How did you get into acting? What led to you joining the cast of Flunk?
I started acting when I was 6 at a theatre company. Then at 8 I decided I wanted to be in the movies so I went into screen acting classes and haven’t stopped since then. I trained in Geelong and Melbourne until I was 18, then flew over to LA for an actors conservatory with AAFTA and have been going back and forth ever since. I had heard of Flunk from a friend and really loved that they bring lgbtqi+ stories to the forefront, so when I saw the audition notice I jumped at the opportunity. I’m so grateful to now be a part of the show.
What unique insights do you bring to your character?
I really relate to Beth, and so playing her just came naturally. We have the same bubbly personality with a bit of a know it all attitude ahaha. It was fun to play someone as excitable as her, I felt like a kid again. It was interesting to be in the mindset of a teenager again, because everything is so heightened, it’s either the best thing ever or the end of the world.
Have you ever experienced similar situations to your character in real life?
Beth is very much a big ideas person, with not as much concern about how her ideas are actually going to come to fruition. That’s why her and Kerri are the perfect pair. Kerri makes things happen. Similarly, I also have big fantastical ideas and just assume I can make them happen. That’s why I’m so grateful to have friends and family who can either bring me back to earth or support me to help make it happen.
Also in this film Lost and Found You, it was actually quite freaky how Beth’s and my life converged. A big plot point is Beth losing her phone. A few weeks after filming my phone completely broke, and I actually found myself saying the exact words Beth was saying. It was a bit like Deja vu.
How would you have responded in your character’s situation?
With the phone situation I freaked out just like Beth. Your phone has everything!!
What’s a fun behind the scenes story you remember from filming Flunk season 5?
The day we filmed on the beach was a blast because we got to film a soccer game scene. It was a cold day so it was really fun to run around to warm up, and because we were in soft sand and really competing against each other we had a few falls ahah. It was a really fun time. I also played soccer most of my life but haven’t in a few years so it was fun to dust off the cobwebs.
What do you think the future holds for your character? What would you like to see happen to them, and why?
I think Beth will either stick to acting and enroll in a drama school after high school, or maybe it was just a phase and she will go on to something really academic. I hope her and Kerri stay together, they are such a cute couple. But they are also so young! So maybe she’ll go out traveling and meet someone new.
What advise would you give to other actors starting out?
Make a network of good friends in the industry, whether that be other actors in your class, or people just really interested in film. They will become your support system in this industry and you may even make something together in the future!
Outside of acting, what are your other hobbies and activities?
I also love writing and filmmaking, I wrote produced and starred in a short film in 2022 and it was a really rewarding experience. I am also currently filming another short (Queens of the Desert) that I created. It’s so artistically fulfilling to see your ideas come to life and have a whole team as passionate about it as you are.
I also just love hanging out with friends, going out for dinners, going to the movies (and then logging them on Letterboxd).
How can the audience follow your career in the future?
I am lucky enough to be coming back to Flunk to continue Beth’s storyline in seasons 6 & 7. I am also filming the aforementioned short film Queens of the Desert while I’m in LA at the time of writing this.
Follow Harriette on Instagram here: @harriette_stledger & @queensofthedesert_
Watch Harriette in the new Flunk movie Lost & Found You (2024)
