Elizabeth Debicki’s tall poppy syndrome lament: ‘Don’t get above yourself’

Film star Elizabeth Debicki has joined a line-up of expats who have labelled Australia the land of the tall poppy.

Elizabeth Debicki. Picture: James Croucher

Call it a bad case of cultural cringe — or perhaps it’s an inconvenient truth. Actress Elizabeth Debicki has declared that Australians aren’t “comfortable” with being “too ambitious … too provocative or transgressive”.

The statuesque beauty, who blazed onto screens as Jordan Baker in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, and is currently ­appearing in The Burnt Orange Heresy with Donald Sutherland and Mick Jagger, has joined a long line of expats who have ­labelled Australia the land of the tall poppy — particularly in the case of actors.

(From left) Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi, Danish actor Claes Bang, English singer, songwriter and actor Mick Jagger, Ausralian actress Elizabeth Debicki and Canadian actor Donald Sutherland arrive for the screening of the film The Burnt Orange Heresy during the closing night of the 76th Venice Film Festival in 2019.

Rather than celebrating our stars, Debicki told Britain’s ­Observer newspaper that when it came to Australians “if you’re an actor, you mustn’t get any ideas about your craft”.

“In Australia, you’re barely ­allowed to say this is a job,” she said.

“You’re supposed to be like, I don’t know, sometimes I just do this thing, the camera rolls, then like, I go home! You can’t own any of it, they’ll just knock you down.

“I think a lot of it is about making people comfortable, with no one being too ambitious, not too provocative or transgressive.

Elizabeth Debicki playing Jordan Baker in the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby.

“I understand that makes for a pleasant drink at the pub, but I’m not really interested in being too comfortable.”

Debicki has become one of Australia’s hottest Hollywood ­exports, and stars next in the ­anticipated Christopher Nolan blockbuster Tenet.

Reflecting the state of the Australian film industry pre-coronavirus, she said that particularly talented Australians “often have to leave the pool and collect ­experience, collect people, and then come back to it. Or, they just sort of leave — and they don’t necessarily go back.”

Longtime publicist Wendy Day, who represents Nicole Kidman and has worked with the likes of Russell Crowe, told The Australian that she felt there was a vibrant industry at home, and that celebrity status and Australian culture were compatible.

“Unfortunately, we do follow the Brits and we do cut down tall poppies, but we also like success,” she said.

“We are changing. It’s not as bad as it used to be. I’ve been in the business for 30 years and I’ve watched it change.

“I think in the real world there are a lot of great Australian actors who are based here and regarded as great actors all over the world.”

“Personally, I believe you can survive in this world.”