By Dov Kornits
With two big credits in Neighbours and Ice Road: Vengeance (opposite Liam Neeson), young Aussie actress Grace O’Sullivan will next be seen in Harvey Zielinski’s Sweet Milk Lane and Patrick Hughes’ actioner Thornton.
“My desire to act emerged naturally through my love of being immersed in other worlds,” young actress Grace O’Sullivan tells FilmInk. Those worlds have certainly been disparate ones. For her first role, O’Sullivan was dropped into Ramsay Street, playing the role of sensitive, stifled teen Olivia Lane on Neighbours, also taking the character into the YA-style spin-off web series Erinsborough High. After a guest shot on NCIS: Sydney, O’Sullivan got on board the propulsive action flick Ice Road: Vengeance, sharing the screen with movie icon Liam Neeson. With an already impressive resume, O’Sullivan has also wrapped two more high-profile projects: Harvey Zielinski’s arthouse drama Sweet Milk Lane and Patrick Hughes’ big budget wartime action epic Thornton. Grace O’Sullivan can expect to be immersing herself in many more worlds to come…
What was it like joining the cast of Ice Road: Vengeance alongside Liam Neeson, and what did you take away from working on a production of that scale?
“It’s always about the people, regardless of the size of the production. At the end of the day, acting is about the intimacy between two people (or a few people, depending on the scene) and maintaining that despite the noise, the crew and everything else going on around you. Working on a production of that scale was incredible! Watching a world class stunt team and action department work was riveting; action choreography is such a craft in itself. There are so many moving parts, so being able to witness how every department comes together to pull off those huge sequences gave me an even greater appreciation for filmmaking as a whole. Having the opportunity to work with Liam Neeson, who is such an icon of the entertainment industry, was an otherworldly experience. Beyond his incredible talent, I learned so much from his generosity, professionalism, and the way he approaches his craft. Those lessons are ones I’ll carry with me into every job moving forward.”
How did the acting bug bite you? How did you get your first role?
“I was a pretty dreamy kid – I was always wrapped up in another world. I loved to read, loved to dance, and loved movies, so my desire to act emerged naturally through my love of being immersed in other worlds. My mum talks about how my room growing up was basically a shrine dedicated to whatever I was obsessed with at the time…Hannah Montana, Harry Potter, Hunger Games. I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I’ve always thought about other people, and the way they live and see the world, so my entry into acting was pretty inevitable. My first role was on Neighbours! I’d gone to several workshops with Thea McLeod, who casts Neighbours, and she eventually called me in for an audition. I didn’t get that role, but they called me a few months later saying they’d created a sister for the character I’d originally auditioned for, and asked if I’d be interested in playing her.”
How has working on Neighbours prepared you (or otherwise) for the film roles that you’ve recently been playing?
“Neighbours was so fast-paced. When I was on the show, they were shooting six episodes a week. It was the same with [Neighbours spin-off] Erinsborough High – we shot all five episodes in seven days. It was insane. That sort of shooting schedule forces you to be prepared, know your lines, and not overthink it. Because, ultimately…you don’t really have time to! Trust your instincts, make a strong choice, and move on. That’s something from Neighbours that I’ve taken with me onto other film sets.”
Can you tell us about your roles in Thorton and Sweet Milk Lake?
“They’re two very different projects, which was thrilling. Thornton is a Vietnam war biopic/thriller in which I play a character inspired by the French photojournalist Catherine Leroy. The film is based on the true story of Mike Thorton and his service during the Vietnam war. It’s a big action thriller with loads of stunts and some of the most epic sets I’ve ever worked on. Sweet Milk Lake was a completely different experience – smaller in scale, but just as potent in its energy. I can’t wait to see the film on the big screen. It’s premiering at Melbourne International Film Festival, which is incredibly exciting. I’m so stoked for Harvey Zielinski, who directed Sweet Milk Lake and also stars in it. He’s equally wonderful in both roles, on top of being a genuinely lovely human. We actually had rehearsals before shooting, where Harvey brought all the actors together to play and build our relationships before we got to set. It was my first time working that way in film and I loved it. Harvey comes from a theatre background and you really feel that in the way he works with actors.”
We hear you speak French in Thornton! Tell us how you learned to speak French?
“Absolutely. I lived in Paris for a few years and speaking French well has always been a real visceral desire of mine. I got much better whilst I was over there because I waitressed in French restaurants and lived with a 94-year-old French lady…that’s a story for another time! I absolutely love French television and cinema.”
Do you have any acting heroes?
“So many. It’s always changing as I’m constantly discovering new people. I’ve always had a penchant for actors who also produce. I loved watching what Reese Witherspoon built with Hello Sunshine. I was such an avid reader growing up and whenever I’d finish a book and think, ‘This would make an epic film or TV series’, I’d look it up and Hello Sunshine had already bought the rights. The same goes for Margot Robbie with LuckyChap and Viola Davis with JuVee Productions. Michaela Coel absolutely changed my life with I May Destroy You. The level of authorship she had over that project is something I admire. And then I’ve always had a thing for the Irish… Saoirse Ronan, Cillian Murphy. Oh, and the Scots! Tilda Swinton and James McAvoy. They’re all actors who feel completely fearless to me.”
Ice Road: Vengeance is available now on digital and streaming. Sweet Milk Lake will screen at The Melbourne Film Festival, which runs from August 6-23.
