Sara West
Born
Adelaide, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Actress, director, writer
Years active2010–present

Sara West is an Australian actress, director and screen writer. She began her career with roles in short films and television roles. Her 2015 role as Liza Minnelli in television series Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door earned her a Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Newcomer. In 2017, West played Lyndal in the film, Don't Tell and was nominated for an AACTA Award. She also appeared in the main roles of the 2016 film Bad Girl, as Amy Anderson and the 2019 film, Awoken playing the medical student Karla. She also plays Brooke in ABC TV drama series Troppo. In 2023, West joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours, playing Cara Varga-Murphy. West also writes and directs films and has won awards at the 2014 and 2018 South Australian Screen Awards.

Early life

West grew up in the Murray River area of South Australia. When West was at high school, her mother encouraged her to take drama classes.[1] West studied at the Flinders Drama Centre at Flinders University, Adelaide.[2][3] West later moved to Sydney to continue perusing further work. She and her university drama teacher, Richard Back set up their own production company called Salvage Productions.[1]

Career

West's first television role was Clarice Daley in the 2014 ABC1 television drama, ANZAC Girls.[3] She then appeared in the Seven Network series Winter.[3] Around this time, West began securing further work in theatre productions.[1] In 2013, West directed the short film titled River Water. For her work on the film, West won the Best Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 2014 South Australian Screen Awards.[3][4]

West developed her writing skills with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). She wrote the theatre play The Trolleys, and was the recipient of their 2014 Foundation Commission Award. The Trolley debuted on stage at the ATYP Studio 1 in Sydney.[5][6]

In 2015, West played the main role of Liza Minnelli in Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, a television drama mini-series that was broadcast on Seven Network.[7] West recalled her shock when her agent got her an audition for the role. Prior to filming, West worked on mimicking Minelli's mannerisms, accent and her singing style.[7] West stated that she really related to the role because they were both ambitious in their early careers.[8] She was nominated for the 2016 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Newcomer for her role as Minnelli.[9]

In 2016, West played the main character Amy Anderson in the film Bad Girl, alongside Samara Weaving, who played the other main role of Chloe Buchanan.[10] She also played "a self-described bookworm" called Tanya, in two episodes of the American comedy series Ash vs Evil Dead, which was broadcast via Starz. West filmed the role in Auckland, New Zealand.[11] In 2017, West played the role of Lyndal in the film, Don't Tell. Lyndal is a victim of sexual abuse who attempts to gain justice.[12][11] She was nominated for the 2017 AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Don't Tell.[13] That year, she also played the role of Jennifer Hartley in Nine Network's drama Love Child.[14]

In 2018, West wrote and directed the short films titled Mutt and Disco Dykes for the streaming service SBS on Demand.[15] Disco Dykes was part of a collection of short films featuring LGBTIQ stories the broadcaster and the Government of New South Wales had commissioned and funded via their Emerging Filmmakers Fund.[4][16] Mutt received four awards at the 2018 South Australian Screen Awards. West herself won the Best Directing award.[17] That year, she played the role of Leah Baxter in the SBS crime series Dead Lucky. Her character is portrayed as pregnant and attempts to protect her brother from a police investigation.[18] In 2019, West played the main role of Karla in the horror film Awoken. Karla is characterised as a medical student who is desperate to cure her brother's terminal sleepless illness.[14]

In 2021, West played the title role of Iggy in AB Morrison's web-series Iggy and Ace.[19] The show has queer themes and explores the issue of alcoholism. It was filmed in Perth and West's character was described as a "millennial with a drinking problem".[19][20] That year she continued to appear in television series, first as Kelli in ABC iview's drama series Wakefield and Bianca in the Nine Network's drama Amazing Grace.[21]

