Nicole da Silva is experiencing fame all over again. Now that the Australian prison drama Wentworth has hit Netflix in the US, a trip to Los Angeles revealed she was now being discovered by the American public, including an encounter with a woman who had just finished binge-watched the series, only to have the show’s lead character Franky Doyle walk into her store. “This is so bizarre, I’ve been watching you on Wentworth for the past week and now you’re here!” da Silva recalls the woman saying, laughing. “She must’ve felt like she was in another world.” Australian viewers however would familiar with da Silva’s work as Constable Stella Dagostino in the cop drama series Rush, and prior to that, as Sasha Fernandez in the medical drama All Saints. Her latest venture, Doctor Doctor, has just commenced its second season on Channel Nine, so I chatted with her about breaking into the US, the recent Dr. Who casting and the issues facing women in the industry.
When would you consider to be your “big break”? When you realised you could actually do this full-time?
I don’t think you ever get to that point. It’s always in the back of your mind, that you might have to make ends meet in another way, if you’re not working. So on some level you’re always prepared for that. But I think creatively I arrived on the scene when I worked on a project with Foxtel in 2005 called Dangerous. And it was a really special project, and in a lot of ways it was a break-out project for me. I made a lot of contacts that would help me form my career.
I don’t think you ever get to that point. It’s always in the back of your mind, that you might have to make ends meet in another way, if you’re not working. So on some level you’re always prepared for that. But I think creatively I arrived on the scene when I worked on a project with Foxtel in 2005 called Dangerous. And it was a really special project, and in a lot of ways it was a break-out project for me. I made a lot of contacts that would help me form my career.
You’ve played Franky on Wentworth for five seasons now, is returning to that character second-nature to you now or are there things about her you’re still discovering?
It’s a mix of both. In a lot of ways it is like returning home. She’s a character and an entity that is so familiar to me and one that I’ve embodied for so many seasons. But in another way, she is a living, breathing, evolving creature. So I’ve had to keep up with that as well. And for my own sanity, I had to engage with it in new ways as it’s gone along, otherwise she wouldn’t continue to be the character that she is.
It’s a mix of both. In a lot of ways it is like returning home. She’s a character and an entity that is so familiar to me and one that I’ve embodied for so many seasons. But in another way, she is a living, breathing, evolving creature. So I’ve had to keep up with that as well. And for my own sanity, I had to engage with it in new ways as it’s gone along, otherwise she wouldn’t continue to be the character that she is.
What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about playing this character?
I think you’ve nailed that with the question; what I love about playing Franky is that it is challenging in every sense of the word: emotionally, psychologically, physically. Wentworth requires us to go there. There’s no holding back, there’s no 50 percent. You really have to put everything on the line to make that show come alive.
I think you’ve nailed that with the question; what I love about playing Franky is that it is challenging in every sense of the word: emotionally, psychologically, physically. Wentworth requires us to go there. There’s no holding back, there’s no 50 percent. You really have to put everything on the line to make that show come alive.
Given that the Australian entertainment industry is so small, it’s quite a feat for a show, like Wentworth, to be making an impact in the US.
It really is. I think Wentworth was the first of its kind, in a way. It set a standard for Australian shows being picked up, sold and watched overseas. I think a lot of the online viewing platforms are changing the way the global entertainment industry works, and that does mean that a lot more Australian shows now are being picked up by those international platforms. And it’s great for us back home, because we do work hard for a fraction of the cost of American or English shows. It’s nice to be recognised in that way.
It really is. I think Wentworth was the first of its kind, in a way. It set a standard for Australian shows being picked up, sold and watched overseas. I think a lot of the online viewing platforms are changing the way the global entertainment industry works, and that does mean that a lot more Australian shows now are being picked up by those international platforms. And it’s great for us back home, because we do work hard for a fraction of the cost of American or English shows. It’s nice to be recognised in that way.
You’ve been compared a lot to Ruby Rose in Orange Is The New Black, and comparisons seem to be drawn between female actors more than males. What are your thoughts on this?
I do feel there is an undercurrent of comparisons for females in the industry, and I think part of the blatant sexism that infuses our society. And I tip my hat to you for bringing it up as someone in the media who can help address that. Because I think that is the key is to highlight it so that we can learn.
