Ruth is an inspiring person. In this episode we discuss Ruth's career; how she became a fairy, a fight/action choreographer and an Intimacy Coordination. This interview shows how when one door closes, another door opens.
Since graduating from AC Arts (3 years, Ad. Dip. Acting) Ruth starred as Rhapsody for four years on Channel 7/Nickelodeon’s ‘The Fairies’. After 3 seasons, 5 DVD’s and 7 national tours she went on to have roles in ABC’s ‘Prank Patrol’ Netflix’s ‘Going For Gold' and ‘Real Rob’ with Rob Schneider. She was also fortunate enough to co-star in ‘Welcome To Iron Knob’, a winner at both the Sydney Film Festival and the Australian Screen awards.
Ruth went on to gain her Martial Arts Instructorships with Sifu Nino Pilla, along with his two teachers Guro Dan Inosanto and Ajarn Chai Sirisute, in the arts of Bruce Lee’s Jun Fan/Gung Fu Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts Kali/Escrima/Arnis/Silat (empty hand and weaponry) and Muay Thai/Thai Boxing. She is also a MEAA graded Stunt Action Person (SAP). These qualifications have seen her take on Action Acting roles on Disney's 'Nautilus', ABC’s ‘Wastelander Panda’, AMC’s ‘Firebite’, ‘The Rackaracka’ with Danny and Michael Philippou, and 'The Hilltop Hoods'. She is a regular fight/action choreographer for the State Theatre Company of South Australia, State Opera of South Australia, along with independent companies and schools all over Australia. This work also saw her working as a Stunt Group Leader on Marvel's ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’
In 2022 Ruth completed her Intimacy Coordination qualifications with HBO Coordinator Alicia Rodis. This has seen her as an Intimacy Coordinator for Stan's ‘The Tourist’, ABC’s ‘Aftertaste’ AMC’s ‘Firebite’, The State Theatre Company of South Australia, The State Opera of South Australia, and feature film 'Talk To Me', 'The Royal Hotel', and upcoming series 'Narrow Road To The Deep North' and 'Desert King.'
She is also a regular voice over artist for radio and TV commercials, and a proud equity member, currently serving as the president of the South Australian Performers Committee.
Website: https://www.ruthnataliefallon.com/bio
STARTING FROM THE ACTUAL INTERVIEW.
Well, we're rolling now.
Was that one now, but I missed it. Sorry.
Thank you, listeners. It's been a great night. See you next episode. Thanks. Thank you.
It's been wonderful crap.
No, this is it we're rolling. So thank Ruth. Oh look, nice is this? This is this is lovely. I have my have my coffee my black coffee.
How's your Brazil Columbia?
And Brazil is very Brazilian and Ruth, Ruth is looking chillaxed and sort of reclined on the ground leaning against him the modular with a glass of water looking like she's never aged since I first worked with a I swear. She's in League with Lucifer and some Fountain of you for something she's tapped into because she's just not changed a bit. I couldn't believe I saw. In my my face talking of you the other day when I was trying to find that Meme that we all striking very good that sort of triggered me but lovely meme you put up a while a few months ago. And you something now. Hope you're gonna kill me for saying this but and you sort of said you said an age Yeah, you mentioned a public now you kidding. It's out Can I say?
Yeah.
Well, you mentioned the big four four. Yeah and I say that we're quite boldly because I'm older
But like not no no, no, we work together. I I'm only a years off being able say 20 years ago was we did I living you must have I'm sure and look I always say it's it's three things. I work I try to care myself and also get baby Botox between my eyebrows. Curious all three of those things can very helpful. Yeah, you talks just between my eyebrows. I a serious problem there and when I put like stage
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makeup on it's a serious it's you know, can't get that. You have to sort like get a life or something. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a bit much and I was just like in the someone was like, why you just do like that? I was like what a look weird and was we'll do it once it'll just wear off and you and I like, all I'm up for a challenge. Yeah baby Botox. Yeah and when I get the babies from all over yeah just brought in. It's that conspiracy theory just bring in Hillary Clinton. I use you put 5G. Yeah. Sorry. My sister was right all those things always conspiracy theory. She was right. I don't know how to crazy. I'll with that because I yeah, obviously you want not look weird. You see some weird stuff these days that's a whole new part. That's a different podcast. We could be wow. Yeah, we could be gone for a while. Should we s***? We'll put that's the one. That's making mental note people party. Conspiracy theories 101 that'll yeah, I could talk all day on that one. And there's a lot fun.
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Interview my brother on that too, because yeah, he's so entertained by well if you open that Pandora's my friend you feel free family therapy, but it's just call it.
roof, so Ruth and Now, I I'm usually do an intro, but we will record it another time. But so hopefully now everyone knows no knows you from your lovely biog. I'm met you. I'm thinking now. I'm thinking after my 2004. Would that be right?
