From a small mining town in Australia to the American stage, Australian-born Cody Fern has taken many routes during his pursuit to strengthen and further his acting skills. Now, Fern is the 2014 recipient of Australians in Film’s sixth annual Heath Ledger Scholarship, an award aimed at financially and professionally supporting actors of Australian descent. On Thursday night, Fern accepted the award, which also includes a $10,000 געלט פאָנד, a two year scholarship at Los Angeles’ Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre and mentorship from the father of the late actor Heath Ledger, at the fundraising dinner held at the SLS Hotel. Moving ahead, Fern said he looks forward to future roles he wants to pursue, outside passions and actors that have inspired him.
What does the scholarship mean to you?
It’s profoundly important as an actor and as an individual coming from Australia. It’s one thing to be supported in your career and another thing for your peers to embrace you and say we believe in you. It feels like a sense of belonging, and especially as an actor, you need those moments in your life that tells you to keep going and chasing this crazy dream you’ve had in your life.
קאָדי Fern, 25, קלאַפּן אויס ראַנערז-אַרויף שאַרלאַט בעסטער און אַקס ווהיטעהעאַד פֿאַר די $20,000 פּריז.
Western Australian actor קאָדי Fern was named the Australians In Film Heath Ledger סקאַלערשיפּ געווינער פֿאַר 2014 at a celebratory dinner in Los Angeles on Thursday that was hosted by musician, אַקטיאָר און דירעקטאָר, טים מינטשין.
די 25-יאָר אַלט, best known for his role as Albert in the Australian version of the National Theatre of Great Britain production of מלחמה כאָרס, האט סיקיורד די $20,000 פּריז קעגן שייגעץ פאַרמעסט פון אן אנדער 19 יונג אַוסטראַליאַן אַקטערז, with Australian Idol alum and היים און אוועק star אַקס ווהיטעהעאַד און שאַרלאַט בעסטער named as runners-up.
Fern זאגט אַז דאַנק צו די אַוואָרד, ער איז איצט קען צו שנעל-שפּור זיין פּלאַנז צו רילאָוקייט צו לאס אנדזשעלעס, ווו ער איז שוין אין דיסקוסיעס פֿאַר עטלעכע פּראַדזשעקס.
“איך 'ווע שטענדיק האט פּלאַנז צו קומען צו לאס אנדזשעלעס; איצט עס ס 'אַ פאַקט און וועט פּאַסירן אַ פּלאַץ גיכער,” Fern told די האָלליוואָאָד רעפּאָרטער. “עס ס עטלעכע יקסייטינג פּראַדזשעקס געגאנגען אויף, עס ס איר זוכט ליכטיק און די אַוואָרד מאכט עס אַלע מעגלעך,” ער צוגעגעבן.
HE GREW up in a tiny Outback town and did not set foot on a stage until three years go.
Now, at 24, Cody Fern has been cast in the coveted lead role for the Australian run of international stage sensation מלחמה כאָרס.
It goes without saying that he’s thrilled to have landed a dream role, but despite his isolated upbringing, Fern’s path into it has been anything except accidental.
He has twice sold everything he owns, turned down a lucrative corporate career offer and followed his gut feeling into total uncertainty.
This year, he arrived in Sydney from Western Australia without a job, a home or a friend in sight to blindly pursue what he believes he was born to do: act.
“I’ve known since I was about six that I wanted to be an actor, but I grew up in a very small country town and it was just not something that was possible,” Fern says.