Interview with Aussie actress Brodie Cornish

Brodie Cornish is an Australian based actor auditioning for leading roles around the world. Her most recent credit is playing the role of Sophie in Sophie’s Turn, which has amassed over 250k views online and won her Best Actress in a Leading Role at the GSS Awards 2017. Prior to winning Best Actress at Virgin Springs Cinefest for her work as Laura Adams in the Australian short The Bracelet, she played the role of Boey in Tinderella, and worked on Thor: Ragnarok and The Family Law. She was accepted into the Advanced Actors Residency at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Brodie trains weekly with Kristina Sexton, and has US dialect training from Leith McPherson and Rebekah O’Sullivan.

‘Giant toddler runs through a forest’ #SophiesTurn #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/ktyRc5OBc5

— Brodie Cornish (@brodiecornish) November 7, 2017

indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Brodie: Yeah! My first acting lessons were weekend classes at my dance school. I was only six or seven years old and quite shy, so I just did the classes for fun. I won a half-scholarship to The Warehouse Workshop when I was 14, and also did a couple of workshops at TAFTA and The Acting Space. Since 2014 I’ve been mentored by Greg Apps, and this year I was selected into the Advanced Actors Residency at NIDA, which was an incredible learning experience

indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Brodie: I’m still finding a technique that suits me! At the moment, I’m definitely using more Hagen, and feeling my way around that. I’ve never really focused on the techniques themselves, rather than finding myself and my essence within the character. I’m still learning about different techniques, so I’m sure I’ll adapt and learn more as I go.

Nuclear Family (2014)

indieactivity: Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Brodie: Of course! I’m currently training with Kristina Sexton at On Set Coaching. She is such a kind, nurturing soul, but she’s got a tough love approach, which is something I really respond well to. I’m a very straightforward person, so I don’t learn well through the “it was great, but…” method. I try and workshop with as many people as I can, because every single person has something different to teach you. There’s been a few classes I’ve not done well in, after it’s finished I walk out and say “Okay! That sucked. It’s not for me.” And just move on.

indieactivity: What acting books do you read?
Brodie: At the moment I’m reading Acting in LA by Kristina Sexton. I’ve read it four times over, it’s a wealth of knowledge and focuses on the business side of things that not many people talk about. It’s written exactly how she coaches, so it’s very easy to imagine her yelling the words at you, while she’s giving you a massive hug and supporting you. It breaks everything down as simple as possible – almost as if it were ‘how to run the business side of acting: for dummies’. Acting technique wise, I’ve just finished Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting. It was a really good read, and I’ve definitely been able to take some of the exercises away and applied them to better my acting.

Brodie Cornish, Winnie Mzembe, and Lauren Mcguckin in Sophie’s Turn (Copyright Ben Andrew)

indieactivity: How do you keep fit as an actor?
Brodie: I meditate! It’s pretty white-girl of me, but I meditate and write in a journal to keep myself centered. Learning to cope with rejection is another big thing – it can be superficial things that lose the role for you. I was cast in a multi-million dollar film, but the woman playing my mum dropped out, and the role was re-cast with a blonde, so my role was re-cast with a blonde girl that looked like the new mother. It had nothing to do with me at all – but I still lost the part. Knowing that it’s not personal when you lose a role really helps keep you in a good mindset. To stay in shape, I watch what I eat and cycle along the beach near my house.

indieactivity: How do you prepare for a role?
Brodie: Read the script until it sinks in enough to understand the plot points, the characters, and what drives them. I listen to music from the era the script is based in. I’ll create a playlist on my phone and blast it in the car whenever I drive anywhere. For me, music is a really simple yet powerful way to find the character. Songs from the 50’s don’t talk about the same issues as songs from 2013, so it’s a great way to pick up little bits and pieces of the era. I’ll also do a bit of research to find major events that happened during the period it’s filming in. I try and pull the script apart as much as I can, and play with the beats and moments of the scenes.

