Madeleine Madden

“Always for me, when theres any leadup or hype or anticipation surrounding an event, such as the release of a show, it always gives me a bit of anxiety.”

“My sister works with animals, so Ive learnt a lot about them through her and have developed a love of native birds. I think just hearing the birds and seeing the birds and our animals, thats something that I really, really miss.”

“I hated going to school, and I think a huge part of that was because of the racism that I experienced growing up there. From that, I sort of developed this social anxiety that I only feel when Im in Australia, which is odd.”

“Aussie actors and writers and crews, we really band together. Its like a family.”

“But I was obsessed with 'Lord of the Rings' when I was little. It still is a Christmas tradition in my family. We all sit around and watch the three films together. That was it for me.”

“Symbolism is such a major thing in 'The Wheel of Time'. One of the things that Robert Jordan was renowned for was his attention to details.”

“Im quite a family-orientated person, so being over here in a foreign country - by myself - for the first time with a big new job was daunting.”

“Its a surreal feeling. You work on something for a long time, for two years, and then the promotion of it all happens very quickly.”

“This is an Australia I'm willing to celebrate; an Australia that listens, learns and empathises with our Indigenous people.”

“I think thats something that is frustrating - that you audition, and say you get a role and people think you were the best person to play this role, but it gets downplayed as being woke because, I dont know, they think networks are trying to tick a box.”

“As an actor, you have to try to put it in your mind that you audition for a role, and then once you send that tape off, its not yours.”

“My first American role I got was 'Dora.' That was my big break into the American film industry.”

“I come from a very matriarchal family, which is the case for a lot of Aboriginal families.”

“Weve always been encouraged to talk about political issues. Weve been taught to look outside of our own lives. Ive always had that fire in my belly.”

“If you get to the point where you work on shows or films with substance, even if its a short film or a big TV series or a feature, its important to choose projects you love and connect with.”

“Ive been raised by strong women in my life, who have sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am.”

“As a Black woman and a Black person my experience has been very different. I have a deep love and connection for my country and my culture, but I also had a lot of difficulty growing up there.”

“January 26 is a day of mourning and remembering for our First Nation people, and there are still some backwards people who don't acknowledge that - which makes my heart feel heavy.”

“If I can have a platform and use that platform as a way to create positive change, then I will.”

“My family is involved in the arts; my auntie is a director back in Australia, so that was my 'in' into the industry. It is a really hard industry to crack. The best way is to start putting yourself out there.”