Lucky for us, multi award wining Australian actor Libby Munro didn’t listen to her year 12 careers advisor.
“Oh Mr Orth, who knows what that guy was thinking?” Libby says.
What did he see that made him want to push her away from the arts, and towards the world of business and science?
Whatever it was, Miss Frances the senior drama teacher didn’t see it.
Nor did leading Queensland director Andrea Moor. Both women nurturing, guiding and demanding Munro to give her all to the arts and in the process, cultivating Munro into the multi award winning actor she is today.
When asked about her decision to study business/commerce at university rather than follow her life long passion of acting, Munro laughs heartily.
Eventually Munro found her way to Australia’s leading drama school in Sydney, the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, NIDA, where she honed her craft in preparation for the tough road ahead.
A road that any actor will tell you is long and fraught with self-doubt and second-guessing, but one that calls too damn loudly not to follow. That’s certainly how Munro feels.
The tall brunette is a collection of contrasts. Equally at home on the red carpet in designer AJE gowns as she is on the back of a horse wearing designers of another ilk; Akubra, RM Williams and Levis.
Her outback upbringing punctuating her speech at regular intervals with the causal use of “f_ _ k”. Combined with her naturally deep and husky voice, Munro oozes relaxed Australian sex appeal.
Not that you would know her Australian roots run so deep if you see her in action. A chameleon of cultures, accents she handles with ease.
From all buttoned up and round vowels playing the English Philippa in the Agatha Christie classic A Murder is Announced at the Sydney Theatre Company, to hard-edged and broad twangs as the American pilot in her award winning one-woman show for the Queensland Theatre Company, Grounded.
If anything illustrates the type of actor Munro is, her request to perform Grounded paints the biggest picture. An ambitious, 75 minute one woman show, where the only other item on stage was the flight suit she was wearing.
“I won my first Matilda award for my performance in the Queensland Theatre Company show Venus in Fur; which was just myself and Todd Macdonald on stage. I wanted to show people I’m not a one trick pony, that I could take it up another level, I felt a one woman show was the only way to do that,” Munro explains.
Munro worked with Director Andrea Moor for both Venus in Fur and Grounded.
“Andrea knows what makes me tick, and when you have that kind of connection with a director, great things happen,” Munro says.
Great things indeed. The partnership led to two awards.
Of the fanfare and recognition of being multi award-winning Munro reflects.
“As much as anything, those awards are a reminder and reassurance to keep going.”
For although Munro is living her dream, a life on stage and screen, it is a dream that comes with costs; irregular workflow, minimum pay, long periods away from loved ones. Without the support and guidance of people like Miss Frances and Andrea Moor, Munro might very well have taken another path.
Whatever careers advisor Mr Orth saw in 16 year old Munro, thank goodness others didn’t, because Munro’s star is rising and the Australian arts is all the better for it.