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EXCLUSIVE: Actors with credits for the likes of Deadloch, Heartbreak High and The Artful Dodger are among the six finalists competing for the Heath Ledger Scholarship 2024.
Andrea Solonge (Time Bandits, Prosper), Charles Wu (Doctor, Doctor, Harrow), Taj Aldeeb (Four Years Later, The Fall), Kartanya Maynard (Heartbreak High, Deadloch), Will McDonald (Home and Away, Heartbreak High) and Ezekiel Simat (The Artful Dodger, Beneath the Storm) are the running for the scholarship, which is overseen by Australians in Film.
They were chosen by nine U.S. and Australian casting agents and will be flown to LA to hear the recipient announced on Tuesday, October 22 at an exclusive red carpet cocktail party at Soho House West Hollywood. They’ll all attend an exclusive scholarship breakfast and a boot camp featuring tax experts and other specialists.
Often seen by those in Hollywood as a barometer of emerging talent from Down Under, previous recipients have included Scrublands and Pieces of Her star Bella Heathcote (Relic, Pieces of Her), Cody Fern (Eden, American Crime Story), Ashleigh Cummings (NOS4A2, Citadel), Mojean Aria (Shayda, Reminiscence) Charmaine Bingwa (The Good Fight, Emancipation) and most recently Rahel Romahn, who has credits for Furiosa: a Mad Max Saga, Shantaram and The Surfer.
As such, the panel will comprise Succession‘s Sarah Snook, Yellowjackets stars Melanie Lynskey and Simone Kessell , The Perfect Find‘s Gabrielle Union, Charlie Hunnam The Gentlemen and Sons of Anarchy), The Last Man on Earth actress Cleopatra Coleman and. casting director Terri Taylor.
The winner will get $10,000 towards living allowance, rent and transport assistance in LA; a one-year mentorship from previous recipient Heathcote, who will be on hand to offer quarterly meetings as the new recipient settles into life around Tinseltown; tax advice and immigration services; private coaching and classes from several top studios, mentors and workshops; headshots; access to a virtual line rehearsal service; and self-tape sessions. The package is valued at $60,000 in total.
All finalists will receive a $100 voucher for Bluestone Lane Coffee, a bag courtesy of State of Escape; and lifetime membership to Australians in Film, including access to a workspace on The Lot in West Hollywood.
The scholarship was set up in 2012 in memory of The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain actor Heath Ledger, who passed away in January 2008.
“The HLS scholarship continues to grow reflecting its importance to the global screen industry,” said Emma Cooper, Chair of Australians in Film and host of the cocktail announcement event at Soho House. “Our aim is to shine a light on the best acting talent coming out of Australia and to uphold Heath’s generous spirit of helping others. We’ve been so excited to see the breadth of talent represented in this year’s finalists and are delighted to help support them as they navigate what will undoubtedly be a successful career in Hollywood.”