Yeah. Oh, yeah, and that time. Yeah. Yeah, so Yeah, didn't didn't know you you didn't know me. but So, how did get? From you know, baby popped out and to to there to the you to the job we did together Rhapsody. These oh god. Oh, I like all us, I you fell in with drama at school and loves doing classes or nerding out. Basically, I found my fellow nerds. I doing drama in school out school putting on shows with friends. Audition for drama school because that's what you were doing at that time. It was also like I think people definitely These Days forget I can't I'm these words but like it was back in the year like 2000. This like 23 33 years ago. And it's another thing I saw in your emergency sort I'm getting to exercise you want to in my day. Yeah back in my day. You've to that stage. Congratulations. Thank you. Well, it was just you like everything like teaming film is still a massive thing. But the the most common thing was that you went to drama school if that's what you wanted do and we were I mean, you there's a talk on institutions and and I'm not opening that Pandora's box but like everything there's pros and cons but that's just was the pathway if you wanted take
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the art. Seriously you went on and did those things or you learned on the job and you booked a and then you would go off and work and get that experience on the job. So there was this element of needing to you pay your Jews I suppose in some And then I truth be told that whole that whole fairies audition for me. It was pure chance. I supposed be there. I sent my application in late. I I auditioning for a theater show, you know. yeah, whoops. My bad. I was still that acting school at the I wasn't called into audition at all. They helped hosted the auditions. I not there and then I think when I sent my application in I had sent it a weekend and so it had arrived late and then they decided I can't I don't know what this Choice was but they just decided to pull in an extra 10 girls that had sent their applications in late when they did the Callback round so they did whole bunch callbacks, but then also thought of bugger it will it to a few others.
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And that's when I went in and true. Yeah again, I'd completely misread the set of this situation. I mean I wrote up in jeans and let's just say I was you one of one realm because this was more I was at theater school, you we were all dressing in Black taking ourselves very seriously as you see, I've come full circle. Yeah, really, but I'd to think I take myself less seriously. You see a wardrobe. It's just full black trackies and stuff like that. But so yeah, but ironically do you know what mean? I actually think because I done I so, I'm such a nerd I've done a script analysis on Rhapsody. You what I mean? Like I need we would nerds and and then I think I'd gone in and I remember I they got put me wrong group actually accidentally got put in a group with all harmonies and like try it was just so all I trying make friends but you everyone was like, who is this weird girl with a backpack in jeans where because they're in Chorus Line shoes and leotards wings. You're unpacking your nunchucks and you swords that's for later on guys. Don't tell they won't know. So anyway, but ironically go figure I think Rhapsody was supposed be a slight Misfit. That's what the casting brief was. So I probably stood out for the reasons, but then it did me a and then did you pick on that when you're doing your analysis that she a of a misfit? Yeah. Definitely, of like I said because I've read it and this was the funny thing like they had told us if you read all the casting notes, I do everything I send me because you're just one you're sifting for diamonds that what information can I get that's gonna set me on Right path because you what auditions are like, sometimes you get very little information. Sometimes you get a But you want try and Pitch it, you At least in ballpark of what they're looking for. I always have a other options up my sleeve because that's the work and I love that part of it and
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then they called me back on same day to say. Hey, can come back and pay it there was a few of us like three or of us, I and then they paired us all up different pairs and sent us all in and that's where I met Candice Candice mall and when we worked I still we both remember it like it night and day like it was yesterday like the difference when say night and days like when went in together something just clicked John. I I know you've had that before I would have loved. Yeah spaces ready to see that and we did this little thing about me losing my wand and her having to help me find it and We pitched it straight off the casting brief. Honestly, it straight what written so you didn't get it. You didn't sort Sit with candy and sort of so off what let's do this. Well, we had yeah, I they give you we had five minutes or something. They give you five minutes to come up with something so you can't work out who's going say what and I did she she was great too because she was really receptive with and not everyone is way because I'd come from drama school. They've they've knew a breakdown how to break a scene down and Candace was also doing teaching and drama when she was studying so she'd been taught similar So I was just like, okay the scene opens and we'll do bit of this this you quickly put rough outline together and then you just have wing it. But it was also back in the day when self-tapes were not a thing. Hmm. These there was no such thing back then really really maybe a bit of DVD work or recording something. Well, I kind and like phones with cameras weren't quite around yet. Not the they are now. No, so it very much in the room and then by the next day, I think we were both booked. booked for job and then off we must the rest is history and Yeah, my yeah, my my experience was probably even more what's even brief for. Well, I as I understand it Jen mostly with
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a of the character. I she already had people in mind people that she knew people she'd heard of so. at your tender age of 24 20. Yeah, look at the time although I getting older videos. when you when you did it, I mean I'm trying You kind was sort thrown into a sort of a dependent and sort of fairly big wild at that time. Oh, yeah, and that took up.
