Continental Drift: Australian Actors and their Pursuit of Hollywood

Abstract

The last substantive research examining the path of recent drama school graduates can be found in Paul Moore’s 2004 thesis, Longing to Belong: Trained Actors Attempts to Enter the Profession. I use his research as a springboard for examining the changes that have happened since 2004 when his research was conducted. My thesis examines specifically what Australian actors do in their career with regards to where they decide to pursue their craft. My curiosity in hearing anecdotally that ‘more and more’ Australians are moving to Hollywood to pursue a career and are “doing well” propelled me to specifically look at Australian actors who have gone to Hollywood. Drawing on one on one interviews, various media commentary, and industry publications, I take a deeper look at what the Australian actor of today is doing with regard to where they decide to position themselves. I also draw from the theories of Pierre Bourdieu to create a framework with which to better understand what is happening. My aim in this research is to better understand what the current day actors’ movements are at the onset of their career. If Hollywood is a destination for career actors, what is happening with this phenomenon? Why is the Australian actor attracted to Hollywood? What is the reception of Australian actors in Hollywood?