'It fills my cup': there's no place like home for Teresa Palmer
Palmer, an Australian actor whose credits include Ride Like A Girl, Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge, Lights Out, The Fall Guy, The Clearing and Mix Tape, loves working on Australian productions. She loves Australian screenwriters and directors. She's pregnant with her fifth child, and she co-hosts a podcast (The Mother Daze) that talks about motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity (among other things).
Her latest project, The Family Next Door, is a female-forward story led by Palmer alongside Bella Heathcote (The Moogai, Pieces of Her), Philippa Northeast (Territory, The Newsreader), Ming-Zhu Hii (Prosper, La Brea) and Jane Harber (Offspring, In Limbo).
It's peak holiday season in the popular seaside town of Osprey Point when a stranger, Isabelle (Palmer) rents a family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. As she charms her way into her neighbours' homes and lives, she finds out that everyone at Pleasant Court has something to hide, and, in her relentless quest for truth, she pulls the rug from under this seemingly harmonious beachside community.
Based on bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth's novel of the same name, The Family Next Door is a mystery that blends drama and humour while exploring family dynamics through the unique lens of award-winning screenwriter Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and Emma Freeman's (The Newsreader, Interview with the Vampire) character-driven directorial skills.
In the real world, Palmer is down-to-earth and kind. Content. A deep thinker who speaks with warmth and laughs easily.
She has a firm grasp on who she is, what she wants, and where she wants to be in life. Living in Byron Bay and working in Australia suits her just fine, at least for now.
"I love this show," she says. "Sometimes it is difficult for me to be objective, to rip myself out of it and see it as an audience member, but this one I was able to watch in a way that none of the usual self-critique was coming in.
"I could just enjoy the show, and that, to me, is a sign of Emma Freeman working her magic."
The acting, too, is magic; the darkly funny neurotic edge to Heathcote's character, for example. And the way it is filmed captures the essence of a laidback Australian coastal town, transporting the viewer to that hot, bushfire-prone summer of 2019-20. You can hear the cicadas and almost smell the smoke in the air.
"You tend to elevate each other when you're in a scene with someone and they're bringing their absolute best work. You can't help but try to dig as deep as possible," Palmer says.
"Everyone is working collectively to elevate it, to ground these characters in colours and nuance, and it was really exciting to work with a group of actors who all felt the same way."
Some scenes were filmed at Hepworth's favourite local cafe and beach, bringing her book to life in more ways than one.
"I loved that, and what it meant for her to be able to shoot it in that way," Palmer says.
"Often when you have a book and it's turned into a TV adaptation, the book isn't folded in so much. They just take it and run with it. But Sally was really folded into this process, and her opinions and ideas really mattered, and that was just another beautiful part of bringing this story to life.
"You know, I can't help but come back home and work here. The quality of the storytelling is next level, and working with Australian crews, there's such familiarity there. It just fills my cup.
"And it's a win-win situation - getting to be in the country that I love, working here, and then seeing a lot of these shows getting picked up for America and the UK. I'm proud to help the Australian film industry because that's where I started."
Living permanently in Australia also "works" for her family.
"My children are getting older now. We were the travelling circus; we'd live in Wales and shoot something for three years and then move to America and shoot something there, and then go to England and Europe," Palmer says.
"But I had a yearning for them to have the experience that I had growing up in Adelaide, of going to school and having regular friends and being part of the basketball team or the AFL team, grounding them, rooting them, in one place. And for us, that place was Australia.
"If we can be based in Australia and I can still work relatively locally, that's what works for our family. That's not to say we won't go back to America, but this has been a really important choice that we have made for the family."
Talking about her movie roles to date, Palmer says her favourite is the 2021 psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome, directed by Australian screenwriter Cate Shortland.
"It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my career. We would sit together, me, Max [Riemelt] and Cate, and talk about our comfort zones and what we wanted the film to be, and we talked about our own history, our own desires ... we brought everything into it," she says.
"All those hours and hours of discussions, we weaved them into the script, and it made for such a good movie."
What about Lights Out, the 2016 supernatural horror made on a budget of $US4.9 million that grossed close to $US150 million at the box office?
"You have no idea when you're acting in it how they're going to do the special effects, and how the creature is going to look, but it was really well done in this movie," Palmer says.
"But also, at the heart of that one was a family drama. We were talking about mental health, and it was scarier, more heightened, because at the core of it was this believable family dynamic."
And her most challenging acting experience? Restraint (2008), an Australian movie co-starring Travis Fimmel.
"It was one of my earliest movies, and I was so in over my head," she says.
"I didn't really know how to act yet, I was young and impressionable, and I felt really lost. I remember going home every night and crying, thinking, 'Don't mess this up Teresa, this is your dream'. And then you go from job to job to job, and you get better and better. My peers were my acting school, I learnt on the job.
"Watching it now, I wish I could just reach through and grab the younger me and go, 'Guess what, it's going to get easier and better, and trust your instincts, you're doing great!'. I want to comfort that younger me."
Her other most challenging role is also her most rewarding: juggling motherhood and a successful acting career.
