Love Child’s Miranda Tapsell scored two Logies for her performance as Martha, winning Most Popular New Talent and Most Outstanding Newcomer, but also stole hearts with her galvanizing speech. Using the platform to call for more racial diversity on Australian screens, the Indigenous actress commented on her double-win with an equal measure of humour and strength,
“If viewers clearly love seeing this, why deprive them of that?”
Her rousing words demanded casting bosses need to place Indigenous women in more prominent T.V roles that have the power to change negative stereotypes and that Aboriginal women could identify with.
Speaking of her Love Child character, Tapsell said “I really hope it’s the beginning. I hope we don’t stop there in making diverse casting and we’re really on our way there in Australia and I hope we continue this cultural shift.”
The actress formerly seen in The Sapphires and Redfern Now spoke of being inspired as a young girl in Darwin by The Help’s Viola Davis who’s motto “Dream big, Dream Fierce” Tapsell lives by.
Prior to Carrie Bickmore’s emotional Logie Award’s speech calling for more support for underfunded Brain Cancer research, Miranda Tapsell was the standout speech of the night setting the twitterverse alight with tweets of support.
Miranda Tapsell’s speech is now the one to beat. Smart, challenging, positive. Best so far tonight. #tvweeklogies
— Michael Idato (@michaelidato) May 3, 2015
Tapsell’s emotional Love Child cast-mates stood clapping in support while co-star and fellow nominee Harriet Dyer mouthed “She’s amazing!” as the winner ended her speech with a call to “connect viewers in ways that transcend race and unite us. That’s the real team Australia.“
