles as well so much, which you know can be
really tricky. I know there was a role recently that
I was asked to audition for that did not peel right,
and it was really hard for me to sort of say,
(53:38):
I don't think I should do this because it wasn't
just the character with the show, and it was a
big commitment in Australia if I got it and this
sort of thing. But my gut was telling me to
hold out on that one. And that was a tough
conversation because it was like my agent's, well, you were
saying you need auditions and all this thing this is
(54:00):
and it was tough because I do. I do think
to not discriminate against roles because I believe that work
leads to more work and that's always been the case
for me, Like working with people, you work with someone
even if you you know it might be the sound
person who goes onto another film and they're like, I
loved working with this actor.
Speaker 4 (54:19):
He would be great. Yeah, And that's how a lot
of my.
Speaker 3 (54:21):
Work has happened through cruise and people like that, and
or you know, people that were associated with it, or
a director that really like you that wants to work
with you again.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
That's such good advice.
Speaker 1 (54:34):
I've had someone on here say, talent gets you in
the door, but like your kindness and how easy you
are to work with, and.
Speaker 3 (54:43):
Your and your attitude, vulnerability, and your your ability to
be grateful to be there, Like I am eternally grateful
for any opportunity I have to work, like.
Speaker 4 (54:56):
I really am.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
I still get nervous, I get scared, I get excited.
I mean I always have to remind myself that nervous
energy is excited.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
Yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (55:05):
Can turn it around.
Speaker 3 (55:07):
Like I'm just so thrilled when people just want to
see me or have me in the job or anything
like that.
Speaker 4 (55:14):
It's just so exciting.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
And I think that that can get you a long
long way, because I've worked with a lot of actors
that don't have that. And do you have a different
view of what they're doing and what they should be
doing that sort of thing, just go, well you're doing this?
Speaker 1 (55:32):
I just yeah, yeah, come on, how lucky a week?
Speaker 4 (55:38):
How lucky can you get you're doing what you.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
Love exactly, Hugh Sheridan. I could talk to you till
the cows come home, I said earlier. No, honestly, you.
Speaker 4 (55:48):
If you're just turning in your earies, you shared and
Lulla Berry and Margaret Throsby. This is ABC will be
back after a short.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
Break, so for the listener, they can hear your Christmas
album The Merriest right.
Speaker 2 (56:03):
Now on Spotify.
Speaker 1 (56:05):
So I'm going to have it in the show notes.
And also when and winners Tikic Boom happening.
Speaker 3 (56:11):
Boom performances on the first of.
Speaker 2 (56:16):
Mayor not far away.
Speaker 6 (56:18):
They can't in France, and Yeah into the Woods later
on Amazing California Creamer's Club is happening at the Fringe.
Speaker 2 (56:34):
I'm going to pop it a roll in the show notes.
Speaker 4 (56:36):
I don't know what the dates I.
Speaker 2 (56:37):
Want everyone to stuff. I cannot wait.
Speaker 1 (56:41):
You've got a fan in me, so I can't wait
to see what is next for you, my friend.
Speaker 4 (56:45):
You got a fan in me.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
That is the perfect ending to this pod. Thank you
you sharing, You're wonderful.
Speaker 2 (56:59):
That It's a.
Speaker 1 (57:00):
Wrap on another episode of Fearlessly Failing.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
As always, thank.
Speaker 1 (57:05):
You to our guests and let's continue the conversation on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (57:10):
I'm at Yamo Lollerberry. This potty my.
Speaker 1 (57:14):
Work for podcast is available on all streaming platforms. I'd
love it if you could subscribe, rape and comment, and
of course spread the love.
Get a I'm Lola Berry, nutritionist, author, actor, TV presenter,
and professional oversharer. This podcast is all about celebrating failure
because I believe it's a chance for us to learn,
grow and face our blind spots. Each week, I'll interview
a different guest about their highs as well as their lows,
(00:26):
all in a bid to inspire us to fearlessly fail.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hello friends.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Today's guest is someone that has been on my dream
guest list for I'm going to say two or three years,
and it finally happened. Hugh Sheridan, actor, singer, dance. He's
such a triple threat. He was in Los Angeles for
a little chunk of time and we literally recorded this
the day before he flew back to Australia because he's
(00:57):
doing loads of carols. So if you're going to see
carols in oh yeah, there's a good change, you'll see.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Hugh Sheridan singing.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And he's got a brand new Chrissy album, The Marius,
which is officially out now on Spotify, So go and
have a listen.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It is so good.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
This episode is very vulnerable, very honest. Hugh is the
real deal. I hope you love this chat as much
as I did.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hugh Sheridan. We are on.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Hello listeners, this is I'm Margaret Throsby and you are
listening to ABC Radio National classic of him Today where
he is Hugh Sheridan and Lola Berry at the Patiomitage
in West Hollywood. This is a sound check. We're talking
all things love, leisure, life and major fails. Thank you.
(01:46):
If you're just joining us, that's right here with Hugh
Shardon and Lola Berry.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I don't need an intro. No, you just did it
all for me.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
You don't, Yeah, yeah, And Margaret Throsby to.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
You, can I say you have been such joy to research.
I have been binge watching you for the last three
days straight.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
No, it was, And what an incredible career.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
If you're listening's got She's got a dollar each way
and I going that way, and I going that way,
She's gone across.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
No, honestly, like such an incredible career. I have to
start by asking about this Strowan ballet that like, I
had no idea this was your past.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Well it was.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
It was a necessary part of my past because I
started doing performing when I was very very little.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Ironically, actually, the first.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
One of the first things that people always talk about
from when I was very little was I used to
do carols.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
By candlelight, which I love.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
But I do carols by Sheridan Line in the backyard
with like all the toys and the cats and the
dogs lined up.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Cats are very hard to keep still watch and learn,
you know.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And I would do carols and all my brothers and
sisters and people from the neighborhood were.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Invited to come.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
You're one of seven, right.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Number six of seven.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, And so I would do carols by Cameline in
the backyard, and.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So I always sang.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I was always like, you know, Dodger and Oliver and
Colin in the Secret Garden, Tommy and Pippi long Stocking.
