Bojana Novakovic, an Australian actress, has stated why this is her best work yet, despite having a run of blockbusters under her belt.
Australian actress Bojana Novakovic is a self-confessed “thespian snob”.
So her remark that her most recent endeavor, the locally produced Binge series Love Me, is her most satisfying job to date speaks much about what viewers can expect.
Hugo Weaving and Bob Morley co-star in the six-part romantic drama series, which was recently recorded in Melbourne and will premiere on the Australian streaming service on December 26.
It follows three members of the same family as they deal with the complexities of bereavement while navigating tough, real, and amusing experiences with love. The platform received all six episodes at the same time.
Shameless, Birds of Prey, I, Tonya, Instinct, and Edge of Darkness, to mention a few of Novakovic’s film and television credits, claimed her experience was unlike any other from the start.
“I’ve been working for 25 years, so things have changed in terms of what’s acceptable and what’s not. Certain protocols on set have changed and shifted, but the synergy and the respect on Love Me was rare,” Novakovic told news.com.au from Serbia, where she is partly based.
“I have to put (director) Emma Freeman in the spotlight for that. She leads with love, generosity, gentleness, kindness, care, but she is a badass bossy bitch when it needs to happen.
“It takes a while to get to know someone, but her demeanor… I’ve never worked with a director with such a pleasant demeanor who is also capable of getting the job done.”
Novakovic plays Clara, a successful anesthesiologist in her forties who is emotionally stunted, to put it frankly. This isn’t made any easier when her mother passes away without ever telling her that she loves her.
“She never heard ‘I love you’ from her mum … So when that issue hasn’t been solved, it’s hard to develop intimacy,” Novakovic says of her character.
“Intimacy is a challenge for her, so the series is her journey from fear and using her humor to put up a wall, to actually being challenged through love and falling in love.”
Novakovic said she couldn’t stop sobbing after recording her final scene since she was having so much fun on set.
“You know when you finish school holidays and fall in love with a boy? I cried like a baby,” she said.
“There’s a scene when my character breaks down in tears, and we shot it on the last day, and I couldn’t stop crying.” I’m not sure when they called cut. “I just don’t want this to be over,” I said.
Novakovic stated she could never bring herself to star in a soap opera, despite the fact that most Australian actresses who make it big in Hollywood go through it.
“I never did soap operas. I’m such a thespian snob. I refused to do Home And Away or Neighbours,” she said.
“Every really amazing actor whoever made it in Hollywood did, but I didn’t want to follow those footsteps.
“I’m a trained actor!” she joked.
Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie has asked Novakovic to appear in two of her films, I, Tonya and Birds of Prey, as a result of the serial opera’s success.
So how did that working relationship come about?
“She was a guest on my improvised theatre shows The Blind Date Project, in which I basically go on a date with a different performer every week. There’s no script, the director is in the bar sending directions via texts, and what happens is entirely up in the air,” she said.
“We approached Margot and she was interested in doing it. We had a ball. I played a very neurotic woman and she played a very regal model and entrepreneur.
“When she came in I was like, ‘Oh my god, how is she going to maintain this. Oh boy did that woman pull it off. It was amazing. We had a ball.
“From then we’ve just had healthy respect toward each other’s careers and talents and differences because we’re very different kinds of performers, and she gave me a call when I, Tonya came about, and then Birds of Prey.
“I said every year I should just be a cameo in your movies.”
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