IN CONVERSATION WITH ASHLEIGH CUMMINGS

interview by JANA LETONJA

Australian actress Ashleigh Cummings is starring in Peacock’s highly anticipated series ‘Long Bright River’, based on the massively successful New York Times bestselling book, which premiered on 13th March. She was recently also seen in hit global spy series for ’Citadel’, which recently wrapped production on season 2. 

You’ve played a variety of roles in your career, from ‘NOS4A2’ to ‘Citadel’. How did you prepare for your role in ‘Long Bright River’ and what drew you to Kacey’s character?

Prep was multi-tiered. Parts of Kacey just came from lived experience because some of the people I love most in the world have walked the path of addiction, and I have some unhoused friends. For those who are still earthbound, I was able to have really meaningful conversations with them, or just pull on my own memories. There was also something in Kacey beneath the substance use that I felt I really knew. The feeling of shame, of grief, of being a black sheep, among other things.

The parts of her I didn’t know were more specific to Kensington, the neighborhood where our show is set and the frontline of America’s opioid, now poly-chemical, epidemic in America. I’d catch the train down there on my days off and spend as much time as I could on the Ave, going to art shows, community meetings or volunteering at a women-led non-profit called Savage Sisters, which was founded and is run by people who were once unhoused on the Ave and have since embraced sobriety.

The staff there generously shared their stories with me as we made care kits in the basement or cleaned the streets of syringes and trash. Justin was a local who spent hours with me, recording every single one of my lines for accent and intonation. And then of course, I absorbed so much via osmosis just laughing and hanging out with the unhoused community who came in for wound care, showers, air conditioning, drug testing, company. It was the best part of the job for me, getting to spend time with such inspiring and courageous souls.

I was drawn to the representation of someone experiencing addiction who wasn’t painted as a victim or a perpetrator, but a human being with real perspective and resilience. Kacey had known immeasurable suffering, but maintained her hope and her levity and her spark and her capacity for love. I met so many Kaceys in Kensington, and my life has been made richer for having loved and been loved by so many Kaceys in other parts of my life.

Kacey is a complex character who grapples with addiction and estranged relationships. What was the most challenging aspect of bringing Kacey to life, and how did you approach the character’s emotional depth?

Honestly, probably the accent. It sounds like a superficial challenge, but it was so foreign to me. I played adult Kacey over 10 years, so I had to evolve from the General American, used by our child/teen counterparts, into a Kensington dialect the longer Kacey lived on the Ave or spent time in jail. I wanted to make sure a Kensington voice was heard not just in sound, but in spirit, because the people there are so often ignored. There’s a poetry to it, a rhythm. There’s brawn embedded in the texture, there’s a sardonic humor and creativity in the idioms. I love it so much, and miss it. I miss who I was with that voice. I felt like a braver person.

The emotional terrain felt more familiar. That’s a space I’m used to stepping into and stretching, but adopting an entirely different cadence and musicality and body was harder, especially to maintain it during emotional scenes or if I was boiling hot. New York in the summer, wearing 7 layers of winter clothes and a pregnancy belly was surprisingly another one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. 

What do you think makes ‘Long Bright River’ resonate so much with audiences, especially considering the very real and emotional themes of addiction and family struggles?

I used to visit a loved one in jail when I was younger and I remember at one point realizing that, though our lives looked vastly different, our aches were fundamentally the same. And similarly, though the show is deeply specific to Kensington, the relational landscape is colourful and quintessentially human. It’s rooted in the story of substance use, but actually spends more time with the cultural, relational and biological chasms that underpin whatever coping mechanism a person might turn to. It’s unflinching. I also think audiences also find it unexpectedly funny and hopeful.

Finally, Amanda Seyfried. She simply can’t not resonate.

In ‘Long Bright River’, Kacey has some really tough moments. Is there anything about the character or show that helped you grow also as a person, not only as an actor?

