Hi Lauren, first I’d like to thank you for taking the time to chat with me. As with most young performers they usually start off acting ‘just for fun’. Then some of them come to a realization that acting is what they want to do as a career. In your case you had already won an AFI (Australian Film Institute) award by age 10, and another at age 12. Although your love for acting was apparent at a young age, can you remember when you realized that acting was something you wanted to choose as a career choice? Also, did that choice affect any secondary career goals you may have had?

Acting is something I have done for a long time, so it was a natural progression for me to continue. My other career goals include Hospitality and I am interested in reporting/journalism. As I am only 20 years old I feel I have plenty of time to achieve such goals.

We all know that acting is a serious business, but there are times when things can just get crazy, especially working with other kids. Are there any particular moments, that you would you like to share, where you look back and think to yourself “…that was so funny!”?

I remember lots of happy times as a child on set. No specific instances, but the crew always respected that we were just children and gave us time to have our fun and muck around.

Many young actors who have ‘grown up’ while acting, often tell the story of ‘a childhood lost’ in the midst of auditions, rehearsals, productions and the hectic schedule that goes with performing. Having recently turned 20 years old, have you had a chance to look back on your childhood and reflect on how acting has played a ‘role’ in your life?

I don’t believe my childhood was affected in any way. I still had friends and went to school when I wasn’t working just like everyone else. If anything acting taught me how to be responsible and mature. Acting has taught me also about people and that has had an effect on my life.

From its birth with Konstantin S. Stanislavsky and subsequent transformation by Lee Strasberg, “method acting” is known as one of acting’s mainstays. Although no two acting techniques are identical, do you have a particular technique that forms the basis for your skills? Also, what do you do to help you prepare for a given role?

I have never had any formal training, I just act. Of course, with any role you have to develop your character. The best way to prepare yourself is by reading the script and really getting to know your character.

Although I have seen many of the productions you have appeared in, I must acknowledge that not all of your programs make it to my home in Canada. However, in looking over your filmography I could see nearly 20 different titles you have performed in from ‘shorts’, commercials and guest appearances, to television series and major motion pictures. As each format has its own unique demands, do you find you have a preference for any one in particular? Also, which format do you find the most challenging? Lastly, are there any roles that you will not do, for whatever reasons?

I don’t really have a preference, and I would have to say that each are demanding. They all require very long hours, and are all challenging in different ways. For instances, soapies require many scenes to be filmed in the one day, so everything has to be fast and you can feel rushed. Then sometimes for a film that requires special effects you can film the same scene for days. I have not been offered any roles I would not do as yet.

Many actors will attest that they refuse to watch their own performances. Do you watch your own performances? If you do, are you ‘your own worst critic’ as the saying goes?

I prefer to watch my performance by myself to begin with. I am my own worst critic, but you learn from watching yourself and it helps to improve your future performances. Criticism from others is also a way of learning. You just have to remain positive.

Although you have filmed in many countries, your primary work has been done in Australia. In the entertainment industry, there is no denying the global ‘lure’ of Hollywood, California to someone in the business. Would you consider a move to Hollywood if the opportunites presented themselves, or are you content to build your career at home in Australia?

I believe it is important to build your career in Australia first. To get your name and your work recognised. This usually helps to build up your career overseas.

I’ve read that Jeffrey Walker recently started an intership with Jonathan M. Shiff as an intern producer. Although acting has its appeal, do you someday hope to get ‘behind the camera’ and work on productions? If so, what aspirations do you have for the area you would like to work in?

I have always thought continuity would be interesting, but at the moment I’m happy to be on the other side of the camera.

In September of 2000, your home country of Australia hosted the Olympic Summer Games in Sydney. In watching the opening and closing ceremonies, one couldn’t help but notice 13 year old Nikki Webster’s astounding performance. On the two occasions she performed in front of a live stadium audience of over 115,000 people, and a world-wide live television audience of nearly 4 BILLION people. This was a world record as the largest single TV audience EVER recorded for ANY event! At many times during the performance she was hoisted on cables to 100ft/30m in the air, or was on a platform at the top of the stadium. As an actress and a performer, I’m curious as to what you thought of her remarkable performance. Also, as an actress, can you imagine what it would be like performing in front of such a massive audience on live TV?

