Jackie O as you've never seen her before
This week, Jackie hit back at an elderly neighbour who complained as construction began on her dream home and labelled her and Sandilands 'disgusting'. But Jackie O also revealed that she was blown away by the Archibald portrait, saying she had been blown away by Maree's previous work of actor Josh Heuston. 'Fast forward a few months, I'm in New York, still talking about that painting with friends, still in my mind,' she said in an Instagram video. 'The very next day, an email lands in my inbox. It's from Kelly!!!!! Out of the blue. She wanted to know if I'd be open to being painted for her Archibald next year. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Was this real? What serendipity. Turns out we were drawn to each other.' Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard
Banquet (Rainbow Chan) by Whitney Duan depicts artist and musician Chun Yin Rainbow Chan. Born in Hong Kong and living and working in Sydney, Chan often evokes traditional Chinese methods in different ways. Picture: Whitney Duan, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Rainbow Chan before the 2017 MOFO Festival.
Felix Cameron by Jeremy Eden depicts young actor Felix Cameron. At just 15, Cameron won two Logie awards for his performance as Eli Bell in Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe. Picture: Jeremy Eden, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Eden said the inspiration for the work came after Cameron's Logies acceptance speech. 'It was incredibly moving,' Eden said. 'I was already a big fan of Boy Swallows Universe and I thought Felix gave such a powerful, grounded performance. After meeting him and his family, I wanted to portray him not as a character, but as himself: a teenager at home, passionate about sport.' Photo byfor AFI
Ramesh (with mask) by Remy Faint depicts Sri Lankan – born Australian artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, who is a finalist in the Wynne Prize. An irreverent ceramist, Nithiyendran works across materials including sculpture, paining and printmaking. Picture: Remy Faint, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Of Nithiyendran, Faint said: 'Ramesh has a unique charisma that resonates in his art and outgoing personality. This made me think about performativity, a theme Ramesh has explored in his work through the recurring motif of masks, both as a form of adornment and a conceptual idea.' Photo: Hugh Stewart
Head of BF no 2 by David Fairbairn depicts head of cardiothoracic surgery at Liverpool Hospital in South Western Sydney Professor Bruce French. Picture: David Fairbairn, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Bruce French sitting for David Fairbairn in the past. Fairbairn said: 'Bruce's striking appearance, with his lean physique and almost skeletal bone structure, immediately drew me in. As a rule, my subjects tend to be people in their later years, who have had rich, varied life experiences, which makes it possible for me to create a more emotive, expressive and visually stimulating response.' This is Fairbairn's 10th time as an Archibald Finalist. Photo: Instagram
Keiran by Timothy Ferguson depicts Sydney artist Kerian Gordon, who combines painting, drawing and sculpture in his art. Ferguson is a first-time Archibald finalist. Picture: Timothy Ferguson, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Malatja malatja (into the future) by Robert Fielding depicts his grandson Arnold Dodd, a master spear-maker. Fielding said of the piece: 'This painting is not just about Arnold. It's about all of us who came before and all who will come after. It's about what survives – language, skill, story. He holds it with strength and grace. Through him, our culture walks boldly into the future.' Picture: Robert Fielding, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene) by Julie Fragar depicts artist Justene Williams. The title comes from Justene's recent performance in New Zealand titled Making do rhymes with poo about getting by, particularly balancing work and a family life. Picture: Julie Fragar, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Williams works across media including video, photography, sculpture and performance. Fragar is now a four-time Archibald finalist. Photo: Britta Campion / The Australian
Still standing and fighting by Linda Gold depicts AFL legend, 2025 Australian of the Year and FightMND co-founder Neale Daniher. He has raised $115 million for research into the disease he suffers from. Picture: Linda Gold, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Daniher receiving his Australian of the Year honour. Gold said of Daniher: 'I wrote asking if he would consider posing for a portrait. He kindly agreed to a 15-minute sitting at his home. In the end, I spent more than an hour with Neale and his wife Jan.' Photo: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Sisters by Jaq Grantford depicts Antonia and Nicole Kidman, who sat for the portrait last Christmas Eve. The portrait is a tribute to their mother Janelle, who died last September. Picture: Jaq Grantford, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
I won't wish, I will by Yolande Gray depicts well-known ceramic artist Pippin Drysdale, whose career has lasted three decades. Picture: Yolande Gray, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Drysdale uses ceramic and inspiration from landscapes, including Australian desert landscapes, in her work. Photo: Stewart Allen
