Lebanese-Australian actor Les Chantery is making his mark in the film world, and speaking out for diversity on our screens.
Could you tell us about your Lebanese heritage, and what it means to you? Both my parents are from Lebanon, a town called Kousba. It was interesting growing up with a different cultural heritage to most of my AngloCeltic friends. When I was younger it made me feel slightly odd and perhaps an outcast of sorts, but in my adult years I really appreciate the sense of history, family connectedness and diversity of perspective it has offered me. You trained at the prestigious National Institute of What drew you towards a career as an actor? It has always been a passion ever since I could remember. I would put on plays and sketches in the living room for my family when I was five years old. I did study Economics at Sydney University and graduated with a Bachelor of Economics before NIDA. However, I think I just studied it because I was good at it. I was Dux of my school and I think Dramatic Art (NIDA), where Mel Gibson and Cate Blanchett also studied. How did you find the experience of being at NIDA? Were there many other students of migrant or Middle Eastern background? I was definitely the minority! Firstly there were only 26 people in my Acting course (the average is 24 students selected from 2500 applicants). Out of those University was something I thought I should do because I could... not necessarily because I wanted to.