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Of your life. Yeah, almost five before between four and a and five. Yeah, and while there a of juggling around and I I didn't do all the Touring that you did because I I had the I had teaching career as well. So I didn't tour as with with you all the but that kind Your life. Yeah, pretty cool. How was that? I was a steep learning curve. That's for Yeah. Oh God. It so many things. It's hard probably sum it Briefly, but it definitely like being thrown into deep end of a Like I I was at theater school. We did it's hard for to imagine this now, but in a year course full-time, we did two weeks of film and TV study. That's how much theater we did. You know what saying? Like I like people think I'm exaggerating as well. We dressed in black not we were like I could have water Beret and it would have no problem. We really did we took we were very theater School drama school. We took it really seriously and getting thrown into that world. Which back again back 2004 2005. This is pre Netflix. This is pre-stand binge Amazon all of So it was a different streaming World. There was nothing that there is now so there wasn't multiple things being filmed that was you And I had not really done any film or TV. I had already been training martial arts for a years at that time so that which had helped me a to deal with the more pressures of things. But I remember we'll it this I remember getting the first call sheet. I remember looking down and seeing total Pages filmed for the day 17 and 3/4 Pages, you for what for a day and two dancers and two songs and I burst into tears because I've literally was like, I I'm used having like how long do rehearse the show generally anywhere between four and eight weeks depending and that's even independent. If you're doing a part-time you do more 8 to 12 weeks, but you're doing full-time or you're at drama school, you pull this stuff apart for weeks before you perform it. So I was thrown into TV Land the concept of doing 17 Pages a and trying do it. Well hmm to seemed impossible and I would argue that the first season was and I did a
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terrible job like there something like a of that season. I'm just oh I so far. I haven't found a performer that loves watching themselves perform so that think that's Universal surely, but it was also I think in and Candice and I've spoken this thankfully and I say this trying to be as empathetic with myself as I can. Thankfully I was so young dumb and stupid that I don't think I realized the prep like Candice and I've often said like if we knew the pressure that actually on us because it was all we were in every scene every episode. We were there every from the beginning to the end. You out of a hundred of the show where in 98% of it and I part of that was only because oops if one our family members died while we shooting which is happened you had to skip three hours to go to a funeral. So that's why you're not in a That the you it was it was really pumping that stuff out.
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Yeah, didn't I I thankfully I I remember. Where that's why were so lucky. We were so blessed with the team. We were with with the cast and with the crew makeup crew that when we had our meltdown, we're like, why don't just film a day and see how you go, you like really picked up when we were down and convinced we could do and then started working with you guys and we could all you were all performers. We all came completely different backgrounds, but we knew how to work as an ensemble and we could bounce off each and that's when I like, oh actually like we figured we could do this actually really and but I do think if I'd had any other classmates or any other fairy if I'd not have If I had not had Candice, there's no I have been able do it. We really really held ourselves together with Scotch tape. So I learned to make quick decisions. I learned to learn lines really quickly. I don't think I noticed the pressure that we were under I think it's better than I didn't. No I could just be like do I just got to try and turn this stuff out if I really thought about it and you think about the fact that your is to be plastered everywhere and the choices you're making today will be with you for the you're oh you might, you go down a Vortex of something.
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But there is hot. I mean God, I hate say it but there a whole bunch that whole like and think the fact we've all kept in touch and have such high regard for each other. There's so of that like all of our Pathways to that role and to and work each other. I mean, it just almost it sounds ridiculous but fated almost like when think of, you I was never even supposed like to be there. We all came completely different places and all us have stories of just like all of these barriers and Pathways that knocked along the in some miraculously edible came together and we're still talking to each other. I what you I've always said and we're so of the teaching stuff I do now. I've often said with and I I said this at Candy's wedding in Her speech at her wedding. I after working that closely together. We were either going be best friends for life or we never talk to each other ever again and we're really really lucky it the former. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, so Jumping forward. We'll skip over the dramas at night that were entitled with being a fairy, podcast because that's part three or four. Yeah. We're not for fairies and me.
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So that huge tornado that is called the fairies then to come the other side now for myself. Whilst disappointed and sort kind of secretly hoping this the gravy train. So could leave teaching and stuff like that. I could just run around and skin tight like right occasionally occasionally until the muffin rolls looked a bit too disgusting. But how is it for you? How did you manage went from when it sort of that was it but final season season 3 and that was rough which was an interesting season in itself, but when when that I'm finished How did you it was rough? Mmm. It was rough. I mean they call it the post show blues for a reason every performer knows that the foot before let alone just finishing something let alone because it did finish with a lot of drama as we know and but also saying goodbye to it. There's so many layers to us. What's going on?
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but you know, we all talk in the Arts about because we don't get to work all the time and there's pros and cons to that. It's great. I don't think I could do it all the time honestly because it's quite all encompassing when I'm working on something. I really maybe to my detriment maybe give too much. I'm learning how to balance that as they get older right you're doing well. Hey, we're gonna try
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but I found it tough you do you finish because it was really rough too because I fell into that and I'm not I was incredibly grateful for not to the level. I am now because like I said, it was big ignorant of the time and I was super grateful for it being in the public eye was difficult for me. I definitely found that really hard. I loved the work. I loved the challenge of it, but I definitely Struggle just when I wasn't in character and Performing the amount of ownership that people felt like they had over you the invasions of privacy. All that stuff was like whoa what the there's that completely blew my mind, but then to go from if kind of felt like going from the opposite, so I went from zero to a hundred and acting school booked this amazing job. Shot it went back to acting school finished the diploma then went straight into it for five years and then kind of you spat out the other side going what what just happened. I barely had time to process it. I'm lucky that I sort of could say fall back, you know there. I know a lot of creative people. I jumped straight into independent theater. You know what I mean? I was like straight into let's dust off the wings and jump straight into independent theater, but I think I thought that that would just again it would just like solve You could just therefore bypass. You know what? I mean? It's like oh just go into this other thing, but there was grief to be processed and There's also not the world's expectations, but there is a weird thing when you work in an environment like that people feel like they know you people will pass a lot of opinions and judgments on you. I've definitely found in that last year where I was finding myself really struggling and mental health struggling
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and not having a great time, but everyone's like no, this is a dream. You're so lucky. You've got to be so grateful. You've got to stick it out and you're like, even if I'm unhappy though, you know, this was confusing and I love to be unhappy would you know what it is though? It's like you on paper. That's the success right and I wasn't saying that I didn't love the fact that I could work and I didn't love that. Like of course I did I loved all of those things but then when you go to bed at the end of the day, it's like cool. Like I'm not wearing the wings now like it's just you and so I mean I was a young performer thrust into these worlds trying to figure out where I started and where the work started and then where we melded together. I went through a bit of an identity crisis. That's for sure. Didn't know who I was for a while and you lose that age. Are you lose your sense of purpose? It's also tough because You know, I would I try to go back into that theater world that I had come from but you that's it your branded television now or your branded Children's Entertainment now or like all those boxes people talk about there. I found that in my experience has been very real and I was like, oh, wow, this was hard, but then I didn't know how to handle all of that rejection that came. I didn't know how to handle.
