Ella Proberts

GMARO Magazine - Celebrity Edition Vol. 21 October 2022

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Actress / Advocate: Ella Proberts @ellaproberts

Photographer: GRACE WRIGGLES

PR: ICON PR @Icon_pr

Tell me a little about yourself.

A bit about me... I had a lot of energy when I was little, so I grew up as a competitive gymnast/ drama kid. When I stopped doing gymnastics in 11th grade (I think that’s junior year in the states?), I tried to try pretty much everything I didn’t have time to try when I was training. I think this led to me having quite a few different interests. I work with Girl Up, founded by the United Nations and I love to write and investigate so I am currently studying Journalism and International Relations here in Australia. Something that has stayed pretty consistent throughout my life is how much I love acting, film and theatre as a whole. I kind of use journalism as a gateway into learning how to investigate characters and write truthfully, in a way that is different to what I would learn in the film industry.

Do you like something other than acting?

I'm interested in journalism and writing because it's an opportunity to learn more about other people and other parts of the world to a depth that I wouldn’t normally be able to achieve. This ends up really helping with acting, both in that I'm learning to understand people who are different than me, and how I've learned to interrogate characters.

How and when exactly did you realize you had the passion for acting?

I realised I loved acting the moment I started. I was in year one and my best friend convinced me to come to drama classes with her. When I went it just felt like we were playing the whole time, and we were rewarded for that! It was crazy to me.

What, according to you, is the best part of your work?

Being around other actors, directors, and writers and learning from them. Everyone in this industry seems to be here out of passion, which makes for such an exciting (sometimes crazy) environment. I also love that everyone is so different, but we can kind of feel an affinity with each other. I found that in school, drama class was the one place where there felt like there was no social hierarchy.

Tell us about the toughest part of your work? And why do you think it is tough for you?

I think the toughest part of acting is removing yourself from the work. It's easy to get in your head in a scene and try to decide what's 'right' and what's 'wrong.' But I've found the best work is always rooted in spontaneity and connection, and it's almost impossible to have that when there's a little voice in your head telling you how to look.

Every industry, including the entertainment industry, is full of competition; what do you do to stand out amidst competition?

This is a tricky one, I still definitely feel the pressure to be 'different.' Although, something I recently learned in a class is that no matter what we do, everyone will always have their own 'spice' and that will be seen. Perhaps trying too hard to stand out creates a sort of inauthenticity that ultimately dulls that spice.

You are always associated with acts of charity and humanitarianism; how do these acts impact your life?

I work with Girl Up, which is founded by the United Nations Foundation to promote advocacy for gender parity. From this I have found that by being passionate about something and wanting to make a change, I have to try and move past caring what other people might think of me and embrace the people who value what I value. By doing this I have been connected with so many inspiring girls from all around the world who are trying their hardest to make change. It’s such a unique environment and it has helped me to see that even as young people, we can have impact on something we care about.

Which is your best role so far?

Definitely Daniela in the Curious Case of Dolphin Bay, currently streaming on Disney +! Everything about filming was fun - the cast, the crew, everyone involved just had such an amazing energy. I loved the fast-paced nature of it (we filmed it in 3 weeks!), because there was always something happening and someone to talk to. It was kind of like a three week- long adrenaline rush, which just made me fall in love with acting even more.

Describe your last experience on stage.

I was last on stage for a show called 'Against the Wall.' I played a character called Maggie who was torn between escaping a toxic relationship or deciding whether she would stay and try to repair things. I was quite a lot younger than the character, but that’s what made it so thrilling for me. It was more mature and more challenging than anything I'd ever done and really forced me to grow as an actor. Because of this, performing it felt that much more rewarding. I will forever love theatre, there's just a thrill about it that you can't compare to anything else - maybe a runners high, but with more teamwork involved.

Who do you consider to be your acting role model whose career you would like to emulate, and why?

Florence Pugh! I think she creates such interesting and beautiful characters with a depth that you don't always get to see. The first role I saw her in was Amy in Little Women and then Dani in Midsommar - and now of course Alice in Don't Worry Darling (with so many roles in between)! Each character feels like a completely new person, but still with that same essence of Florence, which is stunning to watch.

How have you managed to balance your schoolwork, acting and your outside activities over all these years?

It's definitely tricky but knowing why I'm doing what I'm doing and having a goal in each area helps me to keep motivated and organized. I try to plan ahead and make as many lists as possible, but obviously life events happen, or an audition comes up and kind of derails that plan. The main thing I've learned is to be glad that things are happening spontaneously in my life, be grateful I'm getting auditions, or at the very least just accept the fact that something out of the ordinary has happened. It would be weird and boring if everything in my life went according to my little hour by hour lists.

Can you tell us a bit about your next project?

I have a couple of small things in the works, like a role in the short film 'The Bathroom in Apartment 22' and small role in the film 'The Edge,' which are both in post-production. I'm working on creating a play at the moment with a company in the US, which has been a dream of mine, so I'm really excited to get into more depth with that.