’It was fun’: How Ngali Shaw got to sing karaoke with Jess Mauboy

Dubbo-born Indigenous actor Ngali Shaw is determined to take his rising star as far as he can. ‘It’s this or nothing’.

There’s no doubt Indigenous actor Ngali Shaw’s star is on the rise – and the Dubbo born and bred 23-year-old is determined to take it as far as he can. He has no choice.

“Honestly, the drive that I have is – for me, I have nothing but this,” Shaw tells Insider.

“So the thing that drives me is… it’s this or nothing.

“I’m invested in learning as much as I can, taking in as much as I can and going as far as I can.”

Shaw always knew he had to get out of Dubbo. He’s shared stories of local police targeting the town’s young First Nation community for no reason. As a young Aboriginal kid, he craved a faster life and bigger city than the one that central NSW offered – and he’s not one to do things by halves.

He chose ballet over footy – he wanted to be Greg Inglis until he realised he was too small to be on the field – and ended up being the first Indigenous boy to join the local ballet studio in its 89-year history.

A last minute selftape for Foxtel hit The Twelve saw him secure the role and, in the three years since his breakout role alongside Brooke Satchwell, Sam Neill and Marta Dusseldorp, he’s already worlds away from his past life in Dubbo.

Ngali Shaw accepts the Brian Walsh Award during the 2024 AACTA Awards in February. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

He recently accepted the Brian Walsh Award at the AACTAs for emerging talent from presenters Rob Collins and castmate Brooke Satchwell. That came with a $50,000 career development boost. The award was instigated by Nicole Kidman and fosters promising talent who will shape the future of the Australian screen industry. It cements his part in the industry that named him one of Australia’s Rising Stars by the Casting Guild of Australia in 2021.

Ngali Shaw as Constable Kennedy in Windcatcher.

Now Shaw will star in the upcoming Stan original film Windcatcher opposite Jessica Mauboy and Pia, which premieres on Thursday.

“I look back like I’ve dreamt of these times. I’m exhausted, but I love it,” he tells Insider.

“I haven’t been back to Dubbo for a while and I don’t really think about the place because, before I left, the only thing I wanted to do was get out of that place.

“The only thing I’ve got is family there but there was nothing there that I was doing with my life, there was nothing to help me, or get to where I wanted to go.

“My best friends are still back there.

“They love their life, they’re pretty good and they have kids and stuff – they love life.

“And I have a family pretty much everywhere.

“Most of my family is in Dubbo.

“But they like Dubbo. They like the quiet place. They don’t like cities.

“I’m like pretty opposite to them.”

Ngali Shaw is starring in the upcoming Stan original film Windcatcher opposite Jessica Mauboy and Pia Miranda. Picture: Michael Klein

He’s exhausted, currently in Melbourne for the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of 37. He plays star footballer Jayma in the world premiere production set against the background of the racial insults Adam Goodes was subject to during his AFL career.

He says Windcatcher – which allowed him to connect with singer Jess Mauboy for the first time – is perfect for the whole family. Mauboy’s first film in 12 years is directed by First Nations’ Tanith Glynn-Maloney and written by Boyd Quakawoot. It also stars Pia Miranda and Jess McNamee and introduces newcomer Lennox Monaghan as its very watchable star, Percy Boy.

Set in a small country town, it follows an unlikely friendship between Percy Boy, newcomer Keithy Cobb and the spirited Daisy Hawkins, as they band together to take the local school sports day title from a group of grade five bullies.

But as Percy Boy trains with the help of his mates, he then discovers his supernatural ability to see Lost Souls – a gift passed down from his grandfather. Percy Boy has to overcome his fears, prove his resilience and become a force to be reckoned with.

“It’s such a funny movie and we have such good actors on it – all the kids on it are just phenomenal,” Shaw says.

“I’d never met Jess before but I had seen her in The Sapphires. It was so good, we did a little karaoke session while we were getting ready, which was cool. We had a lot of fun.”

Shaw says he grew up wanting to be a football star.

“I looked up to Greg Inglis, he was the guy that I wanted to be, and then I ended up phasing out of that – I just didn’t grow. I was just too small and skinny to be on the field,” he says.

“So I ended up phasing out a football, going to basketball and then I went to dance. I did dance and I love dancing.

“I was in school, and I joined ballet studio and at first they were like ‘what? you’re doing ballet?’ and then they were like ‘do your thing’, so I didn’t really cop much from friends, because they’re pretty good.

“But I ended up starting that movement in Dubbo, with Aboriginal kids, boys in particular, doing ballet and dance because I was the first Aboriginal male in that ballet studio ever since it opened – I think it was like 89 years or something.

“So that was pretty cool.”

Ngali Shaw wanted to be something bigger than Dubbo. Picture: Michael Klein

He left school at the start of Year 12, knowing school wasn’t for him.

“I had to think about what I wanted to do in life. I just had to figure it out,” he explains.

“I didn’t have many people believe in me at all, except for my mother.

“The only thing that really you need belief in is yourself.

“Just believe in yourself, 100 per cent.

“That’s all I thought about when I was a kid.

“I knew I didn’t want to be here. I knew I wanted to be something bigger. Something bigger than Dubbo.”

And despite being a “Rising Star”, his ego is in check, as it should be, he laughs.

“There’s a lot of moments where people tell me ‘I’m such a star’. I don’t let that get to my head when people say that,” he says.

“I’m not a phenomenal actor. I’m good for as long as I’ve been to this in this industry for. I’m like ‘thanks’, but I have a lot a long way to go.

“Even when I won (the AACTA Award), you see my clapping for like a second before I realised it was me,” he laughs.

“But it was so cool.

“So sad that Brian Walsh has left us. I was just getting to know him, and just met him right after The Twelve. He helped me a lot, just get my head in the game.”

Other things that help him – mentally more than anything – are music and basketball, in no particular order.

“I love music – I produce beats and write my own music. I love that,” he says.

“And basketball. If I’m not doing anything, I’m probably at the basketball court.

“It helps. Basketball was a big thing, especially growing up – most of the time, I’d just be at the basketball court just shooting hops or working on moves.

“The basketball court is a big place for me.

“And my car – my car was a big spot as well.

“Because I love music so I would be in my car, listening to music.

“Some nights I’d just sleep in my car and just listen to music.”

Sydney is home right now – he’s based in Doonside – but Shaw will be in Melbourne until early April before taking 37 to Brisbane. After that, the world is his oyster.

“After that I currently have nothing, but if I don’t have anything TV related – because I only get back into screen and TV – by the time I finish this, I’m going to use the Brian Walsh money, the $50,000, to go overseas to the US and the UK to try my luck over there,” he says.

“I love telling Aussie stories and I’d love to keep learning from my culture and other coaches around Australia, other tribes and other people. That’s a big thing that I really want.

“I wouldn’t change a thing.

“I think everything worked out perfectly. You learn and you live.”

Windcatcher premieres on Stan on March 28