Meditation on time (a left-handed self-portrait) by Tsering Hannaford is a self-portrait done in Hannaford's non-dominant left hand. It took seven months to do after she suffered a debilitating tendon injury in her right wrist. The 11-time Archibald finalist said: 'My right hand is not just connected to my work and livelihood, but to my sense of independence, agency and identity … Art can have the power to transform suffering and, if anything, my experience with chronic pain has made me more sensitive to the challenges of others, and grateful for the blessings I do have.' Picture: Tsering Hannaford, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Nooky, The Voice by JESWRI depicts Yuin and Thunghutti rapper and Triple J radio host Nooky. Nooky also founded the Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors. Picture: JESWRI, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
The portrait of Nooky is after his 2024 ARIA performance, where he's wearing a bulletproof vest. JESWRI said: 'That night, Nooky had an undeniable presence, which needed to be immortalised'. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer
New Madonna by Brittany Jones is a self-portrait including her son. The first-time Archibald finalist said: 'I chose to include my son in this self-portrait to commemorate his life with me earthside at roughly the same amount of time he spent inside before he was born. I drew inspiration for the pose from the classical depictions of the Madonna and Child.' Picture: Brittany Jones, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Kim by Solomon Kammer depicts Kim Leutwyler, a seven-time Archibald finalist who had gender-affirming surgery. Picture: Solomon Kammer, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Diana through threads by Madeleine Kelly depicts textile artist, painter and visual art professor at the University of Wollongong Diana Wood Conroy. Over a six decade career, Conroy has produced hundreds of tapestries, with first-time Archibald finalist Kelly choosing the thread theme. Picture: Madeleine Kelly, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Thom Roberts by Daniel Kim depicts Thom Roberts, a four-time Archibald finalist who works across painting, drawing, installation, animation and performance. Picture: Daniel Kim, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Kim said of Roberts: 'Thom and I have both been Archibald finalists before and have had artworks exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Thom and I also did some sketching at the Art Gallery at a late-night art event. Thom is in this year's Sulman Prize.' Picture: John Appleyard
Monica in her studio by Bronte Leighton-Dore depicts Monica Rani Rudhar. Born to Indian and Romanian migrant parents, Rudhar works across sculpture, video and performance. Picture: Bronte Leighton-Dore, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Rudhar's art explores cultural disconnection. Leighton-Dore said: 'I don't mind movement in my sittings; it helps relieve the pressure and creates a more relaxed atmosphere. In this case, Monica is shown chatting with me.'. Picture: Monica Rani Rudhar and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia / Zan Wimberley
You are only as good as your last painting by Richard Lewer has done a self-portrait which shows him stepping back to admire his painting. Picture: Richard Lewer, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
The New Zealand-born Melburnian is a five-time Archibald finalist. Of the painting he said: 'In the portrait, my clothes are flecked with the smears and splotches of paint from months in the studio. There is a physicality to the outfit; it is a palette, a uniform, and a record of repetition, routine and the discipline of making. The glasses in one hand and paintbrush in the other are metaphors for the act of looking and making; the tools of observation and inspiration.'
Ken Done by Fiona Lowry depicts legendary Australian artist Ken Done. Picture: Fiona Lowry, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Painted by 2014 Archibald winner Lowry, she said Done's work had been a feature of her life. 'I chose to paint Ken Done for the Archibald because his art and design was woven into the fabric of my childhood. I remember my mother buying his bedspreads. They felt rich and vibrant, like bringing joy into the home. I used to draw his fish, completely absorbed in their playful shapes and colours that echoed the ocean and my home town. His frangipanis and hibiscus still sit in my memory as symbols of the changing seasons – of warmth, light, and a uniquely Australian kind of beauty.' Picture: Christian Gilles
Miranda and Prince by Col Mac depicts Australian actor Miranda Otto. A long time fan of her work, Mac was thrilled when Otto decided to sit for him. Picture: Col Mac, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Otto, who has featured in the likes of The Lord of the Rings, War of the Worlds and TV show Homeland, left Mac feeling she was a 'a very engaging, thoughtful person. We were outside for most of the morning before ending up in the living room, which is why Miranda is wearing those amazing bright sneakers'. Mac is a first-time Archibald finalist. Photo:for IMDb
Shan is a little little little mermaid by Catherine McGuiness depicts queer Australian artist Shan Turner-Carroll. Picture: Catherine McGuiness, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Turner-Carroll works across sculpture, performance, photography and film. McGuiness said of Turner-Carroll: 'Shan is an artist and my Prince Charming. He helps me with my sketching and we have made lots of artworks and exhibitions together.' Photo: Instagram
Savanhdary by Kerry McInnis depicts Savanhdary Vongpoothorn, a Lao-Australian painter who arrived in the country as a seven-year-old. Picture: Kerry McInnis, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Two-time Archibald finalist McInnis said of Vongpoothorn: 'I have long admired the integrity and execution of Savanhdary's oeuvre, appreciating the complexity of the intercultural connections it illuminates.'
