by Dov Kornits
With style to burn, Aussie actress on the rise Amelia Conway impresses as a high-powered lawyer in Unseen Enemy, the hard-punching, high-kicking new Sydney-shot crime actioner by director Mathew John Pearson and writer/star/co-director Salvatore Samperi.
An accomplished club DJ, presenter, and actress of both stage and screen, Amelia Conway now scores an eye-catching supporting role in the punchy action thriller Unseen Enemy, the canny creation of director Mathew John Pearson and writer/star/co-director Salvatore Samperi. Conway provides a much-needed female presence in this most testosterone-fuelled of actioners, expertly essaying self-assured, highly connected lawyer Marissa, whose missing sister provides the catalyst for the wonderfully overheated action that follows, as the film’s hero (Salvatore Samperi’s private eye Levi) and villain (Artom Simin’s bullying mobster Siroos) come to ferocious blows.
How did you land on this acting path? Have you always acted? Who were your inspirations?
“I actually didn’t start acting until I was 30. I loved drama in high school, but at 18 I decided to pursue fashion instead and completed my Bachelor of Fashion & Textile Design at UTS. I then spent about eight years working in the fashion industry…but by 29 I was deeply unhappy. I was sitting in a fluorescent-lit head office, surrounded by fabric swatches and paperwork, feeling completely disconnected from myself and wondering if this was all there was to life.”
What happened?
“One day, while doom-scrolling at my desk, an ad for an acting class popped up. I remember thinking, ‘Why not? What have I got to lose?’ I went to my first class – Scene on Screen run by actress Maha Wilson – and even though I only had three lines, something clicked. The feedback, the emotional exploration, the sense of human curiosity… I realised I had found my people. Something lit up inside me, a very strong intuitive pull that this was what I was meant to be doing. For the next few months, I secretly trained myself at my desk on YouTube, obsessively watching Hollywood Reporter roundtables and every interview Jennifer Lawrence had ever done. Her fearlessness, humour, authenticity, and emotional depth deeply influenced me. I’ve always admired our Australian icons too – Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Isla Fisher – and I’m a huge fan of Emily Blunt’s versatility.”
Did you take any more classes?
“Yep…Scene on Screen, Sydney Actors Collective with Socratis Otto and Eden Falk, plus workshops at TAFTA. Early on, I auditioned for and booked the lead in the indie feature A Bad Influence by Andreas Toumbas… except the shoot clashed with my full-time job. Life forced a decision. So, I gave myself twelve months: if acting didn’t work out, I’d go back to fashion. I resigned. I’m 38 now, and still here…so I think it’s going pretty well!
“I’ve done a lot of training over the years — courses at NIDA, AMAW, and loads of improv, which I honestly think every actor should do. I trained at Laugh Masters Academy and Improv Theatre Sydney, and even went to LA to study the advanced course at Margie Haber Studio. I’ve done extensive US accent coaching with Barbara Hastings and Linda McNamara, and being in American classes helped me cement it. Lucky for me, my dad is from the UK so I naturally can do a really great British accent! These days I don’t attend classes regularly — I use student films as my ‘training gym’. They keep me sharp and constantly learning on set, which I love.”
Can you tell us about your DJing? Where/how/what?
“DJing has always been a passion. In my early 20s, I did the very first Your Shot competition where I learnt to mix, and I played some gigs at Sublime at Home Nightclub. I eventually stopped because I just had such huge stage fright! Ironically, I ended up marrying a DJ. It was his thing, and I stopped and our lives went in another direction – we were together twelve years and divorced last year. After everything settled, I realised how much I missed it. I bought myself decks again and slowly rebuilt my craft. I now upload my sets to my YouTube channel where I have 3k subscribers and growing. I’ve started getting club gigs. Music is such a huge part of who I am, especially trance. DJing feels like returning to an old love.”
How did you land the role in Unseen Enemy?
“I’d previously worked with Matt Pearson and Salvatore Samperi on their short action film De-Comm. Sal reached out to me on Facebook; it felt like a little gift from the universe. I played a badass character, used weapons, smoked a cigar…it was such a cool project. When they began developing their feature, they told me they thought I’d be perfect for Marissa, a lawyer. I said yes immediately. They’re incredibly dedicated filmmakers, and I’d already seen firsthand how passionate they were. I knew the feature would be special.”
Tell us about your character and your performance approach.
“Marissa is the catalyst for the story’s central dilemma. She’s a high-powered, accomplished lawyer whose younger sister Suzy goes missing, so she hires Levi (played by Sal) to find her. In real life, I’m actually more like the mischievous Suzy, and my older sister is very much the ‘Marissa’ type. So, I drew inspiration from how she behaves – that protective, organised, slightly controlling energy – especially in my scenes with Suzy, who is played beautifully by Jamaica Vaugn. For her office and work scenes, I focused heavily on physicality. Years of yoga have given me strong body awareness, and I wanted Marissa to feel completely at home in her power. Confident posture, grounded steps, clear speech. And then with Siroos (played by Artom Simin), I allowed softness and vulnerability to come through so we glimpse her humanity and heart. Overall, I aimed to make her a credible, intimidating lawyer you never question for a second, with the wardrobe helping bring the final polish.”
What can you tell us about R.U.R. and your role?
“R.U.R. is Alex Proyas’ upcoming film, and I was fortunate to be cast as Sulla, a robot. The character will be fully computer-generated, but I performed the motion capture. I can’t say too much yet, but it was a truly incredible experience and a huge career highlight.”
Can you discuss your role in 13 Seconds and how you landed it?
“13 Seconds by Liam Worthington & Ashley White is a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller now in post-production. I play a mother trying to get her son to safety. There’s lots of running, climbing, screaming, and fighting off zombies. It was extremely physically demanding, but such a rewarding challenge. I can’t share much more yet, but definitely keep an eye out.”
Acting in indies isn’t lucrative. How do you survive in a city as expensive as Sydney?
“It’s tough. I recently had to take up a part-time job. I was married for twelve years and my husband was the breadwinner, so becoming financially independent while still pursuing acting has been…a lot. I’m honest about that. DJing, modelling, and presenting help me create multiple income streams, but it’s still hard. I hope something shifts so I can keep doing what I love.”
Have you ever tried heading to the US to “make it”?
“Yes, I went to LA in March 2020. It was truly the worst timing. I’d just started settling in: classes, networking, a couple of short films…and then COVID shut everything down. I had to return home. Since then, I’ve been divorced, rebuilt my life, and honestly haven’t had the money or desire to chase the US dream again. I’d love to ‘make it’ right here. I adore Australia and our film community. Yes, it’s harder…but not impossible. And truthfully? I feel like I have made it. In eight years, I’ve shot over fifty short films, countless ads and TVCs, ten-plus features, web series, and even led two theatre productions. That is a huge success to me. Anything that comes after is just a cherry on top!”
Unseen Enemy will be available on Digital from December 24. Click here for our review.
