NATHALIE MORRIS is in Sydney filming the fifth and final season of Bump; the beloved Stan original series in which the 27-year-old Australian actor plays teen mum Oly — a role that’s hyped her as break-out talent to watch. She’s also celebrating the release of We Were Dangerous, a New Zealand coming-of-age film which premiered at SXSW, before screening at both Sydney Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. In it, she plays a fiercely feminist queer rich girl — with plenty of attitude.
But it was her first major role on Bump that quickly taught Morris how to learn on the job; from lengthy 12-hour day film shoots, to finding a work-life balance (which is still a work in progress for the young star). But acting alongside some of the best in the biz — like her on-screen Bump mother, actress Claudia Karvan — made her initiation on set all the more enjoyable. It wasn’t until the end of the series’ fourth season in 2023 that Morris did what few actors have managed in such a short career window: She wrote an episode for Season 5.
Making her writing debut was a chance to lean into the characters from a new perspective. She worked with her co-star Christian Byers, who plays her brother Bowie on the show, to help her tweak the scriptwriting process. The pair are housemates in Sydney and he was a generous guide for Morris, but all of course wouldn’t be possible if Karvan hadn’t said yes — delightfully encouraging the young actress to join the writer’s room, and get cracking with her idea.
“I joined Bump when I was 23 years old, and really grew as a person as the seasons of the show did. And now to have a go at writing an episode — well, that’s definitely an amazing highlight,” Morris tells BAZAAR Australia.
“I am 27 now, and have been involved in this show in ways other actors usually don’t get the chance to. I’ve grown with the show, and feel very much a part of the making of it, which is rare. I feel lucky to have aspirations beyond acting. I like making art and I am definitely inspired to work on my own show one day for sure,” she adds.
You GROW so MUCH in your 20S; they’re such a PIVOTAL POINT in your LIFE
Having deep and meaningful conversations with the show’s writers, directors, costume department and production team, has seen Morris develop as an actor in ways she never thought imaginable.
“You grow so much in your 20s; they’re such a pivotal point in your life. I have kind of accelerated that process with this show,” said Morris.
In a slightly more conventional mid-20s pursuit, the actress was on vacation in Rome when she auditioned for We Were Dangerous; the directorial debut from Māori and Pākehā filmmaker Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu. Morris plays Lou, a delinquent teenager who finds herself in an institution on an isolated island in New Zealand in 1954; railing against the system with two other rebellious teen friends played by Manaia Hall and The Wilds‘ Erana James.
“When I first read the script, I found it quite funny,” Morris confides, adding that one of the film’s writers, Maddie Dai, is an illustrator-turned-writer who brings a humorous touch to the dialogue.
“The story line was concise, witty and to the point, with no extra fluff and it appealed instantly,” she continues. “The film navigates female friendships in a way I hadn’t experienced before. It’s a mixture of comedy and natural realism — but at the same time we came at it with heart, and improvised too.”
At first, Morris didn’t think she actually would get the part to play a teenager. “I thought I was too old for it to be honest, and almost talked myself out of accepting it. I thought they must have made a mistake,” she admits.
I am LUCKY to have played a lot of really STRONG YOUNG WOMEN and to be SURROUNDED by STRONG WOMEN on set
But once her European holiday was complete, Morris jetted to New Zealand to shoot the film for two months in 2022, diving headfirst into the challenge. Morris is leaning into playing strong female roles; having got a taste for it via characters she’s played in Bump and the 2022 indie film Petrol. She hopes for more like them in the future.
“I am lucky to have played a lot of really strong young women and to be surrounded by strong women on set. I was also raised by a strong mother who allowed me to believe anything was possible,” she asserts.
In We Were Dangerous, a Māori-led feminist flick, Morris had the chance to expand that pool of strong women surrounding her with co-stars including New Zealand actors Rima Te Wiata (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and Erana James (The Wilds).
Though at first glance her character Lou seemed miles apart from her real personality, Morris found a connection between herself and the role.
“On paper my character Lou is from a wealthy family and looks very put together, and wears frilly dresses and hair in pigtails. She is very neat and pretty, and when I got the part, I was like are you sure this is me?” Morris recalls. “It’s not an energy or look I naturally think of myself as. But what I found interesting is despite her façade, she was actually funny, rebellious, strong and very intelligent.”
Upon further reflection, she found that even in Lou’s own version of feminine strength, she could find and revel in her own.
“I am quite similar to Lou in that we are both quite private and introverted, with some rebelliousness to her,” she shares. “I had a lot of fun leaning into the power of female friendships, and a story about strong defiant women.”
Discover when We Were Dangerous will screen at MIFF here.