I went to the same dancing school as Nikki. She is a wonderful talent and a lovely young lady. I’ve also performed in front of thousands of people and it is truly a buzz.

In the changing television/film landscape, girls are often being cast in more ‘gender positive’ roles. No longer are girls cast solely as the ‘victims’, but instead many times they are the heroines. In Ocean Girl both you and Marzena play girl positive roles as ‘saviors of the human race’. In the previous question, young Nikki Webster played the ‘Hero Girl’ at the Sydney Olympics, and yet another Australian series “The Saddle Club” is now being produced that has 3 girls as the heroines. The list goes on and on. As an actress, have you found there to be more ‘gender positive’ roles for girls to play in today’s entertainment industry? Also, do you think these types of programs do indeed help, even if in a small way, to build self-confidence in girls?

There are varied roles for girls to play in today’s entertainment industry. I think there is a balance. Positive roles are great for girls as far as self-confidence goes. I get quite a few letters from younger girls who write because of the positive roles I have played, and I think that is great.

I’ve noticed that one of your many character ‘trademark’ traits seems to be a ‘serious look’ you can use when you are looking at another character. It’s hard to describe, but in short you seem to be able to convey volumes with your eyes, while at the same time not speaking a single word. Although most expressions seem to accompany dialogue, how important are ‘wordless’ character expresssions to your acting performances? Also, what character ‘emotion’ do you find is the hardest for you to portray?

Wordless character expressions are very important to anyone’s acting performance. Sometimes a look is far more important than words. I don’t find playing one particular emotion more difficult than another.

As we can expect, acting is far from an exact science. Although one can do their best, I’m sure one could always think “I wonder if I could do that better?” However, occasionally there are moments when you hit the ‘sweet spot’. Those occasions when you finish a scene, the director yells “cut” and you get this overwhelming feeling that the scene was an absolute ‘pearl’. They don’t happen often, but when they do, we never forget them. Do you have any memorable scenes that you remember in this way? Also, was there ever one scene that you remember that was really difficult for you to do?

It is always a great feeling when you know a scene has gone well. It’s hard to remember one in particular. One scene that was difficult for me was where I had to confront my stepmother’s character, played by Judy Davis. I was very nervous and wanted to get the scene right. As it turned out it went really well.

In an interview with Marzena Godecki, following her four years working on Ocean Girl, she stated “I’m too old to be young anymore but not mature enough to take adult roles.” As one can expect no matter how much experience you have, if you can’t ‘look’ the part, you won’t get the part. Although experience is certainly a factor, in your case with a smaller stature and a youthful appearance you have been able to continue doing ‘younger’ roles for a longer period of time. While some people may not like having a smaller stature, have you found that it has given you an advantage in this regard? Also, having turned 20 years old, have you considered whether you are still willing to do these ‘younger’ parts, or have you started to look into more ‘adult’ roles?

You can’t necessarily choose what roles you are offered. What is more important to me is whether the role is good regardless of the age of the character.

At present in your career, the character “Mera” in the television series “Ocean Girl” was the role that you played over the longest period of time. With three series filmed over three years, this role seems to have garnered you much public recognition of your work on television to date. However, as I have read, the role didn’t come without its challenges. One in particular was your costume, which was basically nothing more than heavy ‘raw’ fabric fashioned into a small dress, under which you wore a bathing suit. One of the aspects of your talent that I always found impressive, was your ability to play this character that had no ‘visual’ costume support. By this I mean that you weren’t in a ‘fancy’ costume with neatly styled hair and painted nails etc. Without these aspects to help ‘aid’ your portrayal of the character, the onus was on you to carry the role alone with only your acting skills as support. Did you find the role of ‘Mera’ a challenge because of this? Also, have you worked on any other productions where you wore ‘unconventional’ costumes?

The only thing that was really difficult about “Mera’s” costume was the fact that I could not wear shoes, and this was very hard especially in the rainforest. Another show which had rather unconventional wardrobe was “Galaxy”. Very hot and uncomfortable wardrobe. It wasn’t pleasant.

