Latest news with #HeartbreakHigh
Sydney Morning Herald
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
How Heartbreak High star found connection through playing dress-ups
When it comes to texture, teddy bears are one of Heartbreak High actor Chloe Hayden's favourite things to touch. 'I don't even know if I could count how many teddy bears I have, probably hundreds. It's ridiculous. Any time I go anywhere that has teddy bears, a theme park, a zoo, an aquarium, I will be purchasing one and I choose it solely based on how soft it is.' It's no surprise then that as guest curator for the first exhibition in new program Powerhouse Materials, vintage teddy bears and an Akira Isogawa bear backpack are among Hayden's picks to display. The actor and disability rights advocate dug through the museum's archives, which include more than 500,000 objects, to come up with her 17 favourite things. Her chosen pieces focus on textiles (the next curator in the program will be children's author Andy Griffiths looking at paper later this year) with Hayden offering a neurodiverse perspective as an autistic person also diagnosed with ADHD. 'Textiles have been such an important part in being able to express my identity,' she says. 'I would always play dress-up in different situations. I grew up selectively verbal and would struggle to speak to the people around me and to connect to the surroundings, so being able to play dress-up was how I was able to find that connection.' Powerhouse Materials: Textiles also offers a glimpse into Hayden's love of horses and cows, with the actor having ridden horses since she was four years old and represented Australia as a professional cowgirl. To show her affinity with the animals, included in the exhibition is a rocking horse, a miniature set of armour for a horse and knight, a cow robot and – her personal favourite – a trio of cow figurines she has nicknamed Margaret, Bertha and Penelope. Best known for her breakthrough role as autistic student Quinni in Netflix's global hit Heartbreak High, a reimagining of the 1990s teen drama, Hayden recently wrapped up filming the still-to-be-released third and final season of the show. The series has received several AACTA Awards and an International Emmy, while Hayden herself this month received a Silver Logie nomination for best supporting actress. Hayden describes Heartbreak High 's approaching end as 'bittersweet'. 'I grew up never seeing myself represented and I found my representation in Disney princesses and fantasy characters. I could never see myself in a real person. Getting the opportunity to be someone who I so desperately needed when I was young is exciting. I receive messages every single day from people who have watched the show and say that they now understand themselves better or their child or friend or sibling or student a bit better. People have gotten their autism diagnoses because of Quinni. Genuine representation is literally life-saving.' For Hayden, the Powerhouse exhibition is a chance for fans of her acting or popular social media presence to get an even more authentic glimpse of her.
The Age
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
How Heartbreak High star found connection through playing dress-ups
When it comes to texture, teddy bears are one of Heartbreak High actor Chloe Hayden's favourite things to touch. 'I don't even know if I could count how many teddy bears I have, probably hundreds. It's ridiculous. Any time I go anywhere that has teddy bears, a theme park, a zoo, an aquarium, I will be purchasing one and I choose it solely based on how soft it is.' It's no surprise then that as guest curator for the first exhibition in new program Powerhouse Materials, vintage teddy bears and an Akira Isogawa bear backpack are among Hayden's picks to display. The actor and disability rights advocate dug through the museum's archives, which include more than 500,000 objects, to come up with her 17 favourite things. Her chosen pieces focus on textiles (the next curator in the program will be children's author Andy Griffiths looking at paper later this year) with Hayden offering a neurodiverse perspective as an autistic person also diagnosed with ADHD. 'Textiles have been such an important part in being able to express my identity,' she says. 'I would always play dress-up in different situations. I grew up selectively verbal and would struggle to speak to the people around me and to connect to the surroundings, so being able to play dress-up was how I was able to find that connection.' Powerhouse Materials: Textiles also offers a glimpse into Hayden's love of horses and cows, with the actor having ridden horses since she was four years old and represented Australia as a professional cowgirl. To show her affinity with the animals, included in the exhibition is a rocking horse, a miniature set of armour for a horse and knight, a cow robot and – her personal favourite – a trio of cow figurines she has nicknamed Margaret, Bertha and Penelope. Best known for her breakthrough role as autistic student Quinni in Netflix's global hit Heartbreak High, a reimagining of the 1990s teen drama, Hayden recently wrapped up filming the still-to-be-released third and final season of the show. The series has received several AACTA Awards and an International Emmy, while Hayden herself this month received a Silver Logie nomination for best supporting actress. Hayden describes Heartbreak High 's approaching end as 'bittersweet'. 'I grew up never seeing myself represented and I found my representation in Disney princesses and fantasy characters. I could never see myself in a real person. Getting the opportunity to be someone who I so desperately needed when I was young is exciting. I receive messages every single day from people who have watched the show and say that they now understand themselves better or their child or friend or sibling or student a bit better. People have gotten their autism diagnoses because of Quinni. Genuine representation is literally life-saving.' For Hayden, the Powerhouse exhibition is a chance for fans of her acting or popular social media presence to get an even more authentic glimpse of her.