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Um, yeah getting chunked into that deep end of a pool and then it didn't help because for us at that time there was all those there was news articles coming out about it. You're on the news as it was crazy stuff going on and it feels like it's happening to somebody else because you're just sitting on your couch at home. It was weird. But I'm sure and I'm sure all of us, but I remember. I mean we were gutted and we were so sad when candy and I decided to leave like it wasn't an easy to see I still remember it to this day and I still remember when I realized like Done. Like I think I have to leave that now.
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And I message candy and said hey, I think can we get together and have a chat and she said there's a minute she got the text. So she knew she knew she came around to my house and I was crying you think. Because we had finished that season 3 and then we could go off on tour if we wanted to but I think we'd realize I think I think where we're ready to let this go and but one of us know none of us had set it out loud and actually said it to each other and pulled the plug and invited around to my house and just said she looked me. She's like you're done I said, yeah and we both just cried and she said yeah, I am too. Hmm, and she said because we when you we couldn't do it without it. I wasn't gonna do it with anybody else do it do the show on the fairy wings again. Yeah, but I think I think but thank I say this now because I've got 20 hindsights 2020. I find a lot of solace in knowing that. Because I've met performers now. I've traveled like so many of us we've traveled if gone over Australia. We've gone all around the world. I've worked with creatives from all over from Youth Theater independent theater with people with disability television short film independent film. You name it. We've been to every Opera theater independent professional you name it every walk of the Earth. and the creative things that we're talking about today. I find a lot of solace in knowing that it's a universal thing. It's it is a level of human processing and emotional process and so many people talk about the same things really so I do find a lot of solace in that but you would have experienced grief also when you left, you know with every job really it wasn't I don't think it was because I wasn't in it as hardcore as you it was pretty hard it is you guys were very hard and and I know because I was sort of a more of a secondary character as well. So it I
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just enjoyed hanging out with you guys. So it was it was a joy. When we all got together and rehearse so I I could have done without all the other sort of side stuff. But just to hang out, you know and have permission to wear skin tight life or with having that restraining order. So I want you to know you never need permission. If you ever want to just rock up like well you express yourself. Is that right? There isn't really that right? I think no, I do it. I need I need that sort of motivation to sort of donde the skin type micro. I think it's just not right for well. That was our favorite part too. Just say to my vintage to be donning on skin type like her my Candice and I spoke and that was our favorite part 2 the dining office can talk over I deserve that I said that up for you beautiful any bold it down. Thank you. Thank you. No just by the end because we perform together so much and I think we all had a similar sense of humor. There was something when we were work together, it was just a no it was just there was just a click that happened just clicked our humor got darker in the third season. Yeah, I know it did I remember? Yeah us know I can't even I can only I can talk about it with you guys. I know but yeah, I can't I can't talk about it to everyone else could hey, they wouldn't get it and be it's so wrong. Yeah it is and I remember and I still some just great comedy. That's yeah some of it. I'm very proud of still. Yeah, but um like is yeah, I'm sorry. I can't worldly praise you because you're right. It will be completely Miss history. I just I just pray somewhere there is some footage of it, but I know yeah, yeah.
