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The Bright Lights of Los Angeles
Sydney actress recounts the ups and downs of trying to forge a career in Hollywood
Upon finishing high school in Sydney, aspiring actress Gabrielle Whittaker decided to make the move to Los Angeles where her only plan was to study at The Theatre of Arts for three years. "It really was a leap of faith as I didn't have any connections. All I had planned was studying and I was hoping to get my foot in the door somewhere. It was really difficult at times as everyone in LA is trying to be an actor."
When asked if she ever considered building a career in Australia before moving, Whittaker says, "I thought about it but the Australian film industry is so small and while there are so many more actors over here in LA, it's because there's more opportunities and more projects. I guess I came straight over here because I thought I don't have anything to lose, I can always go back."
Thus far the actress has persevered in the big city despite numerous challenges. "One of the obstacles is being a foreigner, the whole ‘oh you're not from around here'. It can work for you but can also work against you. The accent is a bit tough, if you go into your audition attempting to do an American accent, it seems they focus all their attention on critiquing your American accent, trying to find small mistakes.
"Another challenge has been not knowing anyone over here and you have to force yourself to network and make associations. And you're constantly on the net, researching parts and companies and making sure what you're auditioning or applying for is legitimate."
Whittaker explains that the people that become friendly faces are those you encounter at auditions. "There's this website called Australian Film, and every time you go into an audition that requires an Australian, you run into all these other Aussies that you've met on the site trying to make it in LA as well. But I try not to just hang around with the Aussies, I try to mix it up a bit."
Currently an average week for Whittaker will see the actress attend four or five auditions. She has picked up work on a number of independent film projects and US television series, most recently Unusual Suspects. "I played a prostitute on that show and my mum was really happy about that," the actress laughs.
She did make a trip down under recently to shoot a film in Sydney called Suing The Devil, a faith-based legal thriller which is set for theatrical release early next year. The story involves a down-and-out law student who sues Satan for $8 trillion, setting the scene for the trial of the century.
Whittaker, who plays Satan's attorney, says the film was a great opportunity for her, and she was able to learn valuable skills from her co-stars. "I auditioned for this film in LA and it stars Malcolm McDowell. So it was really great having the chance to work with Malcolm. He was so laid back and was really helpful to the young actors. It was a great opportunity for me to see how he works; he actually improvises a lot of his dialogue based around the script."
Shooting the film in Sydney, was she tempted to expand her trip? "It was good to come back home for a while. We did some filming in Darlinghurst for two weeks and I stayed a little bit longer. But then it was back to LA," Whittaker says with a clear sense of determination.
To find out more about Suing The Devil, visit the film's website.
Picture caption: Gabrielle Whittaker and Malcolm McDowell on the set of Suing The Devil.