"I used to think motherhood could stall or end a career. I had this general misconception because it was a narrative fed to me years ago, before I had kids. I was told you get to be one or the other," Palmer says.
"But to have these experiences in parallel, and in tandem, has really proven otherwise. I have been able to work and feel creatively and intellectually stimulated from my work, and also get to be a very present, hands-on mother, which was my other great desire.
"It turns out I didn't have to choose one over the other."
It's not surprising that Teresa Palmer agreed to work on an Australian television series that explores themes of motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity.
Palmer, an Australian actor whose credits include Ride Like A Girl, Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge, Lights Out, The Fall Guy, The Clearing and Mix Tape, loves working on Australian productions. She loves Australian screenwriters and directors. She's pregnant with her fifth child, and she co-hosts a podcast (The Mother Daze) that talks about motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity (among other things).
Her latest project, The Family Next Door, is a female-forward story led by Palmer alongside Bella Heathcote (The Moogai, Pieces of Her), Philippa Northeast (Territory, The Newsreader), Ming-Zhu Hii (Prosper, La Brea) and Jane Harber (Offspring, In Limbo).
It's peak holiday season in the popular seaside town of Osprey Point when a stranger, Isabelle (Palmer) rents a family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. As she charms her way into her neighbours' homes and lives, she finds out that everyone at Pleasant Court has something to hide, and, in her relentless quest for truth, she pulls the rug from under this seemingly harmonious beachside community.
Based on bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth's novel of the same name, The Family Next Door is a mystery that blends drama and humour while exploring family dynamics through the unique lens of award-winning screenwriter Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and Emma Freeman's (The Newsreader, Interview with the Vampire) character-driven directorial skills.
In the real world, Palmer is down-to-earth and kind. Content. A deep thinker who speaks with warmth and laughs easily.
She has a firm grasp on who she is, what she wants, and where she wants to be in life. Living in Byron Bay and working in Australia suits her just fine, at least for now.
"I love this show," she says. "Sometimes it is difficult for me to be objective, to rip myself out of it and see it as an audience member, but this one I was able to watch in a way that none of the usual self-critique was coming in.
"I could just enjoy the show, and that, to me, is a sign of Emma Freeman working her magic."
The acting, too, is magic; the darkly funny neurotic edge to Heathcote's character, for example. And the way it is filmed captures the essence of a laidback Australian coastal town, transporting the viewer to that hot, bushfire-prone summer of 2019-20. You can hear the cicadas and almost smell the smoke in the air.
"You tend to elevate each other when you're in a scene with someone and they're bringing their absolute best work. You can't help but try to dig as deep as possible," Palmer says.
"Everyone is working collectively to elevate it, to ground these characters in colours and nuance, and it was really exciting to work with a group of actors who all felt the same way."
Some scenes were filmed at Hepworth's favourite local cafe and beach, bringing her book to life in more ways than one.
"I loved that, and what it meant for her to be able to shoot it in that way," Palmer says.
"Often when you have a book and it's turned into a TV adaptation, the book isn't folded in so much. They just take it and run with it. But Sally was really folded into this process, and her opinions and ideas really mattered, and that was just another beautiful part of bringing this story to life.
"You know, I can't help but come back home and work here. The quality of the storytelling is next level, and working with Australian crews, there's such familiarity there. It just fills my cup.
"And it's a win-win situation - getting to be in the country that I love, working here, and then seeing a lot of these shows getting picked up for America and the UK. I'm proud to help the Australian film industry because that's where I started."
Living permanently in Australia also "works" for her family.
"My children are getting older now. We were the travelling circus; we'd live in Wales and shoot something for three years and then move to America and shoot something there, and then go to England and Europe," Palmer says.
"But I had a yearning for them to have the experience that I had growing up in Adelaide, of going to school and having regular friends and being part of the basketball team or the AFL team, grounding them, rooting them, in one place. And for us, that place was Australia.
"If we can be based in Australia and I can still work relatively locally, that's what works for our family. That's not to say we won't go back to America, but this has been a really important choice that we have made for the family."
Talking about her movie roles to date, Palmer says her favourite is the 2021 psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome, directed by Australian screenwriter Cate Shortland.
"It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my career. We would sit together, me, Max [Riemelt] and Cate, and talk about our comfort zones and what we wanted the film to be, and we talked about our own history, our own desires ... we brought everything into it," she says.
"All those hours and hours of discussions, we weaved them into the script, and it made for such a good movie."
What about Lights Out, the 2016 supernatural horror made on a budget of $US4.9 million that grossed close to $US150 million at the box office?
"You have no idea when you're acting in it how they're going to do the special effects, and how the creature is going to look, but it was really well done in this movie," Palmer says.
"But also, at the heart of that one was a family drama. We were talking about mental health, and it was scarier, more heightened, because at the core of it was this believable family dynamic."
And her most challenging acting experience? Restraint (2008), an Australian movie co-starring Travis Fimmel.
"It was one of my earliest movies, and I was so in over my head," she says.
