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The not so secret life of Claudia Karvan » ABC Darwin
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The not so secret life of Claudia Karvan
Presenter: Julia Christensen
Researcher: Fiona Churchman
Monday, 18 August 2003
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Claudia Karvan has been a star for a very long time.
Darwin festival
audiences got to see evidence of this at last weekend's opening of Big Screen
2003, showcasing Australian cinema classics.
Claudia was 14 when she starred with Judy Davis in High Tide
directed by Gillian Armstrong, a film about three women set in a windswept
caravan park on the New South Wales south coast.
Claudia says she
still feels strongly about High Tide, one of her earliest successes as
an actress.
"In my mind it's the best film I've ever been a part of and
also the most, I've got the strongest sentimental attachment to it, I just
fell in love with Judy Davis when I worked with her and I learnt so much from
Gillian Armstrong."
From there Claudia impressed many with films such
as Dating the Enemy, Paperback Hero and The Heartbreak
Kid, but it was the small screen that made her a household name, thanks to
her role as Alex in The Secret Life of Us.
Claudia says actors
usually take the journey of graduating from tv to film but she has no regrets
about taking the trip in reverse.
"It feels very much like it's an
actor's medium to me because when you do a film it's a real pressure cooker
and it's very much the director's vision and they have the last word on
everything, with a tv show it's like a big boat that steers itself so when you
do throw in ideas they actually get taken up."
After three years,
Claudia has decided to step back from playing Dr Alex and is involved in the
early planning stages of a new television series, focusing on families.
"Kind of about extended families, the step kids syndrome, you know
when a family breaks up and a whole new family evolves and how they get
enmeshed."
Families are something Claudia has been thinking about a lot
lately, with her daughter Audrey about to turn two.
As well as being a
part of the festival, Claudia was looking forward to discovering Darwin with
her family - and it sounds like it could be just the right location to spend
some time, with Claudia revealing Audrey has developed an obsession with
crocodiles.
So are there any roles Claudia would absolutely love to
play?
"Silly ones like being a rock and roll star, or being a dancer,
or basically talents that I would like to acquire…I had to play the violin for
a film called Passion, and you get a tutor and you get lots of input so
things like I'd love to do some dancing.
"I'm a shocking dancer so I'll
never get cast as a dancer, but I can dream on."
Claudia Karvan chats to Drive presenter Julia Christensen
( Audio in RealMedia format ) | Requires RealPlayerListen to Bryan Crump on 105.7 ABC Darwin at 7.30 each weekday morning during the Darwin Festival to find out what's on.
Last Updated: 18/08/2003 4:23:00 PM ACST
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