Network 10’s newest drama offering North Shore has a talented all-star cast including Game of Thrones’ John Bradley, Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt and Australian actors Rhys Muldoon and Matt Passmore. But among the stellar line-up are some more unknown names including Kirsty Sturgess.
While she has been in a few short films and had a small role in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson‘sYoung Rock, the murder mystery is Sturgess’ first lead role, playing Detective Meg Driscoll.
In an interview with Mediaweek, the 29-year-old admitted that she was “grateful” to be cast and it was all thanks to the creative team including director Gregor Jordan (Two Hands, Dirt Music).
“Hats off to Gregor and the casting team and the producers,” she said. “Because I know casting new faces is a risky thing. New talent is a risky thing and so I’m just really grateful that I was given a chance.”
Working with the likes of Bradley and Froggatt who were in some of the biggest shows in the world was a dream come true for the triple threat, who is also a singer and dancer.
“It’s so nice to rock up to set and really look forward not just to the work that you’re doing, but the people that you get to spend the day with,” she said. “And that was definitely not just the cast, but also the crew of North Shore.”
Kirsty Sturgess’ character Meg is “imperfect”
North Shore is a mystery drama about the clash of cultures and personalities when a British (Bradley) and Australian (Sturgess) detective are forced to team up to solve the complex murder of the UK Trade Minister’s (Froggatt) daughter. For Sturgess’ character Meg, it’s her first case as a detective.
“Meg, she’s definitely imperfect,” Sturgess said. “She’s sometimes got the rookie in her here and there, and it’s clear that despite being really good and being capable of solving this murder, there are details of this job that she is yet to learn.”
Bradley’s Max butts heads with the inexperienced detective and as Sturgess says: “kindly calls her out on these things.”
John Bradley and Kirsty Sturgess. 10.
Famed homicide detective Gary Jubelin consulted with the actors
Given that Sturgess has been fortunate enough to not be “surrounded by crime” growing up, the events of North Shore felt like “a world away”.
“The producers organised for us to meet with paying famed homicide detective Gary Jubelin. We got to sit with him for a couple of hours and just ask questions and he shared stories and details right down to the nitty gritty details of what it’s like getting up in the morning and going home at the end of the day, doing a job like that,” she said. “It was really valuable information and to be able to sit down with somebody who did that job for for years, it was hugely beneficial to get a personal insight.”
North Shore continues on Network 10 and 10Play.