Kieran Hudson as Jonathan Buckley in The Switchblade Sisterhood.

Counting down to the premiere of his sixth feature film, The Switchblade Sisterhood, writer and director Davo Hardy has shared an exclusive clip from the film with Cinema Australia.

Set in the present day, the film follows the emotional journey of half-siblings, as their mixed family reels from the revelation of a long-buried secret. Meanwhile, the protagonist, Breanna, takes a special interest in feminist literature from the 1970s. Upon meeting Jonathan, overhearing a discussion he has about feminism and country music from the same era, the two from a ‘curate’s egg’ relationship that, thanks to their mutual familial disillusionment, leads to a stormy romance.

Cinema Australia caught up with Kieran Hudson, who plays Jonathan in the film, for a quick interview and to find out more about this talented newcomer, eagerly anticipating the premiere of his first major film role.

Writer and director Davo Hardy, Kieran Hudson and British Flower on the set of The Switchblade Sisterhood.

“Filming long takes just about broke me! But, as an actor, that’s exactly what I needed.”

Kieran, when and how did you first get the acting bug?
Well, I’ve always wanted to act, ever since I was a lad. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t copying the TV or watching movies. But I started young and was in classes as soon as I could get enrolled. It was never my only passion, but it was the strongest.

What other interests does it compete with for attention?
So many! I am fascinated in the behind-the-scenes of movie making, the back-of-house of theatre and all the talents and disciplines that come together to make a film or a show happen. A good analogy is that you put a lot of skilled creatives into a cocktail shaker and you pour out a play or a movie. Incidently, that’s another interest of mine. I can also be very mechanically-minded. If, for whatever reason, a career in the arts somehow doesn’t pan out, I’ll probably wind up running a garage with my brother. No matter what happens, I’ll always have an interest to parlay into a career.

How did you get the role for The Switchblade Sisterhood?
I was doing sound design for a theatre production and my younger brother was doing lighting, so we spent most of our time in the Bio Box. Davo [Hardy, the man behind The Switchblade Sisterhood] was an actor in the show and it didn’t take long for us to connect as a pair of creatives with eclectic interests. He was producing Public Eye at the time and he asked if I’d be interested in a featured-extra role. Of course, I said yes. Any opportunity to get on a set! And, as we know, every opportunity leads to another opportunity. After the film came out, Davo approached me with the next one he was writing and asked if I’d be interested in reading for the lead. I was like “Say less! Send me the script!”

What was that first experience like for you?
My first scene for Public Eye was a classroom scene, where I’m picking on another student, [incidently played by Davo’s husband, Richard Littlehales] and throwing highlighters at his head. It’s not my usual behaviour and I kept apologising profusely between takes. But we all agreed; an actor’s gotta do what an actor’s gotta do.
It was a fun day and even though it was a tiny role, without any lines, I still excitedly attended the premiere with my mum.

There are some very explicit sex scenes in Public Eye. How did you and your mum handle those?
Well, thankfully, they weren’t my sex scenes, so that helped! I didn’t know the grand scheme of what the film was about, so I went in blissfully unaware of just how much of my fellow actors I was about to see! But it truly was an excellent film and my mum and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. She raised me to have an open mind and I think she appreciated the gender balance and “normal bodies” that Davo has in his films.

Kieran Hudson recording ADR for The Switchblade Sisterhood.

What attracted you to the role of Jonathan in The Switchblade Sisterhood?
The character has a lot of complexity and nuance. He’s the only child of a well-to-do family, though he’s a bit of a black sheep. His parents are kind of narcissistic but he’s far more grounded and self-aware. And I liked his conscientiousness. Next to Breanna, his love interest, and her opinionated antagonism, he reads as a bit of a lovesick doormat, but that’s the balance that sets their relationship in motion. By the end of the story, they’ve both influenced the other to become a better version of themselves. I also got to drive a convertible, so there’s that.

Since this is your film debut, how has the experience impacted you?
I’m sure every actor fantasizes about their first big role. The impact of this first film has been humbling. I haven’t seen the whole movie yet, other than a few spots I had to record ADR for, but playing Jonathan had a lot of moving parts to it. For one, I had to sing! And play a guitar at the same time! And I had to do it “not entirely well”, as Davo put it. Worse, I had to do it over and over again, while we caught it from every angle. Even with years of stage experience, it was a challenge to perform this one scene where British [who plays Breanna] and I argue for thirteen solid pages of dialogue. The whole scene plays out like a stage play, with just the two of us circling a dining table, growling at each other. Filming that in long takes just about broke me! But, as an actor, that’s exactly what I needed.
The one thing I remember most from Switchblade, which has really stuck with me, is the need for patience. Patience with my fellow actors, the crew and especially with myself.

When you’re not performing, what do you get up to?
Mainly uni, work and exercising. I feel as though exercise is such an important part of life and everyone should really strive to be the best possible version of themselves. As I said, I have a lot of interests and I have a lot of energy to burn, keeping all those plates spinning.

What do you have planned next?
I have a few projects in the works with Davo. He and I really enjoy working together and I am excited to bring these new projects to fruition. I am actually writing one of them myself, so that’s a whole new endeavour for me. Someday I hope to open my own production company and maybe even run my own theatre. Until then, I’m teaching acting and learning just as much from my students. I might have a lot of varied interests, but I don’t pretend to know everything!

The Switchblade Sisterhood will premiere at the Palace Chauvel Cinema, Paddington on November 10th 2023. It will then be available to stream on www.davohardyfilms.com

For up-to-date information about The Switchblade Sisterhood, you can follow its dedicated Facebook page.