Rising star Julia Savage talks ‘whirlwind' 12-day filming schedule on new Aussie miniseries Mix Tape

News.com.au

2 days ago

Aussie actress Julia Savage is just 18 years old, but already she has marked more than a decade in the industry.
The teenager has a Best Actress AACTA nomination under her belt for her incredible performance in the 2022 psychological drama Blaze, and has starred opposite leading Australian actors Simon Baker and Guy Pearce.
Savage will now appear alongside fellow AACTA nominee Teresa Palmer and British actor Jim Sturgess in the upcoming four-part Aussie miniseries Mix Tape, which premieres on BINGE on June 12.
And even though she began acting at seven years old, starring on hits such as The Clearing and Mr Inbetween, the young star doesn't take any of it for granted and is always ready to give it her all.
'Every time I'm on a set and I'm lucky enough to be invited to come on, I'm so grateful,' she told news.com.au from the Sydney set.
'I've been very lucky to grow up in an environment surrounded by adults who are validating me in my craft and following creative physics pursuits and my passions. But sets are my favourite place in the world. It's something I'm very lucky to be able to do at the level and with the people that I do.'
In Mix Tape, Palmer and Sturgess play former 80s high-school sweethearts Alison and Daniel who are now living in Sydney and Sheffield, respectively, but reconnect in the modern world through songs from their shared past.
Stream Mix Tape on BINGE from June 12, available on Hubbl.
Savage plays Alison's daughter Stella, who triggers her memories about Daniel. And when a chance encounter brings the former flames together after 20 years, they are forced to confront their past.
Savage and Palmer filmed intensely for 12 days in Sydney and the NSW Southern Highlands before production on the Lucy Gaffy-directed film moved to Dublin, Ireland.
The filming schedule was intense, but Savage was ready to do the hard work on the miniseries, which is based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Jane Sanderson.
'It has been a whirlwind, but it's been amazing. I just take it one day at a time every day and do the best I can do,' Savage said. 'I think in an industry where the projects you create can't go forward without every single person giving their 100 per cent, it's so important to remember that this really is the most collaborative kind of art you can make and it's the most labour-intensive art you can make.
'I think remembering that and remembering that everyone here is doing a job and they're all here to make art and make something beautiful.'
Naturally, Palmer – a soon to be mum-of-five – took Savage under her wing on set and the young star can't sing her praises enough.
'Teresa is one of the most beautiful people inside and out. She's really a ray of sunshine. She always makes me laugh on set,' Savage said.
'In terms of having to play mother-daughter, it's always felt very easy with Theresa. It's never felt there was anything forced and there was always just this amazing sense of trust between us and I'm really grateful to have had that.'
And it's not just Palmer who has given Savage some sage advice on set. The rising star says Simon Baker was a great father-figure three years ago when they filmed Blaze, where she played a young girl who, after witnessing a violent event summons an imaginary dragon to help her process her trauma.
'When I worked with him on Blaze, he was very nurturing as my father,' she said. 'I've learned a lot of amazing things from the actors I've worked with. They've given me lots of life lessons, especially to do with my craft. I really take with me things like pause, take your time and to not think about what's going on around me and just do what I'm here to do.'
'It's been very validating, especially in an industry where I'm usually the youngest person on set, to have older actors trusting me and trusting what I'm doing and helping me to do the work.'
Despite her success at such a young age, Savage says she has faced her fair share of criticism. But she drowns out the noise by surrounding herself with the right people.
'I'm younger, so there's obviously a little bit of scepticism regarding whether I'm happy doing what I'm doing,' she said. 'I can attest to the fact that I definitely love this job, but it's definitely something that you learn to deal with.
'But everyone's been super supportive. It's amazing to have such a strong foundation of support, be it on crew, be it your family, be it your friends. It's a very valuable thing to have.'