This was published 1 year ago
Ayesha Madon: ‘Success has been a mixed bag for me’
“I went from nobody knowing who I was to everybody wanting to know what I do,” says the 25-year-old star of Heartbreak High.
By Jane Rocca
Ayesha Madon sat through many auditions before landing her breakthrough role as Amerie Wadia in 2022 in the Netflix reboot of ’90s teen TV drama Heartbreak High. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
A tough-talking, working-class Indian-Australian was not the type of character that actor and musician Ayesha Madon saw on television growing up. The Sydneysider has often spoken about how much Hilary Duff in Lizzie McGuire, as someone who could sing and act, resonated with her as a teen. But there was nobody with South Asian roots who made Madon feel this pathway also belonged to her.
Madon admits she hustled with self-tapes for parts that never eventuated and sat through hundreds of auditions before landing her breakthrough role as Amerie Wadia – a tough-talking, working-class Indian-Australian – in 2022 in the Netflix reboot of ’90s teen TV drama Heartbreak High. The role earned the 25-year-old her first Logie nomination for Most Popular New Talent this year, and she has just finished filming season two.
She’s in Melbourne to make her debut as an ambassador for Melbourne Fashion Week, in which she’ll be wearing a mix of her favourite brands, including Strateas Carlucci, Perple, Erik Yvon and First Nations denim label Ginny’s Girl Gang.
If we’ve learnt one thing about Madon, it’s that she does love fashion – from high-end Versace at last year’s ARIA Awards to championing First Nations designers. She has also worked with her close friend Victoria Knowles, who styles her for the big occasions.
Sitting in her grandmother’s garage in Sydney for this video chat, Madon is surrounded by instruments – a guitar, ukulele, keyboard and drum kit. She’s tucked in a corner, near the family car, and zooms in to show the clutter.
Perple “Armada” jacket, $525. Chopova Lowena “Isola” skirt, $2765, from Parlour X. Vivienne Westwood “Simonetta” pearl necklace, $445, from Parlour X. Dinosaur Designs “Hug” silver choker, $975. Max Mara boots, $1870 (worn throughout). Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
In a world obsessed with curated influencer content, Madon is a striking breath of fresh air. There are no props to be found; she’s earthed in the reality of life and is just fine with it.
Born and raised in Sydney, it was in Melbourne that Madon found her creative flow. Accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) to study musical theatre at 17, Madon relocated south and subsequently lived through the city’s intense COVID lockdowns, during which she focused on writing music and honing her craft.
“Melbourne represents the purest part of me,” says Madon. “As I sit trying to write new songs, I am trying to channel that girl in Melbourne who would sit on the steps of the State Library, watching live music during Melbourne Music Week, and then head home to write songs.”
Erik Yvon coat, $1500. Balenciaga sunglasses, $785, from Eyewear Index (worn throughout). Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
Madon’s success on Heartbreak High means she’s now featured in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar Australia, Russh and Marie Claire Australia. The media frenzy is real, and one from which she’s trying to come up for air.
“Experiencing success has been a mixed bag for me,” says Madon. “It’s not something I could have prepared myself for. First and foremost, I am grateful. I’ve worked hard and long to get to this moment, and a lot of artists who are even better than me, and who work harder, don’t get that opportunity. So that isn’t lost on me.”
But she says the imposter syndrome inside her head is real, and she’s still learning how to shut it down: “I am a very anxious person but I am still dealing with it.”
Anxiety is not new to Madon. She struggled with it during year 11, the condition getting progressively worse and peaking right before she landed the role on Heartbreak High. She went to therapy and now meditates and exercises to stay on top of it. “I had a revolutionary year in 2022 and found out a lot about myself through therapy,” she says. “That’s been integral in managing that dialogue in my head.”
It’s when she’s stopped in the street that the pangs of fear occasionally kick back in. “I went from nobody knowing who I was to everybody wanting to know what I do,” she says.
Raised in a close-knit family of Zoroastrian faith, Madon says she saw herself reflected back when she watched the late Queen singer, Freddie Mercury, who was also Zoroastrian.
