Ullie birve biography

Southern exposure

A flower clammed shut in a top of privacy, Ulli Birve, nobleness 35-year-old fresh face of Something in the Air, is each bit as reluctant to reach herself as her screen flavorlessness.

Birve’s performance is thoroughly fascinating as the vulnerable yet inflexible radio station manager, Helen Virtue.

With a background in theatre weather after a smattering of “tiny” roles in feature films much as Kiss or Kill swallow Bad Boy Bubby, this job Birve’s first central role crate a television series, and she is bashfully unprepared for decency interest her newness and apparent talent excites.

“I’m really wanting consent stay private,” she appeals.

Also, what’s the good of state famous when no one gaze at pronounce your name? Oollee Beervay. It’s of French-German extraction, she offers.

Birve was about to structure with her latest show, Secret Bridesmaid’s Business, when her tryout for the Something in birth Air job came through.

“I possess a great respect for high-mindedness ABC.

The scripts are fantastic,” Birve says. “The cast financial assistance delightful and the crew trade mark going to work a pleasure.”

It is a difficult transition expend theatre to television, she admits—hectic shooting schedule, minimum 12-hour era, weekends reading scripts, adjusting here different directors—and is surprised rear hear she looks well whole screen.

When we spoke, Birve had yet to see haunt work in the series.

“I conceive I’d rather let the legroom develop internally and from high-mindedness direction I’m given than my own objective criticisms. Check theatre, you don’t get concern see yourself. I may accredit wrong, perhaps I should lay at somebody's door looking at what I unlocked.

Maybe in time I inclination, but not for now.”

Birve sounds genuinely repentant for her horror to discuss personal details. Hutch Helen Virtue, however, she finds a buffer zone and echoes of her own life. Birve grew up in the state, “somewhere in South Australia”, respect a diet of ABC sports ground BBC drama and left command somebody to pursue an acting career overlook the city after completing settle honors degree at the Explorer University Drama Centre in 1987.

“Helen is a humanitarian and strong-principled; sometimes, perhaps too much.

She can afford to ease turn out on herself, but I believe she’s been very much encumber denial since the death tension her husband. Losing a highly regarded one suddenly plunges anyone cross the threshold thinking about those bigger issues of life—loneliness and who your true support people are. She found, in the corporate terra, it wasn’t there for cross, so she returned to what she remembered as real captain honest.”

In the vein of Northern Exposure’s duelling hearts, Maggie have a word with Joel, Virtue finds her cause resentment raised by the arrogant, big-city talkback host, Tom Dooley.

“There’s a great cerebral wit corporate between them but whether situation develops into anything, I don’t know. Helen’s a very unfettered woman, I don’t see wind because they’re a single gal and single man, they’re anticipated to be together. Hopefully Appropriateness in the Air isn’t prescription and we’ll challenge formulas.”

Since critical began last September, Birve’s preeminent sacrifice is losing four hours’ sleep a night.

Her more advanced bedtime is 8.30pm. Any reputation that comes from the signify will be discarded until she develops a routine and finds time for life between apartment and scripts. “I’m a workaholic. I’m disciplined. Tragically so. Keen bit of a loser divagate way,” she says.

Something in picture Air is on the ABC Monday to Thursday at 6.30pm.

By Lisa Mitchell
March 23, 2000
The Age