Get to know: Chloe Brink

Chloe Brink.

Young Perth-based actor Chloe Brink is set to take the acting world by storm if her heart-warming performance in Raising Thunder is anything to go by.

In the WA-made short, Chloe plays Kayla. Determined not to move in with her nauseating auntie (Catherine Moore), Kayla must change her dad’s (Joel Jackson) mind, but first, she will need to fix his broken heart.

Discovering a magical cloud bottled up in her late mum’s out-of-bounds bedroom, she nicknames it Thunder and together, they set about resurrecting the grubby house to its former cozy state.

Raising Thunder is directed by Kaleb McKenna, written by Jesse Laurie, and produced by Jasmine Leivers.

Born in Perth, Chloe has always had a deep passion for performing. At five years of age, she booked her first job in a television commercial for Red Rooster.

Chloe booked her first short film at age twelve as Young Emma in Jake Shannon’s Back Burn. In the award-winning US web series What We See, Chloe plays Tessa, a freshman student in high school.

In 2022, Chloe played April in the pilot Happy Campers. Chloe has featured in Parkerville Children & Youth Care campaigns in both 2016 and 2019, playing an abused child.

Chloe attends regular classes for Stage & Screen and Voice & Accent at the Ali Roberts Studio. She speaks fluent French and is proficient in Standard American and British accents.

Chloe loves to dance in various styles including ballet, modern jazz, contemporary, lyrical and hip hop. Chloe joined the West Australian Ballet as a child artist in two seasons of their ballet The Nutcracker in 2016 and 2018.

Raising Thunder will screen at CinefestOZ on Thursday, 31 August. Details here.

Chloe Brink on the set of Raising Thunder.

“A good acting performance doesn’t necessarily make you cry or laugh, but instead is something you can relate to.”

Interview by Matthew Eeles

What is your earliest film-watching memory?

The first thing that comes to mind was from quite a while ago. I think I was about six years old at the time, and I was visiting my family in France. My auntie and cousin took me to the movies, and I remember being super excited as we were going to watch Tinkerbell and the Secret of the Wings. I was obsessed with Tinkerbell growing up. I think I had a Tinkerbell-themed birthday party when I was five. I guess the movie itself didn’t really stick with me, but the whole experience and being with my family is a memory I will cherish forever. I also remember Astro Boy being the first movie that ever made me cry. I think children’s films are always created to make kids laugh or fill them with a sense of wonder. Astro Boy definitely caught me off guard.

When did you realise you wanted a career in the screen industry?

As a kid I was really, really, really shy. But from a young age, I was always performing, despite being shy, for family members at birthday parties and gatherings. What can I say, I loved the attention! I remember when I was in Year 5, they introduced a drama club at school, and I decided to join with a couple of my friends. I didn’t one hundred percent know what I was getting myself into and didn’t think I would like it at all, but it ended up being an eye-opening experience and the reason I am so in love with acting today. I guess I found a voice and a sense of belonging and immediately started taking screen acting classes. I attend classes at the Ali Roberts Studio every Tuesday and enjoy challenging myself and doing what I love alongside such like-minded people. The studio has provided me with so many learning opportunities to further my acting skills. I look forward to class each week and not only learn so much from the incredible teachers, but also have a lot of fun. As well as being an actor, I also dance. I feel that, when I’m performing, I’m a completely different person and I get to open up and express myself.

Who is the one person that has influenced you the most as an actor and how?

That’s a really tough question because there are so many people that inspire me in so many different ways. Saoirse Ronan, who played in Little Women and Lady Bird, is definitely up there. She’s such a versatile actor and extremely gifted. She has played a queen, an angsty teen and a passionate woman and I admire her dedication to her craft. She grew up in Ireland and worked her way into Hollywood, being one of the most promising actresses of our age – which inspires me that I can do the same. She is such an inspiration for little girls and women as she spends a lot of her time fighting for equal rights in addition to the hard work she puts into every project she works on. However, the most influential person would have to be Hugh Jackman. Being a WAAPA graduate, he makes acting seem like an achievable goal for me. A few years ago, I attended his show The Man. The Music. The Show in Perth. Seeing one of my biggest idols in person was so surreal and it confirmed everything I initially thought about him. Firstly, he is extremely talented, he can act, dance and sing. I loved his performance in The Greatest Showman! Secondly, he has worked on such a wide range of projects from action films to musicals, to rom-coms and so much more. Not to mention, he has been nominated and won so many awards including a Golden Globe for Best Actor, a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, a People’s Choice Award for Favourite Action Star just to name a few. But even after all that, he is such a down-to-earth, kind person which just shows that he doesn’t get caught up in his fame, and I really respect him not only as an actor, but also as a person.

Chloe Brink in Raising Thunder.

What makes a great acting performance for you?

