Welcome to First things First, I'm Brooklett and my pronouns as she and her.
I'm Maddie Mills, my pronouns are he and him. And before we get started, we'd like to acknowledge custodians of the land on which we record. And for me today it's the Gattigol people of the.
Urination and for me it's a under people of the cooler nation. Let's get in to it 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. She is a proud Murray woman from Mergen, Queensland. Leah starrs opposite Sigourney Weaver in the recent Amazon Prime Video limited series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. She's also appeared in many TV shows movies such as High Country, The Last Captain Darwin. She was an incredible lead actress
in Wentworth. She wrote, produced directed herself in The Drover's Wife, The Legend of Molly Johnson, and there is just so much more to talk to her about today on our episode. She's won multiple Actor Awards for her roles, as well as being nominated countless times for actors and logis. She hasn't won a LOGI and that is absolutely disgraceful. What please give a big warm and welcome to the one and only Leah pasel Y.
Thank you.
Oh it is so nice to have you in studio.
No pleasure to be here.
I didn't want to butcher your traditional name, your traditional country's name, so I thought, you know what I'm gonna get you to say it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, my mob go or 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. Goer is up near Winton Long reach Out that way, and then Gungrii is down Mitchell, so that's my grandmother's country in Mitchell, and then my
grandfather's mother's country is Goer. And then because my grandmother was stolen from Mitchell and taken to Sherburg, and then my grandfather's mother sent him down to her sister who was at Sherburg. My mum was born on Sherburg and lived their tw isssues about fifteen. Then my grandfather got a job in town in Mergen, so I was born in Mergen and grew up in that area until I was about nineteen, and then I took off. As they say, well.
Talking about Sherburg, you know Sherburg mission, many mob come from this place.
What was your childhood like Sherburg's about three point six cliques out of Mergen. Mergen was the white township. And then back in nineteen four, I think it was the government was looking to do an experiment on allowing Aboriginal people to govern themselves on a bit of property. But what they did was fence them all in and told them to, you know, look after themselves and live the
best they could. And of course the mob did, but within six to eight months they depleted the area of kangaroos, of what they were living on and everything else and went back and said, we've done what you've said and we can't get out to go hunting for more, so what are you going to do? So it became that experiment.
Then the churches came in to run Sherburg's ocean. Yeah. Yeah, there's a book that's called the Dumping Grend because there was about three hundred different people from different tribes that were the start of that area. And then of course, anyone that was being stolen generations or had to be moved somewhere, they bring him to Sherburg. So a lot of people have that historical connection to Sherburg, which my family does, and we've still got family on Sherburg and
in Mergen. But growing up, mate, you know, you're very fortunate when you go in the bush.
You know.
I think, of course, there was our trials and tribulations, you know, being fair skinned black fellows, we got racism from both sides of the fence. And I thought about that a while back and I went, I wonder why we got that racism from our own mob, And it was because all the other fellows that got exempt from the mission left to become the Brisbane Blacks. But my grandfather, he stayed in town. So we got that resentment from some I reckon, that's my theory, because everyone else has
gone away and made another community, but we stayed. You know, there was still rules and regulations that applied to my family as well, but they had that freedom of movement, you know, where they didn't have to be back out of town by sundown and back on the mish, you know. But you know, nineteen seventy five, there was still a superintendent there. We had to get permission to go and see family. My mother was a rat bag. She goes, I'm not going to know white men tell me that
I could get to see my mom. Oh mate, I used to say, Mom, we're going to get locked up. True. But I remember, and I you know, as you get old on fifty four, now you sit back and you think, and you know, we call it that murray joy, that big loud laugh, blackahlah la fee, And I remembered I was thinking someone was telling me a yarn, you know that they got told to be quiet, and they said, oh, you're destroying my murray Joy. And I went, you know what I was back in the days in the seventies,
I was a lookout, okay. And it was in my uncle's house on Schoburg. And when my mother would go out there to visit them, of course, not getting permission. They'd pull all the curtains and they'd sit in that kitchen and the talk and when they laughed, it'd be silent. And I remember sitting at the front door because I'd watched it said policeman was driving around, a coppers or
someone was coming, and I wonder I got anxiety. But I remember sitting at that front door and I'd look back at them and they'd all be this silently laughing. And not until years later I remember that and I went, it's because we weren't allowed. And now I wonder we're loud and proud now, which we should be. I think it had to do with loud and proud and black, you know, for the thing, And so it was. It was, you know, that was interesting and this is true. God.
