Interviewed by Women Daily Magazine
The pursuit of happiness and dynamic human interactions are creative themes for Australian actress and writer Clementine Heath. Calling Los Angeles home for almost a decade, a great accomplishment for any international actor, Clementine’s adulthood has been honed by her life here in Hollywood. Having relocated in her mid-twenties from Sydney, Australia, with nothing but ambition and those Hollywood dreams, the road less travelled has been, admittedly, a huge learning curve for her. Hollywood is a tough town and the competition is especially cut-throat for women. Having tackled many challenges both personally and professionally, she talks with an unapologetic raw honesty. In the face of years spent navigating the Hollywood system, and a battle with mental illness, this woman’s determination is admirable. After decades performing on stage and screen, she is adding ‘writer’ to her resumé. She has a slate of projects in development, both as creator and actress. There is much to celebrate, including a lead role in the short feature ‘Bookstory’, due for release very soon. I caught up with Clementine via phone earlier this week.
Credit: Greg Doherty
Clementine! How are you doing?
Hi! I’m doing alright all things considered. Week three under house quarantine, it’s a strange experience. Never imagined experiencing something like Covid-19 in my life-time. How are you handling it?
Well I have a young family so my children are really my main priority. We are all well and keeping safe too, it is what it is. Let’s talk about you! How long have you lived in Los Angeles? You don’t have much of an Aussie accent.
(Laughs) Everyone says that. To be honest I don’t think my accent was ever “Aussie! Aussie!”. I studied theatre from a young age and performing classical theatre like Shakespeare does have an influence on how your voice and diction develop. I’ve lived here most of my adult life, it’s home. When I talk to my mom (who lives in Sydney) she always says how very “L.A” my attitude is, which is a compliment I think.
What does she mean?
There’s a uniquely positive mind-set here that you really won’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s one of the reasons I love living here… the weather’s alright too. It takes time though, years even, to figure it out and to find your tribe but you do, eventually. If you stay and gut it out. Takes a few lonely years for most at first.
Did you ever think of leaving and calling it quits here?
Nope. Never. I’ve always known I belong here. Since I was a kid. I feel better in the Northern Hemisphere actually. I know that sounds weird but there’s actual science to this theory, about not where you were physically born, but where you were conceived. I was actually conceived here in California because my parents were living here at the time but moved back to Australia before I was born. But I feel like my inner being was created in this hemisphere which influences how I feel as a human.
I’m not familiar with this theory
Yeah, I’m curious by nature. I geek out a lot on science and what it means to be here existing consciously as a human being. I used to hide that geeky part of myself growing-up, which was not healthy because I wasn’t being true to myself. I just wanted to “fit in” which was destructive in many ways, but it also led me to find my voice, once I started to be honest with myself. Only took thirty-odd years!
How do you think you achieved this?
I don’t think there are many people out there who can say they’ve never hidden a part of themselves in order to feel more accepted socially. High school can be brutal, and I know I lost touch with myself during those years, I went completely introverted and used drama and art as the means of self-expression. Even then I was hard on myself. I was inhibited by the fear of being judged, being misunderstood, and wanting to be accepted. Hollywood is very much like high school when you first arrive. So yeah, with respect to living here now, the key is to be truthful with yourself and take that time to know who you are and what you have to offer, because there is something for everyone here, some niche just for you, that’s why I love it.
I like that. Some people get very negative about LA experiences.
There’s a real soul to this city, and I’ve made incredible friends here, personally and professionally. We found each other, and we continue to find each other! As an actress and a storyteller, there is no other city like L.A. for industry and opportunity in the Entertainment business. Just be careful not to believe all the BS talkers and all the hype.
And that’s of paramount importance, I would imagine, to attracting genuine opportunities?
1000%. I can’t do what I do without the connections and support around me that I have here now. It took years, but I learned so much in the process. Because I am also jumping into the role of writer now I work closely with a lot of very talented people and mentors in this town. They work hard and fast! So if I am not living here then that makes it very difficult to interact. There’s a real can-do attitude they offer. Determination to succeed is one thing, but recognizing that it takes teamwork to make your dream work, is essential. I’ve learned there’s room for everyone at the table if you have the passion, the talent, and the drive. But above all else you gotta have the patience to trust the process. It took so many years for me to learn and understand this. I got schooled, hard! It’s a common fault a lot of creatives here have when they’re first starting out. I was not patient in my twenties unfortunately. I was in too much of a hurry, so I was continually stressed and impatient about everything, and not realising that this was the energy I was putting out there. So yeah, my twenties was challenging for me as an actress and a human being. I wish I could have had a mentor back then. I learned the hard way, but I’m putting it to good use now.
