Thanks to actual footage from the women’s movement in the ’70s—which is so timely it’s eerie—the film takes on added significance. Says Moon, “Using real footage from that time not only brings out emotions in people, but it lands Helen’s story in the greater context of what’s happening in the world. We as women stand on the shoulders of the decisions that have been made before us, so I hope young women are inspired to learn more about what happened then and why it’s important to make thoughtful changes now.”
It’s also why casting the right person to channel Reddy’s talent, spirit, and fierceness was essential. Moon says she and the producing team searched five countries for the right actor, and interestingly, Cobham-Hervey (best known for playing Nanny Sally in Hotel Mumbai) wasn’t even on the initial casting list. Once Moon saw a photo of Cobham-Hervey, she immediately noticed the resemblance to Reddy, but it wasn’t until they met that Moon knew she had found the perfect person for the role.
“Tilda has a similar background to Helen,” Moon says. “She grew up with parents who were performers and in the industry, so she had a showbiz life like Helen. She had also just gone through the process of moving to L.A. [from her native Australia] and was pursuing her own dreams, so there were so many parallels.”
Danielle Macdonald, here with Tilda Cobham-Hervey, plays Helen’s good friend and legendary rock journalist Lillian Roxon.
Lisa TomasettiBut similarities aside, stepping into the role was terrifying for Cobham-Hervey, who had months of voice classes, breathing lessons, singing lessons, and movement classes to play Reddy. “I went down this massive YouTube hole of watching all of Helen’s performances and then reading everything I could about her,” Cobham-Hervey tells me. “I got the role when I was 22 years old and living in Adelaide. Here I was getting asked to play this international superstar and it felt absurd.”
She continues, “It’s a huge responsibility, but also very exciting too. I think I almost fell too in love with Helen. She became my hero because she made me question my experience as a female artist and as a woman, and how I want to find my voice and speak my mind. I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
As for Cobham-Hervey’s singing voice in the film, the actor says she sang live on the days they filmed, but singer Chelsea Collins then sang over Cobham-Hervey’s performances to get Helen’s voice exactly right. “I wish I could say it was [all] mine,” Cobham-Hervey says, “but Chelsea is a gorgeous, amazing artist, so it was sort of an amalgamation of both our voices.”