Just the other night at fifty four, I sat there and I went, I know why I do what I do because I get often go Leah, why were you that one child that got out? Made it out? And I was thinking about last night, and I said, you know what, it's because I had three things in my life that I was able to be passionate about, and that was neple. Yes, did you play gold offence? I made it to the Queensland All Blacks team, but that year they ran out of money so we couldn't go
to New Zealand. I was about fifteen sixty and then I did acting at school. They had a short course music theater, so I went, I was lucky to have that and I guess the other one was that extended family. You know, I grew up the youngest of seven kids, so it was like I was home alone, you know, all the other all my other brothers and sisters a lot older than me, So it was just me and my mom and my grandmother. She looked after my grandmother
for twenty seven years. She was bedridden with arthritis and Parkinson's disease. So she was my spiritual connection to culture. Mean, Nan, we were quite close. And then having that extended family of my mum was very close with the mob out at Sherburg, and we would go there and everyone would come and see Annie Flower or missus p. And even though my mother, at times I could see her being the servient black woman of people that was higher authority
in town, she'd become this other woman. And then at other times when she was allowed to be herself, she was this loud, proud, determined She was four foot nothing, mate, but she could make grown men quiver, you know what I mean. And everyone had got gone on, Tellani low on you, and she'd waddle over, you know, so you know, but she was four foot and not and I've got a bit of hype a bit of shoulder, but she
was deadly. And I think having that and then just just that extended family love and being at that generation coming through the eighties where we didn't have technology where you actually sat down and entertainment was singing, Like I had a sister that was a jukebox, you know what I mean. It's only thinking about that the other day, and we'd sit down, they'd be singing, they'd be dancing, they'd be laughing, they'd be crying, there'd be political story
spoken about. So it was a real education, you know. And I was quite love young. So I'm very lucky that. I guess one thing I got from my white dad was he had a good memory and he was tall. So but that's about it, you know. But yeah, no, I was only thinking about that, and I said, I think that's why I was able to grasp that dream that I had. I had no idea how I was going to achieve it, but I had three things in my life that actually fed my passion.
And recently you've discovered that, like as.
In two nights ago, I'm line in bed and I'm going, gosh, I'm fifty four. I think I know why I managed to do it I had. Even though there was hardship, I had joy. There was there was this passion, not so much if it was joy either, but there was like I loved my sport and I you know, played it hard because I could see it took my aggression out on the field, you know, or on the court. And then the passion to be able to go to school, like I was no good at anything else. But when
that three months, that's when I could shine. And you know, I was junior to get the first dancer, then the teacher. On those days we had Saturday's rehearsal and they'd smoke and le you take them kids outside and make them learn. Don't bring them back, you know, drawn back hardway on a cigarette. So I was choreographing and then I got the first junior to get lines, you know, because you had to earn your stripes to go through. And then grade twelve, I was going, I'm going to be the lead.
I've hurt the stripes. After grade ten when I got I was the first junior to get speaking lines of Bye Bye Boodie. It was Gloria the sexy Secretary, and I got my first laugh with the splits that I had to do. And I even remembered when I because the teacher said, I just pretend you can't get up, like that's the joke, and I went, yeah, right. And it was the town hall fit about four hundred people, and Morgan would come and support. It'd be packed night
every night, over three nights. And I remember getting that first laughter and I looked upstage and I went, wow, you know, and then I just hammed it up, mate, and it was so you know, it was that that encouragement. And then you know, going through a high school, I had the opportunities and told the teacher that they can't direct and I should do it.
