Taking a break from her studies to chase her acting dreams, the sunny Talijah Blackman-Corowa, 21, couldn’t be happier to have landed her first lead role as Isabel in the local thriller, Black Snow. “Now I’ve just got to get myself an agent,” she tells WHO. Somehow, we don’t think that’s going to be a problem. The proud Toolooa woman from Gurang nation and South Sea Islander shines in the murder mystery, which examines the shameful legacy of slavery in Australia.
Congratulations on your first major acting project. How does it feel?
It’s been surreal, but amazing.
How did you prepare to play Isabel?
We worked with Nadia Townsend [a dramaturg], who coached us. She was amazing to work with. She was great at breaking down the character, taking my real-life experiences and tapping into that in a healthy way. I couldn’t have done what I did without her.
Did the heavy content affect you?
I definitely had to tap into some dark spaces and that was difficult, but luckily there were so many supportive people that helped me tap out of it to get my wellbeing back on track.
Your family must be proud.
My dad and mum have told all their colleagues. Dad’s changed his profile pic, and Mum’s been stalking me online and sending me all these articles