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it was but sometimes the good the golden moments can come out of dark times and there was some funny little moments. Oh, yes. Um, What I just want to I'm fascinated about you and I met and on my in chronologically. I might have missed it something here. But one thing I just want to before we run out of time and all that and went to the looking at the time where okay, but it's the time. One I'm fascinated. with your background and martial arts how that can evolved into sort of being helped more stunt coordinating and stunt work. No knockstalk coordinating but not work. Okay. Yes, that's a different terrify. but also I'm interested in your journey. And I think it's correct me if I'm wrong sort of. Evolving and also diversifying yourself, I guess with the intimacy. Hmm coordinating. Yeah. Yeah, which I know when you started. Writing about it from your looking at it. It was just the starting stages of when that became like People decided to realize that what's a necessity in Australia, Australia? Can you take me through that Journey a little bit because I'm I know and for everyone listening all three of you that so ruthless and out of the three two of us the listing it back. Hi Mom. There's a good that Ruth has come to my school where an excited teaching again my my attempt to diversifying I sort of started doing drama because I was originally just some music teacher just a music teacher, but I talk music but I then Left on the opportunity to teach drama and through that because I have quite a few. Contacts through there and roof was one of them and Ruth. We're very fortunate to have to come in. to
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teach
start works. Oh, no, it's sort of stage combat was well and how we pitch it. Yeah, and even umbrella term and you do you do that everywhere, but I also know if if I may be so bad that you've been working on you had worked on quite a few. Blockbusters like Hollywood Blockbusters as well was there right saying that well, yeah, I think yes the evolution is I think yeah what yeah. Yeah. Oh gosh. It's been an evolution date. It's so interesting. Yeah, so when I was at acting school
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Someone put me on to going to meet my now lifelong friend and mentor and martial arts teacher Nino pillar down at his Academy and they were like, oh, you've got a dance background you'd really like this kind of more of the fight choreography type stuff. That was it was called mask at the time which it still is martial arts done cream that my teacher ran and it was a course that that focused on acting gymnastics and martial arts and how to put these into get together into fight scenes and I did that one of those courses while I was on holidays at acting school and then thought maybe I'll start training martial arts just like as an extra skill and just absolutely like what fell in love with it, but was doing fairies at the same time. So it was obviously pretty hard for me to commit to that'll so I'd been training for about maybe one to two years and then book the fairies and so It was just a hobby. My teacher was always like hey, I think that could be really something here for you. And I was like don't be crazy. And then I finished the fairies and sounds just like that sounds familiar. Um, and so then after I finished the fairies and I was doing the theater stuff he was like Hey, I really think this could be something for you and I was like, that's crazy and then just kept training on the side and I was doing all the theater stuff and then The theater company I was working with we did a show called slicing and dicing and it was this. Crazy insane. It's one of my favorite shows I've ever done. There was a lot of Fight Cory and I was like, oh I can you know, I had assisted my teacher who has been teaching for forever teaching martial artists how to do fight Korean acting staff and Having people go to him to learn how to make it look a certain way, you know. So I was like I'm pretty sure I can put something together. And so I that was my first just giving it a go and it was my company and no one was getting really paid. So there was no it was just people mucking around at the time and I'll be honest like I never it's so funny. How life works I never did like decided to do this thing. People just started calling me and saying can you do this thing? And I was like, oh, really? No, not really. I mean, I'm just sort of doing what I know how to do and they were like, well, we don't know anything. So can you at least do what you can do and I was like sure and then
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my teacher was like, hey, they could really be something here for you. And I was like, hey, you know, there might be something here and he was like, well what an amazing idea you've had. He's such a great teacher because he'll never say told you. He's like he will he'll just go what a great thought amazing that you came up with that all on your own. So then I got all of my martial arts instructor ships with my teacher and and got all qualified in all of the no one knows what the pieces of paper means who gets the point is I got a piece of paper and then was just doing a lot of Fight Cory. I was working a lot with actors who needed to do martial art stuff and a lot of martial arts people who needed to do acting stuff. So I became a bit of a You know One Stop Shop for those two sort of types of people and then I had thought about getting stunt graded because we have a whole stunt grading system here in Australia to work as a stunt person. And so yeah, I got called on to do some training and Fight Cory stuff with a bunch of young performers on four that sort of popped up and I was you know, things are starting to to move me and my teacher were really starting to be known as the people that I mean if there's most things in South Australia are coming through us anyway and not because we don't want other people in the industry. It's just that we're in South Australia. There's not a plethora of performers and diverse performers here and then you know, it was so funny. I finally got my stunt grading. Through the media entertainment Arts Alliance. and have managed to do some fight choreography as a performer on some TV and film which is amazing and will be coming out. this year and firebike that came out last year, but just as shoot people start again, I didn't decide to do someone just like was like, hey we need to do this other thing instead of doing hate now, we're doing love. So instead of people needing to attack each other. We want them to kiss each other and we've heard that we should really be getting an outside maybe choreographer to come in and kind
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of help us. Is that something that you can do and I was like look I can definitely come in we use a very we've always used a system of communication and consent and safety and all of that at the core of everything we do and it was all limbs. So I was like look I can come in and work with your performers and try and apply the same principles that we already use and found that I found that not really a stretch at all. It's a Limbs and it's all doing what I am a nerd about. It's all talking to people about their story their characters their process and what we think this movement might be and what's going to suit you as an individual performer. Also, just trying to take in mind that it's no longer the 80s and 90s we know for a fact scientifically that trauma messes people up. We're not trying to say we want it to be easy and that we avoid challenging scenes or stories but we are trying to say can we bring a little bit more of a process to this which has been up until now without a process there has been No eyes that are actually dealing with just this one thing the same way that there is on all other parts and facets of the show or other. I don't know if people know this on TV and film and theater, but all other facets of a show. Have Eyes On It from costume to wardrobe to make up to lighting to stunts to props to Prosthetics to to every tiny little Park continuity. Yes everything and so really this is an offshoot of what should have been there all together but is stemming from a larger problem, which I think we can't just ask the industry to constantly adapt to include intimacy people. We need to also be allocating time and budget for it because otherwise you've just added one extra person into the mix of what is already in not enough time and money. And so you just actually have people now fighting for time and money. So it's not always a quick
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fix, but obviously when that work came up I was a little bit Nervous because I knew that some people were getting qualified and I knew that technically speaking. I had no piece of paper in this. I'm not a you have to have a piece of paper to know what you're talking about necessarily naturally if we're talking about a surgeon then I might prefer that you yes got a piece of paper. But in the Arts we're not looking at. OnePlus One is two things are a little bit more you gain a lot of experience just from working. So that makes it hard. but then I received a scholarship to train with Alicia Rodas who's the intimacy coordinator for HBO and
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I think she's the create. I don't know if she's now the creative director, but she has also set up IDC intimacy directors. It was IDI. Now I lose track of all this but has her own company in America. So she sort of she did a whole bunch of online training and then we went through a whole certification process and blah which has led me to now but I have only I mean I've in the last few years finally gotten my act together because this is all been Word of Mouth everything's been word of mouth and I've been really really lucky to do intimacy stuff on TV and film and it's all happened quite quickly and I'm one of very few people that have these sort of certain combination of qualifications. I know that Um, but I have only in the last few years actually put a website out with a bio saying this is what I do I can perform or I can coach or choreograph or teach. Up until then it was just people would just get my number from someone, you know, which I'm aware is probably not the most professional way to go about things but it is how it works often in South Australia anyway. So it it I feel like I have shown up to the opportunities that have presented but honestly, I feel like I've done very little from the perspective of it's really having the right people. And the right opportunities that have come up and yes, I have shown up and done the work and all of that but it's I almost because I didn't it's so interesting. I feel like a bit like Hansel and Gretel like I'm just following the breadcrumbs because you know when I was at school, you know, I graduated I was a year 2000, you know like Silver Chair preach. Year 2000 she was 10 when she graduated business. Sure. But it's not like anything in the Arts was in a pamphlet that you can read. None of this was it was still you know? Very very different. So I've just sort of found my way here. I suppose you could say. and it's been just really interesting it's it's take it but I it's so funny because sometimes I wish you could list all of your projects. The only ones that end up on IMDb that big film and TV and everything.
