Who is Sarah McLeod?
Sarah McLeod is workaholic, who likes to play guitar and sing in her spare time.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
Initially I wanted to be a stockbroker but that was only because I was in high school when the movie Wall Street came out. Once I recovered from wanting to be Michael J Fox in Back To The Future, I then decided I wanted to be Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. Then I found music and ditched the whole affair. I love to be creative and I have always felt there was more to life than rock n roll.
I always wanted to do acting but never got around to hitting the button on it. So now having the chance to be in American Idiot – I am fulfilling a dream that I thought I had missed the boat in. Then I realised life is long and full of second chances and if you work hard and keep chipping away you can achieve everything you ever wanted to achieve, it’s just about moving forward, gaining momentum and never ever stopping.
Who inspires you and why?
Good songwriters, song writing is such a magical craft. There is no right or wrong way to do it and no blueprint to follow. Anytime I hear a new song that grabs me I get really excited. The other day I heard a song from an unknown Melbourne artist called Belmont Haze. She had written the most beautiful song that actually brought me to tears. I found this incredibly inspiring, especially because I had never heard of her.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I would like to inspire people to go for their dreams with reckless abandon. It is fear that holds us back and I have struggled with fear a lot. To overcome it I started making myself t-shirts that I would wear on stage with bold slogans of confidence on the front. They would help me overcome my fear, because you just can’t have fear when wearing a t-shirt that says Bad Ass! I’ve put together a collection of 7 of them with different slogans and released a clothing label called Bad Valentine so that others can be empowered as well. If it works for me, it’s bound to work for others!
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Cinque Terre in Italy is my favourite. It’s 5 little towns on the Italian Riviera all built into the side of the mountains. It’s absolutely beautiful , all the homes are made from multi-coloured stone. You can walk between all five towns on a cliff path through the mountains that looks out to the water, its views are breathtaking. The homemade Lemoncello is out of this world, every restaurant sells a slightly different version of it and its usually made by the owners mother.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to and why?
When my mates from out of town come to Sydney I usually take them to the Opera Bar. Its next to the Opera House and looks out across the harbour to Sydney Harbour Bridge. I also like to go to Luna Park and get loony. The sack race slides are my favourite. I have had many an accident on these slides,bthey can be dangerous if you’ve had too many wines at the Opera Bar first!
What are you currenty reading?
I just finished reading The Beach. I loved it. Now I’m working on A Fraction Of The Whole Day by Steve Toltz.
What are you currently listening to?
As I type, I am listening to Suzanne Vega’s Luka – 90’s flashback!
Happiness is?
An esky full of cold Coronas on ice.
What does the future hold for you?
Life is moving so fast right now I just roll with it.bI have no idea where it is going to take me. I just say yes to everything and worry about how I am going to pull it off later.
Sarah stars as St Jimmy (one of three) in American Idiot – currently playing at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until 11 March, before heading to Brisbane’s QPAC for a return season from 13 April, and Darwin Entertainment Centre from 3 May 2018. For more information, visit: www.americanidiotlive.com.au for details.
Image: Sarah McLeod – photo by Dylan Evans