King Dingo by Vincent Namatjira is a self-portrait by the 2020 Archibald winner. Picture: Vincent Namatjira, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Namatjira won the Archibald for his painting of Adam Goodes, becoming the first Indigenous artist to win the award. But this time around he painted a self-portrait. 'When I paint self-portraits, I want people to get to know me a bit and see what is important to me – Country, family, history, power, recognition,' Namatjira said. 'Self-portraiture is a way of sharing what it might be like to be in my shoes. It's also an opportunity for me to look at the history of this country and ask, who has the power, and why?' Photo: Sia Duff
Self-portrait with nose tube by Chris O'Doherty (AKA Reg Mombassa) is a self-portrait by the legendary artist of Mambo fame. He was also a founding member of Mental as Anything. Picture: Reg Mombassa, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
It's the second time Mombassa has submitted a self-portrait for the prize. 'This painting is based on a selfie and some sketches I made while in hospital a couple of years ago,' he said. 'I find self-portraits easier to set up as I am readily available and will not complain about a negative or ugly portrayal. Plus I don't need to be stuck in a room with a stranger.' Photo: Supplied
Casey by Sassy Park depicts ceramic artist Casey Chen, who blends both nostalgia and East Asian ceramics. Park is a first-time Archibald finalist. Picture: Sassy Park, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Self-portrait (the act of putting it back together) by Sid Pattni is a self-portrait examining how he came to understand himself, using a range of different styles. 'Crucially, these references are about getting it wrong; about producing pictures that speak of the here and now,' Pattni said. 'I'm very attracted to the cycle of collapsing interpretations, telling a story of how India is perceived externally and how generations of Indians came to internalise and inhabit Western projections of 'Indian-ness' today. Ultimately, my portrait is not a fixed statement but a dynamic exploration of identity, which is a constant negotiation between inherited histories and the lived realities of the present.' Picture: Sid Pattni, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Sid Pattni entered the 2021 Big Brother house. This is his first year in the Archibald Prize. Picture: Seven Network
Magic Nikki and Charlie Fancy Pants Party … DJaaaaaaaay by Meagan Pelham depicts designer and jeweller Nikita Majajas and her wife Charlie Villas, who is a DJ. Picture: Meagan Pelham, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
(L-R) Charlie Villas, Sally Jackson, Gary Bigeni and Nikita Majajas at UTS Honours Graduate Showcase. Pelham said: 'Nikita is such a talented artist. I love her work because it is so colourful and fun and makes me happy. I had the best time DJing with Charlie at the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art Australia); we were vibing, rapping and just living it up on stage. I'm all about hip hop, good music and having a blast. That's why I chose them as subjects for my Archibald portrait.'
