Though Australian, most of Kate Lister’s most recent work has been in the UK. We caught up with the rising star to chat up her projects – including Drive me to the end – both at home…. and away.
So many Australian actors are doing amazing things in the US. Is their anyone from your home country whose career you especially admire?
Absolutely – there are so many incredible Australian actors who are making waves in the US if they have not already taken it over. A couple of obvious ones are Margot Robbie, Rose Byrne and Heath Ledger was one of a kind! The dark horse for me is Ben Mendelsohn, I think he is so intriguing to watch from Australians Animal Kingdom to his brilliant role in Beyond the Pines and of course his beautifully messed up character in Bloodline (TV show).
Why do you think Australian actors are so high in-demand stateside? Is it their training?
I think Australian actors are so high in-demand because of our attitudes, dedication and persistence. Australia is so far away from the US and the UK so when Australian Actors decide to ‘take a chance’ and move overseas for acting we have no choice but to give it our all. We are over the other side of the world from our family and friends and just living is so expensive that when we get an opportunity we grab it and run like the wind.
Did you train?
Yes, I have trained at a hand full of incredible schools with fantastic teachers. I recently trained at The Atlantic Acting school in New York – that was a mind blowing experience. I have also trained at Margie Habers school in LA, The Actors Centre in London and some Australian Schools like 16th Street, Film & Television International and Brave Studios.
And did you cut your teeth on TV shows and shorts? Is that the normal training ground in Australia, to?
I most definitely did, it is a great way to learn and see what being on set is like. I started off doing guest roles on shows like Neighbours, Thank god you’re here & The Warriors and I then got the fire in my belly to create my own stories and projects. I joined forces with the incredibly talented Phoenix Raei and we started our own production company ‘Little Fish Films’ , we have been creating content together for the past 2 years.
Was there a role over there that really set your career alight and led to more doors being opened?
My character Connie in Fox Trap was lots of fun and one of my favourites. I do feel like that role lead me to other project with the same production company.
You’ve shot a few films in the past few years – is there a part that’s really resonated with you?
I have just finished filming ‘Drive me to the end’ in the UK, it’s a dark comedy that touches on themes/ topics such as Humanity, Communication, Autism, Disabilities, Death.
My Character Sunny was on the Autistic spectrum and I must admit I completely fell in love with her. She is the character I have learnt the most from and to date is my favourite. I resonated with Sunny more than I could have imagined so I do feel like lucky that I got to take on such a scary role.
Drive Me To The End sounds like it’d have been especially hard but inspiring. Is that correct to say?
The Autistic spectrum is such a large one so when I received this role I did have a slight panic attack due to the importance of portraying the spectrum in the correct light. I felt extremely overwhelmed yet very inspired to give the character a voice. I researched Autism a lot and was lucky enough to meet up with a woman on the spectrum who helped me with my character development. The film is now in the hands of the editor and I do pray that my character translates in the right light on screen.