"I didn't really know how to act yet, I was young and impressionable, and I felt really lost. I remember going home every night and crying, thinking, 'Don't mess this up Teresa, this is your dream'. And then you go from job to job to job, and you get better and better. My peers were my acting school, I learnt on the job.
"Watching it now, I wish I could just reach through and grab the younger me and go, 'Guess what, it's going to get easier and better, and trust your instincts, you're doing great!'. I want to comfort that younger me."
Her other most challenging role is also her most rewarding: juggling motherhood and a successful acting career.
"I used to think motherhood could stall or end a career. I had this general misconception because it was a narrative fed to me years ago, before I had kids. I was told you get to be one or the other," Palmer says.
"But to have these experiences in parallel, and in tandem, has really proven otherwise. I have been able to work and feel creatively and intellectually stimulated from my work, and also get to be a very present, hands-on mother, which was my other great desire.
"It turns out I didn't have to choose one over the other."
It's not surprising that Teresa Palmer agreed to work on an Australian television series that explores themes of motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity.
Palmer, an Australian actor whose credits include Ride Like A Girl, Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge, Lights Out, The Fall Guy, The Clearing and Mix Tape, loves working on Australian productions. She loves Australian screenwriters and directors. She's pregnant with her fifth child, and she co-hosts a podcast (The Mother Daze) that talks about motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity (among other things).
Her latest project, The Family Next Door, is a female-forward story led by Palmer alongside Bella Heathcote (The Moogai, Pieces of Her), Philippa Northeast (Territory, The Newsreader), Ming-Zhu Hii (Prosper, La Brea) and Jane Harber (Offspring, In Limbo).
It's peak holiday season in the popular seaside town of Osprey Point when a stranger, Isabelle (Palmer) rents a family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. As she charms her way into her neighbours' homes and lives, she finds out that everyone at Pleasant Court has something to hide, and, in her relentless quest for truth, she pulls the rug from under this seemingly harmonious beachside community.
Based on bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth's novel of the same name, The Family Next Door is a mystery that blends drama and humour while exploring family dynamics through the unique lens of award-winning screenwriter Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and Emma Freeman's (The Newsreader, Interview with the Vampire) character-driven directorial skills.
In the real world, Palmer is down-to-earth and kind. Content. A deep thinker who speaks with warmth and laughs easily.
She has a firm grasp on who she is, what she wants, and where she wants to be in life. Living in Byron Bay and working in Australia suits her just fine, at least for now.
"I love this show," she says. "Sometimes it is difficult for me to be objective, to rip myself out of it and see it as an audience member, but this one I was able to watch in a way that none of the usual self-critique was coming in.
"I could just enjoy the show, and that, to me, is a sign of Emma Freeman working her magic."
The acting, too, is magic; the darkly funny neurotic edge to Heathcote's character, for example. And the way it is filmed captures the essence of a laidback Australian coastal town, transporting the viewer to that hot, bushfire-prone summer of 2019-20. You can hear the cicadas and almost smell the smoke in the air.
"You tend to elevate each other when you're in a scene with someone and they're bringing their absolute best work. You can't help but try to dig as deep as possible," Palmer says.
"Everyone is working collectively to elevate it, to ground these characters in colours and nuance, and it was really exciting to work with a group of actors who all felt the same way."
Some scenes were filmed at Hepworth's favourite local cafe and beach, bringing her book to life in more ways than one.
"I loved that, and what it meant for her to be able to shoot it in that way," Palmer says.
"Often when you have a book and it's turned into a TV adaptation, the book isn't folded in so much. They just take it and run with it. But Sally was really folded into this process, and her opinions and ideas really mattered, and that was just another beautiful part of bringing this story to life.
"You know, I can't help but come back home and work here. The quality of the storytelling is next level, and working with Australian crews, there's such familiarity there. It just fills my cup.
"And it's a win-win situation - getting to be in the country that I love, working here, and then seeing a lot of these shows getting picked up for America and the UK. I'm proud to help the Australian film industry because that's where I started."
Living permanently in Australia also "works" for her family.
"My children are getting older now. We were the travelling circus; we'd live in Wales and shoot something for three years and then move to America and shoot something there, and then go to England and Europe," Palmer says.
"But I had a yearning for them to have the experience that I had growing up in Adelaide, of going to school and having regular friends and being part of the basketball team or the AFL team, grounding them, rooting them, in one place. And for us, that place was Australia.
"If we can be based in Australia and I can still work relatively locally, that's what works for our family. That's not to say we won't go back to America, but this has been a really important choice that we have made for the family."
Talking about her movie roles to date, Palmer says her favourite is the 2021 psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome, directed by Australian screenwriter Cate Shortland.
"It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my career. We would sit together, me, Max [Riemelt] and Cate, and talk about our comfort zones and what we wanted the film to be, and we talked about our own history, our own desires ... we brought everything into it," she says.
"All those hours and hours of discussions, we weaved them into the script, and it made for such a good movie."
What about Lights Out, the 2016 supernatural horror made on a budget of $US4.9 million that grossed close to $US150 million at the box office?
