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VARIETY INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FUND HUMANITARIAN AWARD
How did you first get involved in the film industry?
I was educated in Australia and was not an especially adept student. 1 left before finishing high school. The federal government job scheme found a job for me working as a projectionist at the drive-in movie theaters and during the day as an assistant in their home office. I worked up from there.
Had the thought of transitioning your career to social service, as you have now, ever crossed your mind before your visiting Phnom Penh in 2003, when you decided to focus your energy on helping Cambodia?
Absolutely not. I loved my time in the film business. It was not just the great lifestyle and the Hollywood glamor, but I had some really good, close friends, and I loved working in such a dynamic industry. The decision to start the charity was based on my experience in this one particular area of Cambodia; otherwise I would still be happily working in the film business.
Was it always part of the plan to transition to Cambodia full time? Or was there a specific moment when you realized you needed to devote all your time to the endeavor?
When I left Cambodia it was with some regret. I felt like I had found my mission and I was enormously driven by the potential to make an impact amongst this community. My original plan was to keep my Hollywood position and send as much money as...