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The truth about Antonia Prebble

Antonia Prebble's new film pushed her to the limit.

She’s been in Australia working on a top secret project for a few weeks, but the trip across the ditch provided Antonia Prebble with a much-needed break after her new film pushed her to the limit.

The actress was so affected by her role in White Lies, which addresses topics such as abortion and race relations, she felt “bruised” and headed over the Tasman to unwind.

“My role in this film required a lot of focus and preparation – more than I’ve ever had to do for any other role. It was a great challenge and did affect me personally,” says Antonia (29).

“I felt pretty vulnerable throughout the whole [movie] and it was the first time after a shoot that I felt like I actually needed a break. Normally, after I finish something I feel great and can brush it off, but with this one I really felt drained.“I knew I just needed some downtime to re-programme after the intensity of the experience. Once we wrapped White Lies, I took a week out in Sydney just to decompress and get back to reality,” she adds.

In an adaptation of the Witi Ihimaera novella, the O*utrageous **Fortune and The Blue Rose* star plays Rebecca Vickers, a troubled woman hiding secrets from her wealthy husband.

It is Antonia’s first role featuring nudity – something she had reservations about. However, after some discussions with the director Dana Rotberg, she decided she was ready for the challenge of baring more.

“It wasn’t nearly as big a deal as I thought it might be,” she says.

Her character feels pressured by her family to conform, and Antonia says this made her reflect on how she has developed as a person.

“[My family] all have a strong sense of values and integrity. Living in alignment with those values is always encouraged in our family, and I think I have taken that on board,” says Antonia.

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