Wombarra actor Tahlia Crinis is stepping into the eerie world of Stephen King, after landing a role in the latest Kickstarter and Dollar Baby Program production – a short film adaptation of Willa.
Set to start filming in 2024, Willa is a gripping tale from Stephen King's collection, Just After Sunset. It tells the story of David, who awakes on a train platform and notices that his finance, Willa, is missing. Despite warnings from other characters, he pursues Willa, leading to a journey that will alter both their lives forever.
“It's sort of a mix of horror and drama, which I'm really excited about because I love dramatic roles,” said Tahlia, who will play a character named Georgia for the film.
“You feel the eeriness, it makes you question what's real and what isn't real.
“It's a really exciting storyline in that sense that it makes you think about it long after you've finished reading the story.”
Tahlia attended Bulli High School, where she found her love for being on stage, taking part in drama in school and even performing in many of the plays. When it came to a career, however, she went into public relations. Then, a few years ago, Tahlia decided to make her return to the stage.
“Although I was a very shy person growing up, I found there was a bit of an outlet for me in acting because you get to pretend to be someone else,” Tahlia said.
“But back then, when you're starting your HSC, everyone tells you that you need to focus on getting a real career, so it wasn't something that I pursued so much.
“I pursued my career, which is in public relations, when maybe about four or five years ago, I decided that I wanted to get back into acting, so I signed up to do a one-year course at Screenwise, which is like a film school in Sydney.”
Tahlia has consistently expanded her expertise, participating in various theatre productions as well as some commercials and a skit for ABC’s Gruen. She spent three months as a stand-in on the set of Amazon's recent series, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, appreciating the valuable insights gained despite not appearing on screen.
“It was a great gig to have for someone who wanted to learn more about what happens behind the camera or what's happening on a professional set, so that was a really good experience.”
After almost 10 years of living and working in Sydney, Tahlia decided to return this year to the Illawarra, moving to Wombarra, to continue her acting career in the place she grew up. This has include a role in local writer/director Brendan Bate's theatre production of The Colours in the Flames at Short & Sweet Illawarra.
“I was surprised by the amount of incredible work in this industry that's happening down here,” Tahlia said.
“I thought I'd be travelling back and forth to Sydney all the time but thankfully, there's a lot happening here.”
Searching for her next acting opportunity, Tahlia saw a casting ad for Willa and, being a Stephen King fan, she decided to take the leap.
“I went on and had a look at the Kickstarter, and I was just really interested in the amount of work that they've put in to get this film off the ground,” Tahlia said.
“I decided to reach out to the director and ask if he was still casting for any of the roles, and as luck would have it, he was.”
After reviewing Tahlia's acting CV and showreel, the writer and director of the production, Warren Duncan, made the decision to cast her in the project.
“She asked if there were any roles that still needed casting and she sent me her showreel and info,” Warren said.
“I did still need to cast two key roles and Tahlia was a perfect fit for one of them so I asked her to come on board and the rest is history.”
Tahlia is the lone actor from the Illawarra on the set but is excited to have a chance to represent her hometown.
“I feel incredibly grateful, especially knowing this scene down here and knowing the incredible talent that is available down here.”
To support Willa and the team behind it, visit the Kickstarter website. People who donate will receive rewards such as postcards or high-res digital art.