From an outsider’s perspective, Gomes is certainly living a prettydesirable life right now. Firmly settled in LA, a longed-for acting career
is about to take off, with parts in two films set to be released later this
year. The first is the comedy, Bastards, starring Owen Wilson, Ed
Helms and Glenn Close, and directed by Lawrence Sher of The
Hangover fame: “It’s a fun role—I play Owen Wilson’s fiancée in the
film, [which] is about two brothers who are on the search for their
biological father.” I ask what it was like for her, working alongside
modern-day comedy royalty. Gomes smiles: “I was freaking out
because [on my first day of filming] a car came to pick me up from the
hotel and when I got in, Glenn was sitting in the front seat...she was so
lovely, so cool and so down to earth...but I was
completely like, ‘How am I sharing a car with
Glenn Close right now?’ It was a pinch-myself
moment.” Acting opposite Wilson—who Gomes
describes as “the sweetest person”, and someone
she’d admired growing up—was similarly
thrilling. She humbly admits, “I learnt that I still
had a long way to go with my acting abilities,
[and] that the more experience [I] get on set with
actors is golden for my career.”
That experience is something she’s readilycontinuing to gain, with another part in the
upcoming film Once Upon A Time In Venice
starring Bruce Willis—which came with a unique
set of challenges. Gomes plays Willis’ character’s
much younger girlfriend, which, I comment, must’ve been quite
something. She giggles, “Yes, he’s 60, he’s my dad’s age, so that was
pretty full on! I did my first sex scene with him. Ever. I was like, ‘Oh my
gosh, I’m with Bruce Willis right now and we’re making out...’ and even
he [said] ‘Isn’t acting weird?’ And it is—[ but] once we broke the ice it
was fine.” While at times “intense”, her role in the action comedy was
also “really fun” and an important step in Gomes’ burgeoning career. “I
feel like I got lucky because I got to work with really experienced
actors that knew what they were doing [and] I felt really grateful for
that. It was the same [with Bastards]. I’m working with amazing actors
at the top of their game—so I feel safe.”
With two films in the can and more audition requests flooding in,it’s conceivable that the budding actor would be happy to simply ride
the wave of her early big-screen success. But not Gomes: while
continuing to front high-profile campaigns and maintaining a four-
year ambassadorship with Australian fashion giant David Jones
(which she describes as “a huge deal for me”), she’s just launched a
skincare brand, Equal Beauty, available both at that retailer and
online. Of her “new baby” that’s been in the works for three years,
she enthuses, “I’ve always wanted to have my own business and to be an
entrepreneur.” Just don’t confuse Gomes with someone who’d be
happy to simply be the face of her brand: “This isn’t something that I’ve
just stuck my name on,” she stresses, adding that, aside from one
colleague in Melbourne, she’s been solely responsible for building her
business, or, as she puts it, “the everyday hustle”—from developing the
formulas with a chemist to marketing the line. It’s clearly something
that makes her proud, yet she remains mindful of the harsh realities of
launching a start-up. “I think people see the glamorous side of what we
do in fashion and beauty...but running a company is just pure hard
work.” She continues, “I think being an
entrepreneur is actually problem-solving every
day. It’s not just about creating something that’s a
great product and then it’s done—you’ve got to
[continue] the process of growing it, problem-
solving, making sure you’re across the logistics...
and things take time.” She tells me that she’s
prepared for hard work, and that before our
meeting she sat in her Sydney hotel room
packing boxes of products to send out. It’s clear
just how important the success of Equal Beauty
is to her, yet Gomes doesn’t look like a stressed-
out business owner. Quite the opposite; she’s
glowing, which might have something to do with
her new relationship with LA-based Australian
actor, Xavier Samuel. “I’m beaming right now with love!” she gushes.
“We’ve been together since my birthday last year, September 25th...
there was definitely a connection from the beginning.” I wonder how
they manage with two hectic work schedules that involve so much
travel. “There’s a lot of FaceTime involved,” Gomes laughs. “We’re just
really open and honest with each other about where we’re at, and
we communicate really well—I think that’s really important in
a relationship. It’s serious, and I’m very happy...it’s felt really easy and
we bring out the best in one another.” She reflects: “I’ve been in
relationships where it’s been hard, and no-one wants to get hurt—
heartbreak is painful. But I’m such a romantic—I wanted to be 100 per
cent happy, inspired and in love in my relationship with my partner,
and also in my work. Now I feel like I’m doing everything
I really love, [with] Equal Beauty, the projects that I’m choosing, film,
and in my relationship too. It just sort of trickles into everything when
you make that decision of, ‘This is who I am, this is what I love to do—
this is it.’ ” She flashes me that signature smile, and I absolutely believe
her: Jessica Gomes’ time has come. n“
I’V E LEA R NT
THAT STARTING
A BUSINESS ISN’T
EASY—IT IS HARD
WORK AND JUST
A DAY-TO -DAY
HUSTLE”