Quotes from Madeleine Madden

But I was obsessed with 'Lord of the Rings' when I was little. It still is a Christmas tradition in my family. We all sit around and watch the three films together. That was it for me.

In Australia we had the Australian stolen generation of our voting rights. I think a lot of people think its a distant memory, but its not, this happened to our parents or our grandparents.

Its a surreal feeling. You work on something for a long time, for two years, and then the promotion of it all happens very quickly.

Its been instilled in me since I was young that I have to use my platform to change the world. Thats something thats part of my DNA. I think also that just being born as an Aboriginal woman, my life is politicised, so thats something Ive dealt with every day of my life.

Always for me, when theres any leadup or hype or anticipation surrounding an event, such as the release of a show, it always gives me a bit of anxiety.

Weve always been encouraged to talk about political issues. Weve been taught to look outside of our own lives. Ive always had that fire in my belly.

If I can have a platform and use that platform as a way to create positive change, then I will.

My family is involved in the arts; my auntie is a director back in Australia, so that was my 'in' into the industry. It is a really hard industry to crack. The best way is to start putting yourself out there.

Symbolism is such a major thing in 'The Wheel of Time'. One of the things that Robert Jordan was renowned for was his attention to details.

As a Black woman and a Black person my experience has been very different. I have a deep love and connection for my country and my culture, but I also had a lot of difficulty growing up there.

My first American role I got was 'Dora.' That was my big break into the American film industry.

I think thats something that is frustrating - that you audition, and say you get a role and people think you were the best person to play this role, but it gets downplayed as being woke because, I dont know, they think networks are trying to tick a box.

I think especially as creative people we rely so heavily on our gut instinct to create emotional beats or bring scripts to life. Go with what you feel is right, because thats all we can really do. Were the expert of our own experience, so be as authentic as you can.

January 26 is a day of mourning and remembering for our First Nation people, and there are still some backwards people who don't acknowledge that - which makes my heart feel heavy.

When I got the audition I looked up the Wheel of Time book series on Google and I saw that it has sold more than 90 million copies. I was like, Oh wow, this could be potentially massive.

Being Indigenous, I feel very proud being an Australian and there are so many stories I want to tell.

This is an Australia I'm willing to celebrate; an Australia that listens, learns and empathises with our Indigenous people.

As an actor, you have to try to put it in your mind that you audition for a role, and then once you send that tape off, its not yours.

If you get to the point where you work on shows or films with substance, even if its a short film or a big TV series or a feature, its important to choose projects you love and connect with.

My sister works with animals, so Ive learnt a lot about them through her and have developed a love of native birds. I think just hearing the birds and seeing the birds and our animals, thats something that I really, really miss.

Im quite a family-orientated person, so being over here in a foreign country - by myself - for the first time with a big new job was daunting.

But learning how to enjoy my own company - and picking up hobbies is really important as well in not being bored and staying sane. But it can be quite difficult to get to that point where you can sit and relax and enjoy your own company.

I hated going to school, and I think a huge part of that was because of the racism that I experienced growing up there. From that, I sort of developed this social anxiety that I only feel when Im in Australia, which is odd.

Ive been raised by strong women in my life, who have sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am.