“When I used to work in a library, I would sneakily walk around with a headphone tucked into one ear. Mind you, this was before Air Pods existed – so it was risky business. Even back then, before I knew I would pursue acting, there was a pace intuitively in me to always be doing more than one thing. I’m a curious person, but I’m also someone who gets easily bored too… This desire probably comes from somewhere in the middle.”
When RUSSH first interviewed Natasha Liu Bordizzo in the summer of 2015, the actor was about to embark on what would be the first of many career joyrides. Her energy was electric – overflowing with a confidence and fearlessness. She had just wrapped filming on her first feature film – the Netflix hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend – a role that marked both Liu Bordizzo’s first-ever audition, and her first lead role. When we reconnect almost a decade later, she’s still the same girl.
But that’s not to say that a lot hasn’t changed since this defining moment. A Coogee native, Liu Bordizzo has since relocated to Los Angeles – a city she describes as “the centre of my little universe,” and after eight years, she tells me she thinks she’s finally figured the place out. “There’s a reason why Los Angeles has a reputation as the ‘city of 120 neighbourhoods’, it’s not like Sydney where there’s a traditional city centre, it's made up of little villages. And – for a long time – I was definitely living in the wrong village,” she explains to me with a touch of frustration but mostly, appreciation.
The city of angels has long been a destination where Australian creative minds have found a second home, and in turn, fostered community. Following the success of both Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend and The Society, it was a natural progression for the budding actor, but like anyone who takes a leap of faith to pursue their career, Liu Bordizzo still affectionately sees herself – and many of her peers – as ‘migratory birds’. “It’s a weird thing to put your life in boxes, L.A being the work box for me at the moment, but then simultaneously, you are also trying to figure out what ‘living your life’ looks like within these parameters and constantly toying with the idea of pushing these boundaries,” she shares.
“When I’m back in Australia, I feel the same way, because my family, friends, nature box is so full, overflowing really. But then my work box is depleted. Right now, I don’t mind having to shift gears, but I do look forward to moments in the future where my life can overlap a bit more frequently.”
While much of the evolution in Liu Bordizzo’s life has involved a physical shift, what she seems most proud of as our conversation unfolds is her intuitive ability. “Throwing myself into this industry without really acknowledging the transition I was making, I wouldn’t say it was a smooth process… but what it taught me was the distinct difference between anxiety and gut feeling. Because I had so much anxiety around quitting my law degree, but my intuition was reassuring me that I was making the right decision.”
As time would soon reveal, the actor had nothing to worry about. Liu Bordizzo is now a part of one of, if not the biggest, film and television franchises in the world – the Star Wars universe – a responsibility she hasn’t taken lightly despite being such a natural fit. Stepping into the role of Sabine Wren in the Disney+ series, Ahsoka, Liu Bordizzo was acutely aware of the interpretations of her character that came before her. It leads me to wonder whether this history was a constructive, or prohibitive tool.
“Joining a project like this, where you are playing an established character, comes with an existing and huge fan base. It’s something I’ve never done before, and admittedly, was a little daunting,” she began.
“But as a team, we were so aligned on our vision for this series – we didn’t want to copy the animation, but instead respect the essence of it and take inspiration from it in order to create something that felt authentic for live action.”
Having garnered an impressive fan base of her own through her recent work on the series, we naturally fall into the trap of comparing the American and Australian film industry; an almost impossible task especially when the legacy of Lucasfilm is involved. Liu Bordizzo described the experience to me as a “re-education of American filmmaking culture,” but there was one observation in particular that really stuck with me.
“The connection the American audience have with Star Wars is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. For many of them, it was one of the first films they watched in a cinema, or they share their love for the franchise with a parent or grandparent. But above all, the deepest connection they have with the universe is through the passage of time. Star Wars isn’t just about providing an incredible, enduring story, but it also serves as such a valuable case study for the progress of filmmaking and technology. It’s an impact we quite possibly won’t see again in our lifetime.”
In many ways, there are parallels between the franchise and Liu Bordizzo’s own evolution. As her first significant lead role, Sabine provided her the rare opportunity to flesh out a character from the very beginning, sharing “I was part of the journey from early discussions, to rehearsals, brainstorming and then all the way through to filming obviously.” As I listen to her recount her experience, it becomes increasingly clearer that Liu Bordizzo has stepped into her power. It’s in this moment that I’m reminded of the universal experience of finding confidence in your work – Hollywood star and writer alike.
But while the connection Liu Bordizzo has with Sabine is eternal, there’s no disputing that the actor is still hungry for more. Hungry to find creative fulfilment in other genres, in other facets of filmmaking… “I want to try other roles that scare me,” she exclaims, to which I instinctively reply, “you’re much braver than me,” before freezing in panic, as if my briefly sullen tone would leave a wet mark on our otherwise light conversation. But she looks at me through the screen with a softness and knowing in her eyes that almost translates to, “I see you, and I feel you.” This brief moment of pause reminds me of a memory she shared earlier while reflecting on her time as a body double. Before acting, it was the ecosystem of filmmaking that first caught Liu Bordizzo’s heart, and as we talk about what’s to come, I wonder if this next phase of risk-taking goes beyond being in front of the camera. While her response doesn’t rule anything out, she tells me that at the crux of any of her work is this feverish passion to document.
“Whether it was writing or photography, I have always had this innate need to understand through documenting and processing and retrospection. I have journaled since I was a child – all of which I still have kept – and have been fascinated with photography and namely film photography,” she shares.
“If you look more closely at these practices, I think it’s more of a general obsession with the physical documentation of time, which is why I feel so passionate about the practice of horology. It’s this intensely mathematical and engineering feat that tells you the time, unlike our devices that just show us.”
As someone whose love for watchmaking is embedded in storytelling, I jump at the chance to talk to Liu Bordizzo about IWC Schaffhausen’s collection, and the pieces she wore like a second skin while shooting our digital cover in the cinematic corners of downtown LA. The first, was the watchmaker's Ingeniuer watch, a piece Liu Bordizzo struggled to part with at the end of our shoot day. The perfect ergonomic steel watch that fits naturally into your everyday styling and wear, it's a collection that can be worn with ease – a necessity when your schedule is as busy as the actor's. And then of course, was my personal favourite, IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser collection. A timepiece with origins that date back to the 1930s, the collection embodies two of the actor’s biggest passions – history, and precision – without compromising on style either. “It feels timeless,” she begins, “despite being imbued with so much historical craftsmanship, like the pocket watch movement.”
“Did you know that IWC also released a Portugieser with an eternal calendar this year?” I remark. “It means the moon phase display will be accurate for 45 million years.”
“How will we know!” Liu Bordizzo says through an impressed but baffled laugh. “This watch will outlive all of us.”
“Do you dream of a legacy like this watch? One that will live on for 45 million years,” I ask.
“I do respect people who have done so much good and service in their lives that they deserve to be remembered forever. But I think where I lean more into my Eastern philosophies is that I believe in a legacy that is family centric, or more community based,” she shares thoughtfully.
“The West has this obsession with hyper-individualism, and don’t get me wrong, I was certainly raised with those ideals. But as I get older, I’ve realised this pressure deprives us of a unique interconnectedness.
“I just want to make people feel good while I’m alive, and then after that, I’ll probably be forgotten. And that’s fine.”
To discover IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser collection in full, head to the IWC website or into your local boutique.
PHOTOGRAPHY Daria Kobayashi Ritch
FASHION Hannah Cooper
TALENT Natasha Liu Boridzzo
HAIR Maranda Widlund
MAKEUP Sandy Ganzer
Special thanks to Proper Hotel Downtown LA
