The role of a lifetime

In The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, Paul Hogan plays a fictionalised version of himself in a movie that’s loaded with celebrity cameos. Young actress Charlotte Stent, who plays Hogan’s granddaughter, tells Danielle McGrane what it was like to work on this highly anticipated comedy. C harlotte Stent wasn’t born when the first Crocodile Dundee movie came out. And she wasn’t around for the second one either, or the third one – Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.

In fact, it’s been 19 years since Paul Hogan played his most famous character on the big screen, but the 11-year-old actress understands just what a big deal it is to have a role in the latest movie to feature a version of the iconic Mick Dundee.

“I’ve watched the Crocodile Dundee movies, so I knew a little bit about Paul Hogan. But Mum and Dad told me a lot more about him – that he was a comedian and he was very funny,” Stent said.

The young Brisbane-based actress certainly did her homework on the bushman, and landed the part of Paul Hogan’s granddaughter Lucy in the latest film in the franchise – The Very Excellent Mr Dundee.

It’s an important role, one that’s integral to the plot of the movie.

Hogan plays a fictionalised version of himself in this film, enjoying his retirement in a nice part of California, but It’s Lucy who discovers he’s been offered a knighthood for services to comedy. It’s up to Hogan to stay out of trouble in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, but with cameos from people such as Chevy Chase, John Cleese and Olivia Newton-John, it’s easy to see how distracted he could get.

Wherever he goes, trouble follows, so it’s up to Stent’s character to try to keep him on track.

“Lucy is a very confident girl and she loves her grandpa. I see a little bit of myself in her,” Stent said.

In fact, gaining confidence was one of the main reasons why Stent decided to pursue acting.

“I started acting when I was around five years old. My prep teacher told me that I was a shy kid and that I should try acting,” Stent said.

It was a great tip, and

Stent has now been working in the industry for about six years, gaining experience on university graduation films and TV shows such as The Bureau of Magical Things and Bluey.

“I’m not shy anymore. I’ve gotten out of my shell,” she said.

The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, streaming on Amazon Prime Video