Theatre Australia

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FRUSTRATED! WHERE'S THE COLOUR-BLIND CASTING IN THIS BLOODY COUNTRY!!!

Tue, 2 May 2006, 01:52 pm
MichelleZ31 posts in thread
Just want to vent, so I apologise in advance. Ha, ha, ha, so much for Australia priding itself on being a multicultural society! HA! Where the hell is all the multi-cultural actors on our stages and screens then? I think I'm as good or on par, in regard to talent, with many actresses in their early 20s, but being of Asian appearance, I rarely get called in - and I'm a NIDA grad! (Not that that means a lot these days). I know this industry is primarily based on what you look like, but come on!!! Give us a chance to even audition for you, for christ's sakes! When are producers gonna open their eyes and realise that the Australian population is not entirely Anglo. Has anyone else experienced this frustration?! This sounds dramatic (but hey, we're actors!!), but I'm going to devote my life to changing this in the industry. I realise that even Asian actors in England and USA find it difficult to break into the industry, so I really hope to change this.

2 sides to every story

Thu, 6 July 2006, 01:33 pm
Walter Plinge
I am sorry that you havent had much work and to be honest it would be very hard to get work with an asian appearance and not because anyone is racist but because most plays, musicals are typecast for anglo people. I see more and more television series with a multicultural element and I am sure coming from NIDA you would be excellent. When scripts are written for multicultural characters then you will have your turn in the theatre. You may hate this but unfortunately its the way it is just like my friend is in Asia at the moment on contract to an agency and has been refused many jobs cos she is " too caucasian looking" Is that racist, she doesnt think so cos clients are after a particular look for a character and if you havent got what they are looking for well pick yourself up and go to the next casting. Same as if you have red hair and they are looking for blonde people. My friend has blue eyes but bought brown contacts just so she could be seen at a casting. Sorry, as bad as it is, thats the way it is everywhere.

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