january-2010

STAR STRUCK
NATALIE NATALIE BASSINGTHWAIGHTE
Bassingthwaighte was performing
from a young age. “I was singing every
day,” she says. “I’d put on shows for
anyone who wanted to watch, and even
when they didn’t I made them sit there
and watch, yell ‘Sssssh!’ and charge 20
cents to watch a show.
“I remember my sisters and friend singing
“Let’s Hear It For The Boy” from Footloose
at the Narrabeen Caravan Park. Of course,
I was the boss so I was the main girl. I put it
all together and I always had to be the lead.”
She laughs self-effacingly, “Nothing’s
changed there!”
But singing wasn’t always her dream. “When
I was 12 and dating this boy, we thought that
we were going to get married and have a farm
and raise sheep and pigs together. It’s funny
how you look back and think I’d never do that
— I’d never have the strength or the guts [to
be a farmer],” she says.
This multi-talented performer and
workaholic fi rst broke onto our TV screens as
“evil” Izzy Hoyland, who stirred up trouble on
the soapie Neighbours for more than three
years. Then Bassingthwaighte emerged as
the singing temptress in the platinum-selling
Natalie Bassingthwaighte performing with
Rogue Traders at the 2008 Allan Border
Medal presentation
20 JANUARY 2010
Bassingthwaighte
with co-star
Dieter Brummer
in Underbelly 3
electro-rock act the Rogue Traders. All the
while she appeared in stage musicals, scoring
lead roles as Sandy in Grease and Ariel in
Footloose, thanks to earlier experience in
smaller roles in Rent and Chicago.
In 2008, Bassingthwaighte released her fi rst
book, Sistahood: A Journal of Self-Discovery
(ABC Books), co-authored with her younger
sister Nicky Moore, which is aimed at helping
tweens boost their self-esteem. “I’m the
second youngest of four sisters and family is
really important to me. That will never change.
I’m really lucky. Mum and dad and my sisters
have always been really supportive. Funnily
enough it’s dad who is the one who collects
everything since I started when I was about
10 — newspaper and magazine articles, DVDs
and CDs — absolutely everything!”
Photo: Getty Images