On the Verge: Elektra Kilbey

You have probably never heard of actress Elektra Kilbey before, but that’s about to change. The half-Australian, half-Swedish actress had only appeared in a few short films, a Canadian indie, and one episode of an Amazon Prime show before she was cast in the long-gestating, highly anticipated Apple TV adaptation of the beloved novel Shantaram. Starring Charlie Hunnam as Lin, an Australian escaped convict who finds himself both literally and spiritually in 1980s Bombai, Kilbey stars as American sex worker and addict Lisa, a free spirit who soon becomes a pivotal part of Lin’s world. The first three episodes of the 12 episode first season are now available to watch on Apple TV Plus.

I think that the easiest way to get into this is to start just with where do you come from? And how did you get into acting in the first place?

I was born in Sydney, then moved to Sweden when I was about three. My mother is Swedish. My father is English. My parents and most of my uncles are musicians, and the rest are theater actors, so I grew up in a thespian, musical household. I started a band with my twin sister, when we were 19 or 20, and for about eight years, we were fully immersed in the music world, but then I kind of woke up after releasing two albums with her and felt like the creative itch that I've always had inside me wasn't being satisfied. I've been wanting to be an actress since as long as I can remember, and I decided kind of overnight that it was now or never and I wanted to throw myself into acting. So I started taking a few classes, and then a friend recommended I audition for this small indie film. I had never auditioned before, really, but I got the part. My co-star in the film had an agent and a manager and they liked my work and I got signed to both of them.

First audition, you get the job. What about the second audition?

My first audition after that was for the Amazon show Tales from the Loop, and I got that one, too. Then, one of the first auditions I did after that was for Shantaram.

So are you basically, like, the greatest auditioner on the face of the planet? Is that what you're telling me?

(Laughing) I'm absolutely not. I think that because I didn't have any preconceived notions of what auditioning is, and because I was so excited about even being allowed to be there that I didn't overthink it. Or it was just fate.

Let’s talk about Shantaram, which is based on a best selling book that has been read and loved by millions of people. What kind of experience was it, to work on something so huge after mostly working on smaller stuff to that point?

Just an amazing journey. I think that's this is where I learned how to be an actress, really. On my first movie [the Canadian hockey indie Odd Man Rush], I was like, “Guys, I don't know what I’m doing.” And then when I went on to Tales from the Loop, I was like, “Now guys, like, this is a really serious production, is anyone gonna find out I don’t know what I’m doing?” Full imposter syndrome. But then when I got Shantaram, I decided to just go with it. I thought, I’m here, this can't be a mistake, they cast me for a reason. So I just let all of that go. The only way this was gonna work was if I just trust my instincts, because that's what got me here.

You said you learned how to act on Shantaram. What did you take from the experience that will help you moving forward?

When I say I learned how to act, it’s the first time I really spent a substantial amount of time away, like eight or nine months, fully immersing myself into a character and a world and doing extensive research and prep and building this life for Lisa. I think that's what really solidified my process. I think I now understand what I need to do.

Let's talk about that research because Lisa is an addict and a sex worker and a very complicated character to play. Can you tell me about how you delved into getting under the skin of that character?

Growing up the way I grew up, I have encountered many walks of life. I have been in many situations, and have met many Lisas, if you know what I mean. So I think that's maybe partly why I felt when I started auditioning that I wanted to portray an addict in a non-caricature way. They're a person who has an illness. That’s something I wanted to tap into, and I just kept coming back to, Why is Lisa here? Who was she, before the show starts? What is her want? What is her need? I think the way I looked at it was that Lisa is confident in her body, but very fragile in her mind, and that is such a juxtaposition that is so amazing to play with. I just love her so much.

Do you have any knowledge about whether there's going to be a season two? Or are you still waiting to hear?

Still waiting to hear. If I get to be Lisa for another season, I couldn't think of anything more amazing.

Looking to get your big break? Sign up or login to Casting Networks and land your next acting role today!

Related articles:
On the Verge: ‘The Loneliest Boy in the World’ Star Hero Fiennes Tiffin
On the Verge: Amanda Jaros
On the Verge: Clifton Collins Jr.