"You have no idea when you're acting in it how they're going to do the special effects, and how the creature is going to look, but it was really well done in this movie," Palmer says.
"But also, at the heart of that one was a family drama. We were talking about mental health, and it was scarier, more heightened, because at the core of it was this believable family dynamic."
And her most challenging acting experience? Restraint (2008), an Australian movie co-starring Travis Fimmel.
"It was one of my earliest movies, and I was so in over my head," she says.
"I didn't really know how to act yet, I was young and impressionable, and I felt really lost. I remember going home every night and crying, thinking, 'Don't mess this up Teresa, this is your dream'. And then you go from job to job to job, and you get better and better. My peers were my acting school, I learnt on the job.
"Watching it now, I wish I could just reach through and grab the younger me and go, 'Guess what, it's going to get easier and better, and trust your instincts, you're doing great!'. I want to comfort that younger me."
Her other most challenging role is also her most rewarding: juggling motherhood and a successful acting career.
"I used to think motherhood could stall or end a career. I had this general misconception because it was a narrative fed to me years ago, before I had kids. I was told you get to be one or the other," Palmer says.
"But to have these experiences in parallel, and in tandem, has really proven otherwise. I have been able to work and feel creatively and intellectually stimulated from my work, and also get to be a very present, hands-on mother, which was my other great desire.
"It turns out I didn't have to choose one over the other."
It's not surprising that Teresa Palmer agreed to work on an Australian television series that explores themes of motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity.
Palmer, an Australian actor whose credits include Ride Like A Girl, Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge, Lights Out, The Fall Guy, The Clearing and Mix Tape, loves working on Australian productions. She loves Australian screenwriters and directors. She's pregnant with her fifth child, and she co-hosts a podcast (The Mother Daze) that talks about motherhood, marriage, friendship and identity (among other things).
Her latest project, The Family Next Door, is a female-forward story led by Palmer alongside Bella Heathcote (The Moogai, Pieces of Her), Philippa Northeast (Territory, The Newsreader), Ming-Zhu Hii (Prosper, La Brea) and Jane Harber (Offspring, In Limbo).
It's peak holiday season in the popular seaside town of Osprey Point when a stranger, Isabelle (Palmer) rents a family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. As she charms her way into her neighbours' homes and lives, she finds out that everyone at Pleasant Court has something to hide, and, in her relentless quest for truth, she pulls the rug from under this seemingly harmonious beachside community.
Based on bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth's novel of the same name, The Family Next Door is a mystery that blends drama and humour while exploring family dynamics through the unique lens of award-winning screenwriter Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and Emma Freeman's (The Newsreader, Interview with the Vampire) character-driven directorial skills.
In the real world, Palmer is down-to-earth and kind. Content. A deep thinker who speaks with warmth and laughs easily.
She has a firm grasp on who she is, what she wants, and where she wants to be in life. Living in Byron Bay and working in Australia suits her just fine, at least for now.
"I love this show," she says. "Sometimes it is difficult for me to be objective, to rip myself out of it and see it as an audience member, but this one I was able to watch in a way that none of the usual self-critique was coming in.
"I could just enjoy the show, and that, to me, is a sign of Emma Freeman working her magic."
The acting, too, is magic; the darkly funny neurotic edge to Heathcote's character, for example. And the way it is filmed captures the essence of a laidback Australian coastal town, transporting the viewer to that hot, bushfire-prone summer of 2019-20. You can hear the cicadas and almost smell the smoke in the air.
"You tend to elevate each other when you're in a scene with someone and they're bringing their absolute best work. You can't help but try to dig as deep as possible," Palmer says.
"Everyone is working collectively to elevate it, to ground these characters in colours and nuance, and it was really exciting to work with a group of actors who all felt the same way."
Some scenes were filmed at Hepworth's favourite local cafe and beach, bringing her book to life in more ways than one.
"I loved that, and what it meant for her to be able to shoot it in that way," Palmer says.
"Often when you have a book and it's turned into a TV adaptation, the book isn't folded in so much. They just take it and run with it. But Sally was really folded into this process, and her opinions and ideas really mattered, and that was just another beautiful part of bringing this story to life.
"You know, I can't help but come back home and work here. The quality of the storytelling is next level, and working with Australian crews, there's such familiarity there. It just fills my cup.
"And it's a win-win situation - getting to be in the country that I love, working here, and then seeing a lot of these shows getting picked up for America and the UK. I'm proud to help the Australian film industry because that's where I started."
Living permanently in Australia also "works" for her family.
"My children are getting older now. We were the travelling circus; we'd live in Wales and shoot something for three years and then move to America and shoot something there, and then go to England and Europe," Palmer says.
"But I had a yearning for them to have the experience that I had growing up in Adelaide, of going to school and having regular friends and being part of the basketball team or the AFL team, grounding them, rooting them, in one place. And for us, that place was Australia.
"If we can be based in Australia and I can still work relatively locally, that's what works for our family. That's not to say we won't go back to America, but this has been a really important choice that we have made for the family."
