A chance carpark meeting inspired by fresh produce and cheesy grins.

The first time I met Anne-Marie, she’d been sitting in her car outside a supermarket late one night, watching me as I sat in my car. Creepy right? On the surface, sure.

But, let’s add a little bit of context.

We had both arrived at a late-night shoot for a Woolworths ad. I didn’t know this at the time, but Anne-Marie and I shared the same agent. We also didn’t know this was going to be a long night involving the regular squeezing of fresh produce and ready grins to camera. The perfect setting for a new friendship, really.

Within moments of meeting, we fell quickly into a conversation that basically lasted all night. Once again, here was another human being I felt an instant connection with. We joked in Greek as we waited to be called to set like we’d shared a bedroom as sisters for years. We complained about the cold. The wee hours. We talked openly about our dreams, our loves. And I remember very clearly that, as we fell deeper into conversation about our Greekness, our art and our lives, I realised this chick was older than me – like a few hundred years at least. Her patience with life and the industry she’d embraced far outweighed my own. I’ve always loved that about her.

When Anne-Marie shares news on auditions that lead nowhere or roles she didn’t win, her eyes are still smiling. “It’s not time, yet.” She says, like she’s in direct contact with some kinda inner knowing we should all tap into when our goals seem a little too lofty.

“How do you know?” I ask her.

“I just do,” she replies. And I believe her.

I love it how kindred spirits find each other. It just took a little bit of faux stalking in a car park to bring Anne-Marie and I together.

 

 

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