Exclusive Interview: Eamon Farren talks about his role in ABC TV’s Carlotta.

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Now available on DVD after screening on ABC TV last month, we had a brief chat with actor Eamon Farren (pictured above, on the right) to talk about his role as “Ava” in the made-for-TV film Carlotta.

How did you come to be involved in the film?

I had heard about the project & Jess’ involvement so when I was asked to audition, I grabbed a copy of the script as soon as I could. It was definitely one of those scripts that when I read it, I knew I wanted to be involved.  I worked with the director Sam Lang in a callback and was lucky enough to snag the gig.

Did you know much about Carlotta or the events of the time period when you were cast?

The time period of Kings Cross and the scene – no. I knew a little of Carlotta –  I remember growing up, on a sick day home from school, first watching Carlotta go toe to toe with Stan Zemanek on Beauty & the Beast.

What kind of preparation or rehearsal did you do for the role?

I loved prepping this film because it was a steep learning curve. After hair & make-up tests, I looked at any archival and news footage I could from the ABC and read Carlotta’s books. My main prep though was with Sam and Jess – working out the joys and lows of Carlo and Ava’s friendship.

What was the atmosphere like on set? Were there any particular highlights of the shoot?

Laughter mixed with some serious bits. The entire crew and cast (led by the incredible Jess Marais) brought heaps of skill and passion each day and made it one of the best sets I’ve ever worked on. The whole thing was a highlight, but one of my favourite scenes to shoot was when Carol and Ava are on the way to buy hormones for the first time – corpsing never felt so right.

If there’s one thing you hope people take away from watching the film, what would it be?

The power of knowing and being yourself.

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Carlotta is available now through ABC DVD.

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