38:01
and they're all wonderful, but I come from You know a youth theater room where the storage room is. Also the rehearsal room is also, you know, like that's where I'm used to operating from like a someone's backyard. We're rehearsing it. You know, that's kind of how I'm used to working. Yeah. And so if anything when I fell into TV in all these other bigger projects, they have taken more adjusting for me to get used to working on that scale because I did find this even on the last couple of big projects and was fortunate enough to work on Nautilus for Disney at the end of last year. Just the scale. I mean I felt that way when we started on the fairies. Everything is so large and overwhelming when you've come from theater school and theater. Well, it's just You know.
38:51
Especially independent theater so it's like whoa, It's like a sensory adjustment almost all those people and different departments and it's a lot but it led me down the path of really trying to invent like what we've been talking about just really investigating performers and trying to find this balance between still challenging performers and still, you know, people learn through discomfort, but we have to learn the difference between Challenge and discomfort and actually just traumatizing people because I think we can just swing the pendulum too far the other way and that's what the intimacy and the fight stuff and working with so many people from every Walk of Life from all over the world. Different ages different races different physical abilities different cultures different religions as you start to learn that each person is very unique and you cannot just copy and paste a process and think it's just going to be a fit. Yeah, so it's about trying to marry all of these things. Together. Hmm. Yeah. I don't know if that even vaguely answers your question it does and and some and some. so here we go. That's good. So
40:09
You're involvement with the me. Double A for media. Oh, yeah, that's Alliance. Yes. This this surprised me. I'd no idea. Well, it's all yeah, so you what's your what's your official position? Well, Technically. Well, no, I'm the current president of the South Australian performance committee, but it's a look, you know, and we're going through a whole Rebrand restructure because most things have been rested for the last three to five years. I mean covid mmm don't need it committee when there's nothing to commit, you know not happening. So nothing to talk about. Okay. Good good show guys good. Yeah, although there was the whole debacle of trying to get you know, artists and artistic work to even be recognized as a job in Australia and covid but we won't open that Pandora's Box. Holy moly. That's another podcast. Hey, So yeah, we're in the process now of. Branching out our committee. It's basically just trying to get voices from people different people in all different sectors of the Performing Arts in South Australia and getting together and having a chitchat every few months to see what is actually going on out there on the ground floor. That's what I want to know because we have the amazing amazing Tiffany Lindell Knight here who is the vice president of the national performance Committee in The Amazing Aaron who the organizing here is just so good. And so if we can find out what's happening on the ground for them, we can feed to the National performance committee. What's actually going on here in South Australia? Because we have to admit that the current creative landscape in each state in Australia is not the same. It's not the same. It's still very Victorian New South Wales base, which is absolutely I understand why they are the hubs. But
42:01
also now that self tapes have become this massive massive deal, you know, it's really just trying to broaden our Horizons a little bit to go. What can we do to strengthen the community here. Are there any issues that the national body that can be helping us with to bring more opportunities here? Like it's really just about having conversation truth be told that's what it's really about and trying to give the union a better understanding of what is happening all over Australia because we have amazing performers here and voices here. And also I think problem not problems but hurdles or challenges that we could actually look at solving, you know. Which I think you know, I'm the amazing asabi Goodman like we we had a great catch up when she was here doing hairspray. She's Queensland base. I mean she she was like, we don't even have a self-test studio here in Queensland. What can the union do to support us in helping that happen? She got it done within 12 months, you know. Wow just from chit-chatting about what's actually going on in our state. What do we need? What's happening? So that's what we're trying to sort of do at the moment is get a committee of people together who can actually chitchat what's going on in Opera land what's going on in theater Land you you're working in TV or film? So far the committee has usually been mostly like actors, which I'd like to keep but I'd also like to add and bring in the musicians bring in the opera singers the dancers like these days. I think a performer is so much more than one thing. They are often what we call slashes. You know, it's it's pretty rare. I have never met. An actor or a performer or a musician, I mean, it's pretty rare that you do only one creative Venture like a musician will often play one instrument, but they'll often dabble in others an actor will do acting stuff but they'll often write they'll often direct do a podcast do
44:00
accent coaching stage combat. It's so rare that I find it before who was not multi-talented. So we're just trying to understand a little bit more about what's going on here. I want to bring more opportunities here. That's what I want to do. Just just opportunities to Opportunities. That's cool. That's what I want to do. So.