I just did every sort of amateur musical that I could,
Barnaby and Hello Dolly, and but I could never I
wasn't a good dancer. I could act and sing. I
started acting when I was five. I got put into
acting classes because not because my parents were stage parents,
(03:32):
but I think they were just trying to channel my energy.
Energy got it into being theatrical. And apparently before I
was five I wanted to be singer, and then five
on when I was like, no, I'll be an actor.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Oh wow, and this is young.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah, I was really young.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
But I do remember I was at a school in
Adelaide called the Only Youth Theater Company, and I remember
I had a teacher that taught like the little junior
class was actually the head of the school and he
was from Melbourne and he was a wonderful guy. And
I just remember thinking, hang on, this is like an
(04:11):
adults job. You can dress up and play and do
play playing. I mean, that's where it comes from, and
that can be your career. So I started that and
then I think my parents probably, I think a lot
of people were aware that when you know, I did
a musical, there was sort of like the people that
could dance, and then there's people that sort of like
(04:32):
the step.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Clap group, and I was one of them.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And back then Adelaide is such a great city now,
but back then in the nineties it was sort of.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Very very Bogan. It was like it was not a
good place for a young guy who wanted to creative.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, so I had to learn how to dance to
get out.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Pretty much.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
The only way you could get a scholarship to school
interstate was to as a dancer, and I was really bad.
But I worked and worked and worked, and then I
auditioned for the VCA Secondary School a few times and
didn't get in, and then eventually, you know, on the
third shot, I got in. But I also got into
(05:18):
the Australian Ballet School, so I went there and it
was sort of like I fell into the dance, and yeah,
it became.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Like suddenly it was my whole life.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And I was studying opera secretly at the VCA under
Monique Prener.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
It was an amazing opera singer.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And there was this point in my life where it's
sort of like I could have gone to be a
countertenor with the VCA or stayed at the Australian Ballet School.
But I also auditioned for Nida for the acting. I
got in, so I went and I did that because
I figured I'd sort of done singing and dancing at
at a high level and I wanted to focus on
(05:58):
the acting.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Do you remember your Nier audition.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I remember walking into a room and they're like, and
you're a crocodile on day one.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Oh wow, that's that. Yeah, No, we didn't have that,
we did we did all the monologues. And I remember
I didn't really want to go to Nighter to be
I wanted to go to Rada.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
I had high missions.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
That's that's London, right.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
That was too expensive. My parents like there's no way.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Like when I auditioned for this training ballet school, I
didn't even tell my parents, Like they didn't find out
until I got a callback for Melbourne. Oh wow, and
then one was like, oh shit, well we're going to
have to go to Melbourne.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So neither is like the most celebrated I would say,
acting school in all of Australia.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, wouldn't you say?
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Yeah? Yeah for sure?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Did you look like you're such a as such a
successful actor singer?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
You you're the triple threat. We know this.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
How much did Nider play Because I know when you're
at Nier it's like the contact I was a crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah they were insane, Yeah they were It was really
it was really tough and I missed the ballet so much,
and I you know, I think I was so focused.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
There was actually an interview that I did with the
Adelaide Advertiser with Peter.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
They called him and I've still got the article somewhere
and says.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
The headline was heugh York here York or something like that.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Oh, that's a very great And in the interview.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
He said, you know, so what do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know, You've got into the Australian Ballet School and
I said, oh, look, you know, I think I'll probably
go there for a couple of years and then I'll
go to NIDER. And he said he told me later
on that he just thought I was just such an
idiot that I could go to the Australian Ballet School
and then tonight.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
But he said, that's exactly what you did, and it was.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
But I was very I was pretty aware of the
fact that I'd been performing since I was young. I
knew I was doing and I think NIDER, in so
many ways took a lot of that confidence away from me,
like you leave, which is probably common of what you've
heard of people, especially those that went to NIDER. You know,
(08:15):
I was there from two thousand and three to two
thousand and seven, which was what people commonly call the
very end of the harder years.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Oh really were there?
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Yeah, it was a real transfer.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's like break you down, build up, Okay.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
The year after I left.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Eventually they did a wipe and clean of all got fired,
and it even the good ones got fired, but it
was it needed to happen. And from what I understand,
it's a much much, much more healthy environment now.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So when you were there, though you were at night,
a lot, like contact hour was over sixty or something, meant.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I was like sixty seven.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You can't hold a job downcause you've got crazy amounts
of contact hours, right, so you're cleaning in the off time?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I used to clean houses in character.
I mean I had jobs like I worked at Morrissey. Yeah,
of thing, but I could never hold it down because
I could only really work part time, of.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Course, because you've got to be on call.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Thursday nights and weekends, which meant that you got paid more,
of course, and so they didn't like that. And then
also often you know, we'd have to see a play
or be performing on a Thursday night, so I couldn't
even do that. And then on weekends sometimes we were
performing and we have plays to see and so yeah,
you just end up getting fired from job after job.
