The Good Thief

Melissa Hickey is an Australian Rules Football player, Mentor and Entrepenuer. Melissa was an inaugural player in the Australian Football League Women’s in 2017 and debuted with the Melbourne Demons and will join the Geelong Cats in the newly expanded format moving into 2019. Named in the inaugural All Australian squad, having won seven premierships with the Darebin Falcons in the VWFL and also being awarded the Lisa Hardeman medal as best on ground in the 2013 VWFL Grand Final, Melissa is no stranger to the big stage and the accolades that come with being at the peak of your game. But behind the flashy recognition is an athlete dedicate to the task of intense preparation, respect for the process and reflection. Melissa’s talent on the field is outweighed only by the will to grow and learn on the training ground, her drive to expand her skills, strength and mental toughness is admirable. Recently though, Melissa has been sidelined with injury and it’s during this slow and steady rehabilitation stage that often athletes can falter. But being Melissa, she is building a strong base of preparation worth building the greatest of athletes on. Join us as we chat through Melissa’s road to recovery, her everyday techniques in expanding and growing her mindset and skills, and share in an elite athlete’s burning desire to never rest on your laurels and raise the bar we hold ourselves to again and again and again.

Nicole Chamoun is an AACTA and Logie award nominated actress who could not be more on fire if she covered herself in gasoline. Nicole was no stranger to the silver and small screens here in Australia, but recently has made a huge resurgence thanks to her heart breaking portrayal of Zahra, a bereft and outcast mother, in SBS Australia’s Safe Harbour. Since then Nicole has landed roles in Stan’s Romper Stomper and also SBS Australia’s new drama On the Ropes - three huge lead roles, back to back. But it hasn’t always been this way and from Nicole’s work ethic, humility and hustle - the fight in this warrior is evident. It was a delight to sit with Nicole and chat to her about her process, her trail to her huge recent success and how the work and process is and always should be the love affair, everything else is just hot air.

Samuel Johnson is a charged and fearless crusader and by the list of his achievements, an owner of multiple lives. Sam has been awarded the Gold Logie, Silver Logie and AACTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Australian music industry icon Molly Meldrum, but that’s not it. Samuel uni-cycled through Australia - over 15,000kms, all while raising awareness for Breast Cancer and much needed funds, which he did. Well over a million dollars for his cycling effort and now over 7 million dollars with Love Your Sister; a charity that began from Sam’s undying love and commitment to Connie, his sister, who sadly passed in September last year. Sam’s charitable efforts have seen him become a Medal of the Order of Australia recipient and he now speaks regularly at schools, huge corporate events, on national television programs and for huge campaigns that set the wheels in motion for change and increased awareness of Breast Cancer across the Country. But Sam’s road to happiness is curbed and well worn with the pitfalls of personal sabotage, mishaps and misdemeanours. Sam’s stories, knowledge and personal motivation are honest, heartfelt and sincere - his insight; golden, his humility; unfathomable, his empathy; real and his tolerance for bullshit; non existent. Thank you Sam for the chat, this is one of the great ones - enjoy.

Amy Lehpamer is a multi award winning, critically acclaimed and revered actress, singer and musical theatre star. Having performed on some of the largest stages in Australia as a daring and enigmatic leading lady, touring many of the most celebrated musicals to date, including; The Sound of Music as Maria, Sherrie in Rock of Ages, Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Reza in Once, Dusty Springfield in Dusty, Cynthia Well in Beautiful; The Carole King Musical for which Amy won a Helpmann award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role (2018) and is now performing in School of Rock as Principal Mullins. Amy and I sat down in her beautiful apartment one morning before she headed in for a run through of the School of Rock musical to chat through taking on the biggest roles in musical theatre and defining them through your eyes, evolving yourself as an artist while living on the road or constantly under the pressure of work and how her naturally raw and unbridled passion; that she brings to all she touches, has become a trademark of what Amy is as a performer.