Credit: Greg Doherty
That’s part of growing up though. I was also very impatient when I was younger. Are you saying you should have done things differently?
Obviously I had to go through those challenges to wake up to myself. I don’t believe in having regrets, I wouldn’t be the person I am today had I not experienced the journey I’ve had. It’s just interesting to reflect on it now that I am well and truly an adult… (laughing) What does that even mean?! I still feel very young in spirit, and I’m only just getting started. I’m happy to be doing what I do but I can also say I know nothing at all. At the end of the day I’m grateful to have opportunities to work with talented people. I’m trusting the process now, both professionally and personally. As a creative, I’ve also learned to trust my instincts more and that’s opened the door for some really wonderful opportunities.
And I see you’ve kept busy the last few years with theatre and film. You have a bunch of projects in the works now. I’m very interested to talk about female driven projects with you as we’re experiencing a growth in diversity and opportunity in the creative sectors. How are you feeling about this current climate? With respect to your work – has it been a solid shift? Do you think it will last?
Well yeah, the shift is happening, but we are still so far from levelling the playing field. There’s still a tremendous lack of strong female driven content being produced, even though “they” say it’s in high demand I’m still seeing the gap on casting breakdowns with respect to auditioning. There’s still a lack of interesting leading roles and strong supporting roles for women in the storytelling field. The fact that shows like Fleabag and Killing Eve have been such huge successes is great, but why did it take this long? I feel like the quality of the work produced by women is being given some of the spotlight. But by no means are we center-stage. Look at the Oscars this year. The best director category, all men. That’s very disturbing. That one still bothers me. Recognition for female directors is still an issue. I don’t know if this is because the men have had the spotlight for so long their names are ingrained in Hollywood and film making, and audiences like familiarity. Audiences like to know what they can expect, to a certain extent, so they pick the names they already know because they feel confident about what they will get. These brilliant women are just not household names yet… but this will change.
I’m with you there. It’s only a matter of time now. So, who are some of your favorite female directors?
Well, as far as directors go there’s a few! Alma Har’el (Honey Boy) is my absolute favorite director presently and she’s leading the pack! She’s a force of nature! I really hope to work with her one day. I’ve always loved Jodie Foster’s work behind the lens. Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, she directed ‘Mustang’ starring Matthias Schoenaerts. It was a sleeper from last year but left me speechless. This was an all-male cast set in a prison, directed by this talented woman. It’s a beautiful film. Had it been directed by a man I don’t think it would have made the impact it did. She directed beautiful subtle performances. I also have to shout out to Ana Lily Amirpour, she’s so badass. In my opinion she’s the female Tarantino, we should be seeing more of her name out there. ‘The Bad Batch’ on Netflix is, simply put, wicked sick. It’s so twisted and it came from her imagination and just blew me away. I really hope to work with her too. There are so many great female directors out there…
I never saw The Bad Batch, I’ll have to check it out.
It’s definitely not for children – or people who can’t handle a little gore, but it’s a ride! It’s also got a great cast, female lead too. Finally, I have to name Phoebe Waller-Bridges as my hero. I don’t think it gets any better than Fleabag and Killing Eve at the moment.
Killing Eve was wonderful, yet to watch Fleabag.
Just do it. All of it. She’s brilliant. To have that range as a writer, as a storyteller – but then also as an actress. I simply adore her. She’s definitely got the career I am aspiring to now.
So let’s talk about your work. You just said you’re branching out into writing as well? Can you tell me about the series you’re creating, The Happy Girls?
Oh man, this has been a labor of love for me for almost ten years. It was an idea I came up with while traveling around New York alone, on a holiday, and I just played around with it. I must have been about twenty-seven at the time and restless. I just had these scenes playing around in my mind all the time, so when I’d sit in a cafe on my own I’d just write them out in my notebook. The idea was to structure it as an indie feature. Fast forward to 2019, took some meetings about the project as the time felt right, and was encouraged very seriously to find a way to make it into a series. I was a little hesitant, but there is so much more opportunity for financing for series now, given there are so many places for streaming content. Most importantly, it’s female driven content which is in high demand. So after spending a few months on re-structuring the story a little and thus building the characters I now have this series. I love it.
