Chantelle Naude as Trina on the set of Inconceivable, with co-star Shawn Richards playing Tony.
Camera IconChantelle Naude as Trina on the set of Inconceivable, with co-star Shawn Richards playing Tony. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Ellenbrook actress Naude making new life and name for herself in Canada

Lisa ThomasThe Advocate

A FORMER Ellenbrook resident has followed her dreams of being an actor all the way to Canada, with plans of being the next Australian to make it big in the film industry.

Chantelle Naude (26) was raised in Ellenbrook before moving to Canada three years ago on a whim to break into the industry.

She said after she started to train as an actor in Perth, she realised she would have to move away to get the roles she wanted.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“I was always a pretty odd and energetic kid, I always loved making people laugh,” she said.

“In high school I did a few theatre plays here and there, but I got into the acting community seriously at around 17.

“I did a bunch of training with Perth Acting Colleges, Nicholson Academy of Screen Acting and some short courses at WAAPA and as more and more time went by, I realised that as much as I loved Perth, it just wasn’t where I was meant to be if I wanted to make acting a career.

“I had thought about moving to Sydney or Melbourne, but I figured, why not just go big, so I did.”

Since then Naude has worked on Canadian TV series Inconceivable, which has been successful internationally and with the LGBTQI community.

She is now working on another TV series called Cinema Town, which she says is similar to The Office and is currently in postproduction.

“My character in Cinema Town was Alice, an inappropriate, over sexualised character that is constantly drinking and finds it funny making co-workers sexually uncomfortable,” she said.

“It’s an incredibly ambitious project and I’m excited to hear about the meetings and plans for it, I think it’s going to do incredibly well.”

Naude said she had also spent time on the set of movies 50 Shades of Grey and Alvin and the Chipmunks, and a few indie films and music videos.

She said although she was currently taking on very similar roles as the girl next door or the witty, sarcastic best friend, she hoped to take on roles that are more serious in the future.

“I generally get boxed into the same roles,” she said.

“I’d love to play a really gritty role; escort, surviving in the woods, horror or addict. I just love to be challenged in that realm of film.

“I’ve just finished two shows with a somewhat similar character, so I’m hoping the next one is a little more out of the box.”

She said her family, especially her sister, were her biggest cheerleaders and said she visited her family in Ellenbrook as much as possible.

“I’m hoping to stay in Canada, I’ve made my own little world here and it’s a very sentimental thing for me because I just came over with a backpack and suitcase,” she said.

“I’m just hoping to achieve bigger and better things, every time I reach a goal, I always set another right after.”

MORE: Yanchep man riding waves again with custom-made surfboard

MORE: Water Corp using dogs to sniff out leaks

MORE: Councillors against putting Quarry Amphitheatre on State Register of Heritage Places