Warwick Thornton by Adrian Jangala Robertson depicts internationally acclaimed director and Indigenous man Thornton. Robertson, who features in a painting himself, is in the Archibald finals for the second time, having previously been one of only two artists to be a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. Picture: Adrian Jangala Robertson, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Thornton has directed movies such as Samson and Delilah and Sweet Country and, like Robertson, also shares his deep connection to Country, family and the role of the past in the present. Photo byfor SXSW Sydney
Kidjerikidjeri by Joan Ross depicts First nations curator Coby Edgar. Ross is a three-time Archibald finalist and 2017 Sulman Prize winner. Picture: Joan Ross, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Of Edgar and the painting, Ross said: 'The title Kidjerikidjeri (willy wagtail) is her given name. Coby is a queer woman and the bright red and orange symbolises this. I had the idea of portraying her in a colonial dress. She suggested it be pulled down to the waist to emulate the portraits of her ancestors, photographed by Paul Foelsche in the 1800s. Her body is painted in a wash of ochre and the tattoos were designed by and represent people in her family. She chose to hold red seeds that her ancestor Billiamook gifted to the first colonials. I have used hi-vis (as I often do) as a stamp of colonisation to show that it's a stain on us all.' Picture: Phil Williams
Lette loose by Sally Ryan depicts Puberty Blues author Kathy Lette. Picture: Sally Ryan, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
While being circled by sharks, Ryan said of the image: 'It was an absolute joy to capture her essence – full of energy and mischief – with her Cronulla roots serving as the perfect theme for my composition. At her request, I added some sharks into the mix – a playful reference to her most recent novel, The Revenge Club. However, Kathy isn't swimming with the sharks; she is on top of the water, in control and keeping them at bay.' Picture: Richard Dobson
The green man by Evan Shipard depicts ABC's Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis. Picture: Evan Shipard, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Of Georgiadis, Shipard said: 'He is an animated character on screen, but I aimed to capture a quieter, more pensive moment that hopefully offers a fresh insight into this popular man. After spending a day painting him, it felt as if we were old friends. He checked in on the work during breaks, but was careful not to get too close as he was excited about the final reveal.'. Picture: Bega Valley Shire Council
Finger painting of William Barton by Loribelle Spirovski depicts didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton, who has taken the instrument to new heights by engaging with classical music. Picture: Loribelle Spirovski, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
As for why Spirovski chose finger paining, Spirovski said she played one of Barton's compositions during the sitting. 'For years, I've been recovering from an injury that has made painting difficult and painful. Many times, I've questioned my role as an artist,' Spirovski said. 'As the music began, my hand set the brush aside and I dipped my finger into the soft, pliant paint. I turned the volume up, the music guiding me. Without a brush, painting was almost painless. As the portrait painted itself, I felt alive in a way I hadn't for a very long time.' Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short
Self-portrait as a cat king by Vipoo Srivilasa depicts the first-time Archibald finalist pretty much as his title suggests. Picture: Vipoo Srivilasa, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Srivilasa said: 'To create this self-portrait, I used my phone in selfie mode instead of a mirror, but I found far more joy in observing my cats than in looking at my reflection.' Generally working in ceramics, Srivilasa chose to do the piece on handmade porcelain tile. Photo: Aaron Francis/The Australian
With the shadow by Clare Thackway is a self-portrait, drawing on Jungian concepts of the unconscious part of the psyche. Picture: Clare Thackway, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Thackway, who now lives in Paris, is known for her intimate portraits and figurative paintings. She painted the portrait over two years.
The Yellow Odalisque of Brunswick by Natasha Walsh depicts Atong Atem, a South Sudanese artist who uses photography to study postcolonialism and the spread of African culture across the world. Picture: Natasha Walsh, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Of the collaboration with Atem, Walsh said: 'Her photographs, which often play with her own representation, have always captivated me. When I asked her which work from art history she would like to reimagine together, she suggested Henri Matisse's Yellow odalisque.' Picture: Mark Mohell
Portrait of Sue Chrysanthou by Peter Wegner depicts Sydney defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou, who has represented a number of high profile clients. Picture: Peter Wegner, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Chrysanthou arriving at the Lidcombe Coroners Court on the first day of the Westfield Bondi Junction inquest. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short
