Veteran Australian actress Helen Thomson opened up on Thursday about how her breakthrough role in a Hollywood movie scored her an invitation to the 2023 Oscars.
The Colin From Accounts star, who has appeared in many Aussie productions since 1990 including Home and Away and Blue Heelers, portrayed Elvis’ mother in the 2022 Baz Luhrmann movie of the same name.
She told news.com.au she had an incredible ‘career pivot’ after an esteemed US actress pulled out of the Queensland-filmed production due to Covid restrictions. ‘Covid happened and everything got put back, and then Maggie Gyllenhaal couldn’t do it. So Baz had to cast around,’ she began
‘I had auditioned the first time and I think he went back to the auditions that he really liked… I got the job.’
Veteran Australian actress Helen Thomson (pictured) opened up on Thursday about how her breakthrough role in a Hollywood movie scored her an invitation to the 2023 Oscars
Thomson said scoring such a high profile role in a huge Hollywood production – playing the mother of Austin Butler‘s character – opened up a lot of doors for her.
‘It was an extraordinary experience. I got to go to the Oscars last year. We were up for Best Picture, and that was just mind-blowing.’
Thomson attended the Oscars ceremony last year in Los Angeles on March 12 with other Elvis stars – However, the film lost the Best Picture award to Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Helen is currently playing lead actress Harriet Dyer’s mother Lynelle on the hit Binge comedy series Colin From Accounts.
Last month, Binge dropped the trailer for the second season of its hilarious Australian comedy Colin From Accounts, starring Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, which premiered on May 30.
The new season continues to follow the misadventures of characters Gordon and Ashley, as they navigate life and love in modern day Sydney.
The new cast, including comedian Celeste Barber, join returning members Tai Hara, Helen Thomson, Emma Harvie, Genevieve Hegney, Darren Gilshenan, Annie Maynar and Michael Logo.
Colin From Accounts season one ran over eight episodes and explored the lives of Ashley and Gordon, two complex individuals who are brought together following a fateful car accident and an injured dog.
Following season one, Brammall and Dyer took home an AACTA award for Best Narrative Comedy Series and two Logies for Most Outstanding Actor and Most Outstanding Actress.