SYDNEY ACTING STUDIO ACTORS
ANDREA MAGPULONG
From early childhood, Andrea had always taken a strong interest in film and music. She initially wanted to be a Sound Designer, but after talking to Libby and Wayne Pashley at Big Bang Sound Design (Mad Max: Fury Road), she decided it was not for her. She received her Bachelor of Media Arts (Hons) in 2017 from UNSW and worked for a couple of digital movie streaming services, primarily working in quality control. At the beginning of 2020, Andrea decided to pursue acting and started training at Sydney Acting Studio. She will be playing Charlotte in SAS’s production of ‘Wasted’ by Kae Tempest, directed by Aaron Glenane.
DOMINIC DI PAOLO
Dominic Di Paolo is a Sydney born actor of Italian and Lebanese descent. He graduated from the New York Film Academy in 2016 and has since appeared in a number of theatre shows, most recently the Sydney Acting Studio’s production of Don’s Party directed by Travis McMahon. Currently he attends classes at SAS and has worked under teachers such as Hunter McMahon, Adam Dunn and Stephen Hunter. When he is not acting Dominic can usually be found practicing martial arts or at the bottom of the ocean scuba diving.
KATERINA PAPASOULIS
Katerina has always had a love for the arts and grew up dancing and performing on stage. After studying Drama in High School, she decided to pursue her passion for acting. She is trained in the Meisner technique and has studied Camera technique with industry professionals such as Adam Dunn, Hunter McMahon, Bren Foster and Aaron Glenane. She had the opportunity to work with Travis McMahon in the production of Don’s Party, and was excited to revisit her role as Jenny a few years later for the second production of the play. Over the last few years she has participated in workshops and masterclasses with industry professionals such as Luke Ford and Stevie Ray, as she believes it is important to keep learning and adding to her skill set. In her spare time she loves to read, paint and take photos which inspires and fulfils her. She also has an interest in the filmmaking process and hopes to be more involved in that aspect of the industry in the future. Currently in her graduating year at the Sydney Acting Studio, Katerina is excited to work on her upcoming showcase and keep working hard to achieve her goals.
HAMISH MACDONALD
Hamish spent the first 10 years of his life in Edinburgh before moving to the Sunshine Coast with his family. With an Advanced Diploma in Stage and Screen Acting (Australian Performing Arts Conservatory) under his belt, he decided to move down to Sydney to pursue work and continue his studies at the Sydney Acting Studio. His credits include; Death of a Salesman, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Deadly Women, Waking Darkly, LA 8AM and several short films. Hamish enjoys skateboarding, perfecting accents, spearfishing, writing and having a cold beer with mates. He is currently developing a web-series.
RACHELE EDSON
Born and raised in Brisbane, Rachele has always been an entertainer at heart. Speech, drama and dance were a huge part of her childhood and her love for literature proffered a passion for performance and imagination that drives her work as an actor today. Training at the Sydney Acting Studio with industry professionals Hunter McMahon, Aaron Glenane, Bren Foster, Stephen Hunter, Marcus Graham and Louise Lee Mei, Rachele is well versed in Meisner technique, camera technique, voice, body and improvisation work. She has performed in various Sydney theatre productions including Don’t Dress for Dinner, Death of a Salesman, The Game’s Afoot, When a Man Loves a Woman, and the Australian premiere of Agatha Christie’s The Secret of Chimneys. Also a writer, Rachele’s penchant for truthful storytelling grounds her work as she continues to grow her stage and screen presence in Australia and beyond. Never a settler, she is adaptable, dedicated and quick to throw herself in bold new directions with heart and professionalism.
PETER CHIDIAC
Born and raised in the inner west suburbs of Sydney, Peter Chidiac identifies as a true Australian with a Greek and Lebanese background. From a young age, Peter found his passion for performing comedy acts inspired by the likes of Rowan Atkinson and Jim Carrey. At 8 years of age Peter enlisted at Shopfront Theatre, an after school/weekend production theatre for pre teens and young adults. It was here where he discovered his love for the dramatic arts. After multiple performances, talent shows, high school productions, HSC drama elective assignments, short courses, and masterclasses, Peter graduated Kingsgrove North High School (2018) to focus and pursue acting full time. To this day, Peter currently studies Meisner Technique, Script Analysis, and Camera Technique at the Sydney Acting Studio. Peter also studies and works closely with 2 time AFI Winner Luke Ford, as well as partaking in various masterclasses and workshops around Sydney. Peter’s abrasive humour, goofy charms, unique edge, endearing sensitivity, committed theatrics, and unstoppable drive has landed him various roles across theatre, extra spots, leads in short films, and most notably, a recurring guest spot in 7mates "Fat Pizza Back In Business" across two Seasons. Peter continues to pursue his dream with no ceiling in sight. Other than acting, Pete has a passion for writing, directing, stand up & modelling.
CASSANDRE GIRARD
Cassandre is an actress of French and Tunisian descent. She moved to Australia 7 years ago to pursue her career and her dreams. She has actively studied acting and stage combat at various schools around Sydney and has now been working professionally in the industry for 2 years. Her experience took her on the sets of Shang-Chi, Thor Love and Thunder, Home & Away and Deadly Women among others. Cassandre is adventurous and does not back down from a challenge. Cassandre was recently cast in two feature films that are currently in pre production.
