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Shari Sebbens —
Australian
Actress
born on December 30, 1985,
Shari Sebbens is an Australian actress, most famous for her debut film role in The Sapphires. She has also appeared in Redfern Now... (wikipedia)
I've never been one to bow down to people who try to question my identity because I don't fit their mould of what an Aboriginal Australian is supposed to be or look like.
My mum's from Broome, so I'm a saltwater person - Aboriginal people are either freshwater, saltwater or desert mob. So I always feel much more comfortable in close proximity to the beach, even if I'm not necessarily in the water.
People look at me, and they don't see what they think is a typical Aboriginal. I always thought I'd be the white person in a black play.
I look forward to the day when indigenous actors can play Hamlet and Ophelia and not just Othello and Desdemona.
There is this really old school stereotypical notion in Australia that to be Aboriginal you have to be black: anything but white or pale skinned. What 'The Sapphires' does is open up the conversation that I've been having my whole life, the fact that being indigenous isn't about the color of your skin; it's about your connection to your culture.