Glendyn Ivin is a multi international award winning director of Film, TV and Commercials. With credits in Television rolling out to include the likes of mass award nominees and winners; Beaconsfield, Puberty Blues, Gallipoli, The Beautiful Lie, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Safe Harbour and more recently The Cry for BBC1, critics love to love this man. Glendyn’s first feature The Last Ride, starring Hugo Weaving, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won him Best New Narrative Director at The Abu Dhabi Film Festival and the Jury Prize at the Rome International Film Festival. Cracker Bag, his short film, got him the world’s attention - winning the Palme d’Or in 2003 at the Cannes Film Festival. Glendyn is a director worth noting and worth watching, but his character and sensitivity is something worth appreciating. Every thing Glendyn touches sizzles with tone and detail that moves audiences and leaves them wanting more. I sat down with the man to talk about his process, how he got his eye and where it all came from - I hope you enjoy, there’s a lot more to unpack.

Shareena Clanton is an actress, activist, academic and proud Aboriginal woman of multiple language groups with a wisdom and empathy collected only from fighting in the trenches for her own battles and those of a community, sadly, long oppressed. Shareena has been nominated for AACTA’s and Logies for her performances in local Australian dramas; Wentworth and Redfern Now and after having recently taking part in auteur director Glendyn Ivin’s The Cry, she is well on her way to carving out a very special path. However, this hasn’t satisfied Shareena’s undying appetite to grow and impact her community. Shareena is currently studying to complete her honours and is a regular speaker at discussions on racial injustices and inequality in Australia and abroad, having been noted as orating one of the finest speeches on ABC’s much loved Q&A this year. Shareena shares real, passionate and open insight into her battle with depression, obsessions versus passion and how we can pick ourselves up by the bootlaces and move forward through understanding, education and self love. It’s a fantastic chat and I hope you enjoy it.

Anna McGahan is a Logie award winning actor, Heath Ledger Scholarship recipient, award winning playwright, mother and all round badass. Anna has graced your silver screens with more than 80 episodes of television under her belt, on shows such as House Husbands, The Dr Blake Murder Mysteries, Underbelly and many more. Anna’s own extensive experience in theatre, performing on some of Australia’s largest stages, lends her a strength that goes far beyond the often two dimensional world of what we see on a television screen and her subsequent eloquence and power with words is remarkable. Join us as Anna, and I, speak to the creative experience in a world that can otherwise be very black and white and how the continual attempt to connect to our own identity, voice and belief systems has made us the artists we are and strive to be today.

Ed Oxenbould has rocketed out of Sydney and into Hollywood on a trajectory unlike any other Australian child actor in the past few years. Having starred alongside the likes of Jennifer Garner, Steve Carell in the Disney smash hit, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, or the Aussie indie hit, Paper Planes, and more recently as Jake Gyllenhaal and Carrie Mulligan’s son in Paul Dano’s directorial debut, Wildlife - recently certified as 100% Fresh by RottenTomato.com, Ed is well on his way to a career beyond the wildest dreams of many - and he’s still growing. But, if you’ve visited Bondi Junction Event Cinemas over the past few years - no doubt you would’ve had your ticket stubs collected by this gracious, intelligent and damn right talented young man. It’s begs belief, but Ed is unlike any other and it was a joy to join him at the Melbourne International Film Festival to talk all things his process and growing up in the industry.

Charlie Clausen has a face and a voice that you’d be bound to spot in a crowd. Charlie’s one of Australia’s most well known and much loved actors, having graced Australian silver screens for years in the likes of Blue Heelers, Mcleod’s Daughters, Canal Road, Home and Away and more recently Stan’s TV adaptation of Wolf Creek. Charlie is also one half of TOFOP, a hugely successful podcast that he shares with revered comedian Will Anderson. Aside from all of this, he’s a writer and producer with his production partner and real life wife, the talented and stunning Gemma Lee, and is currently making a comic book - basically, he doesn’t sleep but Charlie holds it down with a smile and humility that shines like none other.

Jack Ellis is an upcoming actor, as resident bad guy; Stan O’Rourke in Foxtel’s A Place to Call Home, he’s also an avid artist with a house studio and an incredible educator. Having performed across the globe in Theatre, Film and TV, whilst teaching at one of Australia’s most revered acting institutions; the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Jack is a treasure trove of ups and downs, remarkable stories and an eye unlike any other. Literally, Jack is colourblind; but it hasn’t stopped him none. Jack is a cracking wit, a man more than handy with his banter and a spout of some sincere no BS wisdom. Enjoy the spoils from this human gem.