Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Harriette St.Ledger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Harriette, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on would have to be the first film I wrote ‘After Roe Falls’.I started writing that at 18, living in Australia and seeing the debate around Roe V Wade. I felt so much despair around the situation, however I also felt absolutely helpless, a young girl sitting at home in a tiny town in Australia. That’s when I realised that as an artist I have more power than I know, I started writing a short film, a love letter to young girls struggling through this time. I then flew over to LA for the first time. I was involved in the protests when Roe was overturned, and knew it was more important than ever to make the film. I was lucky enough to have an amazing team to work with, Diversity Pictures and Ryde Entertainment. And Jessica Orcsik who came on as director and co-writer. It was so nice to feel so supported, especially as this was the first film I had made. I was so beyond proud to see it succeed in the festival circuit and travel around the world. From Cannes World Film Festival, to Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Rwanda, to San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival, to Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival, and many more. It really solidified to me that what I have to say does matter, and that my voice and my art can reach more people than I had ever dreamed of.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an actor and writer from Australia. I started acting when I was 6 years old in community theatre, I then went into screen acting classes at the age of 8 and have never stopped. I am so lucky to have found my passion from a young age as it really is what pushes me through life. I was lucky enough to start off acting in short films when I was a young teen emerging in this industry. I am from a very small town in Australia so there weren’t many opportunities in film and TV, which is why I decided to try my luck in LA as soon as I graduated highschool. I was lucky enough to study at a full time actors conservatory in LA with AAFTA which provided me with such great training and amazing opportunities. It was there that I wrote my first film ‘After Roe Falls’ and made amazing connections with other filmmakers and creatives. Since then I have been back and forth from LA to Melbourne. I have been working on an Australian web series ‘Flunk’ a queer coming of age story, which has been such a fun opportunity. I also just finished writing and filming my next project in LA, ‘Queens of The Desert’, a pilot about a group of beauty pageant queens in the 80’s whose bus breaks down in the middle of the desert and deadly chaos ensues.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the most rewarding part is seeing the audience resonate with your work. Being on set and creating the work is the most fun, you forget that other people will actually be watching it once it’s done. The beauty of being a part of a web series is that you get to see all the fan comments, and it really is the coolest thing being able to see how this story you have brought to life can personally effect people.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

At the moment there are quite a few podcasts I have been absolutely loving. The A24 podcast is great, each episode there are two actors interviewing each other and it’s so great to hear their insights and their passion for film and their artistry. It also just really humanises them. This industry is weird because actors of that level are often put on a pedestal and seen as other worldly. Hearing these great actors just talk to each other and geek out about films is really nice and grounding. Another podcast I love is the Backstage podcast, In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast. You really get a deep dive into these incredible actor’s stories and how they got to where they are today. It’s filled with great advice and insights.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @harriette_stledger

Image Credits
After Roe Falls (Diversity Pictures in conjunction with Ryde Entertainment), Lost and Found You – A Flunk Film (Lilydale Films, Ex Affliction (Awkward Maddison Productions in conjunction with Young Ones Studio), You’re So Vain (Diversity Pictures in conjunction with Young Ones Studio)