Talking about her movie roles to date, Palmer says her favourite is the 2021 psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome, directed by Australian screenwriter Cate Shortland.
"It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my career. We would sit together, me, Max [Riemelt] and Cate, and talk about our comfort zones and what we wanted the film to be, and we talked about our own history, our own desires ... we brought everything into it," she says.
"All those hours and hours of discussions, we weaved them into the script, and it made for such a good movie."
What about Lights Out, the 2016 supernatural horror made on a budget of $US4.9 million that grossed close to $US150 million at the box office?
"You have no idea when you're acting in it how they're going to do the special effects, and how the creature is going to look, but it was really well done in this movie," Palmer says.
"But also, at the heart of that one was a family drama. We were talking about mental health, and it was scarier, more heightened, because at the core of it was this believable family dynamic."
And her most challenging acting experience? Restraint (2008), an Australian movie co-starring Travis Fimmel.
"It was one of my earliest movies, and I was so in over my head," she says.
"I didn't really know how to act yet, I was young and impressionable, and I felt really lost. I remember going home every night and crying, thinking, 'Don't mess this up Teresa, this is your dream'. And then you go from job to job to job, and you get better and better. My peers were my acting school, I learnt on the job.
"Watching it now, I wish I could just reach through and grab the younger me and go, 'Guess what, it's going to get easier and better, and trust your instincts, you're doing great!'. I want to comfort that younger me."
Her other most challenging role is also her most rewarding: juggling motherhood and a successful acting career.
"I used to think motherhood could stall or end a career. I had this general misconception because it was a narrative fed to me years ago, before I had kids. I was told you get to be one or the other," Palmer says.
"But to have these experiences in parallel, and in tandem, has really proven otherwise. I have been able to work and feel creatively and intellectually stimulated from my work, and also get to be a very present, hands-on mother, which was my other great desire.
"It turns out I didn't have to choose one over the other."
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What made Charlie O'Derry cry as he sang his way into our hearts on The Voice
"When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes." Tears streamed down Charlie O'Derry's face before he could even finish his blind auditions performance on Sunday night's opening episode of The Voice Australia. The talented folk singer delivered a performance so raw and heartfelt, it brought the room to a standstill and had four seasoned pop stars - the show's coaches - wiping their eyes. Recalling the moment before it went to air on Seven, the 17-year-old from Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast said his performance was not his strongest work as a vocalist. But the moment carried a lot of emotional weight as he realised, in real time, that his dream was becoming a reality. "I have definitely sung my song better," he said, "but it was just all the emotions rushing through when I saw that I had actually made it. "I couldn't hold it together." Charlie earned a prized four-chair turn from the coaches on the popular talent quest's 14th season: Spice Girl Melanie C, Richard Marx, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ronan Keating. Overwhelmed by the experience, Charlie said the emotions took over the moment he saw the first coach turn around "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes - it was crazy. I wasn't really expecting to get any chair turns, to be honest. To see one turn around, I was bawling my eyes out." As the chairs continued to turn, the emotions only intensified. "To see all four [coaches turn around], I started to wipe my eyes, and I could barely talk. And then to look over at my family - it was a very emotional moment for all of us." In the blind auditions, coaches build their team of hopefuls based solely on their voice, without seeing the contestants. If a voice captures their attention, they hit the button and spin their chair to see the performer and signal their interest. When more than one chair turns, the artist gets to decide which coach to team up with. But if no chairs turn, the journey ends there. Charlie performed a haunting, slowed-down, and at times tear-filled rendition of Djo's 2022 hit End of Beginning. Soulfully delivered, Charlie's version of the synth-pop track struck a chord far beyond the music itself. Coach and Grammy Award winner Richard Marx turned his chair within seconds of Charlie starting his performance, with Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke spinning around soon after. Spice Girl Melanie C and Boyzone lead vocalist Ronan Keating turned their chairs just as Charlie finished singing. Keating, who teared up along with the rest of the coaches, walked up on stage to embrace the 17-year-old after his emotionally-charged performance. "I felt all of that," he said as he hugged Charlie. "That was beautiful." Marx described Charlie's rendition as "heartbreakingly beautiful", while Miller-Heidke labelled the teen's performance as "something pure and from the heart". "You just made me feel something that I've never felt in this chair before," she said. After he completed his goosebump-inducing performance, Miller-Heidke asked what led to such a powerful moment on stage. Charlie then shared his heartbreaking story about his dad, a former pastor and prison chaplain, who was left in a wheelchair after suffering a severe brain injury in a workplace accident. "Music is something me and Dad can do together...," he said. "My dad had an accident at work, pretty much half his brain is gone forever, and he suffered from really bad seizures everyday for a long time. "He [had] brain surgery last year, and the seizures have stopped. I gave music my hardest crack and it's really emotional to see it's paying off." The teenager, who gave up a promising footy path to follow his heart, said it was humbling to receive such praise from the coaches. "To have people who are that solidified in the music scene, with all the accomplishments each and every one of them has made, to see that I made them feel like that - and that