Sam Corlett is trusting that the land will rise to meet his feet before him. It’s the way he describes one of his heroes, the late Heath Ledger, whom the 28-year-old Australian actor is beginning to draw comparisons to. With the upcoming releases of the heart-wrenching independent Australian film He Ain’t Heavy, and the major Netflix series Territory, Corlett is gaining momentum as one of Australia’s most promising young actors.

Corlett, 28, grew up on the central coast of New South Wales. His father was a carpenter, “an early morning hard worker kind of guy” and his mother stayed at home, showing her son the wonders of the world while she battled cancer three times. “She is so caring. She really wanted to provide us with all the opportunities we could have to explore what life is, so we travelled a lot. Getting to explore the world is really special, but nothing beats coming back to a small town in Australia.” One of Corlett’s earliest memories is joining his mother at an Al-Anon meeting (a mutual support group for people who have been affected by a loved one’s drinking). “I was asked to join the circle at the end and hold hands with all the ladies and a few fellas that were there and say the [12-step serenity] prayer: ‘Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’” This memory is partly what fuelled Corlett to take on the role of Max, in what is being talked about as the Australian film of the year: David Vincent Smith’s He Ain’t Heavy. “The character of Max, and a couple of things David had written from his own experiences, resonated with what I’d experienced and felt in my household... I felt like there wasn’t a light shone on this area, particularly within Australia.” The film was a physical, mental and emotional feat for the actor. He transforms into the violent Max, who is battling with drug addiction. His older sister, played brilliantly by Leila George, kidnaps Max, locking him away in a last-ditch attempt to force him into sobriety. Corlett disappears into the character, playing Max in such a way where the audience is as terrified as they are filled with compassion and devastation for him. “My mum said, and I think this came from her own experiences with her brother, that Max is the easiest and hardest to love. It was such a sacred experience. It felt like there was nothing I wasn’t willing to do to serve this.”

Corlett, who studied at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) and graduated in 2018, is passionate about the Australian film industry. After a successful few years rising to fame on Netflix’s Vikings of Valhalla and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (as well as his first appearance in a feature film The Dry), the actor has spent the last year intentionally focusing on telling more Australian stories with Australian directors. Territory is billed as a ‘Down Under drama’ to the country’s most remote Outback, as a family’s succession war plays out over the world’s largest cattle station. “Greg McLean is directing it. He did Wolf Creek, which I watched and pissed myself scared when I was a kid,” he says with a laugh. “The cinematographer of Territory is Simon Duggan, who shot The Great Gatsby.” Corlett takes pride in working with fellow Australians, yet it’s evident that what’s driving his decisions behind the projects he takes on is intuition.

Acting has opened Corlett up to take on the role of the observer within himself, investigating what resonates with him, diving deeper into his experiences and considering each role from its spiritual, psychological and physical aspects. He works with various mentors and healers around the world. “It’s good to feel held and safe, exploring things with someone whose energy can actually support you.” Each role calls for a different process, he explains, as a self-confessed avid student of the craft. “Every director demands something differently. Every coach has opened up new universes in me. Each actor that I’ve worked with has inspired something new. During [studying at] WAAPA, we had the opportunity to put on 10 plays during those three years, let alone all the different classes that we had. There were so many writers and stories that we got to relish in. I really wanted to use that time to expand the domain within myself. Even during that, I’d go over to Melbourne and do a masterclass with Elizabeth Kemp, who was famously Bradley Cooper’s coach until she passed. There are so many tools that you learn along the way. Then there are times when you really want to have a clear backstory and other times [when you want to] see what happens in the moment.”