I do feel there is an undercurrent of comparisons for females in the industry, and I think part of the blatant sexism that infuses our society. And I tip my hat to you for bringing it up as someone in the media who can help address that. Because I think that is the key is to highlight it so that we can learn.
There’s a lot of talk about the gender pay gap in Hollywood, do you find there are similar problems in the Australian industry?
Within film production it’s hard to know, particularly among actors, because those negotiations are made behind the scenes, between agents and producers. So a lot of the time we’re not privy to each other’s pay. Generally speaking though, I do think it’s an issue and I do think it’s something Australia needs to address across all industries, and I wouldn’t be adverse to having things a little more transparent. I saw this fabulous YouTube clip from an ABC series where they parody the gender pay gap with a song. Basically, they say in the song that women should leave work at 3.43pm to compensate for the discrepancy. I thought that was so fabulous and such a great way to put it into perspective.
What was it about Doctor Doctor that attracted you to the role of Charlie?
In a lot of ways, I was looking for a point of difference from Franky. I’ve spent five seasons as Franky Doyle who is a very hard-edge, tough talking character. So creatively I was looking to break that mould, and the opportunity came along to work with Claudia Karvan and Tony McNamara and Ian Collie, which was an absolute blessing really. It was an easy decision for me.
In a lot of ways, I was looking for a point of difference from Franky. I’ve spent five seasons as Franky Doyle who is a very hard-edge, tough talking character. So creatively I was looking to break that mould, and the opportunity came along to work with Claudia Karvan and Tony McNamara and Ian Collie, which was an absolute blessing really. It was an easy decision for me.
Is it important to you to have variety in your choice of roles?
Absolutely. Very early on in my career, I did get typecast as the tough girl, and I was happy to step into that box because I knew it was a way in for me, but I also had it in the back of my mind that I would break those limitations. I think as a creative, you have to. You have to keep it fresh otherwise that artistry dies.
Absolutely. Very early on in my career, I did get typecast as the tough girl, and I was happy to step into that box because I knew it was a way in for me, but I also had it in the back of my mind that I would break those limitations. I think as a creative, you have to. You have to keep it fresh otherwise that artistry dies.
You’re pretty active on Twitter, and I noticed you tweeted in support of Jodie Whittaker being cast as Dr Who, and there were some pretty extreme, negative reactions to that choice. Were you surprised by this?
Not particularly, I think when we break boundaries there will always be resistance, and that is a good indicator that we are moving forward. So I wasn’t surprised in the least to be honest. It's how progress is made.
Not particularly, I think when we break boundaries there will always be resistance, and that is a good indicator that we are moving forward. So I wasn’t surprised in the least to be honest. It's how progress is made.
What do you love about what you do and is there something you’re struggling with?
On a personal level, I really love the teamwork of being on a show or a series, and that extends to film or theatre. I love that everyone rallies together and does their bit for the end product, and that is nowhere more evident than when you’re on a set. Everyone pitches in and it requires the highest level of creative problem solving and I love going to work and doing that. The thing that I’m finding most challenging of late, and this is something that I probably used to thrive on earlier in my career, is the amount of travel and the lack of a home. I moved away from Sydney about ten years ago now and I spent seven of those in Melbourne and then the last three in Los Angeles, and I’m at a point now where I’d really like to lay down some roots somewhere and call one place home for a while.
On a personal level, I really love the teamwork of being on a show or a series, and that extends to film or theatre. I love that everyone rallies together and does their bit for the end product, and that is nowhere more evident than when you’re on a set. Everyone pitches in and it requires the highest level of creative problem solving and I love going to work and doing that. The thing that I’m finding most challenging of late, and this is something that I probably used to thrive on earlier in my career, is the amount of travel and the lack of a home. I moved away from Sydney about ten years ago now and I spent seven of those in Melbourne and then the last three in Los Angeles, and I’m at a point now where I’d really like to lay down some roots somewhere and call one place home for a while.
Final question: If you could write a Nicole da Silva resume, what would your career objective read?
To be a positive role model for women and girls.
Doctor Doctor airs Wednesdays at 8.40pm EST on Channel Nine.