they reacted like that to my voice and the way I changed that song - made me very content with where I am in my journey. "It has given me a lot of confidence." In the end, Charlie chose to be on Miller-Heidke's team. He said it was by no means an easy choice between four "amazing coaches", but in the end, the decision came down to his roots. "What they said to me after they turned around, I was still undecided," he said. "But it all came down to: I love folk music, I write folk music, and that's the career I want to have. "Kate had folk roots when she first started out, and I just felt like, with her performing at Eurovision, and with her experience as an opera singer, a pop singer, a folk singer - doing all these different genres of music and having incredible achievements in every field - I thought she would help me become more of a well-rounded artist." "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes." Tears streamed down Charlie O'Derry's face before he could even finish his blind auditions performance on Sunday night's opening episode of The Voice Australia. The talented folk singer delivered a performance so raw and heartfelt, it brought the room to a standstill and had four seasoned pop stars - the show's coaches - wiping their eyes. Recalling the moment before it went to air on Seven, the 17-year-old from Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast said his performance was not his strongest work as a vocalist. But the moment carried a lot of emotional weight as he realised, in real time, that his dream was becoming a reality. "I have definitely sung my song better," he said, "but it was just all the emotions rushing through when I saw that I had actually made it. "I couldn't hold it together." Charlie earned a prized four-chair turn from the coaches on the popular talent quest's 14th season: Spice Girl Melanie C, Richard Marx, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ronan Keating. Overwhelmed by the experience, Charlie said the emotions took over the moment he saw the first coach turn around "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes - it was crazy. I wasn't really expecting to get any chair turns, to be honest. To see one turn around, I was bawling my eyes out." As the chairs continued to turn, the emotions only intensified. "To see all four [coaches turn around], I started to wipe my eyes, and I could barely talk. And then to look over at my family - it was a very emotional moment for all of us." In the blind auditions, coaches build their team of hopefuls based solely on their voice, without seeing the contestants. If a voice captures their attention, they hit the button and spin their chair to see the performer and signal their interest. When more than one chair turns, the artist gets to decide which coach to team up with. But if no chairs turn, the journey ends there. Charlie performed a haunting, slowed-down, and at times tear-filled rendition of Djo's 2022 hit End of Beginning. Soulfully delivered, Charlie's version of the synth-pop track struck a chord far beyond the music itself. Coach and Grammy Award winner Richard Marx turned his chair within seconds of Charlie starting his performance, with Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke spinning around soon after. Spice Girl Melanie C and Boyzone lead vocalist Ronan Keating turned their chairs just as Charlie finished singing. Keating, who teared up along with the rest of the coaches, walked up on stage to embrace the 17-year-old after his emotionally-charged performance. "I felt all of that," he said as he hugged Charlie. "That was beautiful." Marx described Charlie's rendition as "heartbreakingly beautiful", while Miller-Heidke labelled the teen's performance as "something pure and from the heart". "You just made me feel something that I've never felt in this chair before," she said. After he completed his goosebump-inducing performance, Miller-Heidke asked what led to such a powerful moment on stage. Charlie then shared his heartbreaking story about his dad, a former pastor and prison chaplain, who was left in a wheelchair after suffering a severe brain injury in a workplace accident. "Music is something me and Dad can do together...," he said. "My dad had an accident at work, pretty much half his brain is gone forever, and he suffered from really bad seizures everyday for a long time. "He [had] brain surgery last year, and the seizures have stopped. I gave music my hardest crack and it's really emotional to see it's paying off." The teenager, who gave up a promising footy path to follow his heart, said it was humbling to receive such praise from the coaches. "To have people who are that solidified in the music scene, with all the accomplishments each and every one of them has made, to see that I made them feel like that - and that they reacted like that to my voice and the way I changed that song - made me very content with where I am in my journey. "It has given me a lot of confidence." In the end, Charlie chose to be on Miller-Heidke's team. He said it was by no means an easy choice between four "amazing coaches", but in the end, the decision came down to his roots. "What they said to me after they turned around, I was still undecided," he said. "But it all came down to: I love folk music, I write folk music, and that's the career I want to have. "Kate had folk roots when she first started out, and I just felt like, with her performing at Eurovision, and with her experience as an opera singer, a pop singer, a folk singer - doing all these different genres of music and having incredible achievements in every field - I thought she would help me become more of a well-rounded artist." "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes." Tears streamed down Charlie O'Derry's face before he could even finish his blind auditions performance on Sunday night's opening episode of The Voice Australia. The talented folk singer delivered a performance so raw and heartfelt, it brought the room to a standstill and had four seasoned pop stars - the show's coaches - wiping their eyes. Recalling the moment before it went to air on Seven, the 17-year-old from Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast said his performance was not his strongest work as a vocalist. But the moment carried a lot of emotional weight as he realised, in real time, that his dream was becoming a reality. "I have definitely sung my song better," he said, "but it was just all the emotions rushing through when I saw that I had actually made it. "I couldn't hold it