Aussies in Hollywood

Latest Episodes:

Paul Hogan (Hoges) Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

Crocodile Dundee actor and co-writer Paul Hogan was one of the original Aussies in Hollywood. From being a rigger on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to rubbing shoulders with Liz Taylor and Princess Diana, Hoges chats with Jenny Cooney about his incredible life and why the phrase he coined was “shrimp on the barbie” and not ‘prawn’.

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Abbie Cornish Jul 03, 2018

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Abbie Cornish’s journey from country life in Lochinvar, NSW to Hollywood has been very much on her own terms. Following her ‘internal compass’ led her to decide that she would forge her own path in Hollywood, without the help of a publicist or agent. From playing a heroin addict in Candy opposite Heath Ledger to starring in Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Abbie ahas always chosen interesting acting roles.

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Bruna Papandrea May 20, 2018

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Bruna Papandrea is best known for co-founding a production company that focuses on strong roles for women in Hollywood and her production slate includes Big Little Liars, Gone Girl and Wild. Jenny Cooney caught up with Bruna in her office in LA to discuss what led Bruna to starting the production company Made Up Stories.

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Joel Edgerton May 20, 2018

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Joel Edgerton worked quietly for decades in Hollywood, turning in powerful film performances but somehow remaining under the radar. Now a Golden Globe nominee, Jenny Cooney met up with Joel for a chat over a cup of tea and they discussed his amazing acting journey which led him to becoming an established name in Hollywood. Joel’s films include: Zero Dark Thirty, Black Mass, The Great Gatsby and Loving.

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Mel Gibson May 19, 2018

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Mel Gibson is one of the best known Aussies in Hollywood as both an actor and a film maker. From Mad Max to Apocalypto Mel speaks to Jenny Cooney about the ups and downs of his career as well as the difficulties of dealing with fame and press attention.

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Nicole Kidman Jan 17, 2018

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Jenny first interviewed Nicole when Nicole was a fresh faced 17-year-old still living in Australia. Since then, actress Nicole played critically acclaimed roles in 'Moulin Rouge', 'Lion' and 'The Hours' and has won an additional 83 awards including has an Academy Award, Best Actress in the Critics' Choice and Golden Globes awards for her portrayal of Celeste in the HBO sensation 'Big Little Lies'. Nicole Kidman is Australia's most successful actress and in this rare and intimate interview with her lifetime friend Jenny, Nicole shows that her love of film is second only to her love of family.

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Ben Mendelsohn Jan 09, 2018

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Ben Mendelsohn has been a leading man in the Australian film industry since he was a teenager but it wasn't until his 40's and his role in Australian film 'Animal Kingdom' that Ben was able to crack Hollywood. In a fascinating tale of perseverance and determination, Ben Mendelsohn walks Jenny Cooney through his rise from couch surfing to 'Star Wars'; proving that good things come to those who wait (and keep working). His more recent critically acclaimed work in the Netflix series 'Bloodline' has helped earn Ben the reputation of the most underrated Aussie in Hollywood.

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Tim Minchin Jan 05, 2018

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Musician, comedian, actor and writer Tim Minchin is an Australian national treasure. Tim made a successful transition to Hollywood, guest starring in 'Californication' and the upcoming feature film remake of 'Robin Hood'. In a candid interview with Jenny Cooney, Tim reveals how much he struggled early in his career, when the doors were just not opening for him. He also opens up about the animated feature he worked on as writer, composer, director and actor in Hollywood for four years, only to have that project never see the light of day.

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Eva Orner Jan 03, 2018

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Emmy and Academy Award winning producer and director, Eva Orner has taken us behind the walls of Guantanamo Bay, Nauru and Manus Island detention centres with her eye opening documentaries 'Taxi to the Dark Side' and 'Chasing Asylum'. Jenny Cooney talks to Melbourne born Eva about the risks she faces making films in such volatile locations, the importance of bringing political issues into the public consciousness, even if it means endangering her life, and how telling stories in a way that is also social activism wasn't Eva's original intention when becoming a film maker.

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Brenton Thwaites Dec 28, 2017

Show notes

From 'Home and Away' to 'Pirates of the Caribbean', it's been a wild ride for Brenton Thwaites. The young Aussie from Cairns in Far North Queensland sits down with Jenny Cooney about his journey from Summer Bay to Hollywood, the incredible projects along the way and what it has been like working with the likes Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Brenton talks about dealing with rejection when you don't get the part and the challenges of wanting to get stuck into a project but having to wait due to reasons beyond your control.

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