Prior to WAAPA, Corlett worked with renowned Australian acting coach Les Chantery, who “changed my life and I’ve worked with him [ever] since”. Then, at the end of shooting the third season of Vikings last year, he realised he need an additional teacher to push him. “I was starting to get complacent with my craft. A lady named Shelley Mitchell, who is a kinesiologist as well, helped me. We spoke a lot about shamanism and protecting your energy between cut and action, as opposed to the time that happens between action and cut, which is kept sacred.” On the set of Territory, Corlett worked with Gerry Grennell, who was Ledger’s coach. “[He] travelled with Heath wherever he went. Again, I find the best acting coaches I’ve had dive into the spiritual, and essentially we were just talking about consciousness and meditation. The human is capable of anything given their set of circumstances.” When asked about the Ledger comparisons he’s had in response to his performance in He Ain’t Heavy, he is visibly overwhelmed with disbelief. “It’s a massive honour. Having worked with his coach, even Gerry said he just walked and trusted in his intuition. I could never put myself in that category but I’m so inspired by him.” Corlett says studying Ledger’s work and way of life has taught him trust. He likens him to the Fool card in a tarot deck. “Coupled with the Fool would also be the Jester. He had a cheeky, intuitive aspect to him, [he thought] that the world was actually pretty funny. He was pretty fearless in exploring the shadows and the light. I think that’s something that’s so special – as an artist, to be as willing to go to the dark depths as you are to the bright heights. That’s so inspiring.”

There’s a childlike wonder to Corlett, similar to Ledger. He’s deeply curious, imaginative and loves to dream and, consequently, he’s incredibly wise. He meditates without fail each day – morning and at night – which is something he learned while his mum was battling breast cancer. “I went with her to some of the temples that were around where we live to help her. It’s like taking a step back, knowing that I’m not defined by how people see me… People expect certain aspects of who I am from what they’ve seen me play. Meditation allows you to observe the attachments to identity and career, who we’re supposed to be, and realise that they’re all just illusions.” He is inspired by Michael Jordan’s dedication to his craft (having recently watched the basketball legend’s 2020 Netflix miniseries The Last Dance), he relishes in reiki healing when he can and he loves to explore the shadow self, noting Carl Jung’s studies and writings. “It’s really special to explore shadow work through acting in a safe environment and express that.” He also references the German spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle, who became a huge part of his life. “I would listen to him speak, go to his events, read all his books. On the spiritual aspects, I really do trust what the world has to offer. I just wish to work with great people and tell great stories. That’s the goal at the moment, to be around people that inspire the best out of me.” Corlett is allowing himself to become the understanding, open canvas for the multitude of roles he will take on. “Nothing hurts me more than seeing potential lost, young. [And seeing] my mum battle cancer three times and the experiences of near death. Gratefully, she’s still living and healthier than ever, but having seen death on the doorstep a few times very much made me want to cherish the time that we have.”

Perhaps the key to Corlett’s success is that he is grounded, has empathy for people from all walks of life and is determined to maintain a strong connection to his childhood. “Every so often in meditation, if a place of happiness come into my head, it’s my childhood home. A place of safety and freedom.” As he gets ready to soar higher than he’s been before, he’s engrossed in Marianne Williamson’s 1992 bestseller A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, which concerns the pursuit of inner peace through love. It’s his third listen to the audiobook in the last couple of months. Why? “She has a beautiful way of describing reality and articulating the course in miracles in a way that’s very relatable… There was a quote I saw the other day that said, ‘Be realistic, expect miracles.’ That’s how I live my life.” ‍

He Ain't Heavy is showing in theatres now.

Sam wears CHANEL Fine Jewellery, CHANEL J12 Watch and BARRIE Knitwear throughout.

@samcorlett

‍Photographer JOE BRENNAN
Fashion Editor ABBY BENNETT
Text ROXY LOLA
Talent SAM CORLETT
Hair FERNNANDO MIRANDA using Kevin Murphy
Make-up FILOMENA NATOLI at Viviens Creative using CHANEL BEAUTY
Photographer’s assistants LEWIS STEVENSON and NICK SHAW
Fashion assistant INGRID LOVE
Production R D PRODUCTIONS and SALOME ARANGO