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Rare Gem
Aussie supermodel, Gemma Ward, proves she more than just a pretty face as she crosses over to the acting world.
On when she knew she wanted to be an actor
"When I was seven and I asked my parents to get me an agent in Perth. And they refused. They thought it was one of my phases. But I kept bugging them. It kind of kept me in line as well because I was a bit all over the place, didn't' know where to put my energy and [acting] was somewhere to really field all of that energy into a good place."
On her acting role models
"I've always admired Cate Blanchett and the roles she chooses. I think she's got an incredible discipline in a way, with choosing roles that are going to help her grow and bring something interesting to the world. I remember Toni Collette [her co-star in The Black Balloon] as being one of the people who first made me want to be an actress, because I watched The Sixth Sense and I was blown away by her performance. I remember it was one of the first times I watched the Oscars because I was just desperate for her to win."
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On Heath Ledger
"I think he operated from the heart. He really, really knew that if he was going to make a decision to be in a film, then he needed to be really committed to it... He wasn't afraid to fight with people involved, he wasn't afraid to perhaps piss people off. He told me to always be a punk and 'stand up for yourself'."
On the dangerous side of modelling and Hollywood
"Some girls get swept up in the lifestyle - clubbing and partying with celebrities. You can't live your life like that, though. It's fake."
On how she dealt with the pressure of being successful at such a young age
"I don't think I could have handled it if I felt like it was a win-or-lose or a fail-or-succeed situation. And I'm proud of myself because of the heights that I've managed to get to but also because of the way that I've kept very true to myself."
Gemma Ward stars in The Strangers with Liv Tyler, out August 14 and The Black Balloon out September 24 on DVD.
On when she knew she wanted to be an actor
"When I was seven and I asked my parents to get me an agent in Perth. And they refused. They thought it was one of my phases. But I kept bugging them. It kind of kept me in line as well because I was a bit all over the place, didn't' know where to put my energy and [acting] was somewhere to really field all of that energy into a good place."
On her acting role models
"I've always admired Cate Blanchett and the roles she chooses. I think she's got an incredible discipline in a way, with choosing roles that are going to help her grow and bring something interesting to the world. I remember Toni Collette [her co-star in The Black Balloon] as being one of the people who first made me want to be an actress, because I watched The Sixth Sense and I was blown away by her performance. I remember it was one of the first times I watched the Oscars because I was just desperate for her to win."
read on below advertisement
On Heath Ledger
"I think he operated from the heart. He really, really knew that if he was going to make a decision to be in a film, then he needed to be really committed to it... He wasn't afraid to fight with people involved, he wasn't afraid to perhaps piss people off. He told me to always be a punk and 'stand up for yourself'."
On the dangerous side of modelling and Hollywood
"Some girls get swept up in the lifestyle - clubbing and partying with celebrities. You can't live your life like that, though. It's fake."
On how she dealt with the pressure of being successful at such a young age
"I don't think I could have handled it if I felt like it was a win-or-lose or a fail-or-succeed situation. And I'm proud of myself because of the heights that I've managed to get to but also because of the way that I've kept very true to myself."
Gemma Ward stars in The Strangers with Liv Tyler, out August 14 and The Black Balloon out September 24 on DVD.
Story: Elise Pitt
