2019-05-01+The+Australian+Womens+Weekly

64 The Australian Women’s Weekly|MAY 2019

Interview

HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY BEC BROWN.

Miranda

TAPSELL

ThestarofLoveChildandThe Sapphireswasmarriedtwicelastyear–

oncetoherreallifefiancé andonceonscreen.MirandaTapsell tells

GenevieveGannonaboutbringingherdreamstolife.

theentertainmentindustryis sofickle,

butthismeeting– withNorthern

TerritoryTourism– wasunbreakable.

Shehadanidea,andneededmoney

togetit offtheground.Shewas

determinedtobethechangeshe

wantedtoseein theworld.

“I madethatspeechandI hadto

walkthetalk,”shesays.

“Thatspeech”wasa cryforchange

in Australia’sfilmandtelevision

industry,deliveredonTV’snightof

nights,theTVWeekLogies.Miranda’s

performanceas MarthaTennantin the

retrodramaLoveChildhadearnedher

thetitlesMostOutstandingNewcomer

and Best New Talent, and she had

EH

UA

ST

RA

LIA

N WO

M

D E

F

ouryearsagoactorMiranda

Tapselltooka tripto theTop

End.Usually,whentheLarrakia

Tiwiwomanheadsnorth,sheis

ona journeyhome– to the

sultrycityof Darwin,whereshewas

born;orthetinytownof Jabiru,tucked

in thecraggywildernessof Kakadu

NationalPark,whereshespentmuchof

herchildhood,swimmingandcrabbing

withhermother;orto theunspoiled

TiwiIslands,wherehermother’sfamily

lives.Butthistime,shewasona

mission.Shehada proposaltuckedin

herbagandanimportantmeeting

pencilledintoherdiary.Shealways

makes appointments in pencil because

seizedhermomentin thespotlightto

makea callforgreaterrepresentationof

allAustraliansonscreens.

“I hadthissickfeelingin mystomach

beforeI wentonstage,”shesays.“Then

I went:‘Okay,I mightupsetpeopleand

mycareermightgoquietbutwhat’sthe

pointof havingthismomentif you’re

notgoingto takeit?’”

Dressedin greyandsilverevening

wear,thenewcomerclutchedher

trophyand,witha quiverin hervoice,

pleadedhercase.“Putmorebeautiful

peopleofcolouronTVandconnect

viewersin wayswhichtranscendrace

anduniteus,”shesaid. “That’s the real

Team Australia.”→

o

e ings

d a

film

PHOTOGRAPHYby NICK SCOTT • STYLINGby BIANCA LANE