Tony Armstrong on the Voice to Parliament … and why he’d NEVER do reality TV

Tony Armstrong has given a candid interview about the politics of being Indigenous, the truth about his heart-throb status – and clears up THOSE reports about his next career move.

In a new episode of the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About, Tony Armstrong – TV presenter and former footy star – opens up about finding the balance between popularity and personality, playing cat and mouse for the sake of his privacy, and the complicated politics of the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.

As for that alleged career move into acting? He sets the record straight.

On turning down reality TV:
“I reckon pretty much all of them have come knocking at some point. So I think like, pretty much anything in reality is … not something I’m interested in. But I think most of them have come knocking at one point or another. And I just … can’t see myself like doing that. I mean, full respect to people who can do it, but it’s just not me. I think with cameras on the whole time, I’d go crazy.”

On maintaining a sense of mystery while arguably being one of the most popular public personalities in the country:

“I try to be as intentional as I can be about, you know, doing live telly. You’re that extension of the breakfast table for however long they’re watching and you’ve got to be really personable. I try to show my whole personality without necessarily divulging the real me, the private life. What people are getting is me … without letting people know everything there is to know about me. There’s something kind of nice [about] not knowing everything about people who interest me. I find it intriguing. There’s a reason why we look at people from the ’90s – inaccessible movie stars. You don’t actually know anything about them. It’s fun for everyone; it’s a bit of cat and mouse, trying to be as genuine a version of yourself as you can be when you’ve got 50 billion cameras in your face.”

Tony Armstrong sits down for an interview on Stellar’s podcast, Something To Talk About. Picture: Hugh Davies, iHeart Podcasts

Tony Armstrong: ‘It’s obviously very, very flattering and humbling. And clearly I’ve got no clue how to take it.’ Picture: Hugh Davies, iHeart Podcasts

When told that Stellar thinks it’s time for him to start campaigning to follow up his Most Popular New Talent Logie win in 2022 with a Gold Logie win in 2023:

“You’re kidding! [laughs] I haven’t done anything. I’ve got to step up, don’t I? It’s not up to me; I just don’t think that’s on the cards any time soon. I need to do some good sh*t first. Well, some more good sh*t.”

Listen to the Something To Talk About podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or press play here:

On his status as a heart-throb:

“I’ve got to be honest. I always find it kind of weird, that kind of stuff. I’m clamming up. My hands are sweating now, because it’s not even on my mind. It’s not something I think about at all. It’s almost, like, a really nice gut punch because obviously there’s an ego in here. I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that. But by the same token, it’s so left of centre for me. I mean, people need to see what I look like when I wake up. Then let’s see if they still think I’m a heart-throb because, Jesus Christ, it’s a sight to behold. Thank God for Margaret Anne Armstrong, because she loves it – that’s my mother – but that’s about it, I reckon. It’s obviously very, very flattering and humbling. And clearly I’ve got no clue how to take it. I’m uncomfortable.”

Tony Armstrong. Picture: Hugh Davies, iHeart Podcasts

On the representation of Indigenous Australians in popular culture – and his feelings on being asked about it at all:

“It’s kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, right? You have to ask about it and, until it changes, all of us in the performing arts who are on TV, who are behind the mic, who are represented in print media will continue to be frustrated by it, because I know that most of us would love to be able to strike ‘Indigenous’ before our name when we’re talked about. What a treat that would be to just be able to be ‘Tony Armstrong, dancer.’ ‘Tony Armstrong, guitarist, musician …’ whatever it might be. The other side of that coin is we’ll keep stepping up because we have to, and because we do feel that responsibility. But it’s just an added load. I guess to be a blackfella is to be political, whether you like it or not. And that’s tough because, far out, have you seen what politics is like? It’s full on. So it would be nice to just be able to worry about your job and not then have the extra stress of: you did make a blue; you did stuff up. It’s not just you who stuffed up; it’s your whole people who were then tarred with that, [and] wrongly. So it’s a question that has to be asked, because nothing has changed. But it’s a question that’s frustrating to answer, because nothing has changed. So can we just change?”

On whether he believes the Voice to Parliament referendum will be passed:

“I truly don’t know if it will be passed or not. What I think people need to remember with the Voice is that a vote for ‘yes’ and a vote for ‘no’ can both be good things. It’s not binary. We aren’t in a world where ‘no’ is ‘bad’ and ‘yes’ is ‘good’. Aboriginal people should be the ones talking the most about this; this is about what’s best for Aboriginal people. I don’t know diddly squat. I’m leaving it to the people who actually know their crap to give advice on it. But what I do think is lost in the conversation is the fact it’s not binary. ‘Yes’ could actually hold us back. ‘No’ could actually push us forward. And vice versa. We don’t know. The way it’s being framed in public discourse is that it’s binary, but it’s far more nuanced and complex than that. I’m going to follow in the path of my leaders; it’s just so complex and becomes another red-hot year for blackfellas, even more so where our very identity will be ripped apart and pulled apart and examined. The irony, regardless of whichever way it goes, will be: it’s not necessarily going to be the blackfellas whose vote makes a difference. I’ve never been able to define irony, but I reckon that’s in the ballpark.”

Tony Armstrong features in this Sunday’s Stellar. Picture: Sam Bisso for Stellar.

On his new podcast The Pool Room, and how it melds his professional interests in sport and broadcasting:

“The idea is me telling roughly 10-minute esoteric, weird sporting yarns that you may not have heard before, in my best and most jacked-up storytelling voice. You can put them in your pocket and tell them to your friends down at the pub or around the dinner table. I love ripping a yarn, but I also love the idea of distilling these stories down to 10 minutes so you don’t have to commit to one or two hours. It really suits me, and I do love sport, despite having other interests. It’s where I cut my teeth – and I’m really excited to get this out there.”

On reports that he’ll soon launch an acting career:

“Can I tell you what? That’s a classic example of me not doing what I said I do, which is be very deliberate about my answers to things. Someone asked me a question, ‘Would you try acting?’ And I was like, ‘Ah yeah! I guess if the role’s right. I just want to have fun with stuff.’ F*cking lo and behold, there [is the headline]: ‘Tony Armstrong announces new career move.’ Jesus Christ, that was news to [the] ABC, wasn’t it?”

The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong starts this Friday on the iHeart Podcast Network Australia or wherever you get your podcasts.

Originally published as Tony Armstrong on the Voice to Parliament … and why he’d NEVER do reality TV