From Newcastle to Hollywood, Geraldine Viswanathan‘s journey is as colourful as the roles she’s been nailing lately. The 29-year-old actress, born to an Indian dad and Swiss mum, is making waves in Tinseltown while keeping her Aussie roots firmly planted.
Viswanathan’s latest gig sees her sharing the screen with comedy heavyweights Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in You’re Cordially Invited. However, it’s not just the star power that’s got her chuffed — it’s the film’s subtle nod to her South Asian heritage.
“It was really cool,” Viswanathan shared with PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“I love that Nick Stoller (the movie’s director) really lent into that world. I just thought it was an interesting background — this kind of Indian family, but it’s very minimal because the mom is gone. But I think it added some dimension and colour to mine and Will’s little fam,” she explained.
“I’ve had a lot of great white dads [in movies], and I love that there’s no questioning it. It’s like, we just gotta get a brown mama in there and suddenly it makes sense, which really warms my childhood self’s heart.”
Viswanathan initially struggled to find her place in the Aussie entertainment scene. “I was told that I can’t play Australian,” she recalled to the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year.
“I’d be like, why not? I’m the fucking most Newcastle bitch you’ll ever meet!”
So, she packed her bags and headed to Los Angeles, where opportunities for actors of colour seemed more plentiful. But now, Viswanathan sees a shift happening back home.
“There’s been kind of a tide change, and I’m so happy to see it,” she told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“I love Heartbreak High — there’s really great stuff coming out of Australia. So I have hope for the future of honest and diverse stories coming out of Australia.”
Viswanathan now a staple in the comedy genre, appearing in Drive-Away Dolls across Margaret Qualley and Miracle Workers, it was actually the Aussie comedy scene that really shaped her.
She cut her teeth doing stand-up in Sydney and worked with the sketch comedy group Freudian Nip aka fellow comedians Vic Zerbst and Jenna Owen. In fact, Viswanathan was prepping for a show in the Melbourne Comedy Festival when she got the call she’d be cast in Blockers, which would end up being her breakout role.
So, for those wondering if she’ll ever return to the Aussie comedy circuit: “I’m working on some stuff behind the scenes that I think would be so awesome.”
“Australia has such a great comedy scene, and so many epic comedians that yeah, would love to dive back in.”
It looks like Viswanathan has many great things on the horizon — she’s been confirmed to be apart of Marvel’sThunderbolts cast joining Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour. Viswanathan was kind enough to give us a little insight on this very hush-hush project. When I asked her if she was a Songbird (a character in the comics), she said, “Tweet, tweet bitch.” So, true.
She couldn’t give us much, but she plays “Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ assistant” and her characters name is Mel.
With so many irons in the fire, Geraldine Viswanathan is becoming a force in Hollywood. And honestly? We can’t wait to see what she does next.
You can watch Viswanathan in You’re Cordially Invited on Prime Video, streaming now.
Lead image: Prime Video / Instagram
