The Supporting Cast
MATTHEW LATHAM [ Jamie ]
Matthew began acting when he was five years old. He studies drama at Janet Shaw’s Drama Studio in Wollongong, and has performed in many theatrical productions including The Prince’s Pursuit, Alice in Wonderland, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
While this is Matthew’s first feature film, he has taken part in many short films. Matthew is an active drama participant in his primary school productions, and has competed in The Illawarra Dance Festival with his school.
CAROLINE HOPKIRK [ Rachel ]
Gene-X is Caroline’s debut in feature films, having focused primarily on theatre work.
Her body of work includes Away at Glen Street Theatre, The Altruists at Belvoir Street Theatre and The Vagina Monologues at NIDA. She recently completed a year-long acting course (with a strong emphasis on camera work) at Re:Actor and subsequently starred in the short film False Awakening.
AZ JACKSON [ Jay ]
The introduction to becoming an actor all happened very quickly for Az. “One day I just woke up and my body decided to take me along to an acting class. I had no idea why I was there but from then on I was hooked.” After studying for a couple of years with various private coaches, Az enjoyed some success in gaining a featured role in Miramax’s The Great Raid. “Working along side great actors such as Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes and James Franco taught me so much about acting and about myself”.
Since then he has starred in over a dozen short films, recently gaining the leading role and a major supporting role in two Australian feature films.
MARY-ANNE HALPIN [ Detective Hammond ]
Since graduating from Theatre Nepean Mary-Anne has had guest roles in the TV series “All Saints”, “Blackjack”, “Home & Away”, and “A Country Practice”. Stage work includes Lovers at Versailles for the Ensemble Theatre Company, Dead in the Water for Shorts In Winter Festival and Hamlet for the New Theatre. Mary-Anne has also had roles in a number of short films including In Case of Allan, The Instructional Guide to Dating, Karma Complete, and It’s Not Cricket. She has also made a number of corporate training videos and TV commercials.
Gene-X is Mary-Anne’s first feature film.
JAK WYLD [ Detective Holt ]
Although English-born, Jak Wyld began his acting career in New Zealand in 2001. After several roles in NZ television he moved to Australia in 2002. Since arriving in Sydney he has joined the very pro-active film-makers group NAFA and continues to follow his passion for acting. His roles have included work on film, radio, and stage.
Last year he was cast in The Taylors / Crossing Over, a short film which won an Audience Favourite Award at NAFA Show-Fest 2005.
KATYA UZZELL [ Liz ]
Katya’s acting turned from passion to obsession in 2004 when she took her acting to the next level studying the Sanford Meisner Technique at the Actor’s Pulse. She’s worked in numerous theatre productions such as Bye Bye Birdie, Short & Sweet 2004, Tartuffe, and Anastasia. Katya’s first feature was The Full Shebang. She has also appeared on “Home & Away”, “Always Greener”, and “Fat Pizza”.
For Katya, acting has become bigger than herself. She would easily be able to live on bread and water for the rest of her life as long as she could act.
REBECCA ROGERS [ Mrs Phillips ]
An Ensemble Acting Studio graduate, Rebecca has appeared in many theatre productions with the Ensemble Rep Company, Cut Theatre, Hemlock Productions, Misfit Theatre, Futurisk Theatre, Magic Lantern Productions, and Traveling Light Productions. As Artistic Director of The Red Herrings Theatre for 12 years Rebecca has performed, written, and directed over 50 shows. As an actor with Theatre Sol Rebecca toured Swan Laid, which was performed in New York and won international theatre awards in Canada and Japan in 2004. Her TV and film credits include No Worries, “Water Rats”, “Australia’s Most Wanted”, “Murder Call”, “Home & Away”, and “Farscape”.
ROSLYN HICKS [ Consuela ]
Roslyn has recently completed her BCA (Drama) and absolutely loves performing. Over many years she has enjoyed various performance styles from dance to clowning to street theatre to theatresports and now her first film. Her favourite performances so far have been as the prudish Miss Bates in Wesley Institute’s production of Morning Sacrifice as well as her self-devised project There’s No Place Like… which explored the human desire to find where we belong. She is currently writing another play about the biblical concept of light versus darkness which she will perform next year. Roslyn plans to one day have her own theatre company.
GERRY SONT [ Professor White ]
Gerry trained in London and in New York. Early films include Running on Empty, Early Frost, and the lead role in Melvin, Son of Alvin. Featured television roles include “The Young Doctors”, “Waterloo Station”, “A Country Practice”, “Butterfly Island”, and as Brett Macklin on “Home & Away”, which he is currently resurrecting. Theatre highlights include roles with The Playbox, Arts Centre, National and St Martins Theatres in Melbourne. Sydney productions include La cage aux folles, A Streetcar Named Desire, Othello, How Does Your Garden Grow?, No Exit, Three Winters Green, and Milk. He is currently a corporate trainer and teaches acting and presenting skills with NIDA’s Open program.
LARA LUKICH [ Dr Hagen ]
Lara is new to the Sydney acting scene, having worked as an actor in Western Australia and Queensland. In Queensland, Lara was part of the Brolgas Youth Theatre, performing at La Boite in The Little Prince and trained in The Method technique. Moving to Western Australia, Lara produced and performed in the successful musical Long Gone Lonesome Cowgirls and moved into film playing the lead in the shorts The Trigger and Love Me, Love My… which aired on the Arena pay TV channel.
Lara is looking forward to the opportunities Sydney has to offer as well as her feature film debut with Gene-X.
MAJA MESCHITSCHEK [ Mrs Benedict ]
From the time of her childhood, Maja loved dancing and dreamt of the day that she would act and dance on stage. Her parents, conservative and prudent, deemed her dream unacceptable and persuaded her to study economics instead. Regardless, Maja continued dancing and performing on stage. This lead to her getting parts on TV shows, presenter jobs, and musical production. Further acting studies eventually lead to parts in TV commercials and eventually feature films. Maja was also chosen as one of the “deadly women”, Blanche Taylor-Moore, in the so-called documentary series, with director Chris Thorburn.
 | Full cast & crew listing on IMDb |