From comic to canvas by Kaylene Whiskey is the artists third time in the Archibald Prize, having previously won the 2018 Sulman Prize. Picture: Kaylene Whiskey, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Of the painting, Whiskey said: 'Now that I'm an artist myself, I like to say that my artworks are 'from the comic to the canvas' because I love to paint my favourite comic book superheroes, especially Wonder Woman. I paint ladies with superpowers because the ladies at Iwantja Arts, where I work, are kungka kunpu (strong women) too! I also love to paint my favourite musicians like Dolly Parton and Tina Turner. I show everyone coming together on Aṉangu Country, sharing bush tucker like tjala (honey ants) and ngiṉtaka (perentie lizard), and having fun, singing and dancing together.' Photo: Merinda Campbell / MAGNT
Cormac in Arcadia by Marcus Wills depicts 13-year-old Cormac Wright, who appeared alongside Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris in the 2022 film The Stranger watching a mythical scene from Greek antiquity. Cormac is the middle in the green hoodie. Wills won the Archibald Prize in 2006. Picture: Marcus Wills, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Self-portrait in the studio by Callum Worsfold is 'a raw reflection of me in all my grungy griminess. Although the gas mask was initially a mere prop, adding to the grunge aesthetic, the choice to submit a painting which obscures half my face in a portrait prize seemed a funny idea'. He is a first-time Archibald finalist. Picture: Callum Worsfold, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Wendy in the gallery by Lucila Zentner depicts acclaimed artist Wendy Sharpe, who won the 1996 Archibald Prize for a self-portrait. Sharpe has won many prizes and has held over 70 major exhibitions, as well as being appointed an official war artist by the Australian War Memorial and being posted to East Timor. Picture: Lucila Zentner, Archibald 2025, Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter
Archibald winning artist Wendy Sharpe and her mural at the Sydney Jewish museum. For Zentner, a first-time Archibald finalist and practising doctor, she said Sharpe's 2024 Spellbound exhibition had inspired her. 'I immediately had an idea for a painting that was small and secretive – a window into a rich inner life. By using Wendy's motifs and paintings for the background, distorted through my lens and brush, I acknowledge and celebrate that another person's inner life is unknowable, even allowing for a lack of fear and censorship in art,' Zentner said.
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Man of Many
2 hours ago
- Man of Many
Charlie Vickers on ‘The Survivors', Building Character and Coming Home
By Dean Blake - News Published: 6 June 2025 |Last Updated: 4 June 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 10 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Charlie Vickers is on the rise. After an impressively devilish rendition of Middle-Earth's Sauron in Rings of Power, the Aussie actor is returning home to star in Netflix's The Survivors: an adaptation of Jane Harper's novel of the same name that focuses on the small, coastal town of Evelyn Bay and a series of deaths that echo through the years. In some ways, The Survivors was a particularly personal project for Vickers, who saw his own echoes in the show—a big-town man returning to his small-town roots—and who connected with the inherent Australianness of it all. Since studying acting at the College of Speech and Drama in London, Vickers has been largely living overseas, and the opportunity to return home, especially for a script he felt excited by, was too good to pass up. We caught up with Vickers ahead of The Survivors launch on Netflix on 6 June to talk though what drew him to the project, how he got started in acting, and what it was like coming back to Australia. Charlie Vickers in 'The Survivors' | Image: Netflix To start with, I wanted to get an idea of what it was about The Survivors that got you excited. What sold you on being a part of it? I love shows that adapt novels, really. The Survivors is a novel that I hadn't read, but I'd read a few other books by Jane Harper and this just sounded like a really fun adventure to be able to go on. So when I had the opportunity to potentially do it, I thought, 'It's in Tasmania, I grew up in Melbourne, but I'd somehow never been to Tasmania,' and being able to work with a whole bunch of new, amazing people and having Tony in charge of the whole project got me really excited. Also, just being able to be part of an Australian story. It's quintessentially Australian. I live in the UK now so I want to do as many Australian projects as possible, and this was such an enticing opportunity, really. The character of the town, although it's fictional, its kind of its own character in this story, and being able to film so much of it on location got me really excited. I also thought the story was interesting, and the way the script adapted the novel made me quite interested. It's quite cool seeing small-town Australia highlighted—I wanted to ask about that. Was that part of the charm for you? Is that something that reminds you of your childhood in Australia? In a way, it is . There are a huge amount of similarities between Tasmania and Victoria, and I grew up in a small coastal town exactly like . It's funny, the character of Kieran is still quite far away from who I am but he's also returning from a big city, in his case Sydney, to his childhood town, and there was a bit of familiarity there for me. I live overseas in a big city and often find myself coming back to my small, coastal town, and I think my son was about 6 months old when I was filming this, and he has a 4 month old, so there was a lot of 'world's colliding'. Having the opportunity to tell a story set in a coastal town, and you have all the dynamics . I was watching the show with my brother the other day, and he said 'god, some of these characters feel like they could be from our home town', it's crazy. Charlie Vickers in 'The Survivors' | Image: Netflix I wanted to get an idea of what you look for in a role? There's