Phoebe Tonkin has been here before – bringing an Australian coming-of-age story to the screen, stepping into a character shaped by love and survival. Before Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe, there was John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began, a book-turned-film that, for many, remains stitched into the fabric of our Australian adolescence, the sounds of Fader by The Temper Trap still playing through tinny car speakers. But Boy Swallows Universe is different. It’s heavier, sharper-edged. And for Tonkin, portraying Frankie Bell wasn’t just about revisiting a past adaptation – it was about immersing herself in a story of resilience, one that resonated just as much off-screen as it did on.
The series’ success at the recent AACTAs in the Gold Coast was a fitting full-circle moment, with Tonkin’s portrayal earning her the AACTA Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama. But despite the success, she sees the accolade as more than just a career milestone – it’s recognition of a profound, edifying and euphoric experience.
“You know, it was so exciting when I got this job – and I was familiar with Trent Dalton, I'd read the book before – so there was a lot of anticipation leading up to filming it, and the stakes felt quite high, because it was such a beloved book," she tells me. "But the six months of filming the show were so magical and incredible, and alongside an amazing team of creatives. When it was recognised and won so many awards over that weekend, it was just such a nice moment."
She adds with a laugh: “It was also a really good reminder that art doesn’t have to be a struggle, and that making TV shows or films doesn’t have to be really arduous or a kind of trauma bonding experience, you know?”
While Boy Swallows Universe explores dark and deeply affecting themes like addiction and abuse against the backdrop of suburban 1970s Darra, Brisbane, Tonkin insists that the atmosphere on set was anything but heavy. “The subject matter in the show was quite traumatic – and everyone always asks me what it was like filming those scenes and the show – but the environment was just so lovely that it never felt like we were making a heavy show.”
However, in preparing for the role, Tonkin tells me she did the work; unafraid to expose the complexity of Frankie's realities. She immersed herself in stories not just of addiction, but of recovery and resilience. “It was less learning about people that struggle with addiction, and more so about people that have recovered from addiction and the ways in which they live their lives still being touched by it,” Tonkin tells me. "There was obviously the logistical understanding of what someone's dealing with, and the physicality of being on drugs, but because the show focuses so much on Frankie's life once she's fought this addiction, a lot of my research was about discovering powerful stories of people that had overcome it."
Tonkin spent time reading personal accounts and blogs from people who had battled substance abuse, and from their family members whose lives were impacted. "That felt really instrumental in the kind of homework that I did in building Frankie and the show."
But when I ask about the moments that have remained with her from set, the prevailing memory is a quiet one. “There was one moment, and I thought about this the night we won the AACTA for best show. I remember turning up to set – I want to say it was November, in Brisbane – so you can imagine it was warm and balmy, and the sky was pink and orange. There was a big camera turn-around, so most of the crew was just sitting out on the side of the road, on the ground or on the grass, talking. And I remember looking around and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is one of the coolest moments of my life.’ Like, I’m on this amazing show in this amazing part of the world, everyone’s happy and feeling really creatively fulfilled and at peace.”
Upon its release, Boy Swallows Universe quickly became the fifth most-watched Netflix show globally, amassing 3.6 million views in its first week. With global audiences embracing Australian storytelling, Tonkin says she is thrilled to see homegrown projects make an impact overseas. “I think that stories like Boy Swallows Universe are so universal in their themes. Obviously, it’s innately Australian, and there’s some really unique Australianisms in the show, but the themes of family, love, addiction, struggle – they’re universal," she says."And so it has been really lovely to see it doing so well globally, but also it wasn’t really a surprise.”
Despite her busy schedule in the hustle of New York City – her home for the past few years – Tonkin still finds time to be an avid reader. I ask her what's she's currently got on her nightstand. “I literally just picked this up and have not even started it, but I am about to start reading Animal by Lisa Taddeo. Oh, and I loved Three Women, which she wrote as well. I loved Riley Keough’s semi-autobiography From Here to the Great Unknown, which she wrote with her Mum. I thought that was so powerful and devastating and beautiful."
As for the classics, we find out Capote has been high on both of our to-read lists for a while now: "I also read In Cold Blood over the summer last year, which was so great. A real classic." I tell her this is probably my sign to finally pick up a copy myself.
As for what’s next, Tonkin is stepping into the producer’s chair. “I am producing a series that’s based on a book called The Dark Lake,” she tells me excitedly, referring to Australian author Sarah Bailey’s brooding and elegantly constructed psychological thriller. She stops to add: “The book is fantastic – that can also be on your book list!”
But when it comes to being on-screen, Tonkin tells me she's drawn to stories over stardom. “I’ve always said that I pick roles based on the story and less on the role. I’ve never been one to say I only want to play the lead in something. I would rather play a supporting role to be able to tell the right story.” It's a philosophy picked up from nearly two decades on screens, from her days as a teenage mermaid to now.
“When I started, I had just turned 16 the week prior, and I found myself on a set in the Gold Coast, working, you know, 10 to 12 hours a day. I had no idea how to be on a set. I didn’t know that you had to stand on a mark. There were a lot of technical things that I had to learn,” she reflects. But over time, she’s shifted focus. “I think now, I’m just trying to play different characters and challenge myself to understand what being alive and being human is.”
