Latest news with #WorkStrifeBalance
Perth Now
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Asher Keddie in her producing era but isn't quitting acting
When watching a comedy movie or TV show, you may wonder if the actors struggle with trying not to crack up when reciting their lines on set. For one of Australia's most adored actors Asher Keddie, becoming hysterical mid-line is something she is very good at. These latest crack-ups came when playing Evelyn Jones, the lead character in Strife, which follows the modern imperfect woman and publisher on her journey from a blogger to a force in digital media with her startup Eve Life. After the first season in 2023 became Binge's biggest original series premiere of all time, the second season premiered on May 8 and sees Keddie's character exploring the complexities of womanhood, relationships, dealing with the threat of a new rival women's website, and tackling nasty trolls — all the while keeping up just the right level of lighthearted gags. 'This is the sort of show that incites so much mischief and laughter,' Keddie says on a phone call from Sydney. 'The whole ensemble is always engaged in shenanigans and humour and, you know, so much fun behind the scenes. It's about creating a certain level of hysteria when you're doing comedy drama, I think.' It's something the actor, who also serves as executive producer on the show, always encourages 'to the point of being probably the most unprofessional of the lot of them'. 'I'm terrible when it comes to hysterical laughing in the middle of a scene,' she says. 'It's not my strong point, put it that way. if I'm amused by something, I find it difficult not to respond in the moment, and this cast is incredibly amusing, so we've had such fun together.' Asher Keddie as Evelyn Jones. Credit: John Platt In among the comedy, of course, is the importance of telling authentic female stories. After all, the series is a fictionalised adaptation of Mia Freedman's 2017 memoir Work Strife Balance, about her experience of leaving magazines to launch women's lifestyle website Mamamia. 'It was just so incredible listening to the stories at the beginning that Mia had of her experiences throughout, and the challenge of presenting her ideas online and putting them out there and using her voice no matter what the consequences were, and sometimes the consequences in the cost to her were huge,' Keddie says. 'We explore in the second series trolling, which became a really big thing around the time that Mia started up Mamamia, so that's a really interesting storyline.' The Offspring star says viewers need to see women's vulnerabilities on screen. 'What I want to see is not to apologise for getting it wrong and failing sometimes and not being able to achieve that kind of elusive perfection that we put on ourselves all the time,' she says. 'I think those themes that we explore in the show, particularly in the second season, are the things that I really want to lean into as a woman and a viewer, so I'm hoping that other people feel the same way.' Asher Keddie attends the 2025 AACTA Awards. Credit: Dan Peled / Getty Images for AFI The Melburnian reunited with Bruna Papandrea, whom she worked with for roles in Nine Perfect Strangers and The Lost Flowers Of Alice Heart, to produce the show. Keddie found it helpful rather than challenging to be a producer as well as an actor. 'Being able to produce and being in conversation about how we can write it, how we're going to perform it, where it's gonna be, all the different millions of choices that you make on the entirety of a production, it's so involving for me that it's almost easier to be a bigger part of it in that way than it is just to deliver a performance,' she says. Despite loving the production side of things, Keddie isn't stepping away from acting. 'Oh no, I'm not gonna give up my day job,' she says. 'I love acting. I always have. I enjoy it more now actually than ever so no, I still love what I do but I just like combining the two.'
