Hi Ella, tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi there, thanks for having me! I had a lot of energy when I was little, so I grew up as a competitive gymnast/ drama kid. When I stopped doing gymnastics, I tried to try pretty much everything I didn’t have time to try when I was training. I think this led to me having quite a few different interests. I work with Girl Up, founded by the United Nations and I love to write and investigate so I am currently studying Journalism and International Relations here in Australia. Something that has stayed pretty consistent throughout my life is how much I love acting, film and theatre as a whole. I kind of use journalism as a gateway into learning how to investigate characters and write truthfully, in a way that is different to what I would learn in the film industry. 

Tell us more about your character Daniela in The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay. What drew you to this role?

Daniela is a bit of a complex character, which actually kind of drew me to her. She's dealing with a lot of change, which I think is quite relatable for pretty much anyone at any point in life. I think the film captures the pressure she puts on herself to make decisions and conform to what other people want her to be, which sort of makes her a worse version of herself. She has to put her expectations aside and re-evaluate what's really important to her to be at her best.

What’s the most challenging part of doing this role?

The challenging part about playing Daniela was the fact that she's not meant to be the most likeable character. This is both scary and really fun as an actor. Of course, I wanted to understand Daniela, and I think she really wants to be liked. So, there was this interesting gap to play with - What Daniela actually wants, and how she goes about doing that, versus how she's actually coming across to the audience. 

How did you rise above these challenges?

I had to try and understand Daniela, her influences and how she was thinking; and also just have fun with it. We were so lucky to have an amazing director, Christine Luby, who encouraged us to treat set like a 'playpen' and bounce ideas around with one another. This helped us all so much in overcoming any challenges we had. 

Do you have any specific genres that you prefer to go for?

Not really to be honest, I try to watch anything. I will say I'm more of a series girl than a movie girl (I still love movies though!!), I just think you can get to know the characters more, which makes me more invested in the story.

What inspires you?

Unanswered questions. Perhaps even unanswerable questions, why the world is the way it is, why we hear some stories and not others. Anything I can get a bit worked up about and really sink my teeth into. 

Guilty pleasure?

I hate to say it, truly, but TikTok is my guilty pleasure. 

Name your top 3 favorite films of all time

Greta Gerwig's Little Women

The Castle (Aussie Classic) 

And I just can't go past Good Will Hunting - especially the story of how Matt Damon and Ben Affleck created it.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Time at the wheel. It's something my dad says a lot. You just have to keep practicing, keep chipping away, keep working hard and things will fall into place. 

What’s your ultimate goal?

My ultimate goal is to be a working actor and to continue writing in a creative form. 

What are your dream projects?

Anything directed by Greta Gerwig or maybe Christopher Nolan. 

Is there a skill / talent that a lot of people don’t know about you?

I have a few tricks up my sleeve from gymnastics, so I can do cartwheels and backflips!