Sussing out Sarah
Sarah Thomson had a taste of life on Shorty last year as
undercover cop Tracey Morrison. This year she's back for good. We
find out just what makes this former Alt
TV presenter tick...
How did you get your role on SS?
After unsuccessfully auditioning for almost all lesbian cast
members, I auditioned for the role of Tracey.
How long have you been acting and how did you get your
first big break?
I can't really remember a time when the thought of 'playing
pretend' and the lure of language didn't appeal. I've managed to
con some otherwise lovely people into letting me work on stage and
screen from quite a young age, to whom I'm sure I owe a sizable
debt of gratitude. The Silo Theatre, in particular, is rather high
on my Christmas list.
Name three similarities between you and your onscreen
character.
Tracey has a very sarcastic sense of humour. She's also
quite hard on herself sometimes. And she has rather large feet.
What has been your best experience/scene on the show to
date?
When Tracey was at Shorters the first time around, her encounters
with the Ferndale Strangler left her hospitalized, failed,
petrified, and frantic to leave. The scenes I had to play in that
state were both a huge mind-melt and really crunchy-gratifying.
Bonus.
Which other character would you like to be and
why?
Morgan's great. She's a character who's less concerned with what's
considered "acceptable", and just goes with her big, big heart. And
she loves comic books and graphic art, which makes her
my-kinda-gal.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of
SS?
Nerdy things, really. Listening to music, writing about music,
reading about music, watching live music, buying more music,
alphabetizing music, chronologizing music, dancing to music,
talking about music, finding new music, swapping music with
friends, eating musi.... too much? No?
I also manage to fit in a healthy dose of British comedy, strange
and foreign film, robots, puppets, tea drinking and dressing like
Ronnie Spector.
What do you do in your down time during the day when
you're not shooting?
I share a changing room with Beth Allen (who plays Brooke
Freeman) and in-between takes we like to battle each other for naps
on the single bed. I poison everyone's collective airspace by
listening to strange things on the stereo, and sometimes write
resulting reviews for various magazines. All the women 'round these
parts also seem to have taken to knitting in their down time. I
contributed with a replica of Tom Baker's Doctor Who scarf. It's
huge. And currently unfinished.
What is your favourite destination in NZ and
overseas?
Bethells Beach, just outside of Auckland is pretty fantastic. And
Than Sadet in Thailand is a very small nugget of
extreme-wonder-ness.
Are you single or attached?
I'm waiting for Jarvis Cocker from Pulp to break up with his
wife.
How many brothers and sisters do you have, are they
older or younger?
I have one younger sister, called Alex. She likes to steal my
clothes and is an excellent dancer, among other things. I like to
call her Trampypants... I'm sure it's just out of jealousy.
What is your date of birth and what star sign are
you?
June 17. Which makes me a Gemini... or an
Air/Twin/Mithuna/Thing/Whatsit - whatever you're into, I guess.
Do you have any pets?
I live with the best dog in the world. No kidding. I think he
actually might be a very small human in a dog costume. His name is
Jack, and he's a Husky/Border Collie cross.
Who is the actor or actress that you look up to or
admire the most?
Cate Blanchett's pretty amazing. As is Emma Thompson, and a whole
host of enigmatic Italian icons, like Monica Vitta and Marcello
Mastroianni.
What is the thing you enjoy most about going to work
everyday?
The people are all pretty lovely. As far as surrogate families go
they're a hodge-podge of greatness. And pretending to be someone
else every day is pretty nifty, when you think about it.
Do you watch Shortland Street at home? If yes, is it
strange seeing yourself on television or are you used to
it?
I'm not usually at home when it airs, but when I am somebody in the
house makes sure it's at least playing. It's pretty funny watching
Tracey bus about on screen, but I'm usually too preoccupied looking
at everyone else's hard work. What production and the crew have to
do each day does my head in - I've worked on the opposite side of
the camera before, but never at the speed they have to
maintain.
What is your favourite food?
Sashimi. Yakitori. Caramel thickshakes. Anything Thai.
What is your favourite television programme and/or film
of all time?
BBC's Black Books is hard to go past in terms of television, but
film is a lot harder.... Michael Powell's Peeping Tom is amazing,
as is Fellini's La Dolce Vita. But every now and again, one's soul
needs some Pretty In Pink or TeenWolf goodness.
Are you from Auckland or did you move here to film
Shortland Street? Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Auckland, although I have lived in
Christchurch briefly. I grew up in the back carparks of the Eastern
Bays, drinking teenage cocktails and eating stale popcorn. Explains
a lot, really.
Which other actors/actresses do you like working with
the most and why?
I dearly love Ms Madhan and Ms Soper, as they are both theatre
bunnies of the highest degree. I have performed with Bonnie in two
plays in the past, and she is a dear, radiant soul. Nisha is the
musician I would secretly like to be, as well as being a lovely
friend and a great advocate and producer/performer of classic,
modern AND devised theatre work. I also have a great fondness for
making Mr Will Hall look confused. It's getting harder, I tell
you.
What's the best experience you've had with a
fan/fans?
When I'd only just started Shorty, my good friend Oliver Driver
(who played Nurse Mike Galloway a while ago) and I were driving
down to Rotorua for work and had decided to grab some drive-thru
food for the road. When we stopped at the window, the girls serving
started pointing and whispering; finally asking: "Aren't you off
Shortland Street?" Oliver, surprised, replied, "Yes, but that was a
long time ago" to which they looked confused, and said: "No, not
you, we meant the girl in the passenger seat." Hilarious. I laughed
all the way to our hotel.
What's the strangest experience you've had with a
fan/fans?
I used to work at Alt TV, which is on K Rd in Auckland. It can be a
little 'colourful' at night, and you often see kids trying to sneak
alcopops into the park, or trying to get into bars underage. One
young boy came up to me to ask about Shortland Street, but then
remembered he was hiding bottles in his jacket and got incredibly
flustered. He ended up asking me whether I was "undercover" at the
moment, and made me promise not to tell my "cop friends".
Can you remember your first day on Shortland Street -
what was it like?
From memory, I think first up was a date scene. Straight into
full-on flirting with a guy I'd never met before. Terrific. Either
that, or it was an I.V. scene with Gerald Urquhart. But those are
so much fun, it's not really like working at all. It took a while
for me to get used to people getting things for me all the time, I
felt very guilty (and still do), but the structures exist for a
reason.