“I grew up praying in another language, and while I don’t know if I believe in God, in my direst hour I use the prayers to comfort me.”
AYESHA MADON
“I didn’t realise how important cultural representation was when it comes to seeing yourself in others,” she says. “For me, that was Freddie Mercury. He was literally the only person I knew of who came from the same faith. He was bold and outlandish and someone I could really relate to. Seeing him provided encouragement to be unapologetically myself, no matter what.”
Madon never spoke about her family’s faith with her school friends due to a sense of embarrassment. “There weren’t many people of colour at my school, so I figured they wouldn’t get it,” she says. “And I didn’t really want to associate with it or care to explain it to friends.”
Erik Yvon jumpsuit, $518. Dinosaur Designs silver choker, $1300. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
She describes herself as spiritual rather than religious, agnostic instead of faith-led, but the foundational work has left a lasting impression on her.
“I don’t practise now, but I am happy to be part of the [Zoroastrian] community,” says Madon. “Culturally, it’s nice to have that connection. I grew up praying in another language, and while I don’t know if I believe in God, in my direst hour I use the prayers to comfort me.”
It was observing her older sister, Ava, 29, also a musical theatre star, that prompted Ayesha to follow in her footsteps (Madon has two siblings, and two older half-siblings from her father’s previous marriage). While her parents are no longer together, she says she embraced their work ethic.
“My parents emigrated from India and didn’t arrive with a lot of money,” says Madon. “Dad tells me that he would lie in bed at night and wonder how he would put his kids through school and would stress about that.
Jacquemus “La Chemise Galliga” shirt, $975, from Parlour X. Y/Project skirt, $495, from Parlour X. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
“There’s a saying that necessity is the mother of invention. I have taken that and used it throughout my life. My parents have always encouraged us to follow our dreams and never stopped me from wanting to have a career in the arts.”
It was her role in the 2019 musical theatre show Fangirls that put Madon on the “to watch” list. It was by chance she scored the lead role, alongside her two best friends, James Majoos and Chika Ikogwe. “James and I went to VCA and have been side by side on our whole journey,” Madon says.
In September last year, Madon made her live-music debut at the industry conference BigSound in Brisbane, playing to an audience of agents and label managers. The 30-minute set led to her opening for former school friend Meg Mac on her Australian tour and got her thinking about how she’d like to steer her music career.
Coming to embrace her identity, manoeuvring the spotlight and claiming her rightful place in it, is an unfolding journey for Madon. But if there’s one thing she has learnt in her short years, it’s the importance of disconnecting from social media.
“You get swamped with so many people achieving all the time,” she says. “I got swept into a world of unhealthy habits, comparing myself to other people’s journeys. It was only when I started to let go of that and have fun and focus on what made me happy that it shifted.”
Courrèges vinyl jacket, $1345, and miniskirt, $645. Jacquemus necklace, $985, from Parlour X. Madon’s own boots.Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
In the performing arts, she adds, you can sometimes fall victim to the idea that you need to be working every hour of the day to get what you want. “If I wasn’t writing a song or sending a self-tape to someone every week, I felt I was letting myself down.”
Earlier this year, Madon took up an offer to stay with drummer G Flip and their wife Chrishell Stause in LA. Madon and G Flip initially met at the NGV Gala in Melbourne last year.
“G Flip is so giving and wanted to help young artists like me,” Madon says. “They gave me some good advice about the music industry. At the time, I felt so misunderstood and bewildered during some writing sessions, and G was a grounding source.
“I would go back to their house and say, ‘I don’t know what the f--- I’m doing.’ It was right before my tour with Meg Mac [in April 2023],” she recalls.
“I was a mess. I wanted a drummer in the band and was being pushed back. G said, ‘You want drums, you get drums.’ Learning to stand up for myself, speak my truth and deal with my anxiety is an ever-evolving situation but I am getting there.”
Madon’s next stop is London. She will move to the city later this year not just to pursue acting but to give her music aspirations a decent crack. Her twin career paths have converged and, rather than taking the one less travelled, she’s choosing both.
Melbourne Fashion Week runs from October 23 to 29.
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