Bruce Beresford, director: ‘I couldn’t work in Australia – people wouldn’t talk to me.’

The Breaker Morant and Puberty Blues director says his Barry McKenzie films damaged his reputation for a long time.

Few honestly deserve the title ‘living legend’. Bruce Beresford is one. 

For more than half a century, the Sydney-born director has painted our screens with a diverse array of stories – from war epics (Breaker Morant) to coming-of-age dramas (Puberty Blues), star-studded actions (The Contract) to poignant biographies (Mao’s Last Dancer). Add to this his forays into theatre and opera, and it seems Beresford has done it all. 

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Tahlia Norrish (@tahlianorrish) is an Aussie-Brit actor, writer, and current MPhil Candidate at the University of Queensland's School of Sport Sciences. After graduating from The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (Distinction, Acting & Musical Theatre) and Rose Bruford College (First Class Hons, Acting), Tahlia founded The Actor's Dojo — a pioneering coaching program centred on actor peak performance and holistic well-being.