(09:46):
I worked at Mark, so like wow, And then yeah,
cleaning was just good because it was so flexible and
I quite enjoyed it.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
And I would do it in character. And so instead
of people.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Leaving their house when come I come over, who was
my character. I'd put a scarf around my head and
I become as this little old Italian woman and scrub
their toilet. Sometimes I'd get out of toothbrush and get
to give them.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
You'd give them like give it right.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, yeah, give them how I'd like do all their
cabinets and everything. And these were like you know mothers
in the eastern suburbs.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Sometimes you'd find like drugs and abuse them. So what
is this?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
You know, I'd love that you turned into a whole
like character exploration here.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So and then the call comes for packing the rafters.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yes, yeah, I pack to the rafters.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
You were twenty two, right, yeah, maybe so.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
The whole class actually auditioned, and that was like another point.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah really before that we weren't allowed to audition.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah, when you're in there.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
And Aubrey Meller, who was the director of the school
just for the three years that I was there, because
he also had to leave because it was just so toxic,
he said, well, what's the point in these students, like,
you know, they can't audition for anything they're gonna leave
and like my jobs, and so he actually opened it
(11:12):
for us to go on audition, and a lot of
the kids like got jobs in it was a good
Pacific rim.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah with Scott Eastwood, I remember that.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
And then Jessica Moray and I got casting Back to
the Rafters, which was just totally.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So she played Rachel.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Right, you're Ben, Yeah, and yeah, no one, none of
my peers could believe.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
That I got that.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Well, can I say so that I have been binge
watching Ben was so lovable, like such a do first. Yeah,
so like all you care about was like it felt
like it was family and like caring for everyone else
and you were like the feel good like you had
very much like Golden Retriever.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
And yeah, that's very accurate. And that's that's how I
created the character. I think that's why I was lucky
enough to land it. And I got given like a
huge compliment a couple of years back because people, a
lot of the younger people that watched it and now
you know, they're out in clubs in like twenty five,
(12:15):
but when they watched it, they were, you know, ten fifteen.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
That sort of age and they.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
A group of young guys like I often get approached
by young guys that go out and they're like, you,
you know, you changed sort of the the man, the
masculinity in Australia.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Your character was honored for all that.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, it was like everything was very like guys were
guys and they didn't cry and they didn't necessarily we
didn't really have shows where guys could show how much
they loved their mom, yeah, love their dad and try
you know, this trying thing. And they said, you really
changed that for us, and that was a huge thing
(13:00):
for me because the show was massive and I think
Ben could have been played a lot tougher.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
But after the first few episodes.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They started more writing for me and I based him
off like a few different people in my life, like
certainly my brothers were better at cricket, more sporty.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah yeah, yeah, but you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
A Kansian and so I have like a lot of
this sort of sensitivity and empathy and that's sort of
these different things that I think are really important for
guys to be able to explore. And subsequently, as my
career has gone, that's become more of my path is
also being a little bit more enlightening about men embracing
(13:46):
their emotions and their mental health and just saying it's
okay to be you and you're allowed to feel all
these things. And obviously mental health but men worldwide and
especially in Australia is still the number one issue.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
It's the number one cause of death.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
And so it's good to have been able to launch
my career with a character like that that I could
bring so much of myself to.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, can I say about a week ago, you and
I were celebrating a mutual friend's fortieth birthday and you
sung up a storm. You were phenomenal, and I put
a few instant stories up.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
So I'm a millennial. I'm forty years old. I can't tell.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You how many females wrote to me though, and were like,
oh my god, that is my child. That's who I
watched on TV having the biggest crush on ever. Like,
I think you underestimate your like power in this span
that show had and like being that kind of like
like you said, like this like mental health is like
(14:46):
an episode I watched recently, Like Ben had loads of
anxiety because the bar he worked out got like people
came in with guns and like he was super vulnerable
about that, and like I think.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Like, yeah, he was so so scared. Yeah yeah. But
like my point is is, like I think, like being the.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Same age, but being the same age as you like
and growing up and seeing like sensitive men is like
such an empowering thing for a woman as.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Well, Like how yeah really set the bar very high
for what women expect.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And then I watched back to the rafters, of course,
and then I went through your whole IVF experience with
you and your character.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Well that was yeah, that was that was that was tough.
I think my brother was going through well, he'd experienced
a miscarriage and so it was really really close to
me at that time. So that was a storyline that
was sort of very I remember shooting that and just
(15:56):
it was it was not something.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
That I had to call on the emotions for.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
It just sort of it with our family and and
you know, it's I know a lot of people that
have gone through IVF and and.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
It's it's super super tough.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
So interestingly enough, though I was shooting five bedjeams at
the same time and the same storyline, I was like,
what are these writers doing? They was going oh, well,
we've got it on the male white male.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Through the draw.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Well, let's just do the IVF miscarriage. Yes, put that now.
But it is something that needs to be talked about
and explored. And also, I think what was called about
both of those characters two very different takes and situations,
but they both explored the fact that there's that guys
(16:45):
can really suffer through that, which is something that is
never talked about. So I was really happy and very
lucky to be playing both of those characters.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
And then when I ran into last weekend, I was like,
oh my god. I was shopping in Port Melbourne in
Thomas Ducks and I saw you in one of the
aisles and I was like, that's hush, and you were like, well,
that's when I would have been doing House Husbands. Can
you believe my first memory of you is Thomas Ducks
(17:14):
in Melbourne Ducks.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I was so starstruck when I saw you, do you know,
like seriously.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
And that would have been what how many.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Years ago that it's a long time ago, what eight
nine years ago?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Yeah? Yeah, eight?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So that was my first experience of you. I was like,
oh my goodness, this Handsome Devil down Aisle four. Was
you doing your shopping?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
So?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
And then yes?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And then how I feel like you've done all these
Australian shows that are like the fabric of Australian drama.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Does it feel like you're kind of part of that?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I mean it feels like I was. I hope that
I'm still part of it.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Like It's been a long time since I've done TV
work over there, but I'd like to be doing more
of it. But you know, it's just matter. It's just
one of those acting things. It's playing the waiting game.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Can we talk about that?
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Because I said to you before this, like with the
beautiful beast that is acting, comes a whole lot of rejection,
like not even nose, just like donuts. We will do
this audition and then have to completely let it go
and then hear.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Nothing like how do you?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Because like and to me you are you are like
one of Australia's favorite children, Like you know, you kind
of grew up on the screen in many ways.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
I was Australia's favorite son for many years. I was
the boy next door. Now I think I'm like the
man out of the back fence, throw the.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Ball that no one talks to no, not never the
cops again.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
But how do.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
You, like, do you face rejection as an actor and
how do you handle that?
