Mother of the Imperator: An Interview with Charlee Fraser
Photo: The Australian
International fashion model Charlee Fraser made her cinematic debut last summer when she played Margaret in the Sydney-set rom-com Anyone but You. Sharing the screen with a pair of Hollywood heartthrobs, her shift from the runway to the cinema was well-received, making many curious what her next step would be. But little did they know, Fraser already had another film on the way. In fact, it was shot beforehand but required much greater time to come together. The role was for Furiosa, the latest entry in George Miller's Mad Max saga, and it was considerable. She secured the part of Mary Jabassa, the titular character's mother.
As far as acting introductions go, Fraser received one hell of an assignment. The film opens in the idyllic Green Place, but the serenity is short-lived when Mary begins a pursuit to retrieve her kidnapped daughter. As her crusade goes on, we see her move by horseback and motorbike across the dunes before utilising her expertise in combat and weaponry. It is one of the most physically demanding roles in the film, but remarkably, Fraser makes things appear almost effortless. Her precision is marvellous, and amid all the thunderous spectacle, she sharply centres her character's determination and bond with her child. It is an awe-inspiring performance from a certified movie star.
To coincide with the upcoming release of Furiosa, I spoke with Fraser about her move into acting, learning the variety of skills necessary to play Mary, and the questions she didn't need George Miller to answer. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CONNOR DALTON: Where did your Furiosa journey begin?
CHARLEE FRASER: My Furiosa journey began in November 2021 when I got an email from my modelling agent at the time that said, 'Would you be interested in auditioning for a film?' I was very open to that. I hadn't acted before, and I love trying new things. I'm always open to new opportunities and possibilities, and acting didn't feel too far astray from modelling in some areas, so I was like, 'Absolutely!' I auditioned at the beginning of December and had my very first Zoom meeting with George Miller on the 24th, which was Christmas Eve and the day before my birthday, so it was really wild. And that's where it all started.
DALTON: For this to be your first role, I don't think it gets any crazier than the mother of Furiosa, and I'm sure it demanded more preparation than what is usually required. Could you break down all the skills you had to learn so you could portray this character?
FRASER: I was really thrown into the deep end. Mary is a character who is so important to this film and also the previous film [Mad Max: Fury Road], so I had big shoes to fill. She required so many skills, which I loved and enjoyed learning. I had to learn firearm skills, combat/martial arts, horse riding, and motorbike riding. I grew up riding motorbikes, but I did have to practice road motorbikes on the sand, which is a very different experience from a dirt bike. So I had these four extremely physical skills that I was super excited to get into.
Also, I was learning how to be a good actor at the same time because I hadn't acted before. I spent a lot of time in the rehearsal room with [co-writer] Nico [Lathouris] dissecting the script and character and really understanding how to break that down and bring myself into it. There was so much of that happening as well. I was building a multifaceted set of skills all at once.
DALTON: How was it putting all that training into practice once you got onto the set?
FRASER: That's the really magical part. You do all of that training so that when the moment comes and you're on set, the idea is to let it all go. It's hard to do because you've practised and rehearsed and learned all of this stuff, but the idea is that you trust your body and the training you've done. You trust that process is going to kick in in the moment because you've spent so much time learning it that it becomes quite natural when you're in front of the screen and action is being called. That's another incredibly big lesson for me in acting: all of that preparation is incredible, but when the time comes, it's not about holding onto it too tightly. It's about allowing your body to move freely in the takes, trusting your instincts, and everything you learned will come through in the moment. And it does, it beautifully does.
DALTON: One sequence I loved is when you position yourself in this chasm, Dementus' men charge at you from the entrance and exit, and you're taking on his whole legion. The choreography, mixed with how the camera rotates, was spellbinding. What was it like to shoot?
FRASER: That was actually the sequence I think I shot the most out of all my scenes. I did lots and lots of takes of that particular scene because it was a really long shot and everything was specifically placed in the screen. So where every single motorbike pulled up, where every single biker entered, and for how long was all timed and very choreographed. And because it was a long shot with so much happening, it took us almost the entire day. The first half of the day was just doing it over and over to place things. Then the second half of the day was spent shooting it time and time again to get it exactly how they wanted it. That was a really cool experience shooting a scene of that magnitude and choreography. It was a long day, but I loved it.
DALTON: With the intensity never wavering, each scene has so many moving parts. Obviously, you're working with safety protocols and some of the best stunt performers in the business, but were there any occasions where an accident or close shave occurred?
