Slap happy

By CASEY NEILL
LIBERTY Townsend dreams of starring on the silver screen and, at just 10 years old, is well on her way.
The Emerald Primary School student already has two awards under her belt for The Slap.
“It’s a television mini-series and it’s based on a book,” she said.
“I can’t talk about it because it’s a bit inappropriate for me because it’s rated MA. That’s because a kid gets slapped.”
The eight-part drama about a man slapping a child at a barbecue appeared on the ABC late last year.
It won this year’s Logie Award for most outstanding drama series, mini-series or telemovies and on 7 May picked up the Equity Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble cast in a television mini-series or telemovie.
Liberty collected the peer-voted gong at a Sydney awards ceremony for playing Aisha and Hector’s daughter, Melissa.
“I just had to do a few lines and stuff, and I didn’t get along with my brother that much,” she said.
“I was friends with him in real life. I just think of a thing that I already experienced and act like that’s happening.”
Liberty’s mum and one of her sisters attended the awards ceremony with her.
“They were really proud of me,” she said.
Her parents said her performance was “really good”. She thought it was weird to watch herself on screen.
“I was amazed that I got an award and I got to be in a show,” she said.
“I didn’t think I would because I just auditioned for fun and then I actually got the role.”
But it’s a feeling she’ll soon get used to.
“Ever since the show I’ve gotten in a lot of Coles adverts and Target adverts and lots of auditions,” she said.
Liberty has been dancing and acting for as long as she can remember.
“It’s fun and I get to meet lots of new people,” she said.
She’s taking acting, singing, and dancing classes and dreams of starring in movies alongside British all-rounder Noel Fielding, known for his comedy writing and acting, and Adam Sandler.
Fielding in particular has inspired Liberty to add more strings to her bow. The Cockatoo resident has tried her hand at writing and enlisted her sisters to act out her scripts.
“After I did The Slap I went to a drama class and one of the teachers said I should start writing so I’ve written two mini-scripts,” she said.
“One of them is about Bratz dolls and one of them is about the creepy creek.”