together." Charlie earned a prized four-chair turn from the coaches on the popular talent quest's 14th season: Spice Girl Melanie C, Richard Marx, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ronan Keating. Overwhelmed by the experience, Charlie said the emotions took over the moment he saw the first coach turn around "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes - it was crazy. I wasn't really expecting to get any chair turns, to be honest. To see one turn around, I was bawling my eyes out." As the chairs continued to turn, the emotions only intensified. "To see all four [coaches turn around], I started to wipe my eyes, and I could barely talk. And then to look over at my family - it was a very emotional moment for all of us." In the blind auditions, coaches build their team of hopefuls based solely on their voice, without seeing the contestants. If a voice captures their attention, they hit the button and spin their chair to see the performer and signal their interest. When more than one chair turns, the artist gets to decide which coach to team up with. But if no chairs turn, the journey ends there. Charlie performed a haunting, slowed-down, and at times tear-filled rendition of Djo's 2022 hit End of Beginning. Soulfully delivered, Charlie's version of the synth-pop track struck a chord far beyond the music itself. Coach and Grammy Award winner Richard Marx turned his chair within seconds of Charlie starting his performance, with Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke spinning around soon after. Spice Girl Melanie C and Boyzone lead vocalist Ronan Keating turned their chairs just as Charlie finished singing. Keating, who teared up along with the rest of the coaches, walked up on stage to embrace the 17-year-old after his emotionally-charged performance. "I felt all of that," he said as he hugged Charlie. "That was beautiful." Marx described Charlie's rendition as "heartbreakingly beautiful", while Miller-Heidke labelled the teen's performance as "something pure and from the heart". "You just made me feel something that I've never felt in this chair before," she said. After he completed his goosebump-inducing performance, Miller-Heidke asked what led to such a powerful moment on stage. Charlie then shared his heartbreaking story about his dad, a former pastor and prison chaplain, who was left in a wheelchair after suffering a severe brain injury in a workplace accident. "Music is something me and Dad can do together...," he said. "My dad had an accident at work, pretty much half his brain is gone forever, and he suffered from really bad seizures everyday for a long time. "He [had] brain surgery last year, and the seizures have stopped. I gave music my hardest crack and it's really emotional to see it's paying off." The teenager, who gave up a promising footy path to follow his heart, said it was humbling to receive such praise from the coaches. "To have people who are that solidified in the music scene, with all the accomplishments each and every one of them has made, to see that I made them feel like that - and that they reacted like that to my voice and the way I changed that song - made me very content with where I am in my journey. "It has given me a lot of confidence." In the end, Charlie chose to be on Miller-Heidke's team. He said it was by no means an easy choice between four "amazing coaches", but in the end, the decision came down to his roots. "What they said to me after they turned around, I was still undecided," he said. "But it all came down to: I love folk music, I write folk music, and that's the career I want to have. "Kate had folk roots when she first started out, and I just felt like, with her performing at Eurovision, and with her experience as an opera singer, a pop singer, a folk singer - doing all these different genres of music and having incredible achievements in every field - I thought she would help me become more of a well-rounded artist." "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes." Tears streamed down Charlie O'Derry's face before he could even finish his blind auditions performance on Sunday night's opening episode of The Voice Australia. The talented folk singer delivered a performance so raw and heartfelt, it brought the room to a standstill and had four seasoned pop stars - the show's coaches - wiping their eyes. Recalling the moment before it went to air on Seven, the 17-year-old from Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast said his performance was not his strongest work as a vocalist. But the moment carried a lot of emotional weight as he realised, in real time, that his dream was becoming a reality. "I have definitely sung my song better," he said, "but it was just all the emotions rushing through when I saw that I had actually made it. "I couldn't hold it together." Charlie earned a prized four-chair turn from the coaches on the popular talent quest's 14th season: Spice Girl Melanie C, Richard Marx, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ronan Keating. Overwhelmed by the experience, Charlie said the emotions took over the moment he saw the first coach turn around "When I saw the first chair turn around, I started to burst into tears. My tears just kept dropping out of my eyes - it was crazy. I wasn't really expecting to get any chair turns, to be honest. To see one turn around, I was bawling my eyes out." As the chairs continued to turn, the emotions only intensified. "To see all four [coaches turn around], I started to wipe my eyes, and I could barely talk. And then to look over at my family - it was a very emotional moment for all of us." In the blind auditions, coaches build their team of hopefuls based solely on their voice, without seeing the contestants. If a voice captures their attention, they hit the button and spin their chair to see the performer and signal their interest. When more than one chair turns, the artist gets to decide which coach to team up with. But if no chairs turn, the journey ends there. Charlie performed a haunting, slowed-down, and at times tear-filled rendition of Djo's 2022 hit End of Beginning. Soulfully delivered, Charlie's version of the synth-pop track struck a chord far beyond the music itself. Coach and Grammy Award winner Richard Marx turned his chair within seconds of Charlie starting his performance, with Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke spinning around soon after. Spice Girl Melanie C and Boyzone lead vocalist Ronan Keating turned their chairs just as Charlie finished singing. Keating, who