I record this podcast on Gaetgol Country. I'd like to pay my respect to the traditional.
Custodians and I'm recording o Urando Country, part of the Cooler Nation.
Let's go.
I know you're going to dig this. It's like I've been given like an extra sprinkle of something.
You've got layers, Yeah, I got layers.
I was just thinking, I'm like, we're just such beautiful storytellers.
You're making a lot of sense to that girl. No, I'm done.
I've been too honest to go.
All right. We are so excited because we have Leah Purcell, who is an internationally acclaimed actor, director, producer and writer on stage and screen.
Yeah yeah, yeah, my mob Go Gungri and Walker Walker. So that's three three clans from different parts of Australia due to stolen generations and being you know, my grandparents being tossed around.
With your experience. Now there's so many opportunity opportunities flying at you, like, how do you navigate that and choose what you what you do and what you don't do is with what I'd love to know.
You know, I've been what is it thirty three, thirty four years in the industry now, so you've got to earn your stripes. You know, there was times where you had to do things because you've got to keep relevant, You've got to keep your your talent honed, you know, your skills up. But it does get to a point that the that the roles become repetitive, you know what I mean. And it is about going what do I want to do as a performer, because I was sort of going to semi retire from acting and to focus
on my direction and writing. Just before I got went with like, can you believe it? I made this big speech debay and I went, right, that's it. I'm going to just hang the acting add up for a minute.
And you know, as ye worth in that change.
And then that phone call went worth to be fair.
And then to get that phone call and you're kidding me? And then I and then what are you going to do? Yeah? Oh, they had me in mind.
Yeah, of course, I mean it's perfect.
Yeah, And I said, well, if I put my actor's hat back on, I said, mate, a television show that's already established number one drama around the world, a role where I collaborated on and they you know, they had me in moment.
They wrote it.
I would be stupid not to take it, wouldn't I? And then away you know that sort of thing of course with lost Flowers of Alice Heart. You know, when the phone call come in, I went, who's in it?
Big?
That was after I was a big note and going, I was big, going who's in it?
Who?
Who's the lead?
Then if I've just got this little support role and they went Sigourney Weaver owent yep. I said, I will carry oxygen for her, I will give her water. I'll just stand beside her. She can have all my loans if she wants. Yeah. So that that sort of thing where I was wanting to be. But every role that I take, I want to be challenged. And I think that's what that's where I I what I look at now in a role is won the writing?
Of course?
Is it something like how much work will I have to do on the script for someone else?
You know what I mean?
So I do look at the writing and that that that collaboration if if there's an urge to do it. But then someone of Sigourney Weavers, you know, legend Hollywood and her talent, and you know, I go, I want to be challenged I want to be nervous again. It's nice to go in and be nervous, you know on your first day when Sigourney Weaver walks in, you know,
for you growing up? Oh mate, I was, yeah, in Mergan, like I think Alien first come out seventy nine, so by the time it got to Mergen it was eighty four. I was fourteen. Saw her and went and into my acting at this stage and I went, oh, my god, that's me, Like, I've got to I've got to meet her. I said, We've got the same jaw, we got curly hair. And at that stage when I watched Daily and of course they had already started Alien too, but I went,
there's going to be a second I know it. And I said, and I'd walk around Morgan going how do I get a letter to Hollywood? And they went, what do you want to get a letter to Hollywood for? I said, because I've got to tell them that I should play her daughter, because there's a daughter in that at the end of that thing, and I think it's got to be me.
This is so freaking yeah.
Yeah, And then I said to her when when we met over over Zoom, I was playing very cool as you've got to do. And then I went to goourney before before we go, she because there there anything else with you? You know, we've talked about the script. And I went, yeah, there is one thing I said for me to be able to do my job right, You're going to give me one thing. And she goes, what's that and I said a fangirl moment and I said, just one. I got to tell you this good yard.
So I told her and she kissed us off, laughing and yeah. And then it was And that sort of broke the eyes for me too, because I could just be me, you know, And and she was great.
We've got Kirby Bentley in studio today. Kai a Mob, Yes, who's in mob?