You sound like me, I'm telling you. I remember being that little kid. And I want to ask you this question of like, do you think that some of us, like you know, some of us whould go off and do the the dream and chase the dream. Do you think we're born with something that is like innately in us that we have to achieve what we set out to do, or like, for instance, for me, I'm completely different to my mom. My mom were really happy back at home in Tamworth Onngomory Country, living content lives in
the bush, you know, for me. I had this dream since I was a little kid, and I had to achieve it no matter what, and it changes all the time. But did you have.
That or oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah no. There's a photo of me at four years old with my brother's guitar, you know, and we shopped at the dump and my mum would made this little chair for me that folded up. So I thought I was real deadly, like that was my production. And when they'd have them sing alongs charge alongs at home, I'd in the kitchen, I'd pull that chair out and I'd play the guitar and sing a
blues version of Humpty Dumpty and five times. So yeah, I think that was performance was in I come from a lot. My mother could sing, dance. I've got an auntie that was a writer, sing a songwriter back in the forties, you know. So I come from that family. But I think you've got to have something that it's just in your DNA that makes you that little bit different, even though I had no idea, Like I felt pregnant when I was seventeen and eight my daughter just after
I turned eighteen. A month after I had my daughter in September, my mother died in October, you know what I mean. So I looked at myself in the mirror and I said, remember, you wanted to be an actor, but I have no idea how I'm going to come from little old Morgen and I got a newborn on my hip, how I'm going to achieve that. So but it was having that dream and remembering what strangers in
the street said to me. You know, one follower. I remember I was jogging somewhere, I think it was a Friday afternoon, going to the pub to see where my mother was, and I jogged past him and he went, you should be in Hollywood. And I was fifteen, and I went what But he kept walking, but I heard it and I went, oh, that's nice that they think that you know that you know? And then I think that just kept the drive, kept the drive, and then sort of. And my mother always used to say, look
out for number one. Number one being you, and if you look after yourself, then everyone that you look after is going to be fine. Yeah, And when I looked at myself in that mirror that day, I was on the wrong side of where I should be, and this little voice went, didn't you want to be an actor, and oh yeah, I did. And then I just sort of put one foot in front of the other until
and taking opportunities. I think we see opportunities or it's our dreaming and it's all mapped out in front of us, and it's up to us whether we churn left or turn right and take those steps. You know, so luckily I took the right direction. I think.
I love hearing about your childhood and your experiences, and there's so many that I guess connect mob in different ways. Like I think Maddie and I always talk about how how situations in our childhood like we were separated at birth or something, because they're so parallel. And then I guess some of the stories that you talk about remind me of my grandmother and my mom too. Growing up
messages that come up. I think there're like little sparks like here and there, like the little motivations along the way, and I truly believe that, yeah, there is some sort of dreaming that kind of leads you down the path. Whether you want to take that road or not. Is like you just got to trust the process. And I think that's really hard to trust the process. And I can imagine with your you know, experience. Now there are so many opportunities flying at you, like how do you
navigate that and choose what you do? And what you don't do is with what I'd love to know.
Yeah, look, and 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 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 to
focus on my direction and writing. Just before I got went with like can you believe it? And I made this big speech to Bayane. I went, right, that's it. I'm going to just hang the acting add up for a minute, and you know.
And.
W worth in that change.
And then that phone call, 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, had me in mine when they wrote it. I would be stupid not to take it, wouldn't I? And of course with Lost Flowers of Alice Heart, you know, when the phone call came men, I went, who's in it?
Big?
Oh? That was after I was a big note and going, I'd big, go, who's in it? Who's the lead? Then? If I've just got this little sport role? And they went Sigourney weaver O went 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, 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 where I what I look at now in
a role is won the writing. Of course, 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 collaboration if there's an urge to do it. But then someone of Sigourney Weaver's 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, it was an inspiration for you going 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 freaky.
