From stage to screen: How Colin From Accounts star Helen Thomson’s career pivot paid off
Australian actress Helen Thomson has slowly been making the move from stage to screen – and her career has never been better.
TV
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News.
After being a mainstay on the stage and in the theatre for most of her career, Australian actress Helen Thomson decided to switch things up in recent years – and her career pivot to TV and film has paid off.
Not only is she a fan favourite on the BINGE original series Colin From Accounts, but she also got a taste of international success with her role in the Hollywood blockbuster, Elvis, playing the musician’s mother, Gladys Presley, in the biopic.
“It’s kind of weird because I was never really known for film and TV. I’ve kind of, in a lot of ways, had my success through the stage and playing lead roles at a Sydney Theatre Company and places like that,” she tells news.com.au while promoting Season 2 of Colin From Accounts, which is now streaming on BINGE.
“In a way, my career is moving much more towards television and film, and I think what happens and what’s nice when you’ve been around long is that people respect my ability. I think you do improve as you get older.”
Her involvement in the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic scored Thomson her very first invitation to the Oscars in LA last year. And the occasion was made that much sweeter knowing the role of Gladys was original cast for Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Stream Colin From Accounts on BINGE, available on Hubbl.
“Covid happened and everything got put back, and then Maggie couldn’t do it. She had to go on and direct a film with Olivia Coleman, so Baz had to cast around,” Thompson tells us.
“I had auditioned the first time and I think he went back to the auditions that he really liked … and I got the job.
“It was an extraordinary experience. So I got to go to the Oscars last year. We were up for Best Picture, and that was just mind-blowing.”
Another first for Thomson was attending the Logie awards last year for Colin From Accounts, the surprise comedy hit took home three gongs that night: Most Outstanding Comedy Program, Most Outstanding Actor and Most Outstanding Actress for its stars Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, the real-life husband and wife team who also created and wrote the series.
The show follows strangers Gordon (Brammall) and Ashley (Dyer), whose lives literally collide after she flashes her nipple at him while he’s driving and he hits a dog with his car. All sorts of funny ensues with Thomson adding to the laughs as Lynelle, Ashley’s mum.
“Most Outstanding Comedy Program was the first award up at the Logies and it was Colin From Accounts. So we were up on our feet and on that stage on the first award,” Thomson recalls. “And then, of course, Patrick and Harriet also home individual awards.”
“So we were taking lots of kind of selfies with all the Logies and making jokes about the fact our table was probably going to kind of collapse for the weight of the Logies.”
At the Gotham Awards held in New York on June 4, Colin From Accounts picked up two more awards: Breakthrough Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Series for Dyer, who beat out Kristen Wiig in her category.
And it seems there maybe be many more awards to come too. With the show now airing in the UK and US, there’s even talk an Emmy could be in its future.
“It’s not very often that you can say that you are in a hit, and this has taken us all by surprise,” Thomson says. “Not because we did know it was going to be good, but you can’t ever guarantee if something’s going to be a hit, so that’s the other thing that’s lovely about it.”
“I kind of thought the writing was so good even on the page. They were funny and the characters were great,” she adds. “But I think when you’re making it, you want to keep your expectations low. You just want to do as good a job as you can, and then you hope when it goes out there in the world that people will relate to it or enjoy it in some way. And then it just became this sort of snowball effect of just how popular it was.”
And she credits it all to Brammall and Dyer, comedic geniuses who have nailed the tone of the series through the dialogue.
“They’re always kind of riffing on an idea and they’re very quick witted and clever, so they’ve just managed to put that into the dialogue,” Thomson says. “In a way, they’re absolutely sticking to the script and the plot, but within that they’ll always experiment and try stuff, or just improvise a little conversation. If it’s gold, they’ll keep it.”
Thomson says this improvisation allows for other actors to collaborate and make suggestions during filming, which helped them all thrive.
“The actors feel that their contribution is valued, and that’s a really beautiful gift that Patrick and Harriet have given the cast,” she says. “Everyone’s included and everyone’s contribution is valued.”
And the small-screen success just keeps coming for Thomson, who is due to star in another BINGE commissioned drama, The Last Anniversary, which is produced by Nicole Kidman.
“I think at some point she might have been going to star in it, and it perhaps would’ve been a whole other thing because she’s such a huge star. But it’s another Liane Moriarty novel – oh, I love her novels – that’s being made into a television series,” Thomson shares.
“We shot in and around Sydney. It’s set kind of on the Hawkesbury and it’s just going to be fantastic. Moriarty writes very well for women and particularly family stories, and here there is a mystery within the family that takes us on twists and turns. So it’s quite wonderful.”
Colin From Accounts is now streaming on BINGE, available on Hubbl, and on Showcase and On Demand.
Originally published as From stage to screen: How Colin From Accounts star Helen Thomson’s career pivot paid off
Surprise twist in station-switching TV stars’ secret split
The Adelaide media power couple have both been linked to other industry identities after quietly parting ways.
Shows you don’t want to miss this week
With Cate Blanchett leading an Oscar-stacked drama, Dessert Masters bringing the sweet treats and the return of Bluey, all your TV viewing bases are covered this week.