Where you're from?
Nunga Yamaji from Western Australia. I grew up in a cracking country. It's renowned as cracking country in Mount Barker. So a country girl, let's.
Go to Survivor talk about the game with us. So there's no producer saying to you should do this.
No, wow, no, And I love that because it allows you to be creative, to know people and work people. And that's the whole reason why I sort of applied because I was at a stage in my life where I'd gone through a breakup. I had fallen into a bit of depression. So it's not just from the breakup, but being over here, being by myself as.
Well, away from home, way from country.
Yeah, yeah, and I just I just felt really alone and I started to get out of that. And then once I applied, I actually didn't. I've never watched it. I've only ever watched our season.
See, so I had to do what he said.
I've been watching every country and how.
These motherfuckers get through this, I don't know.
I wouldn't be good because I can't hold a lie in, you know, lie.
So the way that I did it was I would tell someone I was working with, Say I was working with Brooks for example, I'm like, oh, you tell Ferris or you tell Rachel that we're actually gonna write this person's name. Done.
But that's a lie.
So then I would get Brooks tell on how she would lie. So when she would lie to me, I would see what she's doing, so I would just avoid that.
Okay, that's so.
Good ione to know how brook lies, which is which is what I'm looking for.
How do I think I find like I can't really lie, but if I am lying to protect someone, I will.
I can.
It's very different. Is it is very different.
If it's to protect someone else and it's to take care of them because I care about them, I can do it. But if it's to lie because I'm protecting myself, fuck, I'm done. Like oh, it's like like you know, it's it's a bit uncomfortable, but I've also I feel like it's such a survival thing too, like me like not to use the fun like you know. I feel like in my my younger years in high school sometimes I had to lie, you know. I had to lie to
the department to protect my mom. I had to lie to school teachers to protect my brothers, you know.
And that happens to school saying they're like, what does your dad do? My dad didn't work, you know, stick picker on the farm, and I was like, he's a detective.
Oh my god, yeah, and you'd try to Yeah, we talked about this and he got.
Caught when he came to school and they were like, your dad's really a detective. I was like, yes, under cover, so good.
And okay, so you've just gone to worlds so you've just come back. How do you also? Can I ask a dumb question? No question is a dumb question.
What do you eat? Like?
I've been asked to do a survivor, but I have also rejected it many times because I just don't think that I could starve myself.
Well, technically, you don't starve yourself when they would never let that happen, right, perfect, But they give you a Russians. They give you enough Russians to feed your tribe. So there's fourteen on a tribe. There's rice, and there's beans. And if our first three days it rained, we had no shelter, which meant that we're wet. There was no wood to light fires, which means we didn't eat. So you can't cook food with wood, right, So it's on you whether you cook it it, whether you eat it,
whether you don't. And there's coconuts like you can eat. You're obviously really hungry, and you smell.
You smell so bad.
Not today you smell.
So there's no light coming in with the quick fix and the producers going, we've got a little gas.
Sto absolutely no rice off, rude, no so whatever, So we're shaving. Can you shave no, you can't brush your teeth, you can't shave, there's no soap. If you lose your clothes, you lose your clothes.
That's all you have, won't so we pay.
We take seven items or nine items, and if you lose them, like one of the one of our contestants, throw another contestants close out. So that's all she had, So she was missing strategic I don't know if they liked each other that much. So yeah, she ended up throwing it out and this Kelly you jo names. She's like, I can't find my clothes anywhere, and I think someone's throwing them out. I was like, I think someone's throwing
them out as well. And we're freezing out ALFs off too, So she's standing in like her baby bottoms and Raymond's T shirt. So that's all the clothes. So once they're gone, they don't get replaced. Nothing gets replaced. I burned socks by accident. They didn't get in a place and it gets cold. But I recommend playing it though, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, so wait love of the game if you haven't watched it, yeah, In terms.
Of the crew, so bird's eye view, there's a camp and then is there like producers and TV directors and everyone around set.
You know, there's there's a camera with a producer like obviously, because that's how they catch us, catch the filming. And we're not at a talk without without a camera. Otherwise the game isn't played right because they don't get to pick up on any conversations that might have been had that results in somebody leaving for example. Yeah, so no camera, no talking.
