Sammy Johnston is an Australian actress and athlete. She began her career in film and TV at the age of 23 after graduating from drama school in Sydney. Sammy played various roles in short and feature films in Sydney before moving to London. She has also acted in and produced award-winning short films and participated in two theatre shows. She has recently moved back to Australia and currently resides on the Gold Coast. She has a few short films, doing the festival circuit and has the feature film ‘The rise of Billy Jones’ in production.
INTERVIEW
SAMMY
JOHNSTON
“Do not settle for anything that doesn’t make you happy!”
Thank you so much for interviewing with us! Can you share your story on how did you get started in the film industry?
Thank you so much for having me! Well! I knew I wanted to be an Actress from quite a young age. I used to create stories and characters and act them out around the house. After high school, I decided to pursue it seriously as a career. I grew up in a small town in Queensland, and there weren’t many film or TV opportunities. So, I took classes at the local theatre and worked to save up for acting school. I moved down to Sydney when I was twenty and enrolled myself in acting school. Two years later, I graduated and got myself an agent and started getting auditions for film and TV. I think the first thing I ever filmed was a short film at about 23.
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Who are you grateful to for your success and can you share a story about that?
I’m grateful for my Dad. He raised us from quite a young age, and he has always had my back with every decision I’ve made. He’s been nothing but supportive from the moment I told him I wanted to act. He never told me to choose a more stable career. Moreover, he always encouraged me to be different, go after what makes me happy and not follow the crowd.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Oh god, I have loads of stories! I’m not sure they’re all that interesting, but one I found funny was shooting a scene where I die during a feature film in London. It was the middle of winter and freezing, and I got shot and had to drop to the ground. As they were doing close-ups, the director shouted: ‘Sammy stop moving! You are supposed to be dead!’ Haha! I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering. It looked comical, so we had to stop and have a cup of tea to warm up and go again.
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What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far? How did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge would easily be the constant rejection that you face in this industry. You have auditions that you think went great, yet you don’t get the role. Or you receive callbacks and get one step closer to that dream role, and then still not get it. You have to learn to have thick skin and not take things personally. It can get quite taxing on your mental health otherwise.
How do you prepare for the role?
The first thing I do is read through the whole script to understand the story and the characters. I will then work on developing my character with their back story and what drives them. I will work on accent if required and then learn all my lines. If there’s anything I find particularly hard to relate to or understand, I will do a lot of research. For example, the character I’m playing in this upcoming feature is, let’s say… Very mentally unstable! Haha! She’s very neurotic, addicted to drugs, struggles with fame etc. To prepare for the role, I watched videos on how addicted people act, the Ted talks about addiction and how it changes one’s behaviour. I also watched videos of other actors too that play neurotic or crazy roles. I find it fun to do research!
What methods or techniques do you use to find truth in your character’s behaviour?
I have studied many acting methods before. The only one I find I use tools from is the Chubbuck technique. I find out what drives the character, what the overall character’s objective is, what their intentions are in each scene to bring truth to it. I also find that developing a back story is crucial.
What are your top 3 tips for actors that are starting?
1. My first tip is to try a few classes. You don’t have to spend a bunch of money on drama school, there are some great workshops around, and many of them are for beginners. You can give it a try in a supportive environment and see if you enjoy it.
2. I think getting out and getting experience on set was the biggest thing that helped me. Many film schools are doing student films. They are a great place to start gathering experience and confidence.
3. My third tip would be to source your own work too. Don’t just rely on your agent. Create extra opportunities for yourself and make as many connections in the industry as possible!
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What has been inspiring you lately?
Watching other artists work. I have been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented and passionate people on some great projects. I get incredibly inspired watching people do what they love! I like watching how they work and how they bring their style to it. And how passionate they are! And I mean watching people whether they are directing, acting, performing in shows, anything! Especially when I get to watch friends do it.
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What movie would you recommend watching and why?
Oh my gosh, I could easily make this the longest answer to any of these questions! I will pick one. Kramer v.s Kramer (1979). It’s the most heartfelt movie, and the acting is amazing! I love movies that can make me laugh and cry.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Haha! I’m not sure I have fans! However, if there is anyone, who wants my advice, — do not settle for anything that doesn’t make you happy! If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do or try, then get out there and try it. Life is short! I think you can only fail if you do not try at all!
