Caroline O’Connor: I Didn’t Get A Leading Role Until I Was 31
She has starred on stage in Chicago and onscreen in Moulin Rouge. Now Caroline O’Connor is back with the musical 9 to 5. She spoke to Tonic about why stardom isn’t everything and why dogs are lifesavers.
You have starred in many musicals including Chicago (above) and are currently performing in 9 to 5, written by Dolly Parton. Are you a fan?
Dolly Parton is so brilliant. She has this amazing reading program where she donates books to children. She donated so much to vaccination [development] in the pandemic, all on top of being a superstar singer and songwriter, and now she goes and writes a musical. I saw it in London, it’s a knockout show, so it’s lovely to be in it. My character is the secretary and I love playing her. In the movie she was one-dimensional but in the show, we see that underneath all that armour there’s this soppy woman in love with her boss. I love the fact that she has two sides, it’s much more fun to play.
Many entertainers struggled with not being able to perform during the pandemic. How did you go?
I’m not going to lie, I didn’t handle it well at all. There were lots of tears, lots of frustration. I had to have some therapy, I just felt lost. I had no outlet, nowhere to do what I do. I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I started at 19 and I love working in front of audience. I did get a dog which was an absolute and utter blessing for me. She has become what they call in America a therapy dog. When I was at my lowest, that little creature was so generous. As an adult I never had a dog, so it was this extraordinary delight. Her name is Lola and she’s a bit of showgirl. I’ve taught her a few tricks, she can stand up like ballerina and turn on spot.
You actually trained at the Royal Ballet School in London before moving into musicals. Plan or happy accident?
I was 19 when I came back to Australia, I’d been to the best [ballet] school in the world and was a well-trained dancer. I worked bloody hard but I knew I wasn’t going to be an A-class ballet dancer. That’s when I met Anthony Warlow who said, why don’t you audition for musicals? I’d always sung at home but I had not a clue that musicals were going to be my world. Oklahoma! was on in Sydney at the time and sadly someone in the cast was injured. I auditioned and got the part. That was my introduction to musicals. I didn’t get a leading role until I was 31. I didn’t mind whether I was a leading lady … I just wanted to be onstage. Then I was in Mack and Mabel and got my Olivier [Awards] nomination and life changed after that.
So what is the secret to success according to Caroline?
Working hard and saying yes to things. I always tell young performers, you try [out] for everything and get some experience. I still work really hard. During rehearsals, I’m the first there and I leave last. I like to try and perfect things. Perseverance is really important too – a lot of people give up too soon.
You have played a number of legendary performers, from Judy Garland to Edith Piaf. Anyone you would swap lives with?
I wouldn’t mind a career like Judy Garland’s but I wouldn’t want her personal life. In the latter part of her life she was really struggling. And Piaf – the amount of songs she had, the amount of husbands she had. How did she cram that all in [to her short life]? Theatre is full of amazingly gifted people with difficult lives. I said to my husband, I’m never going to be successful because I’m happily married.
9 to 5 is currently playing in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre before heading to Brisbane and Melbourne.