Yeah what yeah? And then I said to her when we met over Zoom, I was playing very cool as you got to do. And then I went to goourney Before we go, she because there there anything else with you? You know, we've talked about the script and it, 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 did a screening of Drover's Wife for her and the and the car and the crew and the cast of that production. We're out wherever we were out Tamworth Way there. I can't remember the musclebrook. Is that that the way? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we went there to the theater, to the Picture cinema. She's a picture show that's real the cinema and showed her and she she loved it, you know, cried a river and gave a beautiful speech. So it was really cool. So when I'm looking at stuff, I want to be challenged with the role. It had a stolen generations thing in it, and I sort of said, you guys got to tread lightly, you know, use a wifeless coming in
on this. And I said, you know, my grandmother stolen, so your story better being better than mine, you know what I mean. And I've said that about back in the nineties. Eight film scripts came to me about Solo Generation. I said no to every single one of them, and none of them got made, and rightly so, so I look at that subject matter and yeah, I can be
picky now to convert my stripes. And I've got my own production company, so you know, it's about where I want to spread my energy as well, because I want to get my own shows up. You know, I want to get my own stories. But you know, sometimes I did Shader because I got a lovely letter from the director Norah, and you know, she said amazing things. It's about also giving my support and putting energy behind new voices from diverse mob as well, you know. And yeah,
so it just depends. But I really want to know, put a lot of energy back into my own stuff now because I've done everyone else so well.
I mean, we'll get to Drover's wife, but I want to take you back to maybe this is either a myth or a legend, but I want to ask you you talk about now that you can pick and chew is back in the day when you were just starting out, is it true that you were the support act for Shania Twain.
Yes, it was Oh my life, what a cook? Yeah yeah, No, I had a band, yeah, and it was just because I started out in music in Brizzy. There was the Murray Music work cop for eight for eight weeks and it was at Juggera Arts there at Musgrave Park with all my uncles. Yeah yeah yeah. My partner Bane said you should go and do it.
You know.
I was singing in the share it is play and I said, oh naw, I said, I know all their mob. They will running up mob, you know. But mate, those uncles were so well behaved. It was awesome because I just wouldn't leave the mic. They'd get it for a smoking cup of tea and maybe looking at the door. They go, Leah, sit down, you're making us no good. I said, I'm just waiting for you to take your time. I wouldn't leave it. It was unreal. So anyway, so yeah,
came through music that way. We did a little tape out there called Sharing the Load and my that's the first song I wrote and recorded second best and and then came to Sydney. Wanted to keep the music gone because I was enjoying it. But nothing, nothing serious. We had a gig at Strawberry Hills Hotel.
At all time at the night was at four am because that.
Yeah, no, this was before this was just before the Pokey's and all that dropped. I was the last gig there before they brought the machines. And so no, we would do a must have been eight thirty time slot lovely and then around midnight up the Cross was my
other little haunt on a Wednesday night. And then and doing the busiest times and the best times that we ever did music was when we were through Nadock month, you know, and you know through that month of July May festivals everywhere, and it's such a shame we don't have that now, mate, And Some of the best times were going out Alice Springs and the Mob because they love their inma. They'd come for that rock and roll, you know. So yeah, I got a Shania Tain was touring.
She was looking for an indigenous support and they sort of, you know, would have wanted a male so that she could she's the female, she's dominant. But there was no one sort of that was around to be quick and that could do country. There was probably Nocturnal was the only other four band because they said we just want a four piece, you know. But they were heavy metal and they said, Leah, can you swing your music country? And I went, for sure, yeah I can. I can
swing whatever you want to swing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. So and then yeah, I had that opportunity to tour the East Coast with her, and but she panicked when we did a sound check because we said, oh, well, since we can't do our heavy stuff, we started sound check with his real heavy lot. We got some heavy rock stuff, and she come flying out of the dress room going, you got me a heavy band. I went, oh, calm down, and says they it's all good. I got
my three four for you. Later, you know, I said, well, we're just having fun because yeah, this is just warm up. Because the boys, this mixing group just come off a tour with Bruce Springsteen, so it was so cool to play our music and they were sort of bopping, you know, you go, that's a compliment, you know, because they know good music or not, and it was really really cool.
