Adelaide’s Ninja Warrior, Alex Cusack, to make acting debut in The Hunting
Adelaide teenager and Ninja Warrior star Alex Cusack is set to make his acting debut in the SA-made SBS drama series The Hunting.
Confidential
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Australian Ninja Warrior has helped Adelaide teenager and emerging actor Alex Cusack overcome his personal demons.
The 19-year old — who’s also a poet and kids’ party host — showed you don’t have to be a gym junkie to succeed on Nine’s hit series, completing the tough obstacle course and secure a spot in the show’s semi-finals.
Alex says watching Monday’s premiere of the show’s third series, which was prerecorded some months back, was a surreal experience.
“Now it doesn’t feel as if it actually happened … in the surrealist way. Watching it with family, I was celebrating as if it wasn’t me running.”
It was a remarkable performance from Alex, who says keeping fit has played a big role in improving his mental health.
“It’s something that I’ve been battling since I was 16 and that was part of the reason why I fell in love with poetry and physical exercise.
“When I do those two things, it doesn’t become a problem anymore,” says Alex, who will make his acting debut in new SA-made SBS drama series The Hunting, alongside Offspring’s Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh.
“I’ve always found that training for Ninja Warrior and training just in general is a really amazing way to build self confidence and to build a solid sense of who I am and be proud of that.
“I certainly hope that message can be spread to as many people around the country; we can take charge of our mental health in that way.”
Alex’s poetry also played a hand in his recent foray into the acting world.
Acclaimed SA director Sophie Hyde was in the audience for one of his poetry readings and asked him to audition for her upcoming TV series The Hunting about a nude teen photo scandal.
“It was really serendipitous. I went along for the audition thinking I’d get an extra role maybe and I ended up having my parents be Asher and Richard,” laughs Alex, who plays the son of the Aussie stars in the four-part program.
“Everyone was really wonderful and supportive.”
The series, shot in Adelaide in January and backed by SBS, the South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Australia, will screen next month.
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