Behind the Breakout: Freya Tingley
Freya Tingley was just 17 when her parents agreed to let her give Hollywood "a shot" for a year. But giving it "a shot" doesn't quite describe what the young Aussie actor did. Freya arrived guns a-blazing.
On the day of her 18th birthday – after hundreds of auditions over that year – Freya booked a lead role in the Netflix series Hemlock Grove, and the rest, as the clichéd saying goes, is history.
Here we speak to Freya about "losing" to Jennifer Lawrence, training on the job, and her Insta-famous curry obsession.
If there was ever a poster child for "fortune favours the bold", it would be you. What do you believe enabled you to crack Hollywood as a teen?
Freya Tingley: I've always had a deep-seated desire to pursue the arts. From a very young age, I loved drawing, singing, and performing – it's what made me feel most happy and fulfilled. It was from that deep desire that I thought to pursue acting professionally. I was never given any sort of reality check that "It's not realistic to pursue the arts professionally". I guess I only had the notion of pursuing what you love and making things go right. Maybe I had my head in the clouds!
[So], it was that deep desire, coupled with the idea that "Hollywood" is the place to be as an actor, that spurred going there to pursue a career. I was also extremely fortunate to have my parents support me in my passion. They never told me I couldn't pursue what I loved. I understand that's not common, and I'm very grateful to them for their support.
In hindsight, is there anything you wish your younger self knew before achieving mainstream success?
FT: It's pretty simple and perhaps obvious looking back – hindsight is always 20/20: if you are getting a successful result – that is, booking work – then you have to look at the actions that got you to that result. Often, people obtaining a high degree of success for the first time will then start to change up how they operate their business and stop doing the actions that got them there, but I'd say that the key is to actually continue doing the actions that lead to that success in the first place. If you start to change things before you reach a maintained level of success, you can end up back at square one.
#truuuth. People mightn't know this, but you were one of the final actors to be considered for Katniss in The Hunger Games. How did that experience shape you?
FT: I first read the book when I was 15 when my mum picked up a copy and said that the illustration of the girl on the front looked like me. I then found out they were making a movie. I fell in love with the role of Katniss and her ability to be assertive and tough, and her grit. I think I saw a part of myself in her, which made me want to pursue the role.
I was in Australia when they started the casting process, and went through many rounds of self-tape auditions. I even got to speak to director Gary Ross [who] gave me some direction for my final tape. It was a very exciting part of my career at the time, with the prospect of landing a career-defining role, but in the end, I lost out to a small-time actress by the name of Jennifer Lawrence…
But that experience really taught me that regardless of one's losses, you can't let them stop you. There's always another bus, another opportunity if you keep putting yourself out there. There isn't a single person who doesn't get a "no". The successful person continues despite the obstacles. And the game wouldn't be any fun without those barriers anyway.
🔥🔥🔥. You didn't go to drama school but always took classes or had a coach. How do you approach continuing to develop your craft today?
FT: I love watching movies – particularly older movies from the 70s, which I'd say is my favourite era in terms of performances. Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman are my two favourite actors, and their performances in their earlier filmography are really inspiring to me. Movies like Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice have set the bar for what I consider "out of this world" performance. I am inspired by actors who transform themselves from role to role and do it with such believability.
There's also nothing like learning by doing, and with every job – just by practising your craft – you continue to grow and learn and reflect on what could have been done differently to get a better result. The Star Wars ideology that there are no absolutes is a great principle I like to apply in my life. It's that ideology that makes me want to continue to be better at my craft and have more of an emotional impact on an audience with each role.
You're now back in Aus after a decade in the US. What made returning home feel right to you at this moment in time?
FT: Prior to COVID-19, auditions started to transition to self-tapes, but with the lockdowns, it really was the nail in the coffin for in-the-room auditions. I know not all actors prefer self-tapes, but I'm really grateful for them because they allow me to live anywhere in the world and not miss out on opportunities just because I'm not in Los Angeles. I also wanted to be closer to family, and, to be honest, Australia is a beautiful country – I really love it here!
How are you defining "success" for yourself today?
FT: I'm realising as I get older that there are so many different facets to life that are important. Success to me is being able to manage those different aspects and feel that I'm enhancing not only my own life but the lives of those around me. If you can do something, big or small, to make this world a better place than you came into it, that to me is the ideal success.
On that, you were selected as an Aussie delegate for the 17th annual Youth for Human Rights Summit this year. How did this opportunity come about, and what drove you to pursue it?
FT: I've always wanted to do my part to make the world a better place, even if it's just a small thing. I've been aware of Youth for Human Rights for some time, and they approached me to be sent as a youth delegate to the United Nations to represent them. I obviously couldn't say no to such an incredible opportunity, and now I continue to work closely with them to educate youth on the importance of knowing your rights. Interestingly, the majority of people don’t know their human rights – which everyone is entitled to – let alone that they are entitled to rights in the first place. Educating people on those rights so that they can't be taken advantage of on a small or big scale is really important to me.
✊. Those who follow you on Instagram will know you like a good curry and cuddle with your cats. What else fills your cup outside of acting?
FT: Ohhh yes, I do love my curry and a cuddle with cats! I also love the company of others, so spending time with family and friends and creating meaningful experiences and memories with them is something I really enjoy. And taking walks and exploring – mostly fashion boutiques!
Big love to Freya for her time. You can follow Freya's journey over on Instagram. Give her a wave and let her know you're from the Dojo 👋
Thoughts / feedback / challenges for us? We'd genuinely love to hear.