Another Ocean Girl question if I may. One of the things someone pointed out that I never considered, was that in your role on Ocean Girl you rarely ever wore any shoes. A humourous comment was made by one of the female extras when she said, “How could Neri and Mera come from a planet where women held dominant positions, but there were no shoes!?” Although we often take shoes for granted, what was it like spending all of your on-camera time barefoot? Also, if there was one thing you could change about your character on Ocean Girl, what would it be?

As above. Mera was a great character and I wouldn’t want to change anything.

The series ‘Spellbinder II’ seemed to be a turning point for you in your career as it was the first TV series you had worked on as teen where you played a leading role. Were you initially ‘nervous’ about this at all? Also, following Spellbinder II, you stepped into your first ‘full-length’ movie role in ‘Echo of Thunder’. Do you feel that your Ocean Girl and Spellbinder performances helped to act as significant stepping stones?

Every role is a stepping stone and a learning curve. I wasn’t nervous about filming ‘Spellbinder II’, just very excited. The only thing I was nervous about was traveling overseas for such a length of time. I was pleased with ‘The Echo of Thunder’ as this was an American production and I was told later that they had originally thought to cast an American in the role.

Speaking of your past on ‘Ocean Girl’ and ‘Spellbinder II’ , I’ve noticed that there seems to be a ‘circle’ of actors/actresses that seem to work on many of the projects in Australia. When I was looking over the cast lists for many of the cast from the Ocean Girl series, I often found they had been in other shows with one another. Some quick examples: You working with Liz Burch on ‘Mission Top Secret’; you working with Jeffrey Walker and Kerry Armstrong on Halfway Across the Galaxy (I think David Hoflin made appearances on there too if I’m not mistaken); Jeffrey Walker & Joelene Crnogorac in ‘Round The Twist’; Sudi de Winter, Nicholas Bell & Joelene Crnogorac in ‘RAW FM’. Not to mention the second hand contacts, like Lenore Smith and Peter O’Brien who played your ‘parents’ on ‘Spellbinder II’, who had worked with Liz Burch on the series ‘The Flying Doctors’. Do you find that the acting community in Australia is so close knit that you will often meet people you have worked with before? Also, although I’m sure you enjoy working with everyone, is there a person or persons that you had the most enjoyment working with?

You often meet people you have worked with before from both the cast and crew. I have many favourite people that I had a great time working with. Jeffrey Walker and I have remained close friends. He is probably the person I keep most regular contact with.

Your most recent work ‘Cubbyhouse’ (The Third Circle) has just finished production. This was a departure for you, being the first film you have done in the ‘horror’ genre. Did you find any aspects of this role more demanding as a result? Also, would you consider doing more horror films in the future?

I had a lot of fun filming ‘Cubbyhouse’. Due to the genre there was a lot of reacting to things that aren’t really there. I would definitely consider doing more horror films in the future.

Having performed in roles that run the gamut from comedy through drama to science fiction and horror, have you developed a preference for a particular genre or do you prefer variety? Also, what genres do you find the most challenging?

Again, all are challenging. Science fiction can be a lot of fun as well as comedy. However, I think I would have to say that I enjoy drama the most.

Speaking of ‘Cubbyhouse’, I hear that because of a need for a particular scene, the director was paying local residents 10 cents for each large cockroach they brought in. Were you in any scenes with the ‘infamous’ creatures? Also, do you have any memories about making the movie that you would like to share?

No, I was not involved with the cockroaches, however I did get to see them. There were many night shoots on ‘Cubbyhouse’ where we would not finish until around 5am. It was a hard shoot, but I am looking forward to seeing it.

As a popular actress, I’m sure you’ve received many fan letters and questions over the years. Is there any one particular question (or questions) that you find people ask you the most? If so, what is the answer you give them?

People ask the usual things. When is my birthday. How old am I. How many in my family. Do I have pets. What is my favourite colour, food, and subject while I was at school. Some ask about a particular show or character. Some ask that I become their pen friend. The last is hard, as I do not have time to keep writing to everyone. I thank them for writing as I do like to know what people think of my roles and the shows, but explain that I cannot be a pen friend to so many people and hope that they understand this.

Well that wraps it up for me. Again I’d like to thank you Lauren for taking to time to chat. I’m sure I speak for many when I say we wish you well in your career, and look forward to your future performances.

Thank you for you kind words and support!!!

Best wishes, Lauren