Who is Jillian Murray?
Beyond the the obvious… actor, wife, mother, slim… the question probably requires more objective introspection than she is capable of just before opening in a show. Suffice to say she is in a constant state of becoming.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
Earn more to give more.
Who inspires you and why?
Maggie Smith. Such craft, such skill and always delivered with a breathtaking lightness of touch. Gillian Triggs for her intelligence, integrity and dignity.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Establish a school for leaders to practice humility and respect. To learn different equals difference. Different doesn’t equal wrong. Was it Abraham Lincoln who said I don’t like that person I must get to know them better?
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Mallacoota. We go there for week at the end of the season at fortyfivedownstairs. When not thinking about the play, I imagine us swimming in the surf and sitting on the wide verandah under the trees looking out across the lake to the sea.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I’ve recently discovered the most beautiful café in the world at Barwon Heads. Where the river meets the sea. I would take them to paradise.
What are you currently reading?
Nothing but the play. The holiday reading pile includes My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, Helen Garner’s Everywhere I Look and Kiffy Rubbo: Curating the 1970’s, an essay collection edited by Janine Burke and Helen Hughes.
What are you currently listening to?
My son plays jazz so I often enjoy his recommendations. Current favourites are Barney Mcall’s Mooroolbark and Keith Jarrett’s Staircase.
Happiness is?
Random acts of kindness.
What does the future hold for you?
The past is history. The future a mystery. Today a gift. (Not original but I like the sentiment)
Jillian will be starring with Rob Meldrum in the encore season of L’amante anglaise by Marguerite Duras at fortyfivedownstairs: 7 – 19 February 2017. For more information, visit: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com for details.
Image: Jillian Murray