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Yeah, I mean it's been it's been a huge, huge,
huge part about it. I mean I was very lucky
for so long to have a fairly steady run of roles.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
I think.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
There's there were amongst that was huge, huge, huge rejection
on so many levels and so many unfortunate near misses,
which I think, you know, it used to be very
uncall to talk about that sort of thing, but like
I feel as though now I can say, like I
remember like flying to New York and.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Testing for.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Into the Woods for the and and I like, did
the audition really well Bernie Tellsey's office, and then he
told me in the audition that they'd already offered it
to I think Crispine just before I went in, and
he he was you know, he was like, I'm sorry
that we couldn't wait, but they were doing like you know,
(19:55):
that was like a very big star studded Yeah. And
I and it's the same sort of thing happened when
with Eddie Redmain was Into the Woods. Although I remember
I was doing a funny thing happened on the way
to the Forum and Cameron McIntosh came back into the
dressing room and he was like, oh, I couldn't believe
(20:17):
that he even knew. He was like, I'm so sorry,
you know, and I said I would have cast Eddie
as well, and he was brilliant, like he was actually
so I was like, but I you know, I said
I would have done that.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I remember I got cast in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
By Andrew Lloyd Webber years and years and years ago,
and and that was for like a world tour, and
then that got pulled the pin on because there was
a production that was happening in Canada that was going
to Broadway and they didn't want to have two productions
on in New York at the same time. So I
(20:54):
actually I went and met the director in London, and
then I went to Anita to see the production and
I had a feeling that it might not do well,
and it didn't. And subsequently when the show's come back, Andrew.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Wouldn't even seen me for.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah, which was I mean, but that's fine, you know, like,
you know, I got the role at one stage.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
But I mean, he's a very very.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Smart and wonderful man like obviously, but I want to
taken it personally.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
But I think it's so hard not to take it personally.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
I remember, I remember, years and years and years ago,
after i'd finished Rafters, the first I got offered a
job doing this show called I Will Survive.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's actually big one, but I think I can talk
about it. I don't care.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
And my agents really really really wanted me to do it,
and because it was very good money, but it was
hosting a show searching for a a triple threat, and
I was sort of like, no, I've left Rafters and
I really want to just focus on.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Acting and stuff.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Eventually I caved and I said yes because I was
getting pressure from my American agents at the time and
my Australian agents to just do it that like it's
three months, it's this sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
And I left New York.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
I was living in New York time, and I stopped
in LA and I did an audition for Dirty Dancing
for the remake Kenny Otaga directing and choreographing it, and
I nailed it. I knew, I just knew that I
was perfect this role. And I flew back to Australia
to do the photoshoot for I was Vibe, and then
I got called to come back.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
To do the test for it.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Which was at the Athletics Club here in LA There
was like fifty producers and investors there watching and I
had to learn the dance in front of everyone, and
I had two of Michael Jackson's dancers from This Is
It This was just after he passed away, and Kenny
of had choreographed it and they were there and I
(23:03):
got through the whole dance like the dancers were going,
no one's gone this far, I don't worry, and I
was like, this is cool, because the dancing was the.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Hardest part of me.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
And I managed to get the whole dance done, and
then came to singing and acting, which I knew I
was going to nail. And I called my agents and
I was like, I'm going to get this, like this
is this is mine and they were like, you know,
don't get ahead of yourself all this sort of thing.
And I left the audition and Kenny was up there
(23:32):
like showing me the girls that he's going to cast,
and it felt very, very very sure. And then later
that day I went to go and meet the head
of lions Gate and I was.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Like, this is it, this is this is it. Got
back to.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Australia in start shooting for and we were in Dubbo
and there I will survive. I've had a two week
clash with the rehearsals of Dirty Dancing and there was
no there seemed to be no way around it. Kelly
(24:08):
Abbey was the director, I was the choreographer and I
will survive. And she said she called Kenny because she
knew it and said like I will teach you the
dancers and need something.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
They couldn't really move around it, and then I killed
my agents.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I said, well, I'm going to quit, like I can't,
like this is my opportunity. And at that point Channel
ten had threatened to sue Lionsgate if I left the show,
and so Lionsgate were like we don't want you no
matter what, Like there's no moving around her. And that
was a really, really, really tough moment in my career
(24:42):
because I just I was in At that point, we
left Dubbo and I was in Coba, which is like,
I mean, I love all of Australia.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Coba. If you don't know, it's.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
About four hours west, maybe more of Sydney, and it's
not the most exciting place. And if you're thinking about
your life on Broadway and that sort of thing, and
you're in Coba with a bunch of people that are
trying to win a reality show and they're doing drag
(25:18):
An Street and you're just thinking about all the week
you've done your whole life to get to this point.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
I remember, I just put on my shoes.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
It was the day that they were doing the final
callbacks and the chemistry tests in La and I just
I ran.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I ran out into the desert.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
I had my phone on shuffle and I was crying
and crying, and I just kept running and running until
I couldn't run anymore. And this song came on that
was from my first album called.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
All Right, and it's like life is lonely and confusing
when you lose your way, but life is learning. I
can show you you'll live through the pain. It can
hold you, it can choke you, tear you up inside.
