A true anomaly in Hollywood, Phoebe Tonkin, Australia’s latest export, is a model-turned-actress who’s more interested in her philanthropic and political endeavors than in feeding her own ambition.
TALENT PHOEBE TONKIN CREATIVE DIRECTOR ELLA MCNANEY ART DIRECTOR ERICA CORNWALL 1ST ASSISTANT CATHERINE FORSYTH PHOTOGRAPHER FREDERIC AUERBACH FASHION STYLIST MEGAN BOWMAN GRAY HAIR STYLIST BRIAN FISHER MAKE-UP ARTIST ERIN AYANIAN MONROE CHOREOGRAPHER MARISSA BROWN PRODUCTION VENI MAGAZINE LOCATION THE FORGE LA INTERVIEW MICHELE MANELIS
Known for her roles in The Vampire Diaries, as well as its spinoff, The Originals, she has also starred in Safe Harbour, H2O: Just Add Water, The Affair, and Bloom. And of course, in true Aussie tradition, Tonkin’s early days as an actress were spent refining her craft on the beloved soap opera, Home and Away. She spoke to Veni about the importance of being a responsible role model, working for the House of Chanel, and the true meaning of power.
VM: Talk about your role as an ambassador for Chanel and what that association means to you.
PT: When I first got to America, I met up with a wonderful stylist in New York and she photographed me wearing Chanel samples for her blog. It caught Chanel’s eye and turned into a relationship that has since built over four years. It evolved from doing covers for Australian magazines to traveling around the world for them. I feel incredibly grateful to be a part of their world and be able to learn about the House, learn about Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, and learn how the company started. It’s important to me that I’m not just a face, but that I really understand the history of the brand.
VM: Chanel also introduced you to the environmental advocacy group NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), which seemed to ignite a passion in you. What can you tell us about that?
PT: Chanel invited me to an evening gala they were hosting with the NRDC. I thought I’d be protesting outside the Capitol, but that turned into quite literally being handed a document which I was required to research and understand and then go into various offices and lobby for these particular bills. One of the bills I was involved in was to ban pesticides. I was also involved in a bill about non-floating oils in California oceans. I had to talk to assemblymen and congresswomen, people whose votes dictate whether or not these bills get passed. I am proud to be a part of a charity in which you don’t worry about your image but get your hands dirty and really fight for these environmental issues.
VM: You obviously have a strong conscience and as a celebrity you can do a lot for the world. Do you feel a certain responsibility?
PT: I’ve always been that way. I went to Cambodia to work in orphanages when I was 18. I’ve belonged to various charities over the last few years and I’ve been fortunate to have a social media presence. That’s why I have this platform: to be able to share certain things I believe in, rather than the things that I do.
VM: Do you remember your worst audition?
PT: Yes, it was pilot season and I was doing four auditions a day and my brain was exploding with storylines and characters and dialogue. So on this particular audition I’d completely forgotten my lines. Instead of just explaining and saying, “Look, it’s been a long day,” I pretended to have food poisoning, excused myself, and ran to the bathroom. When I was in the bathroom, I called my manager and said, “I just did something really stupid! I can’t go back in the room! You’re going to have to call them and tell them that I’m really sick!”
VM: You’ve certainly worked a lot since then, and there seems to be a running theme in your resume of otherworldly subjects. Have you had any weird experiences you’d like to share?
PT: Not those kinds, but I am definitely spiritually inclined, so I am open to things that we may not necessarily see or understand or touch or hold. I’m fascinated by the supernatural, as well as spirituality.
VM: You’ve spoken in the past about the importance of having a healthy body image. The expectation for women to look a certain way doesn’t seem to be getting any better, and those unrealistic standards are heightened on social media.
PT: Yeah, I think with social media it’s definitely brought this warped idea of reality. I have a lot of friends who are the most beautiful women on the planet, and we all get on Instagram and feel like we are not doing enough. We are not traveling enough, we are not wearing the best things, and we are not doing the best that we can. I think it’s important for young girls to understand that it’s not just them, it’s on every single level.
VM: You have over 5 million followers on Instagram. You must be very conscious about what you’re putting out there.
PT: Social media has created this whole new world of self-doubt and insecurity. I definitely try to be conscious in that way and use the platform to not just show some overdone, filtered photos of myself, or anything Photoshopped, because it can seep into something that I myself am a victim of, and that can be irresponsible.
VM: There’s so much we read about what an actress eats in a day.
PT: Yes, and how they maintain the way they look. I think that’s so reckless because I remember when I was younger and thinking, “How can I go home and just eat chicken and vegetables? I’m starving! I want some cheese and something to give me energy!” I have tried to really take a stand when I’m asked to talk about anything specific about my body. I am fortunate that genetically I have a particular body type. I am also in an industry where we have a multitude of days off where we can go to the gym or sit at home and spend an hour prepping a beautiful look for ourselves, whereas most of the world doesn’t have that luxury. For people to look at actors and actresses as role models for how they should be and how they should build a healthy lifestyle is really dangerous and unhealthy.
VM: You’re in a very powerful position. When do you personally feel powerful?
PT: I write a lot, which is something I’ve always done, and I feel powerful knowing I have my secret hobbies and secret interests. I don’t feel the need to broadcast them. I feel powerful that we are in a new wave where we can dictate what our lives will look like and we don’t have to paint-by-numbers our own careers. I have felt powerful seeing all the kinds of opportunities that this generation has, that we really get to make our own choices, and that is when I feel powerful. And then on a different level, I feel powerful when I feel loved. I have good people around me. When I spend time with the people I love, they make me feel good and happy and healthy and inspired. That is also empowering.
VM: What’s the nicest compliment you remember hearing lately?
PT: My best friend was FaceTiming with me while I was in the bath the other day. My hair was wet and I was covered in body scrub, and she said, “You look so happy.” She didn’t say I looked beautiful, she said I looked happy, and that to me is the ultimate compliment.