AGUSTIN PAZ
In November of 2019 Agustin decided to move from Argentina to Australia to seek more opportunities as an actor. During his time in Argentina, Agustin appeared in productions of Marat-Sade, as Duperret, Othello, as Rodrigo, and also studied with the best teachers in latin America: Norman Brisky and Lito Cruz. He is currently continuing his acting journey at the Sydney Acting Studio with Hunter McMahon, Stephen Hunter, and many others. During his time at the studio Agustin has studied the Meisner technique, Camera Technique and also loves to spend time learning about Australian culture. In his spare time, Agustin is developing his own business as a private chef. He also continues to improve his physical and mental skills in calisthenics, yoga, surf, and meditation. Agustin is a passionate and hard working actor who has set his sights on working professionally in the industry both in Australia, and around the world.
MELANIE HANLEY
Melanie Hanley is an Australian actress. Her stage debut was as the enthusiastic cheerleader, Patty Simcox, in MSCW’s ‘Grease’. She is currently studying at the Sydney Acting Studio with notable industry professionals such as Aaron Glenane, Pip Edwards, Adam Dunn, and Stephen Hunter. Recently was she on the stage in the Studio’s production of Waking Darkly. Melanie has featured in over a dozen screen productions, including the lead in Optus BFF TVC and the upcoming feature film ‘Surreal’.
tALIN AGON
Talin Agon is an actor, writer and producer from Sydney's Northern Beaches. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Australian Catholic University, majoring in Theatre and Performance and Literature. She then completed a post graduate Masters degree in English Literature at Macquarie University. In 2010, she was awarded a scholarship by the New York Film Academy to study acting in Los Angeles. She has further honed her skills via Paul Michael's The Network in New York, The Actor's Pulse in Sydney, and vocal coaching with Bill Pepper. Talin continues to study acting, and is currently completing classes at the Sydney Acting Studio in Redfern. Talin has appeared in a number of stage plays, commercials, and feature films, including Life of the Party (2017) and Life Class (2016). More recently, she was cast in the upcoming feature film Public Eye (2021). She has also appeared in several short films, such as Fenced which took home the AACTA Social Shorts Award for its heartfelt portrayal of the refugee experience in Australia. Talin is the founder of Queen of the Jungle, her production company, which has produced short films such as The Paper Rose, The Ghost of Kelly Winters, Upsold Touch/Screen and Wrath. Her films have won awards and been included in over 20 festivals. She is currently co-writing her first feature film and producing three shorts set to go into production in 2021 and 2022. Most recently, Talin has joined the NIDA open team, coaching drama/filmmaking, and the production team at SF3 Smartphone Film Festival.
VANESSA MADRID
Vanessa Madrid is an actress and stunt woman with a Bachelor of International Development Studies from the Australian Catholic University. Vanessa is currently acting as the lead in a horror feature film After She Died, and will soon be seen on a TV Series on Stan. In 2018, Vanessa successfully scored a Supporting role in the feature film, Bad Influence. In the same year she performed as a featured stunt extra in the film Skinford Two, and joined the cast in the TV show Action Star in which she used her stunt skills to her advantage. Vanessa has worked on many TVC’s, even stunt doubling stars. She has also appeared in short films such as the Ghost of Kelly Winters, Valentine, and Wrath which Vanessa Co-Produced. Vanessa also wrote, produced, directed, acted, choreographed and performed her own stunts in the short film, Survival of the Fittest. Vanessa also had the pleasure to work on the docu-series Deadly Women and the Invisibles. Vanessa is currently working on a TV Series in the lead role. Vanessa honed her skills at the Actors Pulse and is currently studying at Sydney Acting Studio. In addition, she is continuing her stunt training with Ray Anthony at Stunt Action Consultants.
PHOEBE TILSE
Raised in a small town in New South Wales, Phoebe moved to Sydney to study at Screenwise and pursue her career in acting. Phoebe’s playfulness and affable disposition bring charm and adaptability to her work. She is able to inhabit a diverse range of characters, whether a comedic buddy or a truculent street thug. Through her studies Phoebe has gained skills in essential screen acting techniques, characterisation, TV presenting, improvisation, stagecraft, and stage combat. She has also learnt Meisner, Mamet, and Stanislavski techniques. As a result of her training, Phoebe has secured work in short films, plays, and television commercials. Phoebe continues her training at Sydney Acting Studio, Scene on Screen, and various masterclass workshops.
SHANE LAW
Shane always wanted to become an actor. After he performed in his first play at the riverside theatre during high school Shane knew immediately that this was what he wanted to pursue. In 2017 Shane joined the New York Film Academy Sydney where he received his Diploma in Acting. During his time there Shane worked with industry professionals such as Paige Walker, Luke Ford, and Hunter McMahon. It was here that he was introduced to the Meisner technique. Since leaving the New York Film Academy Shane has appeared in several television commercials and was fortunate to be involved in Nine Perfect Strangers starring Nicole Kidman. Shane also appeared at the Henry Lawson theatre in the production of Female of the Species. Shane recently signed with AED management and is busy at work on a performed reading of Glengarry Glen Ross which is to be directed by Travis McMahon.