I love that.
Well.
The first time I heard you sing was at the end of your most recent film, you know, Drover's Wife, And as soon as you started singing, I was like, why haven't I heard her voice before? It's beautiful? You wrote that song for the film and performed it in the end.
Or no, that was that's a Irish lament, yeah lament and yeah. So it's been around forever and there's many variations of it. And actually, when we were doing the play, the composer and sound designer, I said that there needs to be a song, and I was looking at some more hymn bassed kind of stuff, and then he came in with a few suggestions and Nina Simone sings it that does a does a version, and then I sort of did my version of black is so yeah. Yeah, and then but when we did that in the film,
I had no intentions. I was looking at someone I could just mal boy Lisa. No. The composer come back and said, Leara, it has to be you. I was given all these names. She said, why are you giving me all these names? And I said, just for the singers for the end. She goes, no, no, no, it has to be Molly Johnson singing to the next generation. And she knows. What she said was it had to be it has to be used singing to the next generation. And I said, I haven't sung in twenty years. She goes, no,
I meant Molly needs to sing. She said, so good over yourself, Lea, we need Molly to sing. And I said, okay, thanks, and it was look I was. I was good nunger myself. And I walked back into the to the sound you know when I have to go and record, and I'm making all these excuses and the engineer was Grady, said, Leah, shut up, you know how to sing. Off we go and you just pressed the button and away we away
we went. So yeah, Nah, it's something every now and then, you know, you do you get itchy for the for the stage or if I go see a live performance, I go because the power in music is just just next level. You know.
Obviously that film had massive impact. You got the actor for it, you know, like it was a big moment and big I actually when I first watched it, I watched it on a little laptop when I got sent to screener and I remember the thing that I remembered and I thought, this is the epitome of Australian film. Like I felt like, wow, this is such a rich, beautifully told story. You didn't just direct, you produced, you acted in it. Out of those three things, what's the
go to for you? What's your favorite thing to do? Or is there a delicate balance there?
There's a delicate balance. But if like writer, director is pretty powerful, especially in film because in film you have more control. Television is more of a producer's domain. But I also like the challenge that that gives because you're taking on other people's notes and you're got your creativity
and it's about finding the balance. Yeah, acting is when you get to my age now you go, yep, I just want to rock up, hit my mark, say my line, be deadly, and go home, you know, and then you don't have the worry of what's tomorrow other than learning your lines. You know. So it does vary. But when I am in my performance mode, I get so much
work done. Like when I was in Wentworth, I finished the book of Drover's Wife when reader was in the slot in series seven when they the big siege, when they when I was locked up, I was there writing like yeah, no, no, I couldn't get out there and be superwoman. But I was being superwoman type. And and the first they d would tap on the window as he'd walk past to call action. And when he tapped, I'd slip that computer under the mattress. And I'm up at the door at the.
Water Contramand.
So I am at my most you know, we're on Creative and I catch up on my work because I'm away, I can focus on I've got a schedule, so I put my writing schedule around that and just smash stuff out. Look, I can come across as a snobby bitch because I'm sitting in the green room work and all the time. But I say to people, mate, I'm running a company, and if i want work next when this is over, I've got to put the hours in.
I know that you're talking about an opera. Yeah, yeah, yeah, opera version of this film. What does that look like?