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Asher Keddie loved producing as well as acting in Strife but isn't giving up her day job
When watching a comedy movie or TV show, you may wonder if the actors struggle with trying not to crack up when reciting their lines on set. For one of Australia's most adored actors Asher Keddie, becoming hysterical mid-line is something she is very good at. These latest crack-ups came when playing Evelyn Jones, the lead character in Strife, which follows the modern imperfect woman and publisher on her journey from a blogger to a force in digital media with her startup Eve Life. After the first season in 2023 became Binge's biggest original series premiere of all time, the second season premiered on May 8 and sees Keddie's character exploring the complexities of womanhood, relationships, dealing with the threat of a new rival women's website, and tackling nasty trolls — all the while keeping up just the right level of lighthearted gags. 'This is the sort of show that incites so much mischief and laughter,' Keddie says on a phone call from Sydney. 'The whole ensemble is always engaged in shenanigans and humour and, you know, so much fun behind the scenes. It's about creating a certain level of hysteria when you're doing comedy drama, I think.' It's something the actor, who also serves as executive producer on the show, always encourages 'to the point of being probably the most unprofessional of the lot of them'. 'I'm terrible when it comes to hysterical laughing in the middle of a scene,' she says. 'It's not my strong point, put it that way. if I'm amused by something, I find it difficult not to respond in the moment, and this cast is incredibly amusing, so we've had such fun together.' In among the comedy, of course, is the importance of telling authentic female stories. After all, the series is a fictionalised adaptation of Mia Freedman's 2017 memoir Work Strife Balance, about her experience of leaving magazines to launch women's lifestyle website Mamamia. 'It was just so incredible listening to the stories at the beginning that Mia had of her experiences throughout, and the challenge of presenting her ideas online and putting them out there and using her voice no matter what the consequences were, and sometimes the consequences in the cost to her were huge,' Keddie says. 'We explore in the second series trolling, which became a really big thing around the time that Mia started up Mamamia, so that's a really interesting storyline.' The Offspring star says viewers need to see women's vulnerabilities on screen. 'What I want to see is not to apologise for getting it wrong and failing sometimes and not being able to achieve that kind of elusive perfection that we put on ourselves all the time,' she says. 'I think those themes that we explore in the show, particularly in the second season, are the things that I really want to lean into as a woman and a viewer, so I'm hoping that other people feel the same way.' The Melburnian reunited with Bruna Papandrea, whom she worked with for roles in Nine Perfect Strangers and The Lost Flowers Of Alice Heart, to produce the show. Keddie found it helpful rather than challenging to be a producer as well as an actor. 'Being able to produce and being in conversation about how we can write it, how we're going to perform it, where it's gonna be, all the different millions of choices that you make on the entirety of a production, it's so involving for me that it's almost easier to be a bigger part of it in that way than it is just to deliver a performance,' she says. Despite loving the production side of things, Keddie isn't stepping away from acting. 'Oh no, I'm not gonna give up my day job,' she says. 'I love acting. I always have. I enjoy it more now actually than ever so no, I still love what I do but I just like combining the two.'
Courier-Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
90s sitcom star joins hit Aussie series
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. The highly anticipated Season 2 of the breakout Aussie series Strife premieres on Thursday, May 8 and the cast celebrated its upcoming return with a star-studded event in Sydney overnight. Beloved actress Asher Keddie led the way at the exclusive launch party held at Island Radio restaurant in Redfern with her co-stars Matt Day, Emma Lung, Maria Angelico, Tina Bursill and Bryony Skillington also walking the red carpet. Asher Keddie attends the Strife Season 2 launch party in Sydney. One star set to steal the show this season is Mary Coustas, who was rose to fame on the 90s sitcom Acropolis Now. In Season 2 of the BINGE series, which follows the messy and relatable life of digital publisher Evelyn Jones (played by Keddie), Coustas plays the media mogul's psychologist Sylvie, who she consults regularly after Evelyn's former deputy and friend launches a rival website. Stream Strife Season 1 now and Season 2 from May 8 on BINGE, available on Hubbl. Mary Coustas wowed the crowd at the event held at Island Radio restaurant. Coustas, who hosted the event's Q&A with the stars and creatives behind the show, looked unlike the loud and flashy character of Effie Stefanidis she portrayed on Acropolis Now. Coustas is well known for playing her Greek-Australian alter ego Effie on Acropolis Now. Source: Supplied Coustas joins Season 2 as psychologist Sylvie. Picture: Binge The OTT bouffant hairdo and thick Greek accent were no more as 60-year-old Coustas took to the stage with Keddie, screenwriter Sarah Scheller and executive producers Bruna Papandrea and Mia Freedman (the Mamamia founder whose 2017 memoir, Work Strife Balance, is based on the book). Instead, Coustas now 60, rocked sleek hair and looked chic in a baby blue power suit. Maria Angelico plays Keddie's on-screen rival on the show. Matt Day returns as Keddie's ex-husband on the series. The series is based on publishing mogul Mia Freedman's 2017 memoir Work Strife Balance. 