202 marieclaire.com.auDAVID GUBERT; NEWSPIX; GETTY IMAGES; JOHN TIMBERSMARTA
DUSSELDORP
From left: Australian actor June Jago; Oscar, Emmy and Tony award-
winner Frances McDormand; and crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC.JUNE JAGO
I met the actor June Jago
in the small theatre of the
Victorian College of the
Arts during my first week of
drama school. I was 19 years
old, and she was ageless.
June strolled in wearing
her flat shoes, white gloves
and dark sunglasses (which
she wore at all times, inside
and out). Silence descended,
and an immediate sense of
respect came over me.
She guided me through
[Shakespeare characters]
Lady Macbeth, Juliet,
Beatrice and Lady Anne.
She opened up the roof of
any room, letting in ideas,
fantasy, belief and power.
June was the first person
to whisper in my ear and say,
“You have what it takes, keep
going, keep journeying.”After I graduated (largely
thanks to June) we stayed
in contact and her support
never wavered. In 2010 when
I heard she had passed away,
my tears flowed.FRANCES^
MCDORMAND
My first film was Paradise
Road. It was 1997 and I’d just
graduated from drama school.
Suddenly I found myself on
set with legendary director
Bruce Beresford and a bevvy
of extraordinary actors.
Among them was the insanely
talented Frances McDormand.
Whenever I was feeling
out of my depth on set
Frances would always grab my
hand and tell me a tale. She is
a true storyteller – a woman
so deep I found myself
shadowing her every move.HT(^) E
W
O
M
E
N
W
HO^ MAD
E
(^) M
E
The Australian actor on the females who inspire her
It was only after the
movie I realised the genius of
her acting career. I went to the
cinema to watch Fargo and I
have never laughed so hard.
I still visit her when I can.
We talk of the great women’s
roles and how one might
approach them. She inspires
me to develop my own
projects, like she did with
the [2014] TV miniseries
Olive Kitteridge.
When Frances won the
Oscar for Fargo [in 1997]
she thanked her husband for
making her a woman and her
son for making her a mother.
I would like to thank her for
making me a stronger human
being and a better actor.
MARGARET
CUNNEEN SC
One of the treats of being an
actor is one day you’re a nurse,
next day you’re a judge, and
the next you’re a prosecutor.
When I got the role in
[ABC drama series] Janet
King I had a very insightful
chat with Nick Cowdery, who
was then the director of public
prosecutions. He mentioned I
should meet crown prosecutor
Margaret Cunneen SC. Little
did I know the friendship that
lay ahead of me.
My uncertainty about
delving into a world I knew
nothing of dissipated when
I met Margaret in a cafe for
lunch. Over three hours we
laughed, cried and examined
the frailties of humankind. I
now consider her a dear friend.
Margaret is a champion
of victims, a “knightess”
fighting for the greater good.
She has taught me that if you
know who you are, you can –
and will – make a difference
in this often-cruel world.
LAST WORD