Established in 2013, Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) come together each year to identify a group of extraordinary actors they believe have the potential to break out on the world stage; The CGA Rising Stars.
With such previous recipients as Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road), Alexander England (How To Please a Woman), Katherine Langford (TV’s 13 Reasons Why), Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho), Geraldine Viswanathan (Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts*), Zoe Terakes (Talk To Me) and Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead Rise), the awards have a great track record of discovering talent on the cusp of greatness.
And this year is no exception, with Alyla Browne one of the highlighted beneficiaries. Having already made her mark on Australian cinema this year with the creature feature Sting and the epic Mad Max prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the rising actress is putting her rising status to good use.
As this year’s CGA Rising Stars are announced, ahead of the ceremony taking place out of the Establishment Hotel in Sydney on November 15th, 2024, Peter Gray spoke with Alyla about her stellar year on screen, if there’s an actor’s career she’d like to emulate, and the on-set advice she took that surprised her director.
I’ve spoken to two of your directors so far this year, both Kiah Roache-Turner for Sting and George Miller for Furiosa, so, first of all, congratulations on an epic year. Mad Max is obviously so ingrained in Australian cinema history. How familiar were you with those films? And did you realise just how big a shoes you were stepping into with that role?
Yeah, I didn’t really properly realise. It was a bit scary. I loved Mad Max, and I think when you’re filming it, you never actually think that it’s the proper thing. “Oh, we’re just making a little spin-off.” And then you watch (Furiosa) and you see how cool it is and what we did. I love post-apocalyptic stories, because they’re gritty and raw, and I love that genre. I’m so very proud to be a part of it.
And with this recognition from the CGA, it must feel great to have that on top of this already stellar year.
I think it’s really special. With all the previous years, I’ve seen people get nominated and win, and it’s always so cool to see. And then to see what they go on to, so to be awarded myself is really special. It was such a special moment when I heard I was a rising star.
Are there any other actors that you look at and see their careers as something you’d like to emulate?
I think Jenna Ortega is really cool. It’s crazy because I’m actually with the same agent as her in America. I’m so close, yet so far from her (laughs).
Let’s get you in Scream 7 then!
(Laughs) Alright, I’m ready to go!
Off the mention of that and Sting, you have experience in the horror genre, and Furiosa is heightened action. Is there a genre you really want to explore?
I know I’ve done a post-apocalyptic film, but I love that genre. I want to write something in that genre. Something like The Hunger Games. I think the survival aspect and scavenging for your own life is really interesting to explore. I want to do something in a slight fantasy world, but then bring it back to real life.
With the way the world is, we’re probably not far off The Hunger Games. With what you’ve experienced as an actor, was there anything that surprised you the most? Anything that was different from what you expected? Whether it’s auditions or being on set…
I mean, when I was flown first class to Cannes, that was pretty crazy, It felt very, very glamorous. I stayed in this beautiful hotel, and I remember in the morning I’d go down to the buffet, and I’d see George (Miller) sitting there. So, me, my mum, George and his wife, we’d eat breakfast together.
He’s just the loveliest man. I could’ve honestly spoken to him for hours. Did you have any preconceived notions as to how George Miller would be as a director? As you said, he’s just George who you have breakfast with, but were you aware of how prolific he is?
I really didn’t. I was a fan of Mad Max, but then I slowly realised what an incredible director he is. Then it was like, “Oh, my God. I’m working on a film with George Miller!” It was incredible. What he created in his mind? Incredible.
You worked with Chris Hemsworth in his first Australian film. He’s someone who’s really carved out a career for himself internationally. Do you have any particular gameplan regarding which cinema landscape you’ll look to?
It’s definitely a case of whichever story resonates with me the most. I really think that’s what will drag me to different parts of the world. It’s always the story first. If there’s a scene I think will be incredible to shoot, or a story I know will move audiences, I want to be a part of that. And you just hope the production wants you (laughs).
Is there anyone you’ve worked with that gave you the best advice you’ll take with you going forward?
I think every actor I meet teaches me something, even if I don’t know it at the time. But Sigourney Weaver actually gave me advice regarding Sting. I was on set one day an Kiah made a joke saying that I should call Sigourney, and I ended up actually doing it (laughs). She told me to really react to what was in front of me and study it like a scientist. And it was really special, because Sting was using a puppet that I could actually do that with. It was inspired by Alien, so it was a really interesting piece of advice.
Such a good humble brag. When it comes to the audition process, how are you finding this post-COVID landscape where auditions are primarily on Zoom?
Yeah, my whole career has kind of been post-COVID, so it’s all I’ve really known. I find in-person auditions so much scarier, but they also end up being better. It’s always better to have that live connection. For Furiosa, I was auditioning with monologues from the film Network, and they’re very wordy, and you can just delete the bad takes when it’s online (laughs).
Well, if you do get to those waiting rooms in person, given everything you’ve already achieved, you’ll be that actress that when you walk in, everyone is like, “Oh, Alyla Browne is here. We might as well go home.”
(Laughs) Maybe. Thank you so much.
The Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) was formed to bring recognition to Casting Directors across Australia who cast film, television, TV commercials, theatre, new media and reality. The CGA gives members a forum to share ideas and exchange information, provides unified standards for safe, inclusive and fair practices, engages in charitable activities, and highlights its members’ achievements. For more information on the CGA and the Rising Star recipients, head to the official website here.
