CAST
RAV RATNAYAKE
Jacob
Despite not being stereotypically brought up on theatre and drama, it has always been a lingering aspect in the background of my life. I joined the drama club in primary school where I ended up snagging the role of Laertes in the school production of Hamlet. Fast forward to my teens where I was enrolled in my school’s IGCSE drama class in Japan. Once again, just like in primary school, acting and performing was a joy, but at no point did I even seriously consider the fact that this could be a career for me.
Eventually I moved to Australia in 2013 at the age of 19 and that was when I met Tom Danger and Logan Webster. In mid 2017, they told me they were making a movie and wanted to cast me in a lead role. I accepted and the rest is history. Sweethurt has shown me that having a career doing what I love is very much a possibility and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
TYRA CARTLEDGE
Skye
I’ve always known that acting is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so naturally, straight out of high school I went on to study at the Warehouse Workshop (Tom McSweeney & Phil Holder) for 6 months. After having a taste for what the acting world is like beyond high school walls, I then went in search for something more. There, I found myself on my 19th birthday, packing for the big move to Sydney on my own where I studied at TAFTA (John Orcsik & Tony Bonner).
Since then, I have been on many professional sets, short films, TVC’s, music videos, and met so many great people along the way, but best of all, I am so proud and lucky enough to have landed a gig on Sweethurt, my first movie ever!
RHIAAN MARQUEZ
Carly
Having been raised by a Filipino/Dutch family whose only common ground was English, Rhiaan had to quickly learn to apply an array of versatile traits to suit the many familial cultural differences. And so, she became an actor. She began her work in theatre during her teenage years first playing one of the lead roles in Steel Magnolias and other classics such as The Wizard Of Oz and South Pacific. Rhiaan then studied acting at the Academy of Film Television and Theatre, continuing to hone her skills and appearing in two downstairs Belvoir shows and graduating in 2017. Rhiaan has worked tirelessly to better her craft by exposing herself to as much industry work as possible; working as an extra on feature films and TV shows; collaborating to start a production company (BlackBolt), and performing on stage. In 2020, Rhiaan was nominated for Best Actress at the Made in the West Film Festival for her role in the award-winning short film, Hollow Hands. Sweethurt is her feature film debut.
MEHDY SALAMEH
Mike
Sweethurt is my first film role, and after principal photography I was signed to the New Faces Talent Agency, winning the award of Top Adult Actor and going on to do commercial work, independent fare and student projects.
I’m passionate about anything I do once I get into it, including video games, film and anime, like a true weeaboo. I’ve wanted to act ever since dabbling in making short films as well as live-streaming in my teen years, and I hope one day I can show the world what I can really do. Until then I’ll keep on grinding.
LOGAN WEBSTER
Drew
Logan graduated from the Screen Actors Workshop 3 year advanced acting course and has been cast in numerous indie short films/web series. He first met Tom when auditioning for Lead Me Astray, and though it wasn’t said out loud, he can only assume Tom saw his audition and thought “Damn, he is a really good actor, and so much more attractive than I. I would be a damn fool not to cast him and then base my entire film life around him in the future.” The rest is history.
When the role of Drew was written, he really wanted to screw with whoever would be cast. Nobody could be found, so the role went to him. Egg on his face.
SAM GERMAIN
Abby
The character of Abby in Sweethurt is Sam’s first full length feature movie role, having previously performed in a number of music videos. Sam usually performs, however, as a children’s entertainer, performing in many children’s shows including pantomimes, Christmas shows, character shows and most recently in the Nickelodeon Parade at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. She has also worked as an entertainer at Luna Park Sydney for many years.
Sam’s first love is musical theatre, having performed and danced in a variety of local shows such as Hairspray, We Will Rock You, Kinky Boots and Jersey Boys. Sam also loves teaching students of all ages in all dance styles, musical theatre, drama and singing – sharing with her students her passion for performing.
DYLAN LEE
Max Cameron
In 2010 I decided that I wanted to be an actor after I had played an extra on the children’s show My Place as a convict in the 1860s. As I put on the prison striped costume and ate the delicious gruel I knew it was the life for me. I graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2013, as well as studying Acting to Camera under Les Chantery and Serhat Caradee in 2011, and began acting in smaller roles in theatre, short films and music videos, most notably appearing as Firs in The Cherry Orchard in 2014 and in Caitlyn Shadbolt’s Running in Circles in 2016.
However, playing the lovable simpleton Max Cameron in Bendy Spoon Production’s hysterical masterpiece Sweethurt is the jewel in the crown resting upon this handsome, handsome head.
ALANNAH ROBERTSON
Olivia
Alannah studied at Screenwise graduating with a Diploma of Screen Acting in 2012. Since then, her stage credits include; Good Grief! (Sydney Fringe Festival) Punk Rock (SLAP Productions), Mothers (Improvising Change), Quay to the City (ATYP), a comedy sketch show she co-wrote, Wednesday Night Live and Beyond Cinema’s: The Great Gatsby Experience playing Daisy Buchanan. In 2019 she performed in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov adapted and directed by Victor Kakla, performed the role of Kay Strange in Towards Zero by Agatha Christie at the Genesian Theatre, and the role of Sarah in 2 Quarters Full by Iley Jones. Alannah survived 2020 by organising a few Zoom play readings.
Her film credits include; Ladies in Black (Lumila Films), Fragmentary (2019), Sweethurt (2021) and Lead Me Astray (2015), in which she was awarded Best Actress at the Independent Horror Movie Awards.
WILL COGHLAN
Tyler
I’ve studied and participated in the acting world since I was 15. At 17 I was struck down with an injury that ruined my hopes of becoming an AFL footballer so I put all my focus into my other love, performance. I have had experience on the set of Neighbours as a featured extra and performed in high school plays and short films.
My other love in life is reading. I usually spend an hour or more most days parked on the couch with a novel and immersing myself.
Currently living overseas in Yorkshire at the moment and pursuing TV and theatre as much as I can during the pandemic. The dream is to hopefully find myself in either Vancouver or America and trying my hand at living the full blown struggling actor lifestyle.
RALPHIE THE GOAT
Wynston
After working in a travelling petting zoo, Ralphie made his big screen debut in Sweethurt, stealing the hearts of literally everyone who sees the film. Some would say he overshadows the human cast. Is that a negative reflection on them, or is Ralphie just that good? We’ll let you decide.
Ralphie currently resides in Newcastle and is now the size of a small horse.