You're gonna be oh, all right.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
And then there's this part that's like, because they don't
see the way you cry, they don't have to live
your life. It feels like this will never end when
you can't find the strength inside.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
Just look to me. I'm on your side.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
And then it's like, won't let you be on on
And it's like a big belt. I won't say it
because we're in a hotel room, but I remember I
just stopped. I was crying, and this horse came over
and I was like panning the horse and I was crying,
and it was like I'd written and recorded this song
for this.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Moment to remind me that it was gonna be okay.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
And then when I got back to Koba, I get
a message from my agent saying they're not gonna make
the movie anymore because no one could.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Studio was so set on you. And one of the
guys was.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
A really good singer and dancer, he couldn't act. And
the other one was really good actor and singer, but
he couldn't Dane, So they didn't make it.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
So that was like a kind of silver lining, but
it was still shit, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Like but but then again, I think everything in life
happens for a reason, nothing happens by chance.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
And even where.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I am right now in my life, I'm like, I
know that I have confidence that you know, there's a
bigger picture, and maybe my life wouldn't have been exactly
where it is right now and everything that's happened, I
don't think. I mean, we all have like little regrets,
but not really because as long as you're happy where
(27:43):
you are right now, that's the main thing, because we
wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for everything else.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Totally. I mean, I mean that's such amazing perspective.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
To have.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
But some days it's like I need your song, like
in my head, it's going for a run.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
My question for you is, and.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
This is a really hard question for actors, but like
what's your north start? Like what would be the dream
if your agent called you up tomorrow and they're like, Hue,
this is what you're auditioning for and you just knowing
your bones like this is for you.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
What would be like?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Because I feel like I feel like you've had so
many wins in Australia, You've had so many on stage wins.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
I want to see you in an American feat film.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Sorry, just just projecting my own once over here.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
I mean I would love that too.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
I mean I would love all about my mind north
Stary is just to keep working.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
I really love working. Yeah, and the last.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Few years have been not so much. I did a
film last year in Sri Lanka. I was working there
for quite a few months and I worked out after
a little while that the director and he was also
the producer, was potentially a con artist. The crew telling
(29:00):
me that they hadn't been paid, and then I was
trying to get hold of my agents to find out
if I'd been paid anything. The whole thing was a sham,
like it's not coming out, and I was playing with
the lead. It was a huge amount of work, a
lot of time commitment. I turned down other jobs for it,
and like nothing came after that, nothing was resolved. Like
(29:22):
the year before that, my father played nieces had passed
away and so I took a bit of time off
to spend with them, and I had like a bit
of a sabbatical, which in retrospect is probably a stupid
thing to do, because I guess out of sight and
of mind is a real thing.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Especially I can show you this thing.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Thing sort of dropped off in a big way there,
and then this year has been exactly like pretty damn
slow as well.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
So but he's just put out a christy album, that's
all that's that's.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
I think that's the secret for anyone young listening. For me,
it's been a good reminder that because that even before
when I was doing like, you know, Rafters, I was
just sort of mainly doing Rafters, but we still had
lots of downtime and other people would get jobs and.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I'd be like, hmm, nobody wants me. So I would
create shows.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Like I created my band the California Cream as well,
and I'm bringing them back to Australia now.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
For Adelaide Fringe, the Adelaide.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Fringe, and I would create sort of like one man
shows and to be able to rely on yourself and
also yeah, the album, Like I did an album last
year as well. In the downtime, obviously it eats up
a lot of money. It's better if you've got someone
to help you. Yeah, in these instances, I've just done
it myself and I'm hoping that it pays off. But
(30:45):
you just got to keep going and keep throwing stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
At the wall.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Well, I'm a little Christmas person. And this new album
it's called The Merriest, right, the Merriest, Oh, which you are?
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It is such Maybe not when we're talking about favors.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
But you know, but that's all part of it, you know,
it's an important part.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
I think it's healthy to talk about it.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Christmas is a hopeful time of yew right, and you
do certainly a meaningful time of year.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
But you do all these carols. You're literally find Australia tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
I'm flying tomorrow to do like, Like, if there's a
carols and my name is not on the bill and
you want me there, just contact the organizer.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
I'll be there.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So you're doing Adelaide Carols, doing Sydney Carrol, I'm.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Doing two carols in Adelaide. I'm doing two carols in Sydney.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
I'm doing Yeah, I'm doing some of the twenty third
at Double Bay Carols in the Domain on the nineteen.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Yeah, I'm doing the Adelaide.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I'm going to be there on the nineteenth. Oh really,
I should try and see you.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
I feel I'm mad for Christy Carroll.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I'll bring you backstage.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I'll stop it.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
She had hair on the podcast. She's great.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Oh so good, she's so gad.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
She's great and she's a realistic.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, I feel so this is the thing.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I'm excited for you, Like I know you've shared really
like openly about fellow You're in tough times, and I
think every actor feels that, like I've got to make
this a bit of a director mentor and I'm like,
you're crushing it, mate, You're never not working.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
It's like, yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I'm not where I want to be, you know, like
we've always were always like chasing that yes, yeah yet
kind of thing. But it feels like this whole christmasy thing,
like the album you're going back and you're essentially touring
all over Australia with Carol's like how flipp and cool.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
I know.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
I was talking to one of my nieces the other
day and she was having a bit of a rough
time and so I had a nice chat with her
and she was like, well, how are you going. I
was like, I had just been offered a role in
a play.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That what it is.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
But I went to meet to meet the crew in
New York and.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
We had a great meeting.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I thought it was like unreal, And this was a
play that I was hesitant to do because I had
like full frontal nudity in quite a moment and stuff
like that. And I was like no, but you know,
I'm going to challenge myself and I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
This is gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
And then like a few days later, my agent was like, oh,
so after meeting you, they just don't think that you're
right for the role.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
I was feeling, so what did I say? Like, what
did I do in that meeting that was so wrong?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Since then I actually spoke to the director who was like, no, no, no,
you were fine. He's like, literally because they'd cast two
other characters already, and it was like, I just don't know.
He's like, I literally just don't think that's going to fit.
He was like, but it's not your talent or anything.
But I felt I was feeling very shit about it.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
And that's what we.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Do though, right, Like you get a rejection and you're like, well,
it's all me.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Well, but I mean it was wrong and then it
was a rejection, which is sort of like what had
happened with Jesus Christ Superstar and with I mean, I
remember I was cast in Dream Love.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
I worked on that for five years. I did the
workshops for.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Five years, and I don't really know. I mean, David
Campbell's a good friend of mine, was you know, I
mean we haven't really spoken or seen each other, and
he never reached out. But I it was about a
week before that was starting, and I was in I
was in Aspen and I was heading back and things
(34:22):
kept shifting around, and that was the first year I
was doing California Crunis Club, and I said to my
manager at the time, I said, look, we're going to
cancel the California Greeners Club, because I said, I've been
working on this show for so long, ith so important
to me. I'd met Bobby Darren's manager, I'd met his
best friend, I'd met all these people who had at
the time had to confirm me for the role, and
(34:42):
we were guns are blazing. And then I got a
call and they said, no, we've actually offered the role
to David Campbell last minute. And I was on contract. Like,
I mean, technically I could have sued them.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
I turned down other work.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Yeah, Mormon, I mean like there's a lot of yeah,
and I didn't because I did not want to go
down that road. My agents, understandably, were very upset. I
was more upset on a very personal level because I
put so much into it, and.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
That was an incredibly hard, hard let down as well.
