This week on Let’s Talk – Black Arts, Rachael catches up with our favourite rising star, Perry Mooney. Perry is a Yuwi person with South Sea Islander heritage stemming from the Solomon Islands, as well as Euro-Australian lineage, who grew up predominantly in Brisbane. They are an accomplished First Nations runway model, having appeared in two Australian Fashion Week shows produced by the non-for-profit organisation First Nations Fashion and Design. They’ve also appeared in multiple commercials for large brands, and made their stage debut at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 2022, winning the Matilda Award for Best Emerging Artist for their role as “Grace” in Queen’s City.
2023 was a huge year for Perry, including a recurring role in ABC’s Gold Diggers. This week, we catch up with them fresh off the set of the Stan original television series Population 11. The new crime series is inspired by true events, and tells the story of a man (Paddy Moriarty) who went missing from the small hamlet of Larrimah in the Northern Territory in 2017, along with his dog. The town had a population of 12 residents, making everyone a potential suspect in Moriarty’s disappearance. Population 11 follows the journey of his estranged son (played by Superstore’s Ben Feldman) who arrives from the US to find his long-lost father, aided by fellow outsider, Perry’s irrepressible Cassie Crick.
This is a VERY exciting episode of Let’s Talk – Black Arts, and a perfect way to kick off your Population 11 binge for the week.