FRASER: No, not for me. I would say the only thing that happened when I was shooting was when Mary had to get down in the sand quite a few times. She's leaning on rocks and stuff to scope with a rifle, so my bony elbows didn't have a good time rolling around in the sand over and over or perching up on set rocks that had gritty sand on them. And the rifle is really heavy. It's a SKS rifle; I want to say it's maybe eight to 10 kilos without the scope and an extra three to five with it. The biggest thing I took away from all that was some grazed elbows.
DALTON: If that's the worst it got on a Mad Max production, I think you've done pretty well.
FRASER: I did very well, considering I had so many different elements of sport that I had to work into all of my scenes. I got very lucky, but I was surrounded by the most incredible professionals. Stunt doubles were used when necessary, but where applicable, I did my own stunts, which I loved.
DALTON: Beyond the action, there is so much vibrancy to Mary. The connection between her and Alyla Browne's Young Furiosa was beautifully realised. How did the two of you forge that bond?
FRASER: Alyla is the first amazing actress I ever got the chance to meet and work with. She brought along with her so much experience, but at the same time, such a vivid and wonderful imagination. I loved being able to hang out with her on set and in the rehearsal room and to get to know her as a human being. And I feel as though innately, being older than her, I developed these natural urges to want to protect her, be a big sister, and be that kind of role model. Working with her and spending time with her naturally evolved that sense of connection for me personally, which made it very easy on set to bring forward those kinds of intense emotions.
DALTON: And if we were to compile everything you needed to obtain for this character — the fight training, vehicle schooling, horse riding, character work, and a pivotal interpersonal relationship — how was it to work through all those components with George Miller?
FRASER: George was incredible. What he brought to set for me was this really beautiful grandfather-esque energy. He's very loving, very soft-spoken. He's constantly checking in on you, asking how you are feeling. In terms of his direction, he knows exactly what he wants, which is really beautiful, but at the same time, he allowed space for me to explore and bring my version of Mary to screen. I loved how open he was to that. He narrowed down the foundations of who the character was. He was like, 'This is who Mary is. This is what she stands for. These are her values.' Then he allowed me to take that and create Mary in my own essence. It was great.
DALTON: The opportunity to audition for this film came to you. It wasn't something you were necessarily seeking. When you acquired the role, did you ever ask George how you entered his radar and why he knew you were the perfect pick for Mary?
FRASER: You know what? I actually didn't ask because part of me didn't want to know. There was a big part of me that wanted to know why me. Why did you pick me? What is it about me? There were so many times when I could have asked those questions. But there was just a part of me that stopped and said, 'You don't need to know. This is such a gift.' The fact that I was there was such a blessing. I was so grateful and appreciative. I have not been in this industry in this way before, so if he picked me, and he's George Miller, and he's been in this industry for so long, I have to trust that whatever he sees in me is what he needs to serve the story and this character. So I didn't need to know what that was. I just had to trust the process, trust him, and trust everyone else that I'm meant to be here.
DALTON: I want to touch on something you said earlier. You stated that acting isn't too dissimilar from modelling. What attributes did you gain from modelling that served you strongly when playing Mary? I ask because there is one shot of you in the film, which I won't spoil, that lends from a famous piece of religious iconography, and you strike that pose flawlessly.
FRASER: I'm incredibly lucky to have come from the fashion world into film because there were so many transferable skills for me crossing over that I'm blessed to have in my back pocket. I've been modelling for over 11 years, and what I took onto set with me was being able to take on direction, being incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, and being incredibly comfortable being witnessed by others. With modelling, we're often given a mood board filled with ideas and postures and poses that are insinuated with different kinds of moods. That enabled me to take on someone's ideas and physically embody them. I also understand lighting and movement. There are all these little things that I could take with me to set. I couldn't imagine if I had no modelling experience and no acting experience having to be on a set like that in front of hundreds of people and in front of the camera. Doing all that would have been so nerve-racking, but I felt so comfortable.
DALTON: What do you envision for the future? Should we expect to see you primarily in film, or will you continue to balance acting and modelling?
FRASER: I'm definitely going to be doing more acting. I'm so excited to dive deeper into the film industry. I've loved every minute of being on set, the characters I've played, and the films I've been involved with, so I really want to evolve in the acting world. But I also have such a beautiful relationship with fashion, and I was raised in the fashion world. I've spent a third of my life there. I love fashion; I adore it. I am still going to be heavily involved in the fashion industry. I'm not going to let that go whilst I pursue acting. There's going to be a beautiful symbiosis of both.
DALTON: You were so wonderful in this film, and I'm excited to see what you do next. It's been a pleasure chatting with you today.
FRASER: Thank you so much. I'm so happy you enjoyed it. I can't wait for the world to see it. I was 26 when I auditioned, 27 when I got the role and we filmed it, 28 when I hit the studio to do some ADR, now I'm 29 and it's out. It's been a journey.
This article was originally published by FilmInk