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Actor and disability advocate Chloé Hayden is learning to prioritise what matters
Unwind with… is a regular column that explores the simple ways interesting people take care of themselves through periods of change or upheaval. Actor and disability advocate Chloé Hayden lives in regional Victoria on Wadawurrung Country. The 27-year-old stars as Quinni on Heartbreak High, with the show's third and final season streaming this year. Chloé says the entertainment industry is exciting to work in, but it's "also really difficult when you're neurodivergent and rely so heavily on routine". Chloé was diagnosed as autistic in her adolescence and lives with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), endometriosis and adenomyosis. "I'm a lot better at looking after and respecting my neurodivergent brain," she says. "I don't yet have the same grace for a sick body." But she's learning to rest and make room for what she loves beyond work. When I go out to be with my horses is probably when I feel the happiest. Or, when I let myself relax. Not the pretend relaxing where I'm telling my body that we're relaxing but my brain is going over a million things that I must do or that I'm feeling ...when I'm just reading a book or playing a video game, truly being-in-the-moment relaxing. Since getting [the role of Quinni], my horses were put on the back burner. That was very scary and honestly caused a pretty big identity crisis. I'm a competitive horse rider and I can't train my horses up knowing that I might have to [be called back to work before a competition]. I just went,"well, I guess I just won't do anything with them because there's too much emotion and heartbreak if I have to [leave for work] again". I was then really confused when I was sad and anxious all the time. I sat down and I spoke to some people, and I realised that there was no reason why I couldn't have both. I just wasn't prioritising things that I needed to prioritise. I'm still trying to figure it out and learn when I need to stop. I'm also trying to learn when I need to accept help from other people. I know what does help is switching off and respecting when my body is giving me signals to stop and taking that time off to rest. Lying on the couch with my cats all over me and playing a video game and letting my husband look after me completely, giving in to going "you're not broken or wrong, you don't hold less value or worth because you're letting someone help you out". I can't cook to save myself, but my husband knows my safe [comfort] foods. My mum's dal recipe is a big safe food. If I'm having a shitty day, he usually knows before I do. He'll make sure that I'm eating and drinking throughout the day because it will get worse if I'm not looking after my physical body. I love being in the bush, I love having open fields around me, I love being away from everyone and being able to see the stars at night and being able to have all of my horses surrounding me. You couldn't convince me to ever live in the city.
Daily Record
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix's 'thrilling' new murder mystery should be your next binge-watch
Netflix is set to release this thrilling new murder mystery on June 6 and it's a must-see If you're on the hunt for a new murder mystery to dive into, Netflix's upcoming limited series The Survivors should be at the top of your list. Based on the best selling novel of the same name by Jane Harper, this thrilling whodunnit features suspense, emotional depth and haunting secrets that refuse to stay buried. The series is set in the moody seaside town of Evelyn Bay, according to Netflix The Survivors explores: "what happens to families and friends when they're forced to reckon with the kind of traumatic events that have a way of floating up to the surface again and again." The show will be available to stream on Netflix, from June 6 - make sure to add it to your watch list and turn notifications on. The six episode series follows Kieran Elliott (Charlie Vickers) and Mia Chang (Yerin Ha), a young couple who return to the fictional town where they grew up, 15 years after a devastating tragedy. Kieran is haunted by the events of his past, with the drowning of two friends and the mysterious disappearance of a young girl always in the back of his head. Now, back in Evelyn Bay and reuniting with his own family, Kieran finds that the ghosts of the past aren't finished with him yet. The synopsis reads: "When the body of a young woman is found on the beach, the town is once again rocked by tragedy and the investigation of her death threatens to reveal long-held secrets, the truth about the missing girl, and a killer among them." The cast features a compelling mix of new talent and established actors. Charlie Vickers, known for his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, portrays a haunted and complexed Kieran. While Yerin Ha, who's about to take a leading role in Bridgerton, plays Kieran's wife Mia. They are joined by Robyn Malcom (Heartbreak High) who plays Verity Elliott, Damien Garvey (The Artful Dodger) as Brain Elliot, Thom Green (Ladies in Black) will play Sean Gilroy and George Mason (Black Snow) will portray Ash Carter. Showrunner Tony Ayres, known for his work on Clickbait and Nowhere Boys, described the show as "a family melodrama disguised as a murder mystery" in an interview with Tudum. He continued: "Because the things that are really at its heart are things like a son wanting his mother's love and the mother who just cannot afford to give it because her whole world might fall apart." Speaking about the show and its themes, Tony says: "I often describe the show as a Trojan horse. It's a family melodrama disguised as a murder mystery. Because the things that are really at its heart are things like a son wanting his mother's love and the mother who just cannot afford to give it because her whole world might fall apart."
Perth Now
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Aussie TV star's bold new play shakes up Perth stage
Ian Booth, Thomas Weatherall & Owen Hasluck. Picture: John Koh / The West Australian Black Swan's latest production, Blue, has opened at the State Theatre Centre to a standing ovation and glowing audience reactions. Written by Heartbreak High star Thomas Weatherall and directed by Ian Wilkes, Blue is a raw, emotionally charged coming-of-age story exploring grief, identity, and the weight of unspoken truths. It's brought to life by Owen Hasluck, a proud Whadjuk Noongar man making his main stage debut, in a one-man performance that audiences are calling 'extraordinary', 'phenomenal', and 'captivating'. With evocative lighting, sound, and a strikingly simple yet versatile set, Blue delivers a production that's as visually compelling as it is emotionally resonant. The season runs until this Sunday in the Studio Underground. Tickets are on sale now at
