A Field Guide To Anna McGahan

We've kept an eye on the various "Underbelly" iterations, making a note whenever someone shows skin, but Anna McGahan has gotten us completely hooked on "Underbelly: Razor" and now we tune in every gosh darn week. We need to thank this redhead for our new TV addiction, and we're doing it with a field guide!

Anna McGahan was born on May 2, 1988 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She says her family has a strong medical/science background, and they were delighted to see Anna attending the University of Queensland for psychology. Then she abruptly abandoned that degree and pursued an acting degree at the Queensland University of Technology. Needless to say, the family was worried how Anna would handle something so strange and new: ''They were worried how I would cope," she recalls, "and while it's terrifying, that's half the excitement for me.''

McGahan does seem like the type of girl who charges headfirst into unfamiliar situations, but it's been to her advantage. She graduated from QUT in 2010, landed a gig on the latest piece of the very successful "Underbelly" drama, and is gaining serious recognition for playing the demanding (and often naked) role of a gangster-loving prostitute in 1920's Sydney. Various interviewers have asked her how she handles all the nudity on "Underbelly: Razor," and her response is generally some variant of "I just fucking do." Not precisely; it's more nuanced, like this:

"Well, I was always determined to give it my all, particularly with a character like Nellie Cameron; it's so important, and so important to do it correctly. And to try and do justice to this person that existed, who lived and had no shame in that regard. I mean, Anna McGahan would have been very, very nervous, but Nellie Cameron wasn't and I really had to find that, and it was very liberating. And I was able to be behind the mask of the character, and in that 1920s hair and makeup and costuming, it's incredible what you can find yourself giving yourself license to do."

Of course, it's not like McGahan is totally detached from what she does on "Underbelly." In the course of doing research for the role of Nellie Cameron, she says she's developed a strong empathy and understanding of the character, and even though sex is crucial for the part, she and the producers make sure that it's never gratuitous. How does the nudity affect her in real life? ''After the first episode aired, I realized that one in 10 Aussies had seen my breasts—that's a really solid stat!''

In addition to being a fine actor, Anna McGahan is a skilled dancer (ballet and contemporary), knows Tae Kwon Do, dabbles in photography, and has been stretching her playwright wings. She describes her writing process as torturous, but it's undeniably fruitful: she's been the recipient of Queensland Theatre Company's Young Playwright's Award in 2009 and 2010.

Sadly, that's about all the information we've been able to collect on Anna McGahan—that's what happens when we fall in love with young actors who have yet to get the attention they deserve. But all that will soon change! McGahan is going to appear in more Australian TV shows, she's getting parts in larger movies, and we bet that she'll continue to grow as both actor and playwright. Some people think she might be the next Cate Blanchett. We don't know what that means, but it must be good!

· Read an interview with McGahan via Movie Hole (moviehole.net)
· Her IMDb page (imdb.com)

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Original post: "Underbelly"'s Most Popular Prostitute Is Also Quite Sweet