In 2022, West joined the cast of ABC TV drama series Troppo, playing the character Brooke.[22] In 2023, West joined the cast of the Australian soap opera, Neighbours, playing the role of Cara Varga-Murphy who is in a same-sex relationship. West stated she was "honoured" to join the cast and hoped the inclusion of her character's family would "help better reflect the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community" that she proudly comes from.[23] She also reprised her role as Brooke in the second series of Troppo.[24]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Nina Emily Short film
2010 The Turned Cassie Short film
2011 Collision India Short film
2013 Spine Chloe Short film
2013 One Eyed Girl Sarah Film
2013 Touch Jessica Short film
2015 The Daughter Jane Film
2016 Bad Girl Amy Anderson Film
2016 Trespass Laura Short film
2017 Don't Tell Lyndal Film
2017 Split Me Scooter Short film
2018 Ward One Nurse Short film
2018 Nursery Rhymes Metalhead Girl Short film
2018 Company Amelia Short film
2019 Top End Wedding Rosemary Film
2019 Awoken Karla Film
TBA Dirt Girls Grem Short film
Sources:[2][3]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2014 ANZAC Girls Clarice Daley Regular role
2015 Winter Indiana Hope Main role
2015 Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door Liza Minnelli Main role
2016 Ash vs Evil Dead Tanya Guest role
2017 Love Child Jennifer Hartley Guest role
2018 Dead Lucky Leah Baxter Regular role
2018 Jade of Death Ebony Guest role
2019 The Commons Zoe Guest role
2019 Drunk History Australia Press / Party Member / Guest Guest role
2020 Liberty Street Sophie Guest role
2021 Wakefield Kelli Guest role
2021 Amazing Grace Bianca Guest role
2021 Iggy and Ace Iggy Main role
2022-present Troppo Brooke Recurring role
2023–present Neighbours Cara Varga-Murphy Regular role
Sources:[2][3]

Awards and nominations

Year Format Association Category Nominated work Result
2014 Film South Australian Screen Awards Best Emerging Filmmaker River Water Won[3][4]
2016 Television Logie Awards Logie Award for Most Outstanding Newcomer Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door Nominated[9]
2017 Television AACTA Awards AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Don't Tell Nominated[13]
2014 Film South Australian Screen Awards Best Directing Mutt Won[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Winter Press Kit" (PDF). Seven West Media. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sara West CV" (PDF). Shanahan.com. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Flinders Drama Centre - Class of 2010". Flinders Drama Centre. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "NSW Government and SBS announce the emerging LGBTIQ filmmakers sharing $180,000 funding for Mardi Gras 40th Anniversary". FilmInk. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Sara West". Playlab Theatre. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Trolleys by Sara West". Playlab Theatre. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Young talent shines in the untold story of Peter Allen". The Courier-Mail. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  8. ↑ Byrnes, Holly (12 September 2015). "She can't sing or dance, but Sara West will go far as Liza Minnelli in Channel 7's Peter Allen biopic". The Mercury. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  9. 1 2 "2016 Logie nominations announced". The West Australian. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  10. ↑ Groves, Don (16 August 2015). "Female-driven thriller set to shoot". IF Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  11. 1 2 Groves, Don (26 June 2016). "Sara West Switches From Sexual Abuse Victim In 'Don't Tell' To Guest Role In 'Ash Vs Evil Dead'". Forbes. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Travis (18 May 2017). "Sara West tells us about Don't Tell". FilmInk. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  13. 1 2 Maddox, Garry (29 October 2017). "Helana Sawires goes from drummer to best actress nominee at AACTA Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  14. 1 2 Groves, Don (28 February 2018). "Sara West, Erik Thomson and Benson Jack Anthony star in 'Awoken'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  15. ↑ Harris, Richard (27 May 2020). "Five faves: Sara West picks what to watch in isolation". SBS.
  16. ↑ "Australian LGBTIQ shorts premiere on SBS On Demand". Screen NSW. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Sara West's "Mutt" Leads The Winners At The 20th South Australian Screen Awards". Glam Adelaide. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  18. ↑ Groves, Don (25 July 2018). "Sara West teams again with Rachel Griffiths in 'Dead Lucky'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  19. 1 2 Jenkin, Matthew (13 September 2021). "Iggy & Ace: behind the scenes". Screen Australia. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  20. ↑ Willix, Pierra (13 September 2021). "Perth production tackles millennial drinking". The West Australian. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  21. ↑ "Sara West CV" (PDF). Shanahan.com. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  22. ↑ Executive producers:Greg Quail, Mikael Borglund, Lisa Duff, David Ogilvie; Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse; Writer: Yolanda Ramke (27 February 2022). "A Croc & A Hard Place". Troppo. ABC TV.
  23. ↑ Knox, David (22 June 2023). "Neighbours to return in September". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  24. ↑ Keast, Jackie (16 October 2023). "'Troppo' season 2 wraps for the ABC". IF Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
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