I think a good acting performance doesn’t necessarily make you cry or laugh, but instead is something you can relate to. I love when I’m watching a show or a movie and the characters will do something and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I do that all the time!” I think The Edge of Seventeen is a great example of this for me. The actors in this film performed in ways that reflected actual teenagers, and I was able to relate to those choices so much that the acting felt so much more realistic. Being able to relate to the experiences and emotions of characters makes the performance so much more believable because you are able to connect to what you’re watching. I also love that feeling when you completely forget where you are, whether that’s sitting at the movie theatre or in your bed on your laptop, because you’re completely drawn into what you’re watching. I remember watching Me Before You late one night and my whole family was already in bed asleep. I was so engaged in the film that when (spoiler alert if you haven’t watched the film – shame on you if you haven’t). Will said he wasn’t going to change his mind, I screamed “Nooooo!”, completely forgetting my whole family was trying to sleep. [Laughs].

As an actor, what has been your most challenging experience so far?

I guess the most challenging thing about this industry is the rejection, as I’m sure a lot of actors would agree with. I’ve grown to understand that rejection is part of the journey and not to take it to heart. However, sometimes you get an audition where you instantly fall in love with the character, the script, the plot and just everything about it, and you put your heart and soul into auditioning – and it falls through. Or you go through a lengthy process of auditions and call-backs and the director really loves you, but then they decide to go with someone twice your age or someone with blonde hair and blue eyes (totally not an example from real life). When I was younger and first started auditioning, I think it really messed with my self-esteem as I was questioning whether I was “good enough” and began to lack confidence. However, little me didn’t understand that there were a thousand little girls out there just like me who were working really hard. Rejection is difficult to accept but it is part of the learning process and like my parents say, “It just wasn’t meant to be.” I am incredibly lucky to have such a great support network – my family are always there to support me in everything that I do and motivate me to keep working hard, reminding me that it will happen someday.

How did you prepare for the role of Kayla in Raising Thunder?

The director, Kaleb, was really great with working with Joel and I to develop our characters. We rehearsed for a few days purely on trying to build our relationship and understand Kayla and William’s stories. I also worked with Kaleb one-on-one rehearsing a few scenes and discussing some character choices, and it was over those few sessions that everything started to click. Kaleb had such a great vision, and it was so helpful to have a few days dedicated to bringing that to life. I remember being surprised (and overly excited of course) when I booked this role, as the character was a nine-year-old and I was about sixteen years old at the time. I had to explore those youthful qualities and delve back into my childhood. Kaleb suggested watching a couple of movies that would help me explore Kayla’s youth and the tone of Raising Thunder including ET and The Goonies – best homework ever! I’ve never really had the experience of losing someone, so that was something I had to wrap my head around, as the film revolves around the aftermath of the loss of Kayla’s mother. I did heaps of research on children who have lost their parents and how they display their grief at such a young age.

Chloe Brink in Raising Thunder.

Joel Jackson is a very talented actor. What did you learn from working with Joel on Raising Thunder?

I couldn’t agree more, he is extremely talented. To be completely honest, when I first found out I would be working with him, it was a mix of nerves and excitement. Mostly nerves. [Laughs]. I remember watching his film H is for Happiness a couple of years back and thought I would be intimidated by working with such a professional. However, he is the most charismatic, inspirational, and considerate person and he made the whole filming experience really enjoyable. I learnt so much from him and will forever be grateful for the opportunity to work with such an experienced actor. Joel taught me to believe in myself and that taking risks can always further your acting performance. He also constantly made me laugh every day on set which showed me that it’s also important to have fun and enjoy yourself. I hope we get to work together again someday.

What do you hope audiences take away from their experience watching Raising Thunder?

This is such a heart-warming, beautiful story about family and loss which takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. Jesse’s amazing storytelling and writing is so authentic and magical – at one point you’re laughing and the next you’re in tears. I hope that audiences not only come out with a sense of appreciation for their loved ones, but also an appreciation for children. I think people often overlook how powerful they can be. Their minds work in such fascinating, creative ways and they have the ability to essentially save people and situations – I think Raising Thunder explores that idea really well. I also hope people take note of the humour that can be found in every moment – there’s always room for fun and laughter even in the saddest of times.

What kind of films do you hope to make as you move forward with your career?

I honestly would love to work on something of the thriller/psychological horror genre. I love the intensity and clever use of cinematography in these films. Some highlights would be Black Swan, The Sixth Sense and Taken. Someday, I also hope I get the chance to combine my dancing with my acting skills. I’ve always loved being a part of musicals throughout high school as I not only got to perform through acting, but through dance as well. Being able to do this in a film would be a dream come true.

Raising Thunder will screen at CinefestOZ on Thursday, 31 August. Details here.