Stars step out for AACTA Awards luncheon ahead of ceremony
Australia’s brightest stars from film and television stepped out onto the red carpet today for the AACTA Awards luncheon at Sydney’s Star casino.
Confidential
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Stars stepped out on the red carpet at the 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards industry luncheon presented by Foxtel.
Best Supporting Actress nominee and Hotel Mumbai star Tilda Cobham-Hervey joined Danielle Cormack, Darren McMullen, Celia Massingham and more at the prestigious event which was held at The Star this year.
Former Home And Away star Lincoln Lewis told Confidential that attending the event was an honour.
“I know what it’s like to be unemployed in this industry so being able to work and come to events like this is such a privilege,” he said.
“When I started Home And Away I was working consecutively for eight years, it was fantastic but these last couple of years have been quite slow but that’s just the industry there’s so many mates I talk to and they’re in the same boat.
“So whenever you get to come to events like this, you feel so lucky … it’s a persistence thing. In your lowest points you go, ‘am I ever going to work again’ but at the end of the day it’s a persistence game.”
Cobham-Hervey said her Best Supporting Actress nomination is extra special because she was initially taken aback upon first reading the script.
“It was completely heartbreaking, it took a few reads to really think about how this would translate into film,” she said. “But as soon as I saw Anthony Maras’ film, The Palace, I just knew that he was going to handle the story with such heart and delicacy.”
Foxtel’s hit drama Lambs of God scored a record 18 nominations, including Best Female New Talent which went to 18-year-old Asha Boswarva.
“It’s amazing, it still hasn’t hit me yet,” she said. “It was such a great experience, everyone was so welcoming on set. Being here is nerve-racking and still surreal.”
Fellow Lambs of God star Ezekiel Simat said the show’s record nominations is reflective of its growing popularity and added that there’s no other show like it on TV.
“It’s pretty rare to see a poster where the top three on the call sheet are women so it’s a female-led drama about an unusual subject matter. It’s something really special for Australia to have made,” he said.
Meanwhile, twin brothers Jordan and Zac Stenmark said they were honoured to be celebrating Aussie talent. The international models have now set their sights on acting but are waiting on the right opportunity.
“It’s definitely something that we have a focus on and are keen to be involved in,” Zac said.
Jordan added, “It’s just about waiting for the right project and finding the right gig because we want to do it right we have respect for the arts.”
The Masked Singer Prawn Darren McMullen revealed his plans to dabble in musical theatre.
“When I met with Channel 10, they heard that I could sing and asked me to be on the show and I said ‘absolutely’ because long-term I’d like to do musical theatre at some stage,” he said.
2019 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel will be held on Wednesday with comedian Shane Jacobson set to host the event.
Originally published as Stars step out for AACTA Awards luncheon ahead of ceremony