From February 5–9, the AACTA Festival promises five unforgettable days packed with experiences celebrating the best of film, television, and digital media. This weeklong celebration features a diverse lineup of events designed to inspire, entertain, and connect, with activities for everyone from industry professionals to pop culture enthusiasts.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the sunny Gold Coast, the festival offers a unique, tropical experience that only this iconic location can provide, with a program packed with a diverse array of sessions, hands-on workshops, exclusive screenings, and special events.
Ahead of the 2025 edition, Peter Gray spoke with Australian industry royalty and AACTA ambassador Stephen Curry, talking about how he’s seen both the festival and the industry change over his working years, how he has found a career predominantly in comedy, and the one role he knows he never wants to relive.
Congratulations on being an ambassador for the festival. As someone who’s been in the industry for as long as you have, what does it mean to endorse the festival and then usher in the next generation? So to speak.
Oh, look, it’s a great honour. I’ve had the honour of hosting the event a couple of times as well, and, it’s interesting, because it started out, the AACTA Awards, as just the awards. Now it’s grown to be this festival. It’s a five day festival which has grown exponentially to the point where there’s almost 100 events between February 5th and 9th, and some of the most incredible Australian exports are going to be there, front and centre in conversation. Now, it’s so much about nurturing the industry and beginning people into the industry. The industry has always been such a college kind of vibe, you know? And now there’s the idea that there’s so much happening, and there’s potential for the industry leading on from here. It’s now about encouraging anyone who has an interest or a skill. And it doesn’t have to be in performance or creative. It can be right across the board, from the technical side to the producing side.
And what the festival is about is bringing anyone in who is interested in the industry to hear from some of the best. I’m pumped. I don’t know which ones I’m not going to go to. We’re kind of spoiled for choice. You’ve got everyone from Michael Gracey, who directed Better Man and The Greatest Showman. Who else is in the conversation? We’ve got Leigh Whannell in conversation. Andrew Knight, who wrote Hacksaw Ridge. Paul Kelly and Meg Washington are going to be performing. There’s just so much happening. I can’t begin to explain how exciting it is.
I was going to ask about what you’re looking forward to. I’ve been lucky enough to speak to both Michael and Leigh. Their movies are coming out at the best time regarding AACTA. So, there isn’t one you can say you’re most excited for?
I mean, there’s the premiere of Spit, too. David Wenham in the long-awaited follow-up to Gettin’ Square, which I think is one of the greatest Australian films of all time. I’ve seen that movie 30 times, and I cannot wait to see that. Working Dog, they’re going to be in conversation, and that’s such a rare opportunity to hear from the greatest comedy exports in this country’s history. You know, Rob Sich and Santo (Cilauro) and Jane Kennedy all up there together, just sharing their knowledge and their experiences, and hopefully inspiring the next generation of comedy and creators.
As you’ve seen the AACTAs move from the awards to more of a festival space. How have you seen the film and television industry change from when you started to where it is now?
Great question. I started out in the late 80s, and it was very much local films for a local audience, or local TV for a local audience. There wasn’t a huge onus to make material that would appeal to an international audience. Now, we have such a focus and such a ridiculous level of talent and expertise in the country that are actually making films with a local flavour. There are still Australian stories to be told, and they are being told, just through a lens that appeals internationally.
I mean, we saw international audiences really respond to Boy Swallows Universe. Fisk really picked up on Netflix. And, strange as it sounds, I felt like COVID was a benefit to the Australian film industry, because we were one of the only countries that navigated that well and we got so much of our content out there. Did you see a rise in local productions as an actor during that period?
Yeah, I did. The fear was that our industry was going to collapse in a heap. And there was a time when where everyone, myself included, we all lost jobs and we thought, as an industry, it was the beginning of the end. And you’re right. It was, in many ways, a kind of rebirth for the industry. We were making a lot of things. There was a lot of very tight controls around production, but I worked on some local stuff and some international stuff, and the amount of (tests) I’ve had to do do? But we’ve rebounded creatively and financially.
There’s more of an impetus now for young creatives and young technicians, and young producers, to feel as if it’s a viable industry to get into. There’s always been that fear that when you look at percentages, at least from my perspective, you’re always told that at any one time, 98% of actors are out of work. The odds are pretty low that you can make a career out of it. But those chances are increasing because of the exponential growth in production and opportunities. And with the new platforms that have come out, they have done a huge service to the industry in terms of opportunity.
Looking at your career, have you seen that your approach to roles has changed?
That’s an interesting question. I don’t know. I was very fortunate to have a lot of inspirational people hold my hand through the early parts of my career. I think there are certain things that I was taught very early, which is about preparation and being thankful to the point that you work hard. I don’t think that approach has changed.
