The coronavirus pandemic has thrown up a lot of challenges for Danielle Cormack.
A year’s worth of work, much of it in the UK and US, was canned and planned trips to visit family in New Zealand were shelved.
But alongside the problem of how on earth she was going to put food on the table, perhaps the greatest dilemma the Auckland-born, Sydney-based Wentworth star, 49, faced was home-schooling her 10-year-old son Te Ahi Ka.
“I’m no teacher – I’m an actor!” Danielle tells TV WEEK.
“I just didn’t have the patience, which I know is a horrible, embarrassing admission, but I found it really challenging.
“From what I could see, there was a collective cry from parents having a real struggle with home-schooling, but my sympathy lay with the kids, the poor things.
“It was a punishment for both of us, more so him, and I didn’t want to keep subjecting my child, so we’ve just been watching a lot of Seinfeld together.”
Natalie has seen some big life changes as the world went into lockdown with her son, Te Ahi Ka.
(Nick Wilson / Foxtel)“He loves it,” she says of the iconic show.
“It’s that observational humour that everyone can relate to and has aged really well.
“He loves Kramer. They’re such larger-than-life, cartoonish characters, which is why I think he likes it. I haven’t been the greatest home-schooler, but at least I can show him the school of life and hard knocks with Seinfeld!”
Danielle is a big fan of iconic show Seinfeld – as is her young son!
When it came to filing her own time in lockdown, Danielle confesses she initially thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to “sharpen up my accents and come out playing Mozart”, but she soon realised it was OK not to do too much.
“I didn’t need to put more stress on myself,” the TV WEEK Logie winner tells.
She also elaborated on how the she adapted alongside the Wentworth cast.
“I made lasagne for the first time, did lots of crafty stuff at home, had lots of Zoom meetings with [Wentworth co-star] Nicole da Silva for our production company, and just read and watched a lot.”
As well as Seinfeld, Danielle has feasted her eyes on a host of gritty drama series on the new streaming service Binge, for which she’s an ambassador due to her role on the platform’s Aussie political thriller Secret City: Under The Eagle, also starring Anna Torv and Jacki Weaver.
WATCH: The Wentworth cast speak to TV WEEK at the Logies. Story continues…
“I’ve had so many fantastic roles on television that people have followed, but a lot of them haven’t seen this show yet, so I’m excited about that,” she says, adding that while she’s waiting to have the house to herself to catch Cate Blanchett in Mrs America, she’s been watching the “stunning” Succession.
“To see this privileged family devour each other with their power-hungry manipulation is just fascinating,” Danielle tells.
“It’s got brilliant writing and fantastic performances, including beautiful Australian actress Sarah Snook.
“I’ve also been re-watching The Wire, which left an indelible mark on me the first time round.
“Especially in this time of the Black Lives Matter movement, it feels really ground-breaking, with a predominantly black cast, and racially and politically charged storylines.”
Danielle has consumed a plethora of thought-provoking shows throughout lockdown.
(Nick Wilson / Foxtel)Danielle’s also glued to the platform’s Binge Centres, featuring cast interviews and making-of featurettes, explaining, “I often can’t buy into the magic of cinema and TV because I work behind the scenes, so for me, it can be more interesting looking beyond that velvet curtain and seeing how it’s made.”
Does her son show any signs of wanting to follow her into showbiz?
“I don’t have any say over that,” Danielle chuckles.
“I always feel we can encourage and support our children, but they’re going to do what they want to do. He is very creative, so I can see him falling naturally into the arts in some form, but I won’t let him be swayed by the public attention it garners.
“There’s this idea actors should be treated more importantly than anyone else, but it’s just another industry, and they all have their ups and downs.
“Our industry has been hit particularly hard lately, but it’s been beautiful to see the creativity that’s come out of this time.”