teared up along with the rest of the coaches, walked up on stage to embrace the 17-year-old after his emotionally-charged performance. "I felt all of that," he said as he hugged Charlie. "That was beautiful." Marx described Charlie's rendition as "heartbreakingly beautiful", while Miller-Heidke labelled the teen's performance as "something pure and from the heart". "You just made me feel something that I've never felt in this chair before," she said. After he completed his goosebump-inducing performance, Miller-Heidke asked what led to such a powerful moment on stage. Charlie then shared his heartbreaking story about his dad, a former pastor and prison chaplain, who was left in a wheelchair after suffering a severe brain injury in a workplace accident. "Music is something me and Dad can do together...," he said. "My dad had an accident at work, pretty much half his brain is gone forever, and he suffered from really bad seizures everyday for a long time. "He [had] brain surgery last year, and the seizures have stopped. I gave music my hardest crack and it's really emotional to see it's paying off." The teenager, who gave up a promising footy path to follow his heart, said it was humbling to receive such praise from the coaches. "To have people who are that solidified in the music scene, with all the accomplishments each and every one of them has made, to see that I made them feel like that - and that they reacted like that to my voice and the way I changed that song - made me very content with where I am in my journey. "It has given me a lot of confidence." In the end, Charlie chose to be on Miller-Heidke's team. He said it was by no means an easy choice between four "amazing coaches", but in the end, the decision came down to his roots. "What they said to me after they turned around, I was still undecided," he said. "But it all came down to: I love folk music, I write folk music, and that's the career I want to have. "Kate had folk roots when she first started out, and I just felt like, with her performing at Eurovision, and with her experience as an opera singer, a pop singer, a folk singer - doing all these different genres of music and having incredible achievements in every field - I thought she would help me become more of a well-rounded artist."
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Computing icon to return as Commodore 64 gets makeover
The iconic Commodore 64 home computer is set to make a comeback, and a full-on return to relevance for the brand may follow as a group of enthusiasts from the Commodore fan community have acquired all rights and trademarks associated with the company. The global group – including Australian retro hardware experts and led by British actor Christian Simpson, also known as retro computer YouTube personality Peri Fractic — has formed a new incarnation of the company called Commodore International. As well as resurrecting the beloved Commodore 64 in a way that supports technology old and new, more than 30 years after the machine was discontinued, the company plans to produce new hardware that embodies the friendly computing and creativity of the 1990s. Simpson has appointed members of the Commodore enthusiast community — many of whom have previously created unofficial Commodore 64 hardware and products — to various roles in the new company. He has also engaged individuals who worked for Commodore decades ago, including the co-creator of the Commodore 64, Al Charpentier, as technical adviser. Jake Young, a manufacturer of retro tech based in South Australia, will serve as Commodore's chief technology officer. He said the situation had worked out far better than any of the team could have expected, including Simpson. While the YouTuber had originally approached Commodore angling for an exclusive licence to market community-made hardware as official, he was surprised when the then-owners of the brand offered to sell him the company outright. 'There had been several other buyers who tried to purchase the brand, but for one reason or another, it had all fallen through. And the current brand owners, they had come to own the brand by virtue of a default on a loan. So I don't think they had a real interest in it,' Young said. 'The trademarks were starting to lapse, and I believe the owners were just ready to walk away. So Peri and the rest of us, we kind of stepped in at a point where, if we hadn't negotiated the deal that we did, Commodore probably would have faded out of existence in the very near future.'
West Australian
9 hours ago
- West Australian
Scarborough Beach takeover: City of Stirling warns residents as Aussie crime show is set to film on Monday
Scarborough residents may be in for a shock on Monday, waking to find the suburb's infamous beach flooded with WA Police members – but there's no need to worry, it's just part of a brand-new TV show being taped in Perth. Filming for a new Australian crime drama, produced by Warner Bros International, will hit the iconic beach on Monday. Traffic and pedestrian control will be in place from 7.00am – 6.45pm along The Esplanade, the Scarborough Amphitheatre and surrounding footpaths. The upcoming series, which has only been given the working title LAM, is centred around the intense psychological toll of life on the run. With the show's crime genre, it is little surprise that council warnings have been put in place alerting locals that actors and vehicles will be donned in WA Police attire. 'All action that takes place while filming is fictional and at no risk to the public,' the City of Stirling wrote in their statement. 'The Australian film industry relies on the assistance of the local community when filming on locations and the City of Stirling supports this production.' The filming will not restrict access to any businesses or residential properties in the Scarborough area. This will be conducted by a traffic management company approved by the City of Stirling. Footpaths in the area will remain open to the public, however pedestrians may be asked to wait for a few minutes if filming is ongoing. An additional two days of filming will also occur at a private property in the Stirling area later in the week, with essential equipment vehicles to be parked along the Esplanade. The City of Stirling says the private property filming will have no effect on pedestrian and vehicular access in the area. This is not the crime show's first time filming in Perth - the town of Bassendean issued a similar warning to residents after the show spent Thursday morning taping on Old Perth Road.