Credit: Greg Doherty
So what’s next with it?
I’ve got an option agreement in place now with Chibber Mann Productions and we’re in the pitching process with some streaming platforms. That’s about all I can say. It’s just so great to have people reading it and getting it. I really hope to get it in pre-production by the end of the year, or production.
Can you tell us a little of what it’s about? Will you be in it?
Oh yes! So ‘The Happy Girls’ is a dramedy about four generations of women in one family who all come together due to an unfortunate event. It forces them all to deal with their relationships with one another because they’re mostly estranged. It’s centered around two adult sisters, I play the younger of the two, Jamie. Then there’s the older sister Rachel, her young daughter, the sisters’ mother and then the grandmother! Four generations of women all trying to make amends and figure their shit out while not killing one another. It’s very funny, at least I think so. It’s a little like the tone of Little Miss Sunshine and Fleabag. I’ve been writing a lot the past couple of years and this one is closest to my heart so I’m very excited to see this come to life! And while I don’t tend to write with the intention of playing the role myself, the character of Jamie has been a part of me always, she’s basically my Fleabag. I’m excited to sink my teeth into this role.
And then there’s the short feature you’re starring in, Bookstory. I got to watch the trailer yesterday and it was delightful. Can you tell me the idea behind this?
Oh that’s so great to hear, thank you. It’s really cute, right? I had no idea what to expect when I signed on for this, it really was a blast! This came down to trusting my instincts when I got the audition. I could just feel this role so distinctly, which is a credit to the writing (Dan Hass), so when I did the self-tape I just went for it. And it worked because I got the call back and met the team. The filmmakers behind this really do deserve a lot of credit, Dan Hass and Shawn Adeli are amazing to work with. Young filmmakers with so much talent and vision. They have such a great relationship in the way they work together. Shawn is also the DP and Dan is the writer and then they direct together and do the post. They are multi-talented. They took their short film about this magical tree in a bookstore, and from these 15 pages they gave it a life beyond what anyone could have imagined from just reading it. They had a complete realised vision for this before shooting, which helps. A lot of it was green screen and make believe. I really didn’t know what it was going to look like in the end. I just gave them my complete trust and followed their direction.
Well it looks amazing! I love your character from what I’ve seen. Where did you film the location? – because the visuals are stunning.
Thank you. I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone because I had no idea how it would look with the FX, as that was all post. The guys would give me direction as we were filming about what it would look like after, so the location was a blessing. We totally lucked out because Shawn and Dan managed to secure filming at an actual bookstore here in Los Angeles, it’s called The Iliad. It’s a unique second-hand bookstore and very cool inside. So much character. We were only allowed to film during closed hours, so we had long night shoots, that was tough. We also did greenscreen filming days in a studio. Shawn is a wizard with FX and from what I’ve seen so far I am blown away with the end result.
How was your experience playing Libby? Did you need to prepare specifically for her?
My job was to bring Libby to life and leave the rest up to the directors. I understood her as I would myself if I was in her situation. Living out of a car, angry at the world, and bitter about life in general. A woman with a chip on her shoulder, but it comes from a place of childhood pain. These are real and relatable emotions, so I just wanted to make sure she was grounded, while keeping animated and quirky the way the guys needed it to be. But this was a unique experience for me as I’d never worked on a high-concept film before. And working with greenscreen was a first too, which is one of the reasons I wanted to do this film. To Dan and Shawn’s credit, they really trusted me to ground Libby’s character in this magical, fantasy story, so we really did all just work on trust. I think that beyond a short film, Bookstory could become something akin to ‘The Lion, The Witch and Wardrobe’. If we make the feature length film, we’ll get to see what happens once she explores this other realm, stepping into other dimensions and going on adventures. There’s a world of possibilities for Bookstory beyond this short film.
So there are plans for a feature length movie?
Fingers crossed. We’re already in talks about it but it all depends on the success of the short once released later this year. The trailer comes out early April. When I signed on for this I also had to sign on for the potential of this becoming a feature film. I would love that so much, so we’ll see.
How has Covid-19 affected work for you with everything shutting down?