44:20
In your position. What what's your perception in terms of where things are out and sort of Mental Health Wise Women amongst the performers and South Australia has have you get feedback from artists or sort of things what you know, they're doing it rough or yeah, we're starting too. I mean I think yes, it is rough is the common consensus. I mean, we have a lot less work here in general, you know.
44:50
It's been a rough three to five years for everybody for everybody. You know, and I know so like in the eastern states, they have things like, um, like a benevolent fund thing and what we have the same but there is oh tell me excited. There's a benevolent front the amazing Chrissy page and Patrick Frost no more about that. There's been one here. They see. These are the sorts of things. I don't think and it's I don't think people realize that I'm not saying God no Union or organization is perfect, but I don't think and I definitely didn't realize this until kind of working on the fairies and getting thrust into it. Hmm. There's no. Performers aren't really protected with wages the same way that other jobs are like I don't think people realize like the minimum wages that we have performers and everything didn't just happen. Like people kind of got together and demanded that you you know, which means that if you don't keep doing that it can be taken away. I don't think people realize like it wasn't People don't just give it to you. You have to kind of demand it. I mean we're seeing now.
46:05
The unions in trying to envelop the dancers because the dancers have not been a part of there's been no dance section. I mean if that's not performing what is they've been working kind of unprotected this whole time struggling to get Baseline wages for things for talent that takes years to curate. I mean, it's just crazy and it's just a small window of opportunity. Absolutely. So and then beyond that I mean, yeah and physically grueling and Yeah, and it's so fascinating to me too, because that's I was it was so interesting. I wish people. You know, I think when people talk about art. They really only have one thing. in their mind or something, it's super odd because when you say to people You know, do you think artists should be paid fairly? I mean God all the people I would know would say, yes, but a lot of there's a lot of argument.
47:04
Or a lot of action that doesn't match the words as in I know everyone's got books in their bookcase. I know you've got art on your walls. I know you watch TV. I know you watch film. I know you watch theater or Opera. I mean, let's talk percentages. Okay, so some people don't but or you listen to music or you listen to a podcast. I mean should I keep going like there's some form in some capacity that every person
47:29
What's the word consumes? And yet we really really just don't recognize it. I mean, I know how many schools are having there Arts programs there. They're gone. I mean it starts with the Arts and then it usually goes to like the PE and it's just slowly filters. That's super terrifying. Hmm terrifying to me. I don't think people would realize and also we think of the Arts and I saw this definitely when that covid happened and being left out of the job. That wage subsidy that was painful for a lot. That was painful. That's like a pretty oh if you ever wondered if you were a valued to society the answer is no Centrelink for you. But I don't think people realize that. It's what 5% of the people that actually work in the Arts are the actors anyway, but that's what people have in the air in their heads when they think giving it. They think of the actors. They don't realize 95% is the crew in the designers and all these other people. We forget about them all the time, you know.
48:38
So yeah, but yeah, we're just we're just starting now the Committees about to come back together and start to chitchat about how's everyone going because I think the answer is fatigue. Yes fatigued and
work in their stuff out.
now What's the stupidest thing you ever did on a dare? On a dare. Hmm. Oh damn.
49:11
Do you know I think in that game Truth or Dare? I always pick truth. You're very you are very honest person. Yeah, because that was like it's emotionally or mentally terrifying but better than jumping off a building or something, you know. I don't know we got I wish you'd come on the road with us when we did the fairies because we did some pretty good pranks on each other there. We were cutting it pretty fine in what I would consider. Look I'm doing air quotes here, but unprofessional behavior ever and I don't mean like inappropriate. I just mean like really cutting it fine into like doing a good job and missing cues and stuff. You know what I mean? Like probably We would go into like we did have challenges during I'm harken back to the filming times. We did have like sort of see if you can slit this in without being picked out by a slip different words in yet to see if we get in for something. Yeah. I'm pretty sure that would be considered really unprofessional too. Like, you know Insight don't you think? Yeah. I know that PJ who played Barnaby everyone. I know we kind of would have challenges like trying to get impersonations. Yeah, you do through but you guys had a lot more we had a bit more. Yeah, we had a bit more creative license because you were the comic relief. Yeah and sadly there was a bit more of a Timeless sort of you. I think they were meant I think there were a few times when you get spoken to or so, you can't do that and you'd go. Oh come on, you know, they did that come on. But yeah, so it was a little bit harder for you. Oh, look you too. Look. Yeah. There's a I'm I can't tell you what we Managed to get in there and stuff so I can't give myself away. So that's all you get on that question. Oh, no, because I'll ruin. Yeah. I know. We I know we did do reputation or something. I think I did
51:00
a few like Arnold Schwarzenegger and destinations. I think it's sometimes we get song quotes, you know, PJ did the right here right now. Yes boy swim. You also got Austin Powers in there. Yeah. Yes, lots of that and then some more obscure stuff. I think I think PJ did Gwen Mackie a famous dance teacher here in Adelaide for those who are listening overseas. Thank God bless you. So. Good.