'I love that this [show] is about a woman trying to do something that hadn't been done before on a very large scale,' she told The Daily Telegraph in a separate interview over the weekend. 'I know Mia. I was around when that was all happening for [Mia] at the beginning,' Coustas added as she recalled the launch of Freedman's Mamamia website. Season 2 premieres on Thursday, May 8 on Binge. 'I know what it's like for any woman that juggles a lot. To just get through the day is a miracle, let alone pull off something miraculous, like an online platform with a million people working for you and getting into trouble a lot.' As for Keddie, she too loves how the series embraces the calm and the chaos women juggle every day. 'I found so much of the story relatable and knew it would be relatable to many women no matter what industry they're working in, not just the media industry,' Keddie previously told Strife Season 2 premieres Thursday, May 8 at 8:30pm on BINGE, available on Hubbl, and on Showcase at 8:30pm and is available On Demand with episodes dropping weekly Originally published as Popular Aussie sitcom star Mary Coustas joins Season 2 of hit Aussie series Strife
Daily Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
Strife: Mary Coustas stars in series based on Mia Freedman, Mamamia
Don't miss out on the headlines from Stellar. Followed categories will be added to My News. From the moment that Mary Coustas first stepped on stage in 1987 as Effie Stephanidis – a second-generation Greek woman with a personality as big as her wig – she knew she had struck a cultural chord. 'As soon as I opened my mouth, I felt something shift,' the actor tells The Binge Guide of introducing Australia to the proud dynamo, whose fierceness carried over to the hit 1989-1992 TV series Acropolis Now. 'I felt like I birthed the biggest baby in the hospital that year – hair and all.' Now the actor known best for comedy is making a return to television in dramatic fashion. In the second season of Strife, the breakout Binge show about the messy but exhilarating life of digital publisher Evelyn Jones (Asher Keddie), Coustas plays psychologist Sylvie, whose ear Evelyn needs to bend, especially when friend Christine (Maria Angelico) decides to launch a rival website. 'I know what it's like for any woman that juggles a lot.' Mary Coustas pictured in character as Sylvie in Strife. Picture: Binge 'I love that this [show] is about a woman trying to do something that hadn't been done before on a very large scale,' Coustas says of Mia Freedman, the real-life Mamamia co-founder whose 2017 memoir, Work Strife Balance, became the jump-off point for the series, which offers an edgy examination of celebrity and popular culture in the early 2010s. 'I know Mia. I was around when that was all happening for her at the beginning,' Coustas recalls. 'I know what it's like for any woman that juggles a lot. To just get through the day is a miracle, let alone pull off something miraculous, like an online platform with a million people working for you and getting into trouble a lot.' Coustas, who says she was initially tapped to work with the writers on Strife, appreciates that the dramedy takes a potentially serious subject like financial strain and makes it funny and watchable. Listen to the full interview with Tanya Hennessy on Something To Talk About below: And when she considers the diversity of the cast and crew, she can't help but reflect on how far Australian television has come since 1989, when Acropolis Now made its debut. Created by Nick Giannopoulos, George Kapiniaris and Simon Palomares, the five-season comedy set in a fictional Melbourne cafe was a pioneering showcase of authentic Greek-Australian culture. 'I do feel very proud of the work that we did and we opened a big door, but I felt it took forever for more people to walk through it,' Coustas, 60, says now. 'Maybe if social media was around back then, it would have been different. We could have put more of us on the map.' Growing up, Coustas recalls with a laugh, she would 'make fun of my mum, who would watch the credits of everything and look for Greek names. 'When you say the word 'nostalgia', you know it's going to fail.' Picture: David Clark Strife is loosely based on the life of Mia Freedman – with Asher Keddie portraying a character inspired by her. Picture: Getty Images Asher Keddie as Evelyn on set of the new series of Binge's Strife. Picture: John Platt 'I was a bit like that, but with faces. I remember thinking, Oh, how am I going to succeed in an industry where there aren't people that look like me in it, or certainly not in any significant way?' The solution, she explains, was to become the role model she wanted to see. 'I was lucky to find the boys – Nick, George and Simon,' Coustas says. 'They had the same hunger that I did to do something impactful, to have a presence and a career. And the '80s were good to us.' Not all comedy has aged well, though. Even hit 2000s-era series such as Little Britain and Summer Heights High have been criticised for using racial stereotypes. For her part, Coustas isn't in a rush to see an Acropolis Now reboot. 'When you say the word 'nostalgia', you know it's going to fail,' she offers with a shrug. 'I love it when it works. And Heartbreak High is a great example of that. But mostly, it doesn't.' But far from being cancelled, Effie still draws a crowd when Coustas performs as the character in sellout shows around Australia. 'Her hair might be a bit '80s,' she says, 'but her point of view is current.' Season 2 of Strife premieres on Thursday on Binge. See the full interview and cover story with Mary in The Binge Guide today, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA). For more from Stellar and the podcast Something to Talk About, click here.