But it was sort of like we were both I.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
Was on contract and then they gave to someone else
and they said, well, you know, he's on morning television
and he's like right for the crowd. And I remember
saying I wanted to bring this to a younger crowd.
At the time, I was so like yeah, busy and
high with packed the rafters. It was like I was
going to bring this music to a different crowd. And
I'm sure the show was absolutely fantastic, but it was
(35:43):
a devastating time and so it's sort of like for
the young people listening and for war for everyone. I'm
sure there's a lot of other actors that would resonate
with this where it's sort of like you can even
have the role and still lose it, Like you can
be on contract and still lose it.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
How do you navigate that?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
It's really really tough, Like it's it's very very tough,
especially I think in Australia where people.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Just think that you're like you're just the winner.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
You know, a lot of a lot of peers just
think that it's so easy for me because it's like, oh,
he you know, got rafteds.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
It's like I started training when I was five. Yeah,
I went to the Australian Ballet School. I studied opera.
I've had so many rejections and still do it all
the time.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I did, like, I think my first three auditions in
like a couple of years. What happened in the last
few months and I didn't get any of them.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
But that's like.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Part of it is just I was just happy to
have some auditions.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm auditioning for the waitress on Monday.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
And once they.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Hear this, they probably will be like, well, there's no
way he's getting it anyway, but no same produces. I
was dream lover, but but then again you never know it.
And but it's I'm just happy that they're seeing me.
I you know, the people that did like Fantomoth that
(37:16):
are doing the opera wouldn't even see me.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
That was the first role.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
I played out of Niter and I was like, can
I please audition for that? No response? I remember last
year opera, so they was doing what was guys and Dolls,
which is so me like fun luck be a lady.
Luck if you've ever been a lady to wick in with.
I mean, my dad opened for Frank Sinacha for fo
(37:42):
sake what Yeah, And they wouldn't even see me for
an audition. So like people that think that it's easy,
like get buckle up, it ain't easy for me.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
It ain't easy for anybody.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I think the industry can be very clique and you've
got to be in there and you've got to be
that person until the right people come along and they
see you.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
You know, I was so excited. I told you about
tiktick Boom.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, that was my next question.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yeah, Tic tick Boom's coming back and I'm doing that
in cans And.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I'm was it so much fun to do?
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It?
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Was?
Speaker 4 (38:18):
It was really fun?
Speaker 3 (38:20):
It was It was tough because the director of the
first time had played the character and I don't know.
I mean, I'm sure it was a two way straight
I'm you know, but I remember like a few days
it was the end of week one and he took
me aside outside and said, like, what do we need
(38:41):
to do? Do you need a coach? Do you need
It's like we've just done the first run. It's a
very big wordy play. I had COVID pretty badly just
before that and even actually started working with it. At
that point, we were like aware of the fact that
it's not life in Earth.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
I was trying.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Really hard and he was just like, you're awful, terrible and.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
That's not the same director that you're going to work with.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
But the same amazing producer who like helped me get
through it.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
But he was that was really tough.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
And I'm sure you know what have I You know
that these click CLICKI people, But the show, by the
end of it, that was an incredible like you know,
we opened like two weeks after that conversation, so.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Hard, like and no one knows about that, right, You've
still got to show up and give it a hundred percent.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
I remember like the first reviewer came to like the
first preview, and she put the review out on opening
night saying that, like I didn't quite hit the mark,
and I didn't really care because I was like, I'm
just doing this the best that I can under extreme circumstances.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
But you never sort of stopped learning from that.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
And I'm very excited to be doing Into the Woods
with stayed up for South Australia. Yeah next year in
July August in Adelaide, which I'm through because I've always
wanted to play baker.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
And that's happening California, Green is well.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
I mean they're smaller jobs, but they're great jobs, brilliant roles,
good work, meeting material I have to ask.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
But I love camera like film, TV or stage like
I feel like they're different homes.
Speaker 4 (40:34):
I think they're all are brilliant.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
I think you know, film feels incredibly slow and difficult
and could be very tiring. Theater is very tiring, but
you're electric while you're out there. You know you've got
all the adrenaline and all the rush and essentially you
know you know that once the show starts, you know
(40:57):
when it's going to end. Film and television is like
this long, laborious thing. You don't know when you're going
to be on set. You don't You've sort of got
to keep between this cool medium of like I'm going
to make this work and I've got to be ready
to go, go, go, but you never know when that's
going to be and it could be hours and hours
and hours and things get shifted around you to weather
(41:18):
and all.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
That sort of thing. So it's it's tough, but they're different.
But there's so.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
I love working on film because film TV is such
a you know, working with cameraman and working with shots
and working with great directors that listen to you. And
I love working with directors that I've worked with before
and it can become so collaborative and they listen to
my ideas because I really, I mean, I would love
(41:47):
to direct. I wrote a film that Bronze Pictures picked
up and we were set to sort of do and
we haven't. I know, well we we didn't bite the
bullet on it. I think mainly because of COVID, And
it was like I think it was twenty twenty one,
like my dad died, I got canceled for Headwig, like
(42:11):
I lost my job.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
I think I told you before this Headwig stuff that
would have been. I imagine a lot of grief, like entwined
in like that cancelor like you were doing art, yeah,
I mean playing multiple.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
Roles, by the way, when you playing every character.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Yeah yeah, it's one yeah really or a person show,
but it's yeah, it was. It felt incredibly unfair, But
I think that that dates back to what I was
saying about people just looking at me and thinking, oh,
it's so easy for him, like he just got that role,
not really understanding the years and years and years of preparation.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
And work, and that that role was a big part
of my life. Like I'd essentially.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
Come out open about my private life in Stellar magazine
the week before.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, I read the article the week before.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
Like I got lost the job.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
And I did that because I felt to play Hedwig authentically,
you need to have you need to be as vulnerable
as you can. Yeah, And that was a big part
of it for me. But I didn't know that I
was going to lose the job later and subsequently like
lose all of my opportunities to.
