Grace Wriggles

Growing up living on the coastline, Grace always felt she would have to leave the Gold Coast to pursue a career in film. Grace told everyone she knew, "I'm going to Sydney, don't look for me here". When all of a sudden, she kept getting opportunity after opportunity in film, here in her hometown.

Grace began filmmaking during her childhood sleepovers on an old Nokia. Creating short rom-coms and zombie movies on an old Macbook. "Cinema was everything to me. Watching it, I'd think — I want to make people feel the way this is making me feel."

"The Gold Coast has always pushed for creativity and community. Even in high school there was the Bond Uni film competition, weekend workshops, screen acting, theatre — all these little initiatives. Now it's like we're reaping the fruit the Gold Coast has sown."

A positive consequence of COVID-19 for the film industry, meant you don't have to be in the room for a lot of film auditions. To be as close to set and filmmaking as possible, Grace took on a job making coffee at Village Roadshow. During one of her shifts, she couldn't drop an important Zoom call, so a colleague took her to a sound stage green room to take the meeting. 'This is where they shot Elvis, where Austin Butler prepped for Elvis,' and I'm there on a Zoom. It literally is giving you the key. It's so open."

When Grace applied for a particular acting gig, she was shocked to find when her name came up, she found out over eight people vouched for her, just from making their coffee. Grace felt there was so much more to making coffee, she felt it showed her determination and grit, to do the jobs that some people would overlook, just to be as close to filmmaking as possible. These people saw Grace and vouched for her. “Now I'm working one of my absolute dream jobs — just because I wanted to make coffee at Village Roadshow."

"People of the Gold Coast are really open and welcoming. People that have moved here from the film industry are shocked. Gold Coasters are not gate keepers, they will show you the shortcut to do what you want to do. We celebrate each others wins.".

Grace believes that what effort you put in, you get out. “I'm not afraid to ask — 'if you need anyone, I'll make coffee, I'll be a runner, I don't care. Everyone starts somewhere, and if someone high up sees grind and attitude in you, they'll invest in it — even if they don't say it, they note it.”

Between film jobs, Grace chooses to come back home to the Gold Coast. Whether it's the light smell of burning greenery in the hinterland, the rooster next door who doesn't know the time, the pink and purple morning skies with a light sea breeze, Grace chooses to come home, even if only for a night.

"People don't 'Irish goodbye' the Gold Coast — they announce it, and it's a big celebration. Nobody leaves angry; it's always a bit sad, because people stay so long."

When Grace comes home from travelling for film, when she sees the golden light drive on the M1 through Palm Beach she knows she's home.