Fed: Megan Gale launches acting career in I Love You Too

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2010
Fed: Megan Gale launches acting career in I Love You Too

By Alyssa Braithwaite

SYDNEY, April 27 AAP - Megan Gale hopes to follow in the footsteps of stars like Julia
Roberts and Charlize Theron in making a successful transition from modelling to acting.

The 34-year-old has made her Australian film debut in the romantic comedy I Love You
Too, playing Italian supermodel Francesca Moretti.

Gale said when she was cast in the film, written by comedian Peter Helliar, she didn't
know whether she'd be able to hold her own alongside co-stars like Brendan Cowell, Peter
Dinklage, Yvonne Strahovski and Bridie Carter.

"In a way it was a bit of risk casting someone like myself, because there was no prior
work to compare it to, and no one knew if I'd be able to step up to the plate and act
or not," Gale told AAP.

"I think there's that whole cliche of models making the transition into acting, and
there have been a lot of situations where that hasn't quite worked, so people quite often
like to assume that models can't act.

"But there have been many success stories like Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, Julia
Roberts and many, many more."

Hellier said Gale had to audition for the part, and they were thrilled with her performance
and her flawless Italian accent.

"I think Megan's so extraordinary in this film," said Hellier, who also makes his big-screen
acting debut in the movie.

"Megan's is probably the performance that is under the microscope the most, because
of how famous she is in this country, but everyone has left the cinema floored."

Gale said her biggest challenge was getting movie-goers to see past her famous face
and believe in the character.

"Australian audiences are so used to seeing me as a model, or as the face of David
Jones, and something that's a bit more one-dimensional," she said.

"It was about trying to be convincing in my role with this character, convincing enough
to make audiences forget that it's me."

Gale had a rocky start to her acting career.

Everything looked set when George Miller cast her as Wonder Woman in the planned Justice
League of America, but the movie fell through.

She's now feeling optimistic about the future, and will head back over to Los Angeles
in May to pursue acting jobs.

"It's weird when you start. It's like the beginning of modelling for me, going all
the way back to the beginning and doing the auditions and having meetings and getting
yourself out there," she said.

"It's hard, it's challenging and scary, but it's good to ... put yourself in a position
where you're outside of your comfort zone.

"Who knows, this could be the last film I do, I don't know, but hopefully not because
I just enjoy it so much."

Gale was in more familiar territory walking the red carpet with the rest of the cast
at the premiere of I Love You Too on Tuesday night in Sydney.

I Love You Too opens around Australia on May 6.

AAP acb/nf/jl

KEYWORD: GALE (PIX TO COME)

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