Speaker 4 (43:30):
Play leading men in anything. You know.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
It was just like I was the leading man in
everything when I didn't talk about private life, and then
ever since then it's sort of like no opportunity to
play any of that.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
No one looks at me.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
Well, I mean, I guess it's just, you know, we
like to think that things have changed, and I guess
to a degree, for a couple of people, they sort
of do. I think Jonathan Bailey is the first person
that I've ever seen that was open about his life
before becoming famous get a lead role in anything, And
(44:07):
he is an exceptional superstar.
Speaker 4 (44:10):
He's a different beast.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
So but yeah, I can't think of anyone else that
you could name that was previously open about their private
life and then getting cast in leading men roles theater maybe,
but like, yeah, it's still tough, especially in Australia.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
They're like, I mean, I'd love to play Pete Allan.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Oh yeah, could you imagine so fun? Yeah, here's the
thing like having listened to a lot of pods with
you now, having read articles and interviews like I said,
I love a deep dive. You're so honest. I feel
like that is like the hallmark of who you are.
(44:59):
Does it feel good to be like, well, this is
who I am?
Speaker 4 (45:03):
I feel like, you know, at this point in my life.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
I think once I did that Stellar article, I was
just like, well, if you give everyone everything, that's it. Like,
I mean, I lived for so long with journalists chasing
me and stalking me, but like stalked and set up
in situations and written about without mentioning my name and stuff.
(45:30):
But I knew and it was very hurtful, and it's
sort of things that I think in today's age, they
wouldn't get away with.
Speaker 4 (45:39):
Writing that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (45:41):
They would not be able to write what they used
to write and like guess who don't see and Shelly
Horton's column and stuff like that about the young star
with his boyfriend walking five feet behind, which was not
true anyway, but it it hurt a lot at the time,
like really hurt because I was super young.
Speaker 4 (46:01):
I was a house cleaner that was suddenly well known.
Oh I wasn't.
Speaker 3 (46:07):
I didn't ask for it. When I was at nighters.
My teacher said, or you were never working film and television,
and I was, yeah, yeah, yeah, Tony Nights.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
That bad. But he said I didn't have the right
look for it.
Speaker 3 (46:20):
But I was happy with that because I was like,
that's fine, I'm just going to do theater. And I
wanted to do theater because it's not just going to
do But ironically it's hard to get into that as well.
So I think what I'm trying to say, that's sending
too negative because we are focusing on.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
A lot of the bad things.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
But I guess that's part of it because you see
this success thing. But it is a matter of determination
and you just keep going and even if people like
don't like you, or have prejudice or think things or
have opinions whatever, you just got to keep going because
(46:59):
eventually will move on as well, and there'll be new
people that will see you for.
Speaker 4 (47:03):
Who you are.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
So it's a resilience game.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
It is definitely a resilience game. It takes a huge,
huge amount of resilience. But I think the resilience part
of it, and the rejection and the constant head fucks
and the tears and the wondering and the questioning and
the all.
Speaker 4 (47:25):
Of that is also really good parts of life if
you're game enough to take it on.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
When I was doing the lighting of the Christmas lights
the other night, I had a friend there and she
we went and had a drink afterwards, and she was like,
I just wish I could be happy, like working in
an office or like having I just want to be
content with.
Speaker 4 (47:53):
This like that life.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
And I said, well, I said, that's a huge personality
adjustment flow me and for you. And she said, well basically,
And I said, basically, you just want to be a
different person. Yeah, And she's like yeah, And I said,
I can't really imagine that because I don't even.
Speaker 4 (48:11):
Know what I could do.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
No, you're through and through, Like I.
Speaker 3 (48:14):
Don't know, I've done it since I was so little.
But at the same time, you can you can fight it,
or you can just keep going and embrace it and go.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
Oh that was early one, or that was.
Speaker 3 (48:29):
The bad things that have happened over the years, like
in personal life or in professional life. I don't I
feel like, I mean, I hope I'm going to touch
wood when I say yeah, yeah, that, I don't think
it could get that much worse.
Speaker 1 (48:49):
No, But they always say there's a saying once you
get to a rock bottom, it's the most beautiful place
to be because you have the opportunity to make a
change and for you as well, like having researched you,
I'm sure like any actor has all these kind of
like tough years and years where like the auditions don't
come in or you get canceled for like unfair reasons.
Speaker 4 (49:12):
But at the same sometimes you have a few of them.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
But at the same time, I.
Speaker 1 (49:18):
Think like your honesty and your vulnerability is your superpower.
Like I think that you're like, this is who I am.
I'm going to be honest about these shit things that
have happened, and I'm still going to move forward, And
I think that that is what is inspiring.
Speaker 3 (49:32):
There's been so many other good things as well, yeah, like.
Speaker 2 (49:37):
Amazing Loki's my friends.
Speaker 3 (49:39):
Yeah, I was saying to my friend Press and I
was like, you know, like we were watching Bennett Peters.
I was like, I close for her, and then I
was like, that was the same year I opened for
Liza Minelli. Like all these other cool things that are
like moments that make make everything so much better and
you've got to hang on to them and you I
(50:00):
never finished saying, but like I was when I was
talking to my niece the other day and she'd been
having a hard time and I was like, she's like,
how are you going. I was like, oh, she's like
that You've recorded a Christmas album and it's done, it's
coming out.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
I said yeah, and she's like that's huge, and I
was like, yes it is.
