On the Couch with Trudy Hellier

Trudy Hellier oncWho is Trudy Hellier?
A playwright, screenwriter, actor working in Melbourne and bringing up two girls with partner artist Callum Morton.

What would you do differently to what you do now?
I would have said “no” more often. In interviews like this people often say they have no regrets. I have lots of regrets and generally they could have been avoided if I’d just had the courage to say “no”. Hmm… makes me wonder if I’m doing anything now that I shouldn’t be.

Who inspires you and why?
My kids because they are always discovering things and it reminds me how truly amazing the world is.

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Do something about the alarming rates of domestic violence in this country. When almost one Australian woman dies every week, it’s a problem that can’t continue to go under the radar.

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Balnarring beach, we rent an old breeze block 50’s beach house there with friends, it’s an hour from Melbourne, the beaches are deserted and brilliant, there’s no TV, lots of wild life, kayaks, surfboards, monopoly, we do bad craft and jigsaw-puzzles, drink wine, have fires, eat too much…it’s very simple.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
I’d take them to a footy match at the MCG, it’s quintessentially Melbourne, I’d drop them off and pick them up afterwards.

What are you currently reading?
I’ve just finished James M Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, it’s a lesson in less is more. He leaves a disturbing space between the lines. I’m also doing my Masters in performance writing at VCA, so I’m currently reading a very long list of plays.

What are you currently listening to?
I’m listening to a wide range of music from Maria Callas to the Breeders to Lilly Allen in search of a sound track for a comedy pilot we are making.

Happiness is?
That rare moment of clarity when suddenly, it all makes sense.

What does the future hold for you?
I’m very excited about my play, Waking Up Dead opening in September at forty five downstairs.

Trudy Hellier is a writer and actor who works across film, television and stage. Last year she won an AWGIE for best narrative comedy for Lowdown (ABC TV), received an AACTA nomination for best television script across all genres and won the RE Ross Trust Award for her Play Waking Up Dead (Soft Soap).

She has worked extensively as a scriptwriter with support from both Film Victoria and Screen Australia. She won an AFI for her short film script Break and Enter, and Her plays have been produced extensively through out Australia. Her stage play Trapped was recorded for radio National, funded as a short film through Screen Australia and travelled to numerous international festivals including Palm Springs Edinburgh and Odense.

In 2003 she received a green room nomination for her play Blind Faith. Trudy co-wrote The Furies with Elise McCredie, which was developed through MTC, received funding from the Australia Council and premiered off Broadway in New York in 2006.

Trudy trained and worked extensively as a professional actor, appearing in well over 40 productions, including regular roles in series such as Round the Twist, Frontline and the ABC’s Letters From a War and was seen in Fred Schepsi’s feature film Eye of the Storm, among many others.

Trudy’s latest work, Waking Up Dead will be performed at fortyfivedownstairs: 4 – 14 September. For more information, visit: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com.au for details.

Image: Trudy Hellier