After stealing scenes in Here Come The Habibs!, Amazing Grace and Play Dirty, Aussie actress Kat Hoyos gets her meatiest role yet as a cop caught up in a bizarre mystery in The Killings At Parrish Station.
The last time FilmInk saw talented and highly engaging Australian actress Kat Hoyos wasn’t in the film Play Dirty opposite Mark Wahlberg, or the TV drama Amazing Grace, or even the uproarious TV comedy series Here Come The Habibs! No, showcasing her multi-hyphenate skills, Kat Hoyos was on stage at the ICC’s stunning Parkside Ballroom singing up a storm at The Bus Stop Ball, a huge fundraiser for Bus Stop Films, which uses filmmaking and the film industry to change community attitudes around the rights and contribution to society of and by people with disability. We also saw Kat Hoyos at The Sydney Film Festival, where her latest screen project – the “cosmic horror” TV series The Killings At Parrish Station – had its premiere. As a young cop involved in a far-from-straightforward mystery, Kat Hoyos once again displays the talent and screen presence that have marked her as a true performer to watch…
Can you discuss your music-related career, and also the connection to Bus Stop Films?
“I didn’t even realise you were at The Bus Stop Ball! I would have loved to have come and said hello! I’m musically trained in the sense that I come from a musical theatre background. I started dancing when I was a kid, and naturally you end up getting singing lessons while you’re at dance school. I’ve always grown up with those skills behind me, and I was lucky enough to build a career in musical theatre, which I continue to work in today. It’s nice that I still get opportunities to simply sing. I often work as a singer in the corporate world, and Bus Stop Films reached out because we’d worked together before on a short film called The Bystander Effect, which I acted in. It’s a beautiful film led by Connor Tattersall, who played the lead role with such heart. We’ve always kept in touch because I love everything they do around filmmaking diversity, inclusion and accessibility. Their commitment to supporting people with accessible filmmaking programs and employment support within the industry is fantastic, and the films they’re making are top-notch. One of their films, Boss Cat, will make its premiere at Sydney Film Festival, which is incredible. I’m so happy for Genevieve Clay-Smith and the entire Bus Stop Films team for continuing to champion stories that deserve to be seen.”
Can you tell us about your role in The Killings At Parrish Station?
“I play the younger Millie Farrar in 1987. The series exists across two timelines, and we see how a particular event shapes and moulds people from one timeline to the other, 37 years later. Millie is a young police officer coming through the ranks. She sees Georgia, played by Mia Wasikowska, as her idol and really looks up to her. She wants to do well and be part of the case, but she’s constantly met with obstacles along the way. What I love about Millie is that she’s incredibly driven, but underneath that determination is a real vulnerability. She’s intelligent, observant and deeply committed to doing the right thing, yet she’s operating within a system that doesn’t always value her voice. She asks questions, pushes when others might stay silent, and refuses to accept easy answers. That curiosity becomes both her greatest strength and, at times, her greatest challenge. Across the series, we see someone who genuinely wants to make a difference, but who is also forced to confront the personal cost of carrying the weight of what she’s witnessed and uncovered. We then see the consequences of that 37 years later through the present-day Millie, played by the beautiful Doris Younane. Doris is stellar, iconic, powerful and fierce. I can’t wait to see her interpretation of the character when the episodes come out. Will Millie finally be heard? I dare say yes if Doris is playing her!”
What appealed to you about the project?
“The genre! It was described as a cosmic horror, and that’s something you don’t often hear within the Australian industry. It’s not your typical comedy, drama or even psychological thriller. When I read the brief and was able to read a couple of episodes, I was immediately intrigued. I also loved the voice of the creator, writer and showrunning genius Ben Jenkins. He spent years creating this world, and what he built is incredibly unique and freaky. It’s adventurous in its thinking and takes risks, which naturally presents its challenges. Doing something original was a huge part of what attracted me to the project. It was the opportunity to play within those themes and that world. I’m also fascinated by the mysteries of what’s out there: the conversations, the theories and the unanswered questions. I can’t help it; I’m a Scorpio. I’m always asking why and how. That’s part of Millie’s character too, so there’s definitely a little bit of me in her.”
What’s next?
“The next project I’ll be working on is LoveMusik, produced by Neglected Musicals and performed at Downstairs Belvoir at the end of June. It’s the story of Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya and Bertolt Brecht, exploring not only the artistic collaboration between Weill and Brecht, but also the extraordinary love story between Weill and Lenya, his muse, collaborator and greatest champion. We see how these two artists navigate love, ambition, exile and creativity during a period of enormous social and political change. It’s fascinating to explore the relationship between art and activism as well, particularly through Weill and Brecht’s shared desire to expose corruption, hypocrisy and inequality through their work in a time of war. I’m also looking forward to tapping into my German accent and exploring some of the techniques of Brechtian theatre. Our director, Miranda Middleton, is really leaning into those ideas, and audiences will get a wonderful insight into why Brecht and Weill remain influential today. Beyond that, the nature of this industry is that anything can happen at any time. I’m always creating, coaching, and performing improv, which keeps my soul happy. I might say I have nothing on after that, but in two months’ time my calendar could suddenly be full of a new project. That’s the nature of the business and just like the ocean, you ride the wave!”
The Killings At Parrish Station streams on Stan from June 24.