Speaker 3 (50:20):
I was like, but I forget because it was, you know,
I put so much work into it. But I think
sometimes when you're doing it yourself and you're you know,
taking money out of your mortgage and playing to musicians
and you just never know what's going to happen with
music these days, without having a huge label behind you
(50:42):
and you're doing yourself, it's sort of like are you
I'd grown to expect nothing from it.
Speaker 4 (50:49):
But then again, you never know you.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
And you're doing even though you've got all those feelings,
you're still doing the thing. So I could talk to
you all day long, but I have to ask you
to someone that's listening to this, an actor or a
creative singer writer, and they've had a couple of rejections,
what is your advice for those days where you just
don't really want to get out of bed or you
like it all feels it just feels like everything's stacked against.
Speaker 3 (51:13):
You with rejection. For me, for the most part, and
it is the best and probably the healthiest way to
look at it, is someone else is getting that role
and hopefully, I mean, you know, it's it's always pain
in the bum when you get rejection and you look
(51:36):
and you see that it's the same person that always.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
Gets the role against you, which has happened to me
if you jo.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
And they're completely wrong for it, but completely that was
a mistake. And then the movie comes out it's a flop,
and you go to say, but for the most part,
it's going to someone that needed that role, and that
your role is still sitting there waya for you.
Speaker 2 (52:00):
So it's like trust, well, yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:02):
And also you know you didn't get the role, but
someone else is rejoicing and they got it, and that
could be the break that they needed. It's like when
you've got money in your pocket and you lose you while,
or like you drop fifty bucks.
Speaker 4 (52:16):
And you're like, oh, and then you think, but someone
picked that up? Who really needed that fifty bucks?
Speaker 1 (52:22):
You, my friend, were a true cancerrian to have that answer,
and you're such a care and.
Speaker 3 (52:28):
I just don't think about the people that you know
that really really needed it, maybe just a little bit
more than me and and even you know in the
down times or like it's been a bit of a
try spell and that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (52:41):
But you latch on to the affirmative totally.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
You have to.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
Eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't
mess with mystery in between.
Speaker 4 (52:51):
Accentuate the positive.
Speaker 3 (52:53):
But I do like, even with these little shows and
things that are coming up, because you know, it's a
few more shows than I had last year, I will
get paid for them.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
You're doing something you love.
Speaker 3 (53:05):
I'm doing roles that I love, and you just you've
got to just momentum.
Speaker 1 (53:09):
I think like when you're doing more of what you love,
like as esoteric, because this might sound it brings in
more of that energy like the like.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
I also think it's really important to not discriminate against
roles as well so much, which you know can be
really tricky. I know there was a role recently that
I was asked to audition for that did not peel right,
and it was really hard for me to sort of say,
(53:38):
I don't think I should do this because it wasn't
just the character with the show, and it was a
big commitment in Australia if I got it and this
sort of thing. But my gut was telling me to
hold out on that one. And that was a tough
conversation because it was like my agent's, well, you were
saying you need auditions and all this thing this is
(54:00):
and it was tough because I do. I do think
to not discriminate against roles because I believe that work
leads to more work and that's always been the case
for me, Like working with people, you work with someone
even if you you know it might be the sound
person who goes onto another film and they're like, I
loved working with this actor.
Speaker 4 (54:19):
He would be great. Yeah, And that's how a lot
of my.
Speaker 3 (54:21):
Work has happened through cruise and people like that, and
or you know, people that were associated with it, or
a director that really like you that wants to work
with you again.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
That's such good advice.
Speaker 1 (54:34):
I've had someone on here say, talent gets you in
the door, but like your kindness and how easy you
are to work with, and.
Speaker 3 (54:43):
Your and your attitude, vulnerability, and your your ability to
be grateful to be there, Like I am eternally grateful
for any opportunity I have to work, like.
Speaker 4 (54:56):
I really am.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
I still get nervous, I get scared, I get excited.
I mean I always have to remind myself that nervous
energy is excited.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
Yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (55:05):
Can turn it around.
Speaker 3 (55:07):
Like I'm just so thrilled when people just want to
see me or have me in the job or anything
like that.
Speaker 4 (55:14):
It's just so exciting.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
And I think that that can get you a long
long way, because I've worked with a lot of actors
that don't have that. And do you have a different
view of what they're doing and what they should be
doing that sort of thing, just go, well you're doing this?
Speaker 1 (55:32):
I just yeah, yeah, come on, how lucky a week?
Speaker 4 (55:38):
How lucky can you get you're doing what you.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
Love exactly, Hugh Sheridan. I could talk to you till
the cows come home, I said earlier. No, honestly, you.
Speaker 4 (55:48):
If you're just turning in your earies, you shared and
Lulla Berry and Margaret Throsby. This is ABC will be
back after a short.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
Break, so for the listener, they can hear your Christmas
album The Merriest right.
Speaker 2 (56:03):
Now on Spotify.
Speaker 1 (56:05):
So I'm going to have it in the show notes.
And also when and winners Tikic Boom happening.
Speaker 3 (56:11):
Boom performances on the first of.
Speaker 2 (56:16):
Mayor not far away.
Speaker 6 (56:18):
They can't in France, and Yeah into the Woods later
on Amazing California Creamer's Club is happening at the Fringe.
Speaker 2 (56:34):
I'm going to pop it a roll in the show notes.
Speaker 4 (56:36):
I don't know what the dates I.
Speaker 2 (56:37):
Want everyone to stuff. I cannot wait.
Speaker 1 (56:41):
You've got a fan in me, so I can't wait
to see what is next for you, my friend.
Speaker 4 (56:45):
You got a fan in me.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
That is the perfect ending to this pod. Thank you
you sharing, You're wonderful.
Speaker 2 (56:59):
That It's a.
Speaker 1 (57:00):
Wrap on another episode of Fearlessly Failing.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
As always, thank.
Speaker 1 (57:05):
You to our guests and let's continue the conversation on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (57:10):
I'm at Yamo Lollerberry. This potty my.
Speaker 1 (57:14):
Work for podcast is available on all streaming platforms. I'd
love it if you could subscribe, rape and comment, and
of course spread the love.
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