How many cameras too, Oh it could be up to like six seven, quite a few, Yeah.
Getting every one's conversations.
Yeah. And yeah. In terms of the idols, are they like strategically placed and you can see them putting them there? Or no?
Absolutely not because I'm a tracker and I could not find one. I looked and I needed one I needed I needed five of them, but yeah, I couldn't find them anyway to save myself. So wow, I was just relying on my gameplay and my manipulation.
Yeah, and people went you went far like you were top five? Yeah, and then who got you out?
I was.
I was very lucky.
I managed to play big and be able to step back, and people wanted to, you know, play their game as well, So I sort of moved in ebbs and flows with that, and then eventually I got to a tribal council. I don't know if you watched it, Maddy, but Alex started to just be like, Kirby's the biggest player, and I was like, shut your mouth, Alex, keep your lips tight like what I were doing.
Yeah I wish, I wish.
I could, but no.
Yeah, so he just threw me under the table completely, and then from then they just wanted me gone. So I was relying on winning necklaces and yes, staying on
top of things. But I ended up getting to the fifth last tribal council and Ferris was going to play his idol for me up until he had said I'm not scared of Kirby, like I wouldn't flinch, and then he looked at at the jury villa and they all looked at each other like he's nuts, Like absolutely, you should be flinching, And then I think you're backtracked, so yeah, hang out and then.
Yeah, wow, okay, yeah, in terms of worlds, what.
Can you tell us? Yeah, what can you anything different about the game? I mean, it's Survivor people from all over the world, right.
Yeah, it is it's World Survivor seven Australian seven World players and it was fast play. It was filmed that the entire game was sixteen days and it was hectic. It was so much fun.
Sixteen days yeah, two weeks just yeah, it's amazing. So Queen Kirby and King George, how did they go?
Yeah, because you guys are big?
Uh no, no, so King George actually helped Ferris like sort of mentor mentored him port going out. They're not like I didn't know anyone when I went. My sole goal was not to get voted off first.
That was itau the Black Fellows always.
Do like movies when Black Fellows die first.
If I ever done a reality TV show in my contract will be not the first step.
You're gonna have to play well, we'll have to go out there with bloodsbee water or something.
Oh my life. I would love to, but I would also just be hilarious, like I feel like when I mean hilarious, like they'd be like, oh, this blackfellow should now to survive. Could I get a towel? Yeah, blanket, you have the hair dry?
That's crazy. I mean I really want to do it.
I feel like I will like take a bit of Kirby mentality into that game.
I'll be like, Okay, I'm here surviving literally I mean some im and for sixty thousand.
Plus year the big spill at the end, I mean here for sixty thousand plus years.
Run through my veins.
My name is Lela. I am a very proud West Paplind woman. My dad comes from Biak Island in West Papua and my mother is from the one Dumma tribe in West Papla as well.
Beautiful Yamiyama, I'm mitched Tambo praud gonroy Man and yes, I honored to be here today to share and yearm with you too.
Deadly Mob twenty nineteen. Obviously you know the Australia's got talent. Yes, tell me about that experience.
Yeah. Look, I got asked to appear on the show after maybe doing like three of my very first live shows as a so called singer songwriter. They reached out and said, let's do it. You know, let's see what let's see what happens, see if we can survive it. And little did I know, some gold confetti was going to rain down upon me and we'll go to the next round and end up taking on your the voice, which was it was a crazy journey. I obviously let
as my wife. She was with me throughout this big journey, and I remember sort of taking it on, just going, man, this is kind of like, you know, the unsung anthem.
Of every B and S ball out in the bush.
I don't know, I don't know how this is going to go for me right now, let's do it. It's like the most karaoke song you'll ever come across. And we went for it, and yeah, it's just it's been an incredible chourning.
But you translated it, didn't you?
From my memory, yes, yes, I got the song. I was put on the table. You know, should we do this? I said, yeah, let's do it. So we translated. I got with Arnie Burnaett Duncan out there and Boggabilla shout out to arn and translated and put it out there and the rest is kind of history.