Brodie Cornish at the Teal Soldiers Premiere (Copyright Carrie McLeod)

indieactivity: How do you create a character in a script into a person?
Brodie: I try and fill in the blanks of their life, because the plot in the script isn’t the only section of their life. They have parents and siblings, they go to school and have friends there, and they go to events and do things outside of their role in the script. I try and find all of that and identify with parts of them; find a few similarities between her and me, and play off of that. If I’ve got time I’ll record a few vlogs as the character and play around with her mannerisms and speech. I try and make her as real as possible.

indieactivity: How do you stay fresh on a production set?
Brodie: Again, Music. Also food is a great way I ground myself on set. I always get nervous on day one, so I’ll pack some small snacks like sultanas or M’n’Ms to chomp on if I’m feeling slightly jittery. Also – MnMs are a great ice-breaker! My last film had a week of 10-12hr night shoots in a forest, so being able to nap anywhere is a great advantage. Make friends with the other cast and crew because they become your family and the people you lean on while you’re on set

Brodie Cornish Sophie’s Turn (Copyright Ben Andrew)

indieactivity: Describe a memorable character you played?
Brodie: My favourite character so far has been Sophie in Sophie’s Turn! She’s just a little firecracker! Sophie is very much like me in a lot of ways, so I really connected & fell in love with her. I completely bombed my audition! In the audition room I had to scream, but I’d just gotten over a bad bout of bronchitis, so I couldn’t speak much more than a whisper. Jake & Alex, the director & producer, were so understanding and lovely about it! I ended up getting the role, which I’m very grateful for. Everyone on Sophie’s are still good friends, It’s very much a little family now. Sophie’s Turn was released on Crypt TV in November, and so far the feedback has been incredibly positive! We won a few awards as well, so I’m glad that everyone seems to love our film as much as we do.

indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you took on set?
Brodie: During one of my earlier films, I had to play an abused child trying to escape her house. One of the scenes I had to run down a really long flight of stairs and out the front door. We’d done a few takes, and on the 3rd or 4th take I lost my footing and went crashing down the stairs. I got up and ran through the door and didn’t break character until cut. I rolled my ankle & bruised knees, but it was the best take and it worked so well for the film! I think turning a mishap into something usable by staying in character is always good.

indieactivity: What do you want most from a director?
Brodie: Working together! I don’t envy the directors at all, they have to oversee every single department and have so much going on, whereas the actors just focus on one thing – acting. I love being able to workshop a character with the director, that way you can see their vision, and incorporate that into your performance. I also love a director that listens and works with you. For example, there was one scene in Sophie’s Turn that I wasn’t feeling, so the director & I walked through ways to play the scene, and how to shoot it to get the best result in the least amount of takes. Even though we still ended up doing the same amount of takes, the effort he put into trying to create a performance that worked was really amazing. It made the scene so much easier to work through, which created a better end product.

indieactivity: What actors do you long to work with?
Brodie: I think I would probably pee my pants a little if I even got to work with Emma Booth, Merritt Wever, or Elisabeth Moss. I just adore them so much, they are incredibly strong women and such great role models to look up to. They all have such grace and dignity. I’d play it super cool, but probably be screaming like a maniac internally, Haha…

Behind the scenes on The Bracelet (2017)

indieactivity: Why?
Brodie: They all deliver such incredible performances in their respective shows, and I just LOVE Handmaids Tale. While they’re working at such a high level, they still remain so grounded and loving. For example, Emma still chats to fans of Glitch on Instagram, and stays relatable and reachable, even though she’s working on OUAT now. I aspire to stay as grounded and caring as these three women.

indieactivity: What advice would you give to actors?
Brodie: Just keep going. At the end of the day, whether you’re acting in a local community theatre, or in the latest blockbuster, we’re all here for the same reason. If you love it, you’ll find a way, and the universe will create a way for you to do what you love.

indieactivity: Briefly write about your career?
Brodie: My first time on set was in The Inbetweeners Movie 2 in a small role. Since then, I’ve been involved in over 50 productions, either in front or behind the camera, including the multi-award winning short Teal Soldiers, and Australian / French short The Bracelet. I’ve recently won Best Actress in a Leading Role at GSS Awards, and Best Actress at the Virgin Springs Cinefest. I’ve just received my Canadian Visa, and plan on moving across the sea next year. I’m currently represented by J.Anne at RVP management, and Charmaine at Gilchrist Management.