Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
Hey! I’m Sam and I’m an actor, scientist, and athlete. OK, so I know that sounds like the setup to “walked into a bar” joke but it’s all true.
I’ve been navigating this strange Venn diagram since my early teens having studied science alongside acting but also competing at high levels in multiple sports most notably basketball.
Science drew me away from acting at the end of my formal education with the allure of a steady paycheck and a “real job”. So after completing my degree in Bachelor of Biomedical Science, I started chasing a career, and acting slipped into the background.
In 2016, I decided to make a life-changing move from my hometown in northern Tasmania to Brisbane in the sunshine state of Queensland. This opened the door to returning to acting and performing after a decade, and since I’ve never looked back.
It’s wasn’t something I thought I’d return to, but life is a fickle thing and had other plans, and I’ve just been seeing where it’s going to take me. Which so far have had me working on feature films, independent shorts, network TV shows, and a regular gig doing commercials.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I feel like it’s going to be obvious, but my scientific training allows me to look at the industry through a different lens.
This industry brings in people from all walks of life, I mean I’ve met lawyers, ex-military, and police officers but I’m yet to run into another scientist that’s found their way to acting… It’s funny but I’m pretty sure I’ve devised my own scientific method to prepare for a role.
I mean we all find our own methodologies, but the more I talk to peers I realize my method has been heavily influenced by having to write scientific reports.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now. Who did you tell first? What has it been like since that moment?
We all have that moment when we were younger of being on stage and the feeling that drives us to continue doing it. But for me, the more important moment came six months after moving to Brisbane.
Thor: Ragnarok was filming in the CBD, I had the day off work and decided to check out the set. It was my first taste of a blockbuster film set, seeing the hustle and bustle of it all and realizing that the opportunity to work on these films was a real possibility.
It was enough for the little embers of my acting dream to find new fuel to start burning bright once again.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
It’s been finding the balance in life.
Such a privileged answer, I know, but I’ve never believed in the struggling artist trope and as a result, I will always try to keep an income source. Keeps me from becoming desperate, which let’s be honest, looks good on no one.
It also really stunts your performance when you’re reliant on booking a role to pay rent or eat… Also spending six months without work, with bills to pay, gives you a completely new perspective on things.
This is why I’ve been lucky enough to be able to use my degree to find a job that facilitates my acting pursuits.
If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career (or business) to the next level…who would those 3 people be?
Jon Favreau – I mean meeting the guy who could be the single reason the MCU exists is pretty high on my list, but Jon’s list of projects is incredible both as an actor and producer, also Chef (great film!). Would be great to pick the man’s brain.
Mindy Kaling – genuinely been a fan of this woman’s work for a while. Would go as far as to say that she is a voice of a generation and uses this to tell stories that make people visible.
Matthew McConaughey – read his autobiography this year (2021) well had him read it to me via audiobook… His journey just floors me. He took the industry by the horns and forged his own path. Would love to buy him a beer and chat.
Follow Sam Liddell on his social media profiles below:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_liddell_/