That's crazy. Were you really proud?
So right?
Where were you sitting like in it? Were you behind or were you so?
I wasn't there at the first audition.
No, you left me to go do a gig and how dare you go to come first? Going to pay ver and singing and I'm just there alone in some bathroom trying to just remember the lyrics.
But I was.
I'm very proud.
And yeah, I wasn't able to be there for a few of the big performances, but I was definitely there in spirit, and I was always on the phone. But yeah, I think it was the final, the final. I was there in the crowd and I.
Thought, you got who?
Yeah?
What was my placement in the end?
I yes, great, I think I made the finals and they gave me the boot.
Who was judging.
Nicole from Cat Dolls? Yeah, she was up My biggest supporter on the show. Shane Shane from the toilet, Shane How from the toilet, from the toilet?
What do you mean from the toilet?
Kenny Kenny, Yeah, yeah, toilet Yeah.
Music.
Sorry, I'm terrible surnames. I'm like Shane Jacobs.
That's it.
I'm saying, Shane how I just make sure.
There are people listen.
Yeah, sorry, Shane, I saw you the other weekend with Sundays and it's out right now. And who else mine?
Who? Ye?
And I'm so bad with names. There was the I'm going to say, sister, I shouldn't say sister.
But Lucy, oh yeah Lucy from Wicked. Yes, yes, physical she did. Glinda Glinda pretty sure.
I'm going to say yeah, X Factor Glindough.
Well that was what year was that, twenty seven nineteen.
I was on Look a long time and.
Like, how has music changed like since for you, like from that experience.
Yeah, Look, it's changed heaps. Because obviously when I went on there, I had no sort of intention to end up, you know, signed one of the biggest record labels in the world and go on this crazy journey. At the time, I just really wanted to just share culture and just
really showed. My whole intention of going on there was just to show the world and wider community that our culture is alive, it's thriving, and you know, you can have light skin and look like me and be a proud blackfellow and carry culture because I think a lot of the times, people you know that don't know much about us, they look for someone that's visibly black to go I'm going to get culture from you, because you know, but in the way that things have happened, you could
see someone that appears that way and they know nothing, unfortunately because they've been taken away or things have happened, or you can see someone like me that's light and you've been lucky to grow up in community and have a great immersion, you know, and understanding. So I just really wanted to get out there and just represent and be true to me and be all of who I am. And I had no idea of what was around the corner and what was about to happen.
Yeah, well, the nation really connected with that performance. You know, you're the voice, so you obviously then went on to perform it around the country, you know, at big events like the NRL and stuff. So has that moment would you say that was the like the the moment that sort of was the springboard into music for you because before you're talking about you know, culture is music is our culture. But you know, were you always wanted to be a musician or did you realize something in that moment?
Yeah. Look, it's not the sound arrogant, but I've never once said in my life, hey, I want to be a singer. Yeah, I want to be a songwriter from about the age of fifteen, and I knew that for the rest of my life. I just wanted to know and understand who I am as an Aboriginal person and be able to share and celebrate that. So when this happened, you know, my first time, you know, actually singing was your the voice in our language, and I'm doing it in front of the whole nation slash world. That was
my first time. And like, I know, it sounds cliche and you see movies and stuff, but I was like five minutes from going out looking in the mirror, just going come on, man, you have to remember these these lyrics. You have to remember it. And I got to a point where I was like, well, I'm done. Now I've
got to go. I can't remember a thing, and all of a sudden it just comes to me on the stage and I did it, you know, because I'd never actually been really feel like I mean, I mean, my team were like, you know what, because I do sing like one percent of it in English, and that one percent, they were like, you know, let's not worry about it. Don't worry about It's too much pressure. Because obviously I'm a fluent English speaker. I don't speak Gomroy, but I
only ever really grew up singing in Gomroy. I never grew up like want to be a singer. So the idea of singing in English was really exposing and just like so much anxiety around that where singing in language just feels like I'm just being me.
Just tell them story.
So the last minute, I just don't worry about it, just dance.
