Ashleigh Cummings makes late Run for crime drama | Television tonight

Ashleigh Cummings almost didn’t make the cast of the new Foxtel/Binge drama, Walk.

Originally unavailable during early casting, she became a last-minute choice for the role of Jackie Lewis, the girlfriend of notorious WA bank robber Brenden Abbott, also known as The postcard bandit.

“I signed up about four or five days before we started filming, so I had almost no time to prepare,” she says. Television tonight.

“I was in America and I think the scripts were ready in January, but I didn’t know Ben (Young) was directing the film.

“At the time there were some scheduling conflicts so it wasn’t an option for me. Later I talked to one of my best friends in the world, Christian Byers, who has been my best friend since I was 15… since then we’ve been wanting to work together again Puberty blues and then the offer came out of the blue about two days later, so it was very serendipitous.

Did this mean she replaced another actor for the role?

“I really think they had someone in mind, or they had several people in mind, and it didn’t work out. At the last minute, all the stars aligned, and they sent an offer through, and I was available. It was a dream, because I think Ben originally had me in mind for Jackie and we had wanted to work together for a long time.”

The role of Jackie is fictionally created and portrayed as someone pulled in two directions: towards the boy she once loved and the man he has become, and towards a future with the chaos and danger that brings Brenden, played by George Mason.

“There’s a real Jackie, but we don’t know much about her, and we didn’t want to attribute a false emotional journey to a real person’s life, so we changed her name to Jackie Lewis. I think she’s a pretty tough young woman with a creative mind who grew up in a bit of a rough environment,” she explains.

“I didn’t have time to prepare. I looked through the books and what material was available, and then I really leaned a lot on George, who is brilliant and such a generous and attuned actor. He had done a lot of research. He knew the world inside and out, as did Bonnie (Moir), the other director. Sarah Walker, the writer, was great, but we really had no choice but to dive in and make it ours. Because there wasn’t as much information, there was more freedom to trust instincts and doing what the story needs.”

Abbott is a notorious Western Australian bank robber, who allegedly stole and hid millions of dollars, and is believed to be responsible for “40 to 50” bank robberies in Western Australia, South Australia and the Gold Coast. He is also the only inmate to escape Fremantle Prison twice.

The six-part drama also stars Keiynan Lonsdale, Robyn Malcolm, David Howell, Mia Artemis, Christian Byers, Roxie Mohebbi, Oscar Redding, Anthony Hayes and Jayden Popik.

This isn’t the first drama involving Abbott, as Nine has shown the telefilm The postcard bandit in 2003, starring Tom Long.

“I’ve never actually seen that one and I haven’t seen it on purpose, but I’ll watch it after I finish this one because I really didn’t want that to influence my choices in the show,” Cummings says. “I wanted to stay as present as possible in this process and this iteration of it, even during press time. I want to look at it with fresh eyes and not comparatively. I’m looking forward to seeing it and comparing the two.”

“But it’s fun to put the press on this work because I’m not afraid to spoil anything. Everyone knows or can find out information about what really happened.”

Binge/Foxtel will also screen the documentary The postcard bandit which explores the complex relationship between Abbott and his son James, who only knew his infamous father through prison bars.

“We saw a trailer for it and it was quite interesting because neither party had any real interaction with the other other than James Abbott and his partner being on set. We actually became very close to them. They are beautiful creatures. I really love them,” Cummings points out.

Run also features a brief reunion for Cummings with her former Miss Fisher’s Murder Mystery beau, Hugo Johnstone-Burt.

“Hamish Lewis, the producer, is one of his best friends and he thought it would be an absolute laugh if he brought Hugo along, and we’re playing lovers again in a completely different context. So every Mrs Visser fans should stay tuned for a return of ‘Dot and Hugh’ in a very different era and with a very different spirit! It was a dream to be reunited with him.”

Since ending Mrs Visser and her other great Australian success, Puberty bluesCummings has worked internationally, including The Beast Within, Long Bright River And Citadel.

‘Next year I will Citadel Season two is coming out, and I’m juggling that with a few things on the horizon, but hopefully season two of that Walkbecause it was one of the most joyful filmmaking experiences I’ve had in my career,” she claims.

“The story is just beginning. Brendan Abbott has escaped from prison twice and we have only reported the first time. So there is still a lot to be discovered.”

Catch all episodes on Thursday, January 1 on Binge / Dbl 8:30 PM Showcase.
The Postcard Bandit Wednesday, January 7 on Binge / 8:30 PM Showcase