Homegrown Aussie talent set to hit the big time in 2023
Young Australians are landing plum roles across the industry, popping up everywhere from television to streaming giant Netflix and even the big screen. Here are the names to remember.
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An exciting mix of faces from the small screen who are set to hit the big time this year. National Entertainment Writer Lisa Woolford shares her Top 10 Ones To Watch for 2023.
Shaka Cook
The proud Innawonga and Yindjibarndi man from the Pilbara region has performed across Australia and the world in theatrical productions since graduating from NIDA in 2012. He’s recently wowed on stage as American Founding Father in the local production of the international musical sensation Hamilton, and on-screen in black comedy Operation Buffalo, Top End Wedding and The Flood. He “kind of fell into (acting)” with workshops in his school holidays. And it’s continuing to pay off with excitement building for his latest work Kid Snow to be released this year.
Alex Williams
He landed the plum role of Julian Assange in the miniseries Underground: The Julian Assange Story with just his first audition out of WAAPA in 2012, and continued to win acclaim for his portrayals of real-life personalities including Kirk Pengilly in Never Tear Us Apart, Paul Onions in Catching Milat, and John Harvey in Peter Brock. Williams is about go next level when viewers see his transformation into one of Australia’s most beloved larrikins, the late great Shane Warne, in Nine’s miniseries Warnie, which will screen over two nights this year.
Shanti Kali
The UK-born Sydney resident knew at a young age acting was her passion, however, after being scouted by some of the world’s most prestigious modelling agencies, she detoured a little and appeared in campaigns for Uniqlo, Ugg, Nivea, Rimmel and Diesel. Kali went back to her first love, and completed studies including at The Unseen Acting School, The Hub Emerging Actors Program. It’s all finally fallen into place with her first major role, slipping into the stylish shoes as Liz Hurley in the two-part miniseries Warnie to screen this year.
Josh Heuston
He’s had an unconventional path from social media stardom to the screen, but was a standout as bad boy heart-throb Dusty Reid in Netflix’s Heartbreak High reboot, and enjoyed a small role in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder. The Instagram star – who has 700,000 followers – was also named Breakthrough Actor of the Year in GQ’s 2022 Men of the Year awards. Heuston now has his eyes firmly set on success in The States.
Jordan Rodrigues
A Malaysian/Australian actor, Rodrigues is perhaps best known for playing Saoirse Ronan’s older brother in the Golden Globe-winning film Lady Bird, or as Christian in the much-loved Dance Academy series. He’s worked with Jessica Alba and Gabriele Union on LA’s Finest, and can be seen in his latest TV role, the recently released National Treasure: Edge of History as Ethan, who’s in love with the show’s protagonist, Jess (Lisette Olivera).
Kirsty Sturgess
Since graduating from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London in 2018, Sturgess has appeared on screen in Ron Howard’s amazing Thirteen Lives with Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton, and the most recent season of the popular NBC comedy series Young Rock. She’ll next be seen in Ten’s six-part crime thriller North Shore, alongside Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt and Game of Thrones’ John Bradley.
Hattie Hook
She auditioned for a role in an Australian tour of Annie, thanks to her dance teacher, and she hasn’t looked back since. Hook made a real splash last year with Australia dramas Of An Age and Savage River, so it was no surprise when she was named one of 2022’s Casting Guild of Australia’s rising stars to watch. Next up, she’ll be seen in the joint BBC and Stan production Ten Pound Poms with fellow Aussies Rob Collins and Stephen Curry this year.
Mabel Li
Since graduating from NIDA in 2019, the Sydney actor has garnered plenty of award buzz. She made her TV debut in the AACTA award-winning series The Tailings and the AACTA-nominated short film Voice Activated. And received her own Silver Logie nomination for her turn as Zhang Lei in SBS’ New Gold Mountain. She won an Asian Academy Award for best supporting actor for the same role. She’ll next be seen in TV thriller Safe Home with Aisha Dee, Virgina Gay, Thomas Cocquerel and Antonia Prebble.
Michelle Lim Davidson
She was told as she was about to graduate from WAAPA that she wouldn’t get any work because “they don’t hire people that look like you”. Just days on from those comments, she proved her doubters wrong, with British comedian Ben Elton selecting her to be part of his TV sketch comedy Ben Elton Live from Planet Earth. The South Korean-born, Newcastle-raised actor is now a regular on Play School, starred in After The Verdict and was nominated for an AACTA as Noelene Kim on the Michael Lucas-written The Newsreader. Filming has just wrapped on the second season of the award-winning show which will hit our screens this year.
Claude Jabbour
You might recognise this Australian actor of Lebanese background from his role in Eden, and his supporting role of Farid on Stateless, with Cate Blanchett, Yvonne Strahovski and Jai Courtney. He’s also a talented comedic actor and writer. Jabbour’s impressions and original sketches have garnered a strong online following and featured on The Juice Media and The B-League with Sam Mac and Jules. He’s recently wrapped filming on Paramount+’s Last King of The Cross, adapted from John Ibrahim’s autobiography.
Stay tuned next Sunday for the musical faces to watch for 2023. Kathy McCabe will reveal the top names in the next generation of show-stopping Australian singers.
Originally published as Homegrown Aussie talent set to hit the big time in 2023
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