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘I know what it's like for any woman that juggles a lot': Mary Coustas unveils new role
From the moment that Mary Coustas first stepped on stage in 1987 as Effie Stephanidis – a second-generation Greek woman with a personality as big as her wig – she knew she had struck a cultural chord. 'As soon as I opened my mouth, I felt something shift,' the actor tells The Binge Guide of introducing Australia to the proud dynamo, whose fierceness carried over to the hit 1989-1992 TV series Acropolis Now. 'I felt like I birthed the biggest baby in the hospital that year – hair and all.' Now the actor known best for comedy is making a return to television in dramatic fashion. In the second season of Strife, the breakout Binge show about the messy but exhilarating life of digital publisher Evelyn Jones (Asher Keddie), Coustas plays psychologist Sylvie, whose ear Evelyn needs to bend, especially when friend Christine (Maria Angelico) decides to launch a rival website. 'I love that this [show] is about a woman trying to do something that hadn't been done before on a very large scale,' Coustas says of Mia Freedman, the real-life Mamamia co-founder whose 2017 memoir, Work Strife Balance, became the jump-off point for the series, which offers an edgy examination of celebrity and popular culture in the early 2010s. 'I know Mia. I was around when that was all happening for her at the beginning,' Coustas recalls. 'I know what it's like for any woman that juggles a lot. To just get through the day is a miracle, let alone pull off something miraculous, like an online platform with a million people working for you and getting into trouble a lot.' Coustas, who says she was initially tapped to work with the writers on Strife, appreciates that the dramedy takes a potentially serious subject like financial strain and makes it funny and watchable. Listen to the full interview with Tanya Hennessy on Something To Talk About below: And when she considers the diversity of the cast and crew, she can't help but reflect on how far Australian television has come since 1989, when Acropolis Now made its debut. Created by Nick Giannopoulos, George Kapiniaris and Simon Palomares, the five-season comedy set in a fictional Melbourne cafe was a pioneering showcase of authentic Greek-Australian culture. 'I do feel very proud of the work that we did and we opened a big door, but I felt it took forever for more people to walk through it,' Coustas, 60, says now. 'Maybe if social media was around back then, it would have been different. We could have put more of us on the map.' Growing up, Coustas recalls with a laugh, she would 'make fun of my mum, who would watch the credits of everything and look for Greek names. 'I was a bit like that, but with faces. I remember thinking, Oh, how am I going to succeed in an industry where there aren't people that look like me in it, or certainly not in any significant way?' The solution, she explains, was to become the role model she wanted to see. 'I was lucky to find the boys – Nick, George and Simon,' Coustas says. 'They had the same hunger that I did to do something impactful, to have a presence and a career. And the '80s were good to us.' Not all comedy has aged well, though. Even hit 2000s-era series such as Little Britain and Summer Heights High have been criticised for using racial stereotypes. For her part, Coustas isn't in a rush to see an Acropolis Now reboot. 'When you say the word 'nostalgia', you know it's going to fail,' she offers with a shrug. 'I love it when it works. And Heartbreak High is a great example of that. But mostly, it doesn't.' But far from being cancelled, Effie still draws a crowd when Coustas performs as the character in sellout shows around Australia. 'Her hair might be a bit '80s,' she says, 'but her point of view is current.' Season 2 of Strife premieres on Thursday on Binge. See the full interview and cover story with Mary in The Binge Guide today, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA).