I was too hard.
Now I've got to do it. So my first time like singing in English English on a stage was on the show and just doing it.
Wow. And then obviously from that moment, you've worked very closely together. Yes, you've traveled a lot, you've toured, you've released music, you have a way of releasing iconic covers, yes, you know. So what is it about taking a song that is so iconic that everyone knows and then putting like a first nation spin on it? Yes, is important to you.
Yeah.
Look, I think at the time it was like, you know, why do I want it to do this? Like I said before, it's like the biggest unsung anthem of the country. But it's also like everyone karaoke this song is just getting absolutely annihilated and people just get pulled apart for doing it.
Yeah.
Yeah, So when it come to the table, I was like, well, what's it really about? And the story that was given to me was about being a voice against domestic violence and stepping out, and I could relate to that, and but I was like, you know what, there's so many of our mob, you know, struggle, and we're so over
representing all these harsh statistics. I just want to be a voice that the sooner we can just come together and love one another, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality in class Like the sooner we can just create a beautiful platform for the kids of our community and let that flow out to all kids that they can just
be all of who they are. You know, you don't have to be that kid that's you know, hiding in the closet and doesn't want to come out and you know, identify as gay or whatever it is, and all of
a sudden, you know, they take their life. If we could just create something that was built on that love and acceptance, like we'd just be keeping kids and kids could celebrate all of who they are, and you know, it would flow out that you know, there could be a young Muslim sister and a hijab that wants to rap in hurdling go and she can step out, you know, just be who you are. And it was crazy, like after it.
The love that flooded in.
Initially was out of this world because I thought, man, I'm gonna I'm just gonna get hamdied. And there was this one night, wasn't there Lello where I got this like voice message on Facebook and this is this sounds like I'm stereotyping, but it sounded like some old farmer dude out in the middle of nowhere that rang me late at night. This old ringer, you know, maybe Caucasian background like.
That would typically love that song, yeah.
And be very attached to it. And he rang He goes, Mitch, mate, that's that he did. He goes, can I do the accent on something? Crazy? He was like, Mitch may May, I'm just cooling your mate. You're the voice, mate, Oh mate, you're mate. I just want to say thank you so much, mate, And then he just goes, anyway, mate, love you good night.
Yeah.
I thought were a wow. And I had an other midnight It's crazy, I'm like running out to listen to this.
Yeah.
I probably had a couple of tinners, you know, the vibes out in the middle of somewhere, and I had another fella reach out. I thought initially it was going to be that style and he actually goes. You know, I've been a ring of my whole life, muster and cattle with lots of black fellows. I've always felt this really weird connection to the land. I saw you get up, you know, with fair skin, and so proud of you.
And I've got my kids to go on an ancestry search founds out like you know, one of our grandfathers or whatever was Aboriginal. And now understand why I've had this connection to you, your people and culture. And just thanks for stepping out and doing the thing and song.
Yeah, been crazy, that's crazy, blessed. Like John is real sick.
At the moment.
Well, I think he's come on the other side of it now he's sort of on his healing journey. Yeah. Just and guy Sebastin just did that tribute at the logo. Yeah, beautiful tribute. It would have been amazing for you to step out.
Where was I matter? You need to put a word, you know, when they.
Were singing when she came out the voice, I was like, wouldn't it be amazing for you to come out and sing a bit in language? You know? Maybe next time?
Totally And I mean you know, I've been blessed obviously sing it with John Brian May from Queen and bless her living and John and you know through the campaign and stuff. When John was crook, they asked me to front of his bed and sing on his behalf the So I've been really blessed in the sense to have his backing, and I think he's a really big advocate for our people for positive change and letting that wind shift in the right direction for us, which is great.
You know.
Well, that's all we have time for today, guys.
Thank you so much for listening to First things first, we love you guys.
If you want to hear anything from us, or you want us to cover anything on the pod, make sure you hit us up on social media. You can find Brook at Brook dot Bloat and me at HiT's Mattie Mills. But if you're to hear other podcasts as well, you can check out Nervous Podcasts Official.
See you guys next week, Thatch Bye,