Following the success of Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, Wonderland sits down with the Australian actor to discuss her role in Samantha Strauss’ part rage-inducing, part thought-provoking hit series.
When Alycia Debnam-Carey connects with Wonderland – on a much sunnier Californian morning than our gloomy end-of-winter in London – she’s winding down from a weekend straight out of a Hollywood playbook: glitz, glam, industry chatter, and Oscars after-parties. Exactly where she should be, considering the immense success of her latest role in Samantha Strauss’ Netflix hit Apple Cider Vinegar. The spotlight is nothing new for the Sydney-born actor, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to a starstruck moment. “Jane Fonda on stage. I didn’t get to meet her,” she laughs. “But if I did, I would probably be frozen.”
Apple Cider Vinegar has become one of the most talked-about series in recent months, as Strauss takes audiences on a wild ride through the story of Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever), an Australian wellness influencer and businesswoman who, around 2013, rose to fame claiming she was managing and beating brain cancer through healthy living. A successful app, bestselling books, a full-fledged lifestyle brand… Gibson built an empire and paved the way for a new era of wellness influencers — until 2017, when it was revealed that not only was her entire story a fabrication, but she had never had cancer at all.
Sitting down with Wonderland, Alycia Debnam-Carey unpacks what it meant to step into the shoes of Milla Blake, Gibson’s fan-turned-nemesis, the brilliance of Strauss’ scriptwriting, and what’s next for her. Keep reading…
Did you go to any fun Oscars after-parties this weekend? How was that?
I did, I was so lucky. I got to go to the SAG Awards as well this year—it was the biggest carpet event I’ve ever been to, and it was so cool. It’s really one for the actors. It was one of those moments where it just hit me, where I was like, “God, we are all the same.” We’re all so happy to be there and genuinely excited that people have recognised and appreciated the work.
Do you still get starstruck at these events?
Definitely. Jane Fonda on stage! I didn’t get to meet her, but if I did, I would probably be frozen. And if I ever met George Clooney, I’d be done. Bury me in the ground.
This is such an exciting time for you, with the show finally out. How has it been since the release?
It’s been so exciting, it exceeded a lot of my expectations. I signed on to this project because the script is so excellent, so beautifully nuanced and complex. I hadn’t read scripts that good in a long time, so I was excited to get on board. It was also such a unique Australian story that hadn’t been told yet, that rise and fall of wellness influencers in the early 2010s, that unique period of time, and working with an extraordinarily good cast. I was so excited to be a part of this. But you never really know if it’s going to hit. I’ve worked on projects I’ve really loved, and they don’t necessarily have the same reach or cut through in the same way. So, I’ve learned to appreciate the experience of working and not necessarily focus on the outcome.
But I’ve got to say, I’ve never had so many people reach out about a project like this. That’s been a really wonderful thing. And if anything, it taught me a very good lesson—that you just have to put your head down, do the work, and continue to grow, learn, and embrace your creativity. Because at the end of the day, it really comes down to who’s watching it and when, which is completely out of your control. So, it gave me this beautiful feeling of, “It will happen when it happens,” and this is one of those beautiful moments.
Were you familiar with the real-life events that inspired Apple Cider Vinegar before signing onto the project?
I was on the cusp of America and Australia at the time, but I was definitely there at the inception point of wellness influencers on social media. Then when Belle’s story broke – of her lying to the public for so long – I was familiar with it because it was a huge pop culture scandal at the time and a very insidious one for Australia. But I think the way Sam was able to find such a unique perspective in the scripts was really what made me see the potential from the start. It wasn’t just about Belle’s story; she wanted to create an amalgamation of a person and try to discover what it would take for someone like that to go with a lie for so long and create this facade of a person. But also, the wellness and health industry as a whole. I think so many people grappled with how incredibly nuanced it was, showing that with four female characters. Sam really is one of my favourite writers, she’s just phenomenal.
How did you prepare for this role? Were there specific research materials you leaned on, or did you create your own backstory for the character? What did your character prep days look like?
I had worked with Sam when I was 14 on a show called Dance Academy. I did one episode at the time. From that point, we both left an imprint on each other’s minds in a really positive way. So, it was this beautiful, serendipitous, full-circle moment of us coming back together. She wanted me to audition for this, and I came in towards the end to give it a go. It was one of those moments that fell into place for both of us, it made a lot of sense. She had me in mind [for the role] in a way.
I remember some of our first conversations about it. One of the key things was making sure we were on the same page about this character. She’s making some questionable and disruptive choices, she’s not necessarily a very likeable character, but I never wanted to make her feel like a victim. I didn’t want her to ever feel like a threat, as if this was something controlling her. There was this complicated relationship she was having with guilt and shame, but also ambition and a strong-willed mentality to try and fix herself.
For research, I went back into the archives of wellness influencers from back then. It was such a specific time, in the early days of social media, there were no guardrails in the way there are now. We obviously still have some of those problems, but there’s more awareness of what it can do to you. I did a lot of reading from blogs, found old Instagrams and YouTube videos. A friend of mine even had a couple of those old wellness influencer books. There were a handful of women who owned that space in those days, and I did a deep dive.
Since your character is inspired by real-life events, did you feel any pressure in portraying her story authentically? How did you balance artistic interpretation with staying true to the essence of the role?
We really wanted to create an amalgamation because one of the other important aspects was that this character needed to go toe to toe with Belle, which is uniquely part of our own storyline and narrative in the script. It’s a bit of a dramatisation of that. And what was so compelling was not only seeing a female-forward, supportive dynamic but also this gross, complete competitiveness in the cancer wellness space. It’s a crazy, absurd dynamic. And to do that properly, we wanted to make Milla stand on her own. That gave us a lot of creative licence to build her up differently and make her quite a force to be reckoned with.
Did you find it difficult to leave that heaviness behind at the end of the day? Do you have any rituals or ways to decompress after playing such intense roles?
This one was hard, I’m not gonna lie. I feel like sometimes it’s easier than others. I have little tips and tricks that I do, like immediately taking a shower when I get home or playing music to change my mood. But this one was hard, it sat with me for a while. It wasn’t until we were done that I shed it. It was just a really heavy story, and one that so many people are familiar with.
That was the other thing I noticed. When I was talking to people before and during filming, so many of them had similar [stories]. We’ve all had experiences with loved ones or family friends going through something like this. Investing more energy and awareness in it just felt heavy and very real.
For you, filming in Australia, did it feel like a homecoming?
It is the best. I love it. If you talk to any Australian [actor], they always say the goal is to be able to work back home. We have the best crews and such a wealth of talent. And I also get to be home with my family. There’s something just so special and intuitive about working there. I feel very lucky to have worked on two great shows recently.
And looking forward, what’s next on your horizon?
My goal has always been to do a drama film in Australia. I don’t know why, but when I was younger, my idea of success was doing one of those really deep Australian films, because that’s what I grew up with. I’d love to do something like Animal Kingdom or any Baz Luhrmann film. That’s something I’m striving towards. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but we’re manifesting it.
Words – Sofia Ferreira
The post Lights On: Alycia Debnam-Carey appeared first on Wonderland.
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