Dec 15, 20203 min read

Actress, Zenith Ander Talks About Her Life In The Entertainment Industry

Updated: Dec 28, 2020

Zenith Ander started her acting career as a teenager. Casted in a multitude of Children’s Theatre shows from her very first audition. In 1999, she was casted as the lead, 'Straw', in a 2-week run of 'The Three Little Pigs Y2K'.

“Right after this, I worked as a character performer for the iconic Australian theater company, Cartoon Creations. They created Fat Cat and Humphrey B. Beard. I guess the American equivalent would be the Teletubbies - big, fluffy suited characters!” Zenith shared with FAME.

“My first theatrical agent, Janine J Cowie then poached me when I was studying at the William Bates Academy of Performing Arts in Melbourne, Australia. I studied under William Bates himself for 3 years.”

She describes Bates as an “eccentric teacher” who was “integral in exposing her to many aspects of performing”.

“My agent got me an audition for what ended up being my debut network television role on the multi-award winning ‘Blue Heelers’, on Channel 7 in Australia, which casted other guest stars who came to Hollywood, such as Luke Hemsworth (Thor / Westworld), Hugh Jackman (X-Men/Wolverine), Angus Sampson (Fargo) and Sam Worthington (Avatar).

For Zenith, it is the creativity and expansive nature of storytelling that draws her to the Entertainment Industry.

“I love everything about the film industry. Acting is a particularly seductive craft. There is nothing like nailing a scene, or connecting with something that somebody else has written for you. It is a very rare profession that can take you to many different places where you will meet surprising, inspiring and interesting humans.”

Born to a mother who was both an author and a painter, and estranged father who was a musician, Zenith had creativity flowing through her veins from the start!

“I was raised in a very creative household. They both had normal jobs though, and their passions were their side-hustles. The first 10 years of my life, I was raised in a very diverse suburb of immigrants as my parents had moved from Scotland to Australia when I was 6 months old. The area we moved to was a melting pot of families, the same as us, from all over the globe. It was a really cool time in history for a western country when I think back. Everyone was equally middle-class and fresh and there was absolutely no sight of the division that we see around the world today. It was unique in many ways, particularly creatively. I was exposed to a lot of different art and music in my neighborhood and it was super formative in a lot of ways.”

One of her most notable accomplishments to date, was her Best Web/TV Series win at the 1st Monthly Film Festival for my own series 'Roommates'.

“I was in the process of developing it into a pitch with the help of a showrunner before covid hit, so I feel really proud that I have received praise for it in it's online format. It's essentially a one-woman show. I play both the lead characters and shot it in my apartment.”

She encourages aspiring artists who want to get into the industry to “just go for it. It's only through doing will you find out if it is for you. The industry and inevitable uncertain lifestyle is not for everyone, but if you want to grow as an artist and commit to that for the rest of your life, acting is the place for you. It can take people many years to realize that there is no linear path to "success" in the entertainment industry. Others will often suggest taking classes and doing your research, and while these things are incredibly valuable places to learn and grow, the truth is that things will only work out if you work, so create your own work, honor your uniqueness, use your voice and move at your own pace. If something feels off, it is not for you. There are many acting techniques, different film genres and actors of all shapes, races and sizes - if you want to act, you belong so trust yourself and take lots and lots of risks.”