SAMARA TALKS LATEST FILMS
THE AUSSIE ACTRESS IS MAKING HOLLYWOOD HER OWN AS SHE STARS IN THE NEW BILL AND TED FILM
She may have got her start on a beloved Aussie soap much like fellow actress Margot Robbie and fans may often confuse her for the star, but Samara Weaving is carving her own path in Hollywood. The 28-year-old, who is currently starring in Bill & Ted Face the Music, has racked up an impressive list of acting credits since deciding to leave the safety and security of her role on Home and Away back in 2013 for the bright lights of Hollywood.
Having returned Down Under recently to film the highly anticipated series Nine Perfect Strangers alongside Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, it’s almost as if life has come full circle for the actress. Here, she chats about her new movies, making it in Tinseltown and what she really thinks about those Margot Robbie comparisons …
How does it feel to be part of a Bill and Ted movie?
It’s really surreal and awesome. Bill and Ted has such a huge cult following, so it’s totally excellent to be a part of the third one.
Were you a fan of the first two movies before landing your role?
I actually hadn’t seen them. I was
born in 1992, so they were just a tiny bit before my time. I could be wrong but I think Bill and Ted is quite an American cultural phenomenon, although I know a few Aussies who have seen it. As soon as I heard about the audition, I watched both films back to back with my partner [Jimmy Warden] and we had so much fun. I’d never see films like that before – so innocent, positive and delightfully funny.
At what point did you realise how big of a deal it was to play Bill’s daughter in Face the Music?
When I got the email about the audition. I remember reading it and saying, “What’s Bill and Ted?” Jimmy was sitting next to me and he leapt off the couch and started doing the bizarre surfer voice I’d never heard him do before. He was like, “Dude! You gotta do the audition, bro. You gotta get this job!” That’s when I realised how those films really had an impact on American culture and surf culture in particular.
How did you go about playing Bill’s daughter?
I met Brigette [Lundy-Paine] who plays Ted’s daughter and we gave it our best shot. It was really daunting trying to fill Bill and Ted’s shoes while also trying to make the character different from just doing an impression of them. That was the tricky part. I actually based the character on the Australian surfer dudes I used to hang out with in high school, and then just made that kind of southern California style that is so part of Bill and Ted.
Was there anything about actor Alex Winter’s performance of Bill that you tried to copy?
Yeah, I watched his performance and tried to copy the way he held himself as Bill. I tried to bring that into something more
feminine, different but in a way that shows the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
And what was it like working with Alex and Keanu Reeves?
They’re both so great, all the cast were. It was wonderful watching Keanu and Alex explore those characters again 30 years later.
How did Keanu compare to working with Daniel Radcliffe on Guns Akimbo?
I couldn’t compare. They’re both wonderful and I loved working with them. I’ve been very lucky.
You’ve also had success on the small screen with [Netflix series] Hollywood.
How much fun was it playing Claire?
It was definitely fun to play a character who is so overly ambitious, and who uses every utensil and malicious piece of gossip she can find to get what she wants and further herself. But then when she meets Camille, her heart breaks and she finally sees Hollywood for what it really is. That was a lot of fun to play.
What or who would you say inspired your performance on the show?
Really just the female actresses at that time and how they were put under so much pressure and scrutiny to look, feel and act a certain way. It was just so oppressing.
Hollywood is all about people trying to land that big break on screen. Can you remember the moment you realised you wanted to act for a living?
I can’t remember a light bulb moment like that. I was always a performer growing up but very shy, so I would do drama classes and my parents enrolled me in drama courses to help me make friends and bring me out of my shell. I remember getting my first ever professional role when I was 13 or 14 years old on a show in Australia called Out of the Blue. After that, it felt like a natural progression to do this as a career. Speaking of Hollywood actresses, you must know that many are stunned at how similar you look to Margot Robbie. Do fans ever confuse you for her?
Oh totally. I remember it happening in an airport once. This young girl was so excited about seeing who she thought was Margot Robbie. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t her, so I just stood there and tried to copy her smile [laughs]. I’ve tried saying, “No, it’s not who you think it is,” but because I also have an Australian accent like Margot, people still think I’m Margot and that she’s being really rude. So now I just try to stand there like her. Does that comparison between Margot and you ever get a little annoying?
Are you kidding? No, it’s flattering. I love Margs. She’s the best.