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Young actress shines

By Garry Maddox, Film Reporter

29 October 2004 - A nine-hour drive, nearly skittling an owl then arriving at 2am, is an unlikely way to get to a film awards ceremony.

But Natasha Wanganeen's cross-country journey paid off when she was named young actor of the year by the Australian Film Institute yesterday.

In the lead-up event to the AFI Awards in Melbourne tonight, the bubbly Adelaide actress won for her role in the mini-series Jessica. She played a young mother whose children were taken away.

"That was pretty hard because I was only 17," she said. "But all my cousins ... I asked them how it felt to be a mum and what would you do if they took your kids. They helped me out a lot."

Wanganeen said there was one other memorable experience making Jessica: "I met Sam Neill. He's so cool. I love him."

The 20-year-old is a third cousin to the Port Adelaide football star Gavin Wanganeen. "They're my team and they won," she said. "And I won. Oh God."

Wanganeen broke into acting as the head of a girl's dorm in Rabbit-Proof Fence. "That was one of the best Australian films I've ever seen," she said. "It's controversial and it's very in-your-face, but it needs to be watched."

Wanganeen's role model has been fellow Aboriginal actress Deborah Mailman since seeing her in The Secret Life of Us. "Deborah is beautiful. I love her. To be up there with her would be fantastic."

She believes there would be enough roles for Aboriginal actresses "if you don't cast them as Aboriginal in the script".

One former winner of the young actor award, Abbie Cornish, is favourite to win best actress for Somersault tonight.

The drama, about a teenager's struggle to find love in Jindabyne, has a record 15 nominations, including best film, best director, for Cate Shortland, and best actor, for Sam Worthington.

After Wanganeen's win, Worthington said the award recognised the next generation of actors. On Somersault's chances at the AFIs, he said the audience's response was recognition enough.

"I like the fact that people are going to see what we thought was just this little movie in the snow."

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

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