Oh man. Shooting schedules have been delayed obviously. Everything is getting pushed back or put on permanent hold. It’s just so hard to know what to expect down the line, I remain focused forward and continue to work from home as best I can. I’m still getting auditions come through that I self-tape for. And then it’s just preparing for my next gig so I am ready to go as soon as productions are allowed back on set. I know people are scared, and it’s easy to panic but I just don’t see how that helps any of this, it’s really out of our control. I’m keeping busy. This free time allowes me to write and work on side projects that I’ve been putting off. I have a podcast I’ve been neglecting to get started because I haven’t had time, so that’s on the to-do list currently. I hope it might help people during this time. It’s focused on mental health and Mindfulness work.
Which brings me to my final questions. Your work in mental health is something you have been very passionate about for many years. I read your essay for the Life After Project, but talking to you now I feel like I’m talking to a very different person. I heard you had been preparing to host a documentary about your own personal journey with mental health, is that still happening? Seems like now more than ever people are searching for more avenues to help those who are suffering with mental health issues.
Ah, you really did your homework! Ok, so the documentary is still very much in the works. We had a financing issue last year so it got delayed, and then the fires in the Amazon happened and it prevented us from being able to travel to our destinations. I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason however, and I am happy production got delayed because so much has developed over the past year that will add to the project once we are back in action. I have a strong team assembled for this and to be hosting the docu-series is a dream come true because I believe it will help a lot of people. We think a series will allow for more exploration of the themes, instead of our initial plan for a feature film. That’s where the podcast comes in now. I am going to start this journey now because people need to remember or remind themselves that they are not alone during uncertain times. I have a lot of dear friends who battle depression and this quarantine/isolation is not helping them. If there is one thing I have learned with respect to addressing depression and other mental health issues, you have to talk about it and also provide a safe space for others to open up. Hopefully my podcast is going to provide listeners with some handy and helpful tools and tips for managing mental health during this period of isolation.
How is the isolation for you?
Well, I’m an extroverted introvert, I enjoy my own company! It’s the cabin fever I don’t like, but the solitude doesn’t bother me one bit. To address what you had said previously regarding my essay, that essay was such a release for me when I wrote it back in 2016. I’d kept my mental illness a secret for practically my whole life, and it was hurting my relationships and it was quite literally killing me slowly. But a lot has changed for me since 2016. I am entirely changed – healed, you could say. Never in a million years did I think I would heal my depression, so I know it’s possible. That’s what the podcast and the docu-series will explore for others to help with Mindfulness work and natural ways to treat depression and other mental health related illnesses. As an actress I have always felt that one day I would be able to use my position to help bring awareness to an illness that is misdiagnosed, misunderstood and mistreated most of the time. I know that mother nature’s medicines work in powerful ways. The way we explore this and present it to people and society just needs to be more clear, with simple/easy information as an appealing medical option.
That sounds really interesting.
It is. So much information has been kept secret and now people are discovering on their own that curing mental issues should be directed at redressing natural balance. The podcast will be called The Happiness Handbook. I’m hoping to launch it beginning of May, just have to set up a home studio etc. The series ‘Evolve’ will be a longer journey but now is the time to begin to address it for the sake of everyone’s health and well-being.
The Happiness Handbook, The Happy Girls… I see a theme here!
Ha! Yeah. At the end of the day we’re human beings having a conscious experience, that’s why we’re here! But people are living in fear of this or that, excess overload, impatience, and forgetting to connect to their soul and to trust the process. I think that’s what happened to me for many years. I really lost sight of not only who I am but more importantly, why I am here- at all? I was numb to myself, and that’s very dangerous. Today, I take so much pleasure from simply walking in a garden and listening to the birds and connecting my own self with Mother Nature. It may sound simplistic but it’s very healing. It brings me a lot of peace.
If we can all just disconnect from the noise and get reacquainted with our spirit, collectively as a race we will be stronger. Individually I feel that our ability to express and practice compassion and stillness will also flourish, and this is necessary for our evolution.
How has this helped you creatively?
Creatively, as an actress and a writer my inspired vision has never felt stronger. Meditation has opened up my creativity immensely. I used to doubt myself when I was performing because I was in my head. Now it’s just all fun. Even when it’s tough or challenging I am being given this opportunity to connect with people through the creative process. When I first moved to Los Angeles, even though I was working a lot, it was not my best work. But I own that. I’m so excited for what lies ahead because I believe I have a lot more to offer. And that’s liberating because I’ve taken my foot off the gas and I feel like I’m in cruise control… I’ve learned how to enjoy the ride.