Aussies in Hollywood

Actress Jacki Weaver, is a national treasure in Australia, known for her decades of theatre, TV and Aussie movies. At the age of 72 she became known worldwide after she played the matriarch of a crime family in the Aussie film Animal Kingdom and this earned Jacki her first Oscar nomination. Host Jenny Cooney caught up with Jacki, in West Hollywood, to talk about her favourite types of roles to act in, what it was like to find worldwide fame later in life and her upcoming work.

Actor, film-producer, law-degree holder, film-memorabilia collector and former lolly-stand owner Rebel Wilson is so much more than what you see on screen. Having been a comedy staple on Australian TV, Rebel broke into Hollywood with her hilarious role in Bridesmaids and has now successfully stepped into film-production too. However, her road to fame was not straight-forward, it involved a lot of hard work, self-belief, a law-degree as a back-up pland and oddly enough...a fever induced hallucination!

4-time Costume Design Academy Award winner speaks to host Jenny Cooney about her process of choosing costumes and doing production design on Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby and Australia. Catherine describes the unconventional interview she had, with her now husband, Baz Luhrmann which led to her first film job, Strictly Ballroom, and why they’ve collaborated on every creative project since from Chanel ads to Broadway shows.

Screenwriter Stuart Beattie came up with the idea for the blockbuster franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, while still in school in Australia, and dreamt up Collateral Damage during a taxi ride in Sydney. He chats to Jenny Cooney about where he gets his inspiration, how screenwriting is rarely a one-person job and how his directorial debut lead his to be a better screenwriter

Actor Eric Bana managed to make it in Hollywood without ever having to relocate to the US. His success story is unusual, especially when you find out that he started as a comedian. He caught up with Jenny Cooney, the day after he finished filming Dirty John, to discuss how the chooses the diverse characters that he plays.

Actor Jai Courtney got his big break filming in New Zealand on Spartacus and since then has acted alongside Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger . After he wrapped filming Storm Boy he caught up with Jenny Cooney to chat about his life as an actor and how a bet with Margot Robbie led him to get a questionable tattoo.

Actor Elizabeth Debicki shot to fame after her role in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Elizabeth shares with Jenny Cooney the unconventional audition that got her that role, how difficult it was hiding the details of her Guardians of The Galaxy character from superfans and what it was like having Cate Blanchett as a mentor.

Actors and golden couple Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness sit down with their longtime friend Jenny Cooney to discuss the big roles that defined their careers, how a fortune-teller led Deborra-Lee to Hugh and how they've kept their relationship strong through the ups and downs of fame.

Writer, director and producer Baz Luhrmann is a creative powerhouse. He is known for writing and directing visually stunning films like Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby as well as turning his hand to directing an opera...not bad for a kid from a town in Australia so small, that he is willing to bet you it's smaller than yours!

Actor and model Luke Mitchell shot to fame in Australia as Romeo Smith on Home and Away but nowadays he lives between New York and LA with his actress wife Rebecca Breeds. Luke speaks to Jenny Cooney about how a failed tennis career led him to acting and how a beard led his to roles in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Blindspot.

Stuntman, film director and music video director Nash Edgerton, speaks to Jenny Cooney about how he got into stunt work and how a $80 film he made for Tropfest made him realise that he wanted a career in film making.

Actor Danielle Macdonald, is the star of Patti Cake$ and upcoming film Dumplin’. Danielle chats with Jenny Cooney about how she shot straight to fame in Hollywood having never scored a role in Australia, and how strange life in Hollywood can be when you find yourself watching Friends on a flight that you are taking to go meet Jennifer Aniston.

Actor Emilie de Ravin is best known for her roles in the tv shows Roswell High, Lost and Once Upon a Time as well as the film Remember Me with Robert Pattison. She chats to Jenny Cooney about striking gold with a string of hit shows and how she has made Hollywood her home ever since.

Actor George Lazenby is the only Aussie to have played James Bond. His life off screen was similar to Bond, with plenty of women, cars, money and dangerous stunts. He tells Jenny Cooney how he scored the Bond role having never acted before and why he turned down the chance to make more Bond films.

Actor Toni Collette is synonymous with 2 movie lines “You’re terrible Muriel!” from Muriel’s Wedding and “I see dead people,” from The Sixth Sense, which is funny seeing as she didn’t deliver either of those lines. Recorded in the hotel room where they first met during the press tour for Muriel’s Wedding,Toni chats to Jenny Cooney about her unique career and why she wasn’t always convinced that the roles she became known for, would even be a hit in the first place.