Oh mate, it's pretty awesome when when you get the big voices in the room and singing your words. So we took the libretto off the play. The composer came to us chase me for a year, saying, I really think this could be an opera, and he said, let's just work to edit the play into a libretto. I had written some arias, some songs for it, you know, or edited his and put ideas in and then we're looking to have a workshop at the end of the year with and just listen to the orchestra play it,
because that's what we have. And we've had we've had sort of looking at the story seeing what it felt like, you know, looking for actors out there. So if there's any Aboriginal males out there or Torres, straight Islander men that might have a big voice, I'd love to see you for the for the lead role of Yadika. So it's pretty awesome when they're you know, singing the words that you wrote and it's opera and what oh yeah, no, he's on the list. Yeah yeah, yeah, no, I saw
him go. He come in for an audition and I told all them mob I got, you know, I had some wild cast. I said, don't come singing pop songs. I said, you can look at Porgy and Bess. I said, because that's allowing you to have a big voice. Like, look at the music the opera of that. I said, watch some old movies, old musicals, and get those big songs, those big numbers. But no, goody come with a pop song.
So I'm watching it there. Yeah, and he was all little high, you know, little squeaky voice, and it was you know, it was all good. And then I then I started saying, God, shake a leg now, bro, because I can see he could move. And I'm looking because Yadika's going to be able to move. So I'm watching
him and I said, uncle can move. Then when they get over their nerves, I go stand in one corner and I said, I said, if I was one of your nephews, little nephews, and I was in your room going to steal some money out of your drawer, how would you yell out to me?
Oh?
Then they got the big voice, you know, yeah, And I said, see that that's your singing voice. Open it up and you know. And then I would do. I said, repeat after me, and I'd do Stevie Wonders Happy. But you know, it's something real simple. And then I go, that's your singing voice, dude. Yeah.
Sore up together his family, you know, black fellow country music, Royalter and Buddy and so we grew up together, and we went to the same school. We had like basically our teens together. And then I came here started you know, working in media, and I always wanted him to come, you know, to come to the big smoke, and he ended up coming and and he's just gone from you.
Know, oh mate, you know six he's going to be sitting in that for six months. And then I said, then I want you to come straight to me an audition for for Yerika.
He Isn't it funny that I brought him up and didn't absolutely when people come to mind for certain things, you know, you do you speak about powerful voice, I think, oh, he's got.
It, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So no, it's exciting.
But I wanted to bring up something with you, which is quite funny. So when you probably auditioned hundreds and hundreds of actors over the years, do you think that you remember most of them?
A name I might not, but a face I do. And I am a very loyal director. If I like someone, and if someone's you know, got something special, I'll always try to push them, you know, because I get phone calls all the time, ask him, do you know this mob or that mob? And even now where I did here out West, you know, there's I worked with the Chinese group and Indian mob, you know, and there were some great actors in there. So I'm always where I
can I push people to the front. I said, never mind if they need to be blonde hair, blue eye, I said, have a look at this. I'm always and even when I direct, when i'm directing something, I'll always bring a wild card in. And that wild card, for example, the fellow who played Robert Push and Tony well, maybe he'll listen to this. But when I was looking, I was just looking at you know, you get sent the casting I ate booklets and photos and then I said, okay for my wild card. I picked three. Two of
them no good. But this one follow come in and it was just because of his jaw, just his jawline, and I said, I want him to come in. And the funny thing is I had moved back to the door, and I know Tony. I'd worked with him ten years ago on something. He's got a great voice. And when he walked in and said miss Purcell, and I went, hey, I know that follow's voice, but that doesn't match the faith. And then when I turned around, it was Tony and
he did the audition. You know, if it wasn't for his photo looking different from him, I might not have got him in because I, oh, yeah, no Tony. But he just had this jawline, great photo. I brought him in and he did it, and he's and that was about you know, I had twenty five years in the industry at that stage, and I hadn't had goosebumps from an audition. No one had moved me that much in about twenty years.
Wow.
And before he literally left the room, he was walking across the belvoir upstairs rehearsal area. It's quite a distance to the door. I just turned around to everyone and I there you go for I'm whispering to you're on Radio two. It's yeah, And I just said I haven't. I said, look, I've got goosebumps. I have not felt that in twenty years. And he got the role of one of the stockmen.