I think what has changed is the amount of opportunity has increased. At one point I was just so thankful that I was even working, but that was a fear-based thing. Now, there’s more inspiration and more potential for work opportunities. That doesn’t decrease my need to prepare. But it does feel like there’s more opportunities.
Was comedy something that always came easily to you?
Yeah, I think so. I was the youngest of five kids, I had to be pretty loud. I think it’s their fault (laughs), mainly because they started laughing at my rubbish pretty early. And the feeling of making your brother or sister laugh was, still to this day, a mission. I don’t know. I have always enjoyed (comedy) and for many years, I was only considered for comedic stuff, and that was great! It was a great way to learn my chops.
But it feels like, now, we are making less comedies that are just plain comedies. I think The Castle was a big turning point in terms of comedy, but at its core it has heart and characters that you recognise and aren’t just there for comedic purposes. The comedy arises out of the characters, and that heart leads to drama, leads to pathos, and, you know, humanity to the comedy. I think that’s what I really enjoy.
Looking at your back catalogue of characters. Would there be anyone you would want to relive, if you had a choice?
Oh, God, that’s an interesting one. I wouldn’t want to relive Dale Kerrigan’s haircut. Graham Kennedy? I think we told his whole story. Unless I play like the three-year old Graham Kennedy (laughs). I have range. I don’t know if I have that much range (laughs). Hounds of Love, I played the worst (person) imaginable. I don’t think I need to embody that again. That’s interesting, isn’t it? I feel like maybe the joy for me has been in actually exploring characters to a point where I’m happy to let them go.
I think I’m excited about new characters and finding new directions and new personalities. I’ve got my own personality, but when I get to work I find some new ones. I think going forward, it’s just exploring new stuff that will be the interest for me.
On the mention of new characters to explore. Is there a genre you want to tackle? “I really want to do that musical. I really want to do that action movie.” What’s one thing you’d like to achieve?
I’d like to do them all. Action movies might be a thing of the past for me. I’m just on that right side of 50. If they’re remaking Die Hard, I don’t think my name is in the hat to play John McClane (laughs). I just want to do a range. For years, I was doing comedies and I ran the risk of becoming a little bit stale. In that regard, I think mixing it up as much as possible, you know? Going from a film like Hounds of Love, into a show like Mr. Black. Completely opposite to one another. That’s what’s interesting to me. I would love to do a musical. I’d probably have to learn to sing first (laughs).
You never know. They can do a lot of trickery these days.
That’s true. They could auto-tune my voice.
Well, Michael Gracey is going to be at the festival. You might be able to strike up a conversation there.
You know what I’ll say? I went to primary school with Michael. I can say, “Hey Gray.” And I get to call him Gray. My spirit animal is an alpaca. We could do a Better Man-thing, where they cover up my face and I’m singing and dancing as an alpaca. That’s a good angle. He’d probably say no (laughs).
Isn’t the rule that every no leads to a yes when it comes to auditions and things like that?
It’s funny, when I heard I was offered a chance to audition for Hounds of Love, I actually didn’t think I was right for it, to be honest. I think it was partly not that I hadn’t done drama before, but I hadn’t done that extreme before. That character is a horrific human being. The worst human being you could imagine. And I’ve always had a thing about not going to audition unless I think I’m the right person for the role. And that could sound conceited, but I think it’s a confidence game that there’s no point going in feeling like someone else is good for the role. That’s stinking thinking. But I got stuck into that sort of thought as I went into audition.
But, for better or worse, Ben Young (writer/director) thought I’d be the right person, and when I asked him after I found out I’d been cast why he chose me, he thought “Who wouldn’t want to get into a car with you?” And I was like, “Oh, that’s enough.” I can play this character as the worst person, and I can affect charm, despite psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies. You can take certain qualities and use them for your own horrible purposes.
I’ve always found that the nicer the person, the more convincing they are in an evil role.
I think we probably walk past psychopaths all the time. In the supermarket or wherever, and I don’t think they present as psychopaths. There’s no twirling your moustache and putting on an angry face. I think that’s the beginning of the end for the believability of the character. That was kind of the joy, well, maybe not joy, but I don’t think I’ll be in a better film than that. It was so beautifully made. One of the best reviews I ever got was from my mate who said, “That film was so good. I will never see it again.”
I feel like there’s no better way than to finish this chat than psychopaths and getting into cars with Stephen Curry.
(Laughs) Thank you very much.
Looking forward to the festival. I’ll be there, so hopefully can say hello on the ground.
Yeah, come and find us!
Hosted at HOTA, located at 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, QLD, this cultural precinct creates the perfect setting for an unforgettable week of film, television, and creativity in Australia’s beautiful coastal paradise. For more information on the 2025 AACTA Festival, head to the official site here.