INTERVIEW David K Shields
PHOTOGRAPHY Hugh Stewart
She says she’s still a beginner – and then, without any apparent irony, describes what she now wants from her work: to bring characters to life in ways that genuinely impact people, to tell the stories others are scared to approach. For someone who considers herself at the start, she sounds remarkably assured about where she’s going.
What does it look like when a young actor approaches their work with genuine intentionality – not ambition, but care?
Australian actress Zoe Phillips, 20, is two significant projects into what looks like a long and considered career to come. Her role in Dustfall required her to portray a survivor of sexual assault, a process she prepared for by watching documentaries, reading impact statements, and meeting with forensic nurses. She still says nothing could have truly prepared her for the emotional weight of it.
In our recent interview, Zoe talks with unusual clarity about the craft decisions she makes and why. She starts not with technique, but with a question: what is this character’s truth? She finds a fragrance she believes the character would wear. She journals as the character. She chooses gifts the character would give to the people they love – not as an exercise, but as a way of understanding a relationship from the inside.
She’s also candid about the things that matter beyond the work itself: learning to say no, protecting the relationships that ground her, and the difference between needing external validation and knowing your own value.
We asked Zoe what one word she’d want people to associate with her work in ten years.
She said: captivating. Not respected. Not versatile.
Captivating — because it puts the audience at the centre.
That instinct runs through everything she does.
It’s one of the more grounded conversations we’ve had with an emerging talent. While she still describes herself as a beginner, you should read the full interview and can decide for yourself!
Featured in It’s Interval LEGACY – view full story and more from this issue!