BEING “related” to Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan is all in a day’s work for young Pakenham actress Pippa Black.
Seven months ago, the talented 24-year-old landed a role on the iconic Australian soapie Neighbours, playing the role of Elle Robinson, niece of Scott and Charlene. The former school vice-captain at Beaconhills Christian College said this had been the “massive” break she had been waiting for after years of auditions and knock-backs.
“To be part of an Australian icon is just amazing especially when I came in during their 20th anniversary,” Pippa said. “I remember my first morning in make-up and I was sitting next to Ryan Maloney and I was like ‘Oh my God, that is Toadie’.”
Pippa said she enjoyed a great friendship with the cast, particularly with her screen dad Paul Robinson, played by Stefan Dennis. She was in Pakenham recently to visit people at her old school, St Patrick’s Primary. She is now an ambassador for the Narre Warren Lighthouse Foundation and said she often returned home to visit her parents and family in the area.
Pippa said she remembered her years in Pakenham with much fondness, remembering her times with Pakenham Little Athletics and Pakenham Pony Club.
The actress said she did not get the “acting itch” until she completed high school and deferred her animal technology studies to pursue her new ambition.
“To begin with I was trying to juggle full-time studies with acting studies as well so I thought well I will give myself two years and then I will go back and knuckle down with my science,” Pippa said.
“Then it went from two to three to four years and I thought I can never give this up,” she said.
Pippa said the early starts, long days and countless hours spent memorising lines were hard work but said she would never take the role for granted.
“I tried so hard to get work and to get a foot in the door.
“I really had to bust a gut.
“They would say for about every 10 auditions you would be lucky to get the 10th one but to me it felt like you went for 20 and you were lucky to get the 20th one.
Pippa said she looked back on her years in Pakenham with much fondness, remembering her times with Pakenham Little Athletics and at the Pakenham Pony Club.
She said that many teachers at Beaconhills had also “bent over backwards” for her and she was very grateful for their support.
Pippa is also in the running for a best new talent award nomination at this year’s Logie Awards and said she was looking forward to “frocking up”.
She said she was just days away from moving to London when she received the call that she had landed the part on the long-running soap.
“When Grundy’s called I was crying and shaking and my agent had to send me out of the room,” she said.
