06/06/2021
Here is some background info about Libby Hunsdale – The Star of the film ‘Poppy' we are showing on Sunday 20th June at Focal Point Cinema & Cafe Feilding 📽🎟🤩
Libby Hunsdale – The Star of the film ‘Poppy.’ - taking show business in her stride
There is a special opening of the New Zealand film Poppy tonight (Thursday June 3) organised by the St Andrews Kilwinning lodge of the Freemasons to raise funds for the New Zealand’s Special Olympic team. Two movie theatres at Embassy 3 were sold out two weeks ago.
The star attraction is Libby Hunsdale who plays the lead role of ‘Poppy.’ The film tells the story of a car-mad Kapiti teenager keen for independence and a shot at love. It is also the first Kiwi feature to cast an actor – Libby - with Down syndrome in the starring role.
Soon after she was born her family was told “I may not be able to play any sport and I might not progress past five years of age,” says Libby. “My mother said, I’m not having any of that.”
Sadly Libby’s mother Kim Barry was diagnosed with brain cancer when Libby was only two and died when she was 13. This came on top of her stepfather dying of a heart attack the year before. But Libby has happy memories. She says, “I remember my mum coming up to my bedroom to read me a bed time story. We used to laugh a lot.”
Libby’s father lives in Great Barrier Island with her step mum. She has three siblings. She went to live with her maternal grandparents, Barbara and Ormie Andrews.
She had already proved the medical experts wrong by taking up swimming. At Whanganui Intermediate she was in the dance troupe for the school’s production of Hairspray and then in the choir for their 60’s Festival.
At Whanganui Girls’ College she was part of their Stage Challenge team and was part of an interschool dance school ‘Dance NZ Made,’ winning the Director’s Award ‘For the love of dance.’
At school, “I was mainstreamed, attending normal classes like everybody else.” When asked, she says, “I wasn’t bullied at school.” She achieved NCEA levels 1 and 2. “My favourite subjects were science, dance and drama.”
At the end of 2019, Barbara read in a Sunday paper about how they were looking for a Down syndrome girl to play the role of Poppy and said, “That sounds like Libs.” She emailed the casting director. “Grandma boasted about me having Down syndrome, having NCEA and not being afraid of flying,” which Libby does, visiting her father and siblings in Great Barrier Island.
This led to a Skype call in which Libby had to read a monologue from ‘Poppy, and then a second Skype call with another reading of the monologue and finally a visit to Whanganui by film director Linda Niccol.
“They recorded me doing just facial expressions and the emotions that come with each expression. It was the first time I had been in front of a camera. It was to compare me with other candidates.”
However, Linda has been quoted as saying that she “immediately knew” that Libby was “perfect for the role as she possessed the same vibrancy and ambitions as the scripted character.”
Libby had to learn to drive and “Dad gave me practice on a golf cart on Great Barrier.” She was given short scripts to learn “which I did by reading them over and over.” Then it was off to meet her fellow actors – including Ari Boyland (Shortland Street) as Poppy's protective older brother. Seb Hunter (Libby's real life friend) plays Poppy's love interest Luke; he also wrote the film's original songs.
Filming, mainly in Kapiti, took half the year. Libby lived in a house provided for her with Barbara and her son Shaun taking turns of two weeks at a time to look after her. Barbara says, “Sometimes Libby had a 5am start and could be out for 12 hours a day. Then she would return and have to make sure she knew her lines for the next day.”
The premiere of Poppy was in Wellington. Libby and Barbara were taken to the theatre in “a stretched pink limo, complete with a juke box and champagne. We played Elvis on the way to the movie.”
It has been a busy time with an opening in Masterton, (they filmed a ‘burn-out’ there), and another couple of openings in Auckland as well. While in Auckland she appeared on the Lotto draw.
Last year Libby won the Attitude award at a nationally televised event for “a young person with a disability whose courage and determination demonstrates the power of the human spirt and the quest of young people to live full lives.”
Being in the spotlight has not fazed Libby. Instead “it has made me feel very grateful. I am happy to inspire and motivate others with disabilities.”
As for the future, Libby would like to set up a social media recording label to manage talents of people with diversity. “I want to influence diversity, unity and disability.”
Picture: Libby with Barbara