no shared characteristics of any roles , I often look for something that when I read it I get inspired, or I get excited by the idea of doing it. These roles can be completely different, but the thing they share is that I think I can bring something to the project: it has to ignite my imagination, reading it. Those kinds of jobs are few and far between, that make you excited, and this was one of those jobs. I've played quite a lot of villains in my career so far, but that's just coincidental and because of the material I've been given. How do you find your characters? When you're given a script or a treatment, how do you go about turning those words into action? For me, I try to keep it as simple as possible. I don't properly believe in the idea of 'character'. It's useful to use it in terms of referring to the character of Kieran, for example, but his 'character' is just the sum of a whole bunch of little moments. So I try not to look at things through a wide-angle lens, you know? And sometimes I watch the final product of things and find that 'oh wow, he's an entirely different person to how I had imagined him', because I tend to approach it from a moment to moment basis, and react to the circumstances he's in, and try to play to each moment truthfully, and then that paints a bigger picture of this character's life during the time period on screen. The only thing you have to be mindful of, I guess, is to think of the journey of the character throughout the show, but the specificity of each moment we see creates the 'character', I think. Charlie Vickers in 'The Survivors' | Image: Netflix Beyond being able to come back to Australia, what was the highlight of the filming process for The Survivors? There were so many. I loved being able to be in a really special place, Tasmania, that I'd never been to, with a whole bunch of amazing actors and creatives. To be able to work with these people made it an amazing experience: Actors that I've watched since I was a kid on screen. People like Damien or Robyn or Catherine and then there's this whole other amazing generation of actors like Yerin , Jess , Thom and George , and I think that's what I really love about projects. I've been really fortunate in my career in that you can just kind of go somewhere for six months and work on something and be fully immersed in the world of whatever you're doing, and then you get to move on and some of the relationships endure. That's the lasting memory of working in Tasmania : the combination of the location and the people. It was probably really good to have that filming location be somewhere you'd never been but also being very familiar in a way. Exactly, I don't know why I'd never been to Tasmania, but it really does feel different. There's an atmospheric quality to that place that is inherent, just when you're walking around. The energy there can be heavy, and I'm sure that's what Jane was trying to tap into when she wrote the novel. You mentioned earlier that you've enjoyed doing adaptations of novels, and you've done quite a few of them at this point: is there any book adaptations that you'd love to work on? I love Tim Winton's novels, and I read The Shepherds Hut recently, and also The Riders, and Eyrie, which is about a retired climate worker that lives in Freemantle, and I just think his stories are so evocatively written and I'd love to be a part of an adaptation of one of those novels on screen. I think they're pretty rarely adapted, though, and the adaptation process to take a novel to screen is often a really complex one. Those novels, when I read them, I really connected to a few of the characters and thought it'd be really cool to be a part of. I love imagining the world, that's part of the amazing thing about reading books. Charlie Vickers in 'The Survivors' | Image: Netflix You've worked in a few genres so far – is there anything you'd want to do that you haven't been given the chance to yet? It's quite a boring answer, but I'm lucky that I've been given the chance to work on bigger productions and smaller productions and things that are in pretty wildly contrasting genres that I don't really have that itch to do anything in particular. I just kind of want to work on stories that are exciting, the genre could be anything, really. If it's something that creatively inspires me, I'd be keen to do it, but there's no particular world I want to jump into anymore: which is nice, it's a nice place to be. How did you get started in acting? I did a lot of plays at school. I remember being in year 12, and I was playing Richard the 3rd in our school production of it, and it was the same year it was being done by the Melbourne Theatre Company, and Ewen Leslie was playing Richard the 3rd, and I remember going to see it and just thinking 'wow, that's so much better than what I'm doing', and thinking 'I'd love to be able to do that one day'. I remember that moment of 'wouldn't it be cool to be an actor', but then I never found it to be an accessible path. I think I was afraid. I knew you could go and audition for drama school, it just didn't seem to be a thing that was in my world, it didn't feel possible to me: getting in to a drama school and then going on to be an actor, so I didn't do it for a few years after school finished. In those intervening years I was studying a music/business degree, and while I loved uni and being around my mates and that whole period of my life, but I was really just treading water. I had no idea what I was doing, and throughout Uni I was doing amateur theatre productions. Melbourne Uni has this amazing theatre called the Union Theatre, so I did a lot of work there. Eventually, I drummed up the courage to do it, and that changed my life. I thought, maybe I should just have a go at trying