Interviews with Antonia Prebble

Interview 1, by: Lungfish

Lungfish: Have you always wanted to perform?

Antonia: Yeah, all my life I've loved to perform. Even before I started school I'd put on little plays, just at

home. And all during primary school I did theatre productions and musicals, and always got involved in school

plays.

Lungfish: Did you imagine being on screen one day?

Antonia: Yeah, I did. I used to imagine seeing my name in lights, in Hollywood doing some big budget film, but

I never thought it would become reality. It was only a dream ... I guess I hoped it was possible, and because I

wanted it so much, I assumed one day I would do some sort of acting, but I had no idea on what scale, or

when I'd start.

Lungfish: What are your ambitions?

Antonia: I would love to make a career in acting. It's my passion in life. It's the thing I always have enough time for ... But I also want to get an education. I'm sort of realistic in that I know you have to have an education these days ... I'll go to university, probably Vic, and do some sort of degree ...

Lungfish: Drama degree?

Antonia: Perhaps, or maybe something completely different to acting, so if that doesn't work out I can fall

back on it ... It is hard to make a living out of acting unless you get your lucky break in Hollywood. And I want

to be rich. I want to be really rich. Have a really nice house and drive a really fast car! (laughs).

Lungfish: In future, would you like to keep doing theatre as well as TV work?

Antonia: Yeah, I would. I really love doing theatre. Like last year I played St. Joan in my school production of

that, and Richard Campion was the director. It was really good working with him ... And I loved that whole

process. You know, getting in front of an audience and getting that feedback, the live feeling and the adrenaline

rush you get. There's not much money in it. But I'd definitely love to.

Lungfish: Is theatre much different to TV?

Antonia: Mmm, much different ... I've only ever worked on fast turnaround programmes where you don't

rehearse at all in advance. You get on set, you block the scene through, then you rehearse it a couple of times,

then you go straight into filming, and an hour later you're onto another scene. But for theatre you practise the

same hour or two hours for months, and it all leads up to the big opening night. So it's a totally different game.

You get a lot more direction and a lot more help. You get to really sink your teeth into a character. Really work

the scenes more.

Lungfish: So The Tribe's produced by a Wellington production company, Cloud 9, right? When did you actually audition for the Tribe?

Antonia: Early '98.

Lungfish: How did you find out you had the part?

Antonia: The executive producer rang and said I was shortlisted for the part and then I had to decide if I

wanted it or not. My parents almost didn't let me have it, because they didn't like the idea of me playing a

pregnant girl. They just didn't think it was very healthy. I was 14 then. So they very nearly said I wasn't allowed

it. So they had many a conversation with everyone out at Cloud 9 about how the birth would be done, and how

I was going to be portrayed, and then they talked to a few other people ... I think they were worried I'd be

scarred for life if I did it ... But in the end they decided they thought I could handle it, and so I accepted the

part. Then four days later they rang back and said, 'Yip, it's yours, you start in March'.

Interview 2, by: Unknown

 What Antonia thinks of her charactor and what it is like to be her

"Trudy can be lovely one minute then vicious and cold as soon as it looks like there is competition for her one true love, Bray. She is very maternal for her baby, of whom she is very protective and the baby is the most important person in her life, she has a dark gothic look in the beginning, which slowly changes a her life in the mall gradually becomes more stable and normal. Trudy never wears anything but purple on her head and face and her clothes are all very earthy colours, with a lot of brown and green".

"I still have my purple hair in the weekends and love it! Yeah, I do get a few strange looks but I`ve got used to it. I love the fact that I look pretty originals and not just like everyone else. I wouldn`t say I dress like Trudy - some of my clothes are wacky but not as futuristic and way out as Trudy`s".

Interview 3, by: Tom Brouwers on November 16, 2000

I wasn't able to write down everything, because Antonia was talking so fast!!

1. How did you like to act in Mirror Mirror?

'It was my first acting ever. The actors were really nice, the crew were really nice, and they told me a lot of things.'

2. What was your favourite scene in Mirror Mirror?

'Ah... there were heaps of them... I think when I got the dog for my birthday.'

3. If there would ome a third series of Mirror Mirror, would you like to act in it?

'Yes.'