Heather Mitchell, a renowned stage and screen actor, opens up about her latest role in the TV series The Killings at Parrish Station, where she portrays a detective haunted by an unsolved mystery. In a candid interview, she reflects on life's greatest mysteries, her experiences playing multiple characters in the one-woman show RBG: Of Many, One, and her unique hobby of creating toast art.
Life's Greatest Mystery and Funeral Music
When asked about life's greatest mystery, Mitchell admits, "I don't want to say anything too obvious, like death, but it is such a mystery. It's hard not to sound like a cliche, [but] the greatest mystery is: how does it all end?" On a lighter note, she shares her choice for funeral music: "I am drawn to songs that my sons love rather than what I love, and one son loves Teeks, the Māori singer. But my father used to play the steel guitar and sing American folk songs; I've got a recording of one of his. I'd like that played, I think."
Playing Trump and Clinton in RBG: Of Many, One
Mitchell recently completed a tour of RBG: Of Many, One, in which she portrays not only Ruth Bader Ginsburg but also three US presidents and 29 other characters. She notes, "I certainly got the biggest audience reaction for Trump, but I must say I really enjoyed Clinton. Because of the way Suzie [Miller]'s written it, there's humour in his conversation and that southern drawl." She adds that the longest scene with any president is with Clinton, where he and Ruth are getting to know each other before her Supreme Court nomination.
Adopting Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Mannerisms
Mitchell reveals that during the first season of the show, she found it challenging to stop speaking like Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "I found myself driving like an old lady, for example, but I am now completely able to switch her off," she says. After more than 300 performances, she has mastered the ability to separate herself from the character.
A Memorable Tarot Reading
Mitchell shares a story about a tarot reading that predicted she would meet a man, which led to her husband, Martin McGrath. However, a subsequent reading took a dark turn: "She put her arm around me and said, 'There's not much to her, is there?' and then said to Martin, 'Never mind, where did she go wrong?' ... She said one terrible thing after another – telling me that I was going to ruin his life – and, anyway, that was my last time."
Overrated Shakespeare and Animal Spirit
On the topic of Shakespeare, Mitchell says, "I'm not as crazy about Twelfth Night," while acknowledging that most celebrated plays like Hamlet are magnificent. If she could be any animal, she would choose a giraffe: "I've always identified with a giraffe. That long neck, their head being so far and small compared to their body ... They seem to overcome their extraordinary physical challenge."
Toast Art: A Unique Hobby
Mitchell continues her toast art hobby, creating portraits of crew members on toast. She explains, "I did 65 toasts of every crew member on a show called Dalliance, that I've just co-produced and will be coming out later in the year through Paramount. I stayed up all night for a week [to complete them]." She recommends using the whitest, most sugary bread for portraits to avoid pockmarks, and rough sourdough for landscapes. A Vegemite gallery in Victoria has even requested her Vegemite on toast pieces.
Favorite Films and Hugo Weaving
Mitchell lists It's a Wonderful Life, Citizen Kane, and Muriel's Wedding as films she returns to. Speaking about her frequent co-star Hugo Weaving, she says, "He's annoyingly nice. He's so lovely to the crew, so lovely to everybody. He's just annoyingly pleasant and present and lovely. It's almost annoying how fabulous he is."
Heather Mitchell appears in The Killings at Parrish Station, which premieres on Stan on 24 June.
