Living out her dream
STAR BALANCES BEING A MUM WITH HER CAREER, AND THAT’S JUST HOW SHE LIKES IT
Teresa Palmer had two big dreams growing up – to be a mother to many children and become an actor. Giving birth to her fourth child – daughter Prairie Moon – with husband Mark Webber last
August, she’s ticked off the first. And with roles in films including Lights Out, Hacksaw Ridge, Ride Like a Girl, and as Diana Palmer in the supernatural drama series A Discovery of Witches, Palmer’s definitely established herself as one of Australia’s leading ladies. However, she wasn’t always sure she’d be able to successfully combine both.
“In my 20s I incorrectly thought that I would have to choose one or the other,” Palmer says.
“I remember my nana telling me before she died, ‘I know this is your greatest wish to be a mum. I know you’re going to be able to do both of these things’.
“I always have her voice at the back of my mind, reminding me to keep leaning into both of these things.
“Now I get to have the reality of being so creatively stimulated in my career, but also having these children that I love dearly and getting to be their mum, day in and day out.”
She’s also playing a mum in her latest movie, psychological thriller The Twin. It follows the aftermath of a tragic accident that claimed the life of one of her twins. Rachel
(Palmer) and husband Anthony (Steven Cree) move to the other side of the world with their surviving son. What begins as a time of healing in the quiet Scandinavian countryside soon takes an ominous turn when Rachel begins to unravel the tortured truth about her son and confronts the malicious forces attempting to take a hold of him.
It was a mentally challenging three-month shoot as the production navigated the themes of motherhood, grief, guilt and mental health.
“I noticed the job was infiltrating my daily life,” Palmer shares.
“I was more on edge about the kids’ safety. The anxiety would bleed into my everyday life. I was pregnant with Prairie and I would wake up in the middle of the night sometimes after having one of those pregnancy dreams where everything is really vivid.
“I would wake up sweating and fearful that something had happened to my children and I would have to count them because there are so many of them.”
Palmer had to consciously focus on “breaking up with her character” at the end of the day, largely by showing up and being present for her tribe.
“That’s the good thing about your kids – they’ll just pull you out of your head,” she says.
“You just have to meet their needs – you know, feed them dinner and get them ready for bed. All the usual things.”
And the kids – daughter Poet and sons Forest and Bodhi – were allowed almost free rein on the
beautiful Gothic, quintessentially looking horror house. And their presence brought laughter, joy and a light energy to the whole cast and crew.
Even researching to portray the overwhelming g grief g in which Rachel is mired ed took its toll on Palmer. r.
“I couldn’t imagine what t that must feel l like for a parent who loses a child and then has to get out of that cave and show up and be there for other children,” n,” she explains.
“I read a lot ot of articles and there here are certain people I follow on Instagram who were so open and generous with their grief process. It was really heavy and I just sobbed at times. Mark would say ‘maybe you should take a break from it’.
“I would reply, ‘these women don’t get to take a break. This is their day in and day out.’ And while everyone else’s lives continue on, it is unchanging for them.
“It was a privilege to explore that and tell that story.”
Palmer’s looking completely relaxed as she sits cross-legged, her long blonde hair pulled off her face in a high ponytail. She’s in Los Angeles after a quick trip to Coachella with Webber and friends from Adelaide.
The group had been on a wine tour and joked about heading to
the iconic music festival – parents’ wild night out. Before she knew it, the flights were booked and they were headed to the US for the ultimate party weekend.
“I felt like the oldest one there,” she laughs. g
“And it wasn’t wa so much partying, I’m such a grand“grandma.
“My husband was wa like ‘we can’t come co to Coachella C and not see the finishing act’. I was like ‘I need to be in bed by 10pm, 10 you know this about me’.” Palmer Pa was in bed in by b 10pm. She heard The Weeknd W closing out the night nigh in the distance as she trudged the 25 minutes back to the accommodation, in somewhat of a dust storm, back to the kids, ready to get up for Prairie’s 6am feed. Palmer will be back home to her Adelaide Hills property soon ahead of a new project filming in Melbourne in June. While she can’t reveal any more about the role ahead or its official announcement, she shares it’s another meaty character-driven piece.
“I just love exploring rich characters who are layered and complex and dealing with really challenging circumstances,” Palmer says.
The Twin, streaming now on Shudder or via the AMC+ Bundle on Prime Video and Apple TV channels