I love this well. The reason I bring it up is because I'm going to take you back a long time. But you auditioned me for something. Oh no, it was I nice, you were you were, but I was a kid. Oh so I'm going back to when I was fifteen years old. Yeah, and I came in and I was auditioning for Redfern. Now it was the callbacks. Yeah, And I came in in school uniform and it was me and with Shannie McDermott.
Yeah.
And so it was in some audition room in Surrey Hills. Yeah. Yeah, And I came in and obviously knowing of you, I was so intimidated. It was bloody leoposel. I had no idea that you were going to be in the audition room. And it was such a good learning experience for me. But you pushed me Like I was a young kid and this is one of my first auditions. But I remember you pushing me and it was a tough scene. It was like it was a scene where I had
to be quite like aggressive with Charnie. And I was like, after all these years, obviously like now connecting with you, I'm like, oh gee, that That was such a moment for me because I remember I got I got two callbacks for Redford. Now, yeah, and at the last one you were there. Yeah. It's just a bit of a full circle moment.
Absolutely. I'm glad I pushed it because I do. I do push people. But one of the things I say to everyone that comes in, I want you to win this. I said, so don't hold nothing back. And no one's ever said that to me when I walked into it, but it was it was something that Russell Crowe said once where he goes, I do what they ask and then I asked them to let me do one take that. I how I see it.
I love that.
So that's what I That's what I do. I walked in. I went, that's such a good thing because and that's why I asked someone. I said, do you want me to direct you and first and give you my interpretation, or would you like to show me what you've prepared and or But now I just go show me what you prepare because you might have a better idea of what this role is about, you know, And it makes
them feel so comfortable. And I said, there's no wrong here, mate, I said, it's about just diving in and doing your best. And I say to people, do not walk out of this room if there's one more take in you really, because that might be the one that wins you over. And a lot of actors have come up and said, no one's ever said that to me before, and I felt that I could be myself in that situation.
Yeah, well, what a beautiful way to wrap this yard up.
We could talk all day, talk all day to start.
I know, it's like one of those things where you have so much to give, and I feel like you've given the industry and especially First Nations Mob so much. So thank you for what you've done and what you continue to do. I think that, like if you look at someone's legacy, it's quite profound what you've done in the industry. So thank you so much for everything you've done. Thank you so much for being on our pot today.
I'd have to say Brooke before she met you the other day at ABC, she was real big fan girl.
Well, Leah, I don't want to say girl, but yeah, you are probably one of my biggest inspirations because I'm not I'm early in my acting career. Obviously, my journey has been reality TV which it's been very, very different, so learning the craft have been. You know, I didn't have many people to look up to, and I think
you're one of them. Because I enjoy the writing aspect, I like really enjoyed directing as well, and I think you inspire me that you can have it all, but you can do it all, but you can, you know, do it with such grace as well. And I just I don't know, I don't want to get too sentimental, but you are probably one of my my idols in this industry. And I'm actually just so grateful that you came on and said yes to doing the podcast for us. It means so much to us, to my pleasure.
You should have said for me to do my job right, I'm going to tell you one thing.
I felt like I'm not even hosting. I just was like a fly on the But it was the best because I think either I know that the audience are going to feel so inspired by this episode, even if you're not even in the industry. I think your messaging and everything that you say is just so inspirational. But I think also like some learnings in there if you you know, look at it from that, So thank you appreciate it.
Thank you to you both.
Fast, let's all we have time for today. Thanks for listening to First things first, if you love what you hear, leave us a rating and a little review, and.
If you want us to share anything on the podcast, hit us up on the socials. My handle was that Brooked up Let and Maddie's is that It's Maddie Miles and Leah as Atlea Percel And you can check out all the over action that Nova Podcast official. See you on the next episode.
Bye.