for a drama school because I really didn't know what I was doing. The school I went to, the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, they come and do audition weekends in Sydney, and I decided I was going to go to it. I flew up and didn't tell anyone because I was afraid of telling people I auditioned and I didn't get in, so I did the audition over a weekend and then found out six weeks later that I'd got in, and then had to decide whether I wanted to uproot my life or did I want to wait until the end of the year and maybe try some of the Australian schools. But when you get into a drama school, it's so unlikely in the first place that I just thought I have to take this opportunity – it might not happen again. So yeah, I moved to London, and that was really the moment the direction of my life changed. The Survivors launches exclusively on Netflix on 6 June.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Jessie J 'so grateful for the love and support' after breast cancer diagnosis
Jessie J has thanked her fans for their outpouring of "love and support" following her breast cancer diagnosis. The 37-year-old pop star went public with her health issues earlier this week revealing she is battling an "early" form of the disease and is currently undergoing tests before surgery later in the year - and she now has expressed her gratitude to everyone who has reached out to her since she explained her situation. In a post on Instagram, she wrote: "So grateful for all the love and support and kindness from everyone who has reached out to me in the last two days." Jessie - who is mother to two-year-old son Sky with basketball star Chanan Colman - previously revealed she was given the diagnosis prior to the release of her single, 'New Secrets' on April 25 and she has been "in and out of tests" since. She said in an Instagram video: "Before 'No Secrets' came out, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. I'm highlighting the word 'early'. "Cancer sucks in any form but I'm holding onto the word early. I have been in and out of tests throughout this whole period." Jessie went "back and forth" with herself about whether she should share her news, due to there being "lots of opinions outside". However, the 'Who You Are' singer felt she should tell all, particularly because of the name of her latest single, 'No Secrets', which was inspired by a miscarriage she had in 2021. She said: "To get diagnosed with this, as I'm putting out a song called 'No Secrets' right before a song called 'Living My Best Life,' which was all pre-planned before I found out about this, I mean you can't make it up. "I just wanted to be open and share it - one, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. "I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me, with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories. "I'm an open book. It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much, similar and worse. That's the bit that kills me." Jessie is still planning to perform at this year's Capital Summertime Ball on June 15 at London's Wembley Stadium, but afterwards she will undergo surgery and "disappear for a bit". She said: "It wasn't something I'd planned, but yeah. I'm getting to keep my nipples, that's good. It's a weird topic and a weird situation. "I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive t*ts and more music." The 'Price Tag' hitmaker joked: "It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job."
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
Nia Sanchez and Daniel Booko welcome fourth child
Nia Sanchez and her husband Daniel Booko have become parents for the fourth time. The Valley stars have welcomed a daughter named Adelaide Nicole - who joins elder siblings Asher, three, and one-year-old twins Isabelle and Zariah - and the couple shared the first picture of their little girl in a post on social media in which they declared they are "absolutely in love" with the new arrival. In a message posted on Instagram. they wrote: "Sweet little memories from Adelaide's first moments of life. We are absolutely in love! Birth story coming soon." The pair told Us Weekly they gave their daughter the middle name Nicole to honour Nia's mother, who shares the same name, because she's been such a huge help raising their family. Nia also revealed Adelaide's birth was much more "intimate" than her previous experiences in the delivery room. She told the publication: "The first moments with baby no. four felt so sweet and intimate. "In our previous birth experiences, we've had a lot more people in the room. And we've always had a doula. This time, it was just us with our doctor and two nurses. This birth was extra special because Danny was able to deliver the baby." The family recently moved into a new home in Santa Clarita, California and they are were unpacking at the time Adelaide arrived. Nia said: "We moved in about two and a half weeks before baby no. four arrived. We still have boxes everywhere and are not quite settled. But it feels great to have so much more space and a beautiful backyard for our children to play in." Nia went on to reveal she now feels as if their family is complete and they probably won't be having any more children. She explained: "This pregnancy definitely felt like a full circle moment for us. We had always talked about either wanting two children or four. 'When we skipped the line to three kids [after having twins], we began discussing no. four shortly after. We both come from families of four, so having four little ones of our own feels very full circle ... "I am really looking forward to watching all of my children grow up and be so close. We love creating special memories with our children and are excited to now do that as a family of six."