51:30
Who knows the most secrets about you? Oh.
51:35
I know the most secret, you know moments, you know, I hate to say it. It's yeah candy knows a lot of candy is a lot. We were on the road together for five years. She does know a lot. I'll just say that.
51:51
What is a Telltale sign that you are upset?
Oh, look, I don't think it's hard to tell you. But yeah, you kind of an open book I go a little well, I just like do the old silent shutdown. Yeah. Do you know what I'm saying? Like you it's more of a vibe. there's a sort of A bubble kind of Candace used to call it the difficult button. She's like she's pressed the difficult button. You got Buckley's. Yeah, that's it do it. Although. I will say in that mode. Just delivering a sandwich in a cup of coffee usually solves 90% of the problem. That's what I was getting wrong. So I was trying to be entertaining and funny and she was getting nothing.
52:36
Drink, all right.
Mmm, well three words best describe you oh, I can't I can't I can't they go. I can't I can't I that doesn't count. I'm not that self aware. It depends the good part of me or the bad part of me the pros or the cons. So good Pros. loyal
I'm pretty empathetic. and
I am
what I say loyal empathetic. Oh and I'm a good support person. Like I'm yeah, I'm pretty good at being like, hey, man, you'll be right. It'll be cool. But on the bad side loyal to a fault very impatient very forgetful frustratingly. So, draws people crazy my loved ones crazy
53:36
um Two more I believe. Mm-hmm. What is one goal you have for the near future?
Well, that's tough because I try not to say I'm out loud. Oh, okay.
um Oh, no, let's one goal. Or do you know what he go? You get one one day. I'm gonna learn how to roast coffee. Oh, yeah. Okay. I have a love for coffee and food. That's what I do on little sidekick. I have one. This is one of my goals. Yeah, tell me I want to learn how to sail. Oh cool Christmas actual sailboat. So on the ocean, I don't know I have I have a couple I did one for my
54:22
Dear, sorry I can't can you just I can't you're breaking up here.
I wanted to learn how to write a horse. Yeah, did you do it? I did. Yeah, so I took horse riding lessons. I mean, I would have loved to continue and I got to ride spot the horse there was lovely but yeah, I just wanted to know because you know, look what shall these films and going I I'd love to learn how to ride a horse and just independent not have someone lead it but actually steer the horse and all that so I did. You know six seven lessons so I could you know, what, you know lead a horse for a obstacle course and and get up to a trot. I don't think I didn't go before but that was sort of I mean if if I had the money I'd keep doing it was a lot of fun spot and I really got on really well. No you reckon though like and I definitely have found this as I've got an older just learning something new just not to have that so many of my goals actually is to not necessarily because I want to dominate the world with it or I don't want to be my best self with it. I don't want to be the most talented person. I'm just curious about this thing and I just want to go like Play-Doh just get my hands grubby a bit. You know what I mean? And I think we really have lost that. Yeah, and I think it's kind of I don't know. It's kind of I know maybe it's sort of the zombie apocalypse type thing. You know, maybe I watch too much. I'll be a public film something. I gotta learn to know how to write a horse, you know, because it's gonna run out fuel on I need to be able Boss and like I think it's almost the same with selling. It's sort of like a feel like it's a life skill, you know, I need to be able to say all the waters if I had to like had a you know, Steer a boat and not good knocked out by a boom and want to make water world again. You'll be right there when he's Kevin Costner's gets finally gets that Water World 2 off the ground. I'm gonna be there. On what I'll be all over it. I'm your man. I'm your man. I'll be I'll still that boat feeling really yeah, I'm all right. so to finish off. Oh, here we go.
56:34
What is your idea of the perfect day? Oh man, you know that I will say that's really hard when you're multi passionate about things that's like such a hard question because I need to change the day from being a 24-hour cycle to like, you know, 48 hours to seven days. I mean whatever whatever I don't know all I know. Is actually as I get older the perfect day actually comes down to what has become very simple things a hot cup of coffee a nice piece of toast. Maybe something creative maybe some awesome people and hey a little bit of sunshine doesn't go astray. And if that's the base, everything else is just a bonus. Good responses. Well done.
57:26
the good old Elizabeth Gilbert from Big Magic creative living is stranger than other more worldly Pursuits. The usual rules do not apply in normal life. If you're good at something and you work hard at it. You will likely succeed in Creative Endeavors, maybe not or maybe you will succeed for a spell and then never succeed again. You might be offered rewards on a silver planet even as a rug is being simultaneously pulled out from under you you might be adored for a while and then go out of fashion. Other Dumber people might take your place as critical Darlings. The patron goddess of creative success can sometimes seem like a rich capricious old lady who lives in a giant mansion on a distant Hill and who makes really weird decisions about who gets her Fortune. She sometimes rewards charlatans and ignores the gifted she cuts people out of her will who loyally served her for their entire lives and then give a Mercedes to that cute boy who cut her lawn. Once she changes her mind about things we try to Divine her motives, but they remain a cult she is never obliged to explain herself to us in short the goddess of creative success may show up for you or she may not probably best then if you don't count on her or attach your definition of personal happiness to her whims maybe better to reconsider your definition of success period