A Gritty New Thriller and the Rising Star Behind It
In September, crime TV fans were treated to a gritty new thriller by Netflix titled Black Rabbit, starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman. The story follows Jake Friedken, played by Law, who runs the hottest food joint in New York City. The eponymous Black Rabbit eatery is seemingly modeled after Ken Friedman’s controversial NYC restaurant, the Spotted Pig. When Jake’s estranged brother Vince walks back into his life, dragging the grime of the criminal underworld behind him, Black Rabbit is thrown into a whirlwind of chaos.
With the Golden Globes right around the corner, critics expect both Law and Bateman to be in the running for the best actor award. However, they’re not the only actors generating buzz. Abbey Lee, who plays Anna, Black Rabbit’s disgruntled bartender, is emerging as a rising star as well.
Who Is Abbey Lee?
Abbey Lee, the Australian actress, has captured attention with her role in Black Rabbit. According to her IMDb page, she was born to psychologist Kerry Kershaw and former Australian rules football player Kim Kershaw. She described her childhood as “complicated” and “poor” in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, adding, “There was no music and art [in my home]; my family was more about how to put food on the table and survive.”
As a rebellious teen, the Mad Max: Fury Road actress was “politely asked to depart” from her high school before she could finish her final year, per Interview Magazine.
From Modeling to Acting
Lee began her career as a model. According to an interview with American culture magazine Document Journal, she became a model after she was scouted on a beach at the age of 14 by Kathy Ward, director of Chic Management modelling agency. She got her big break after winning the 2004 Girlfriend Model Search competition and has since walked for luxury fashion houses like Chanel, Gucci, Schiaparelli, Tom Ford, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and more. Kanye West even name-dropped her in his song “Christian Dior Denim Flow”.
Breaking Away from Modeling
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, The Neon Demon star revealed that she broke away from modeling due to the industry’s limitations. “My creative soul and my creative spirit and my brain were just being squashed and dulled down and numbed,” she said. She fell in love with acting after landing the role of The Dag in Mad Max: Fury Road, took acting classes, and even did theatre.
Lee also has a passion for music, dancing, painting, and martial arts.
Health Challenges and Personal Reflections
Lee revealed in an interview with Vogue Australia that she suffered from endometriosis for 15 years before being diagnosed. Since undergoing surgery, she has been able to manage her chronic pain better. Her condition has led her to reconsider motherhood, too, since up to 50 per cent of people with endometriosis deal with infertility. However, she’s made peace with the fact that biological children may not happen for her, musing, “I think I’d be a great mum, but it doesn’t have to be my blood.”
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