Yes, too many to detail here. I often wish everyone could try acting because it’s just inexhaustible in all that it teaches you. Doing a meditative exercise with my acting coach suddenly made me see an old situation from a new perspective, and cracked open an empathy I was unable to have for someone previously. Everyone at Savage Sisters taught me about the power of fierce and radical love. It didn’t matter where a person was at or what they had done in their lives, they were welcome and celebrated. There were boundaries regarding behavior, of course, but I saw a microcosm of a system operating on care, not punitive measures, and it operated really well. There was no hierarchy, just respect. I think that permission also made me realize that all parts of me could be welcome in the world, too.

And Amanda also showed me that the kind of life I want, the film and farm life, is possible. But more so, she was able to maintain uncompromising authenticity, work/life balance and generosity throughout all the demands of the industry, and I don’t know I’ve seen such a clear example of that before.

You’ve worked alongside some incredible actors, like Amanda Seyfried in ‘Long Bright River’ and Nicole Kidman in ‘The Goldfinch’. How do these experiences shape your approach to acting?

I feel so lucky. I didn’t have any scenes with Nicole, but she offered a lot of care and support to me off screen which meant the world. Like I mentioned, Amanda definitely changed my view on the possibilities of working within the industry, but also with the craft itself. She is nimble and effortless in her ability to dance in and out of scenes, she’s so reverent to the emotional life, but also holds everything lightly which gives her the freedom to be unencumbered and fully alive to what arises. It gives her direct access to the arteries of her character, and as a result gives the audience such access, too. She shakes you out of pretense simply by being so present, herself. I wasn’t always brave enough to trust in the moment as wholly as I do since working with her.

As an Australian actress in a global industry, have you faced any unique challenges or cultural shifts when transitioning to American projects or roles? 

I mean, greencards and visas are expensive and hard to qualify for. I don’t know if Americans realize how much privilege and effort is required to even step foot on a set out here. I know I wouldn’t have been able to play Kacey if I didn’t have the greencard because it wasn’t a big production flush with time and cash. So I feel very fortunate in that way.

Otherwise, I would say both the casting and promotional aspects of the American film industry are far more impersonal and immense than they are back home. I do miss the more intimate aspects of the Australian film industry, but I’m also grateful for the expanse of opportunity here.

When you’re not on set, how do you like to unwind or spend your time? Do you have any hobbies that help you disconnect from the intensity of acting?

I’ve recently reconnected to music and it is just my lifeblood, now. I’m obsessively listening to records and trawling through lyrics and arrangements. I love writing, reading, being in nature, and travel if I have the time or money.

Specifically, Amanda taught me to crochet, and I went all in for 6 months until my right arm rebelled, so I had to retire the crochet hook, which feels erroneous. Is crochet not what one does when one retires?

If you could switch roles with any actor for one day, who would it be, and what role would you want to experience?

I really would love to know what it’s like to experience Amanda’s magic from the inside out. On my hold days, I’d come onto set and just watch her. Every take is so varied and visceral.

But if I aim to expand my answers outside of anything and everything related to Amanda, which is my new favourite pastime, maybe Robin Williams in something like ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’, or ‘Mrs Doubtfire’. I do think this answer is partially a reaction to having just completed a series of really heavy, dark roles, but I would love to experience what appears to be that rapid fire infinity of creativity, freedom, instinct and intellect.

Is there a particular genre or type of role that you haven’t explored yet but would love to take on in the future?

I think people like casting me in vulnerable roles because they’ve seen me do it, but I am inherently way more playful and kind of weird so maybe something where I can let my freak flag fly some more. I would love to play a musician, or do a strange dramedy, or a well-crafted period piece. I love ones that either dive in or push the envelope in terms of artistry. It also depends a lot on the creators. I love the process of filmmaking and collaborating, so it doesn’t matter to me what form it takes if I believe in the team and their process. I want to try it all.

What can we expect from you in the near future? Are there any upcoming projects you’re especially excited about?

I just wrapped on ‘Citadel’ Season 2 with the Russo Brothers. I’m excited to see the full show as there were so many factions and multiple units running at once, so I wasn’t present for huge chunks of it. Joe Russo let me sit behind him at the monitor and ask questions, so I’m intrigued to see how everything is pulled together in the edit.

CREDITS:

photography EMILY SANDIFER
hair MARC MENA
makeup JENNA ANTON
styling LUCY WARREN