Editorial : The Rich Also Cry, Bao Qing Tian, Journey to the West, Little House on the Prairie, the series of comedy king Sac-lo… were films associated with the childhood of the 8X and 9X generations in Vietnam. These are not only globally famous works but also the springboard that brought many artists closer to the audience, opening up brilliant careers for themselves.
However, behind the fame and money, artists also have hidden corners, feelings that they do not know how to share with anyone. Their screen life and their daily life are sometimes painfully different. After 20-30 years, their lives also go in different directions.
Dan Tri has created a series of articles called Famous Artists associated with the memories of Vietnamese audiences to recall famous films, recall beautiful memories and listen to the life stories of famous artists.
In 1994, the film Ocean Girl was broadcast in Australia and many countries around the world. The film is a science fiction television series and was made over a period of 3 years.
The film revolves around the strange but interesting life of a girl named Neri (played by Marzena Godecki), a girl who possesses supernatural powers, can dive deep into the ocean, swim freely like a fish. In particular, Neri can talk to ocean creatures and is especially close to a whale.
A magical ocean world , an attractive underwater life appears vividly on the small screen. Not only is it a story about the magical world under the sea, Ocean Girl is also a humane story about love, friendship, and family. All of these have created a deep childhood memory in the hearts of Vietnamese audiences, especially the 8X and early 9X generations.
"Ocean Girl" was broadcast in 70 countries and created a special fever in Vietnam (Photo: News).
Up to now, the film has been broadcast in 70 countries around the world, becoming a spiritual food for many children. The attractive and interesting plot, along with a beautiful young cast and impressive acting are the factors that make the success of Ocean Girl.
The film also launched young actors of the time such as Marzena Godecki (as Neri) and David Hoflin (as Jason Bates) into promising stars of Australian cinema. However, very few of them took advantage of the film's reputation to promote their careers.
Despite the film’s huge success, 30 years later, none of them have become world-class movie stars. Some have continued to act, while others have given up the art to pursue their personal passions.
Female lead Marzena Godecki beat 500 candidates to play the role of "ocean girl" Neri
In Ocean Girl , Marzena Godecki's Neri is a young girl with superpowers who lives on a deserted island. Neri's daily life becomes different when she meets new friends from the modern world. The intersection of wild and modern life creates unexpected events.
Transforming into a beautiful woman living alone on a deserted island, Marzena Godecki was considered a wise choice by the film director at that time. She possesses a wild, mysterious beauty with captivating eyes. Marzena Godecki's appearance is also very suitable for a girl living under the ocean, completely unfamiliar with modern life.
Marzena Godecki was born in Poland and immigrated to Australia with her family when she was four years old. At the time of her audition for Neri, Marzena was a modern dance and ballet student. She had no previous acting experience.
To get the role of ocean girl Neri, Marzena Godecki had to overcome more than 500 other bright candidates after a series of underwater physical tests, especially swimming ability.
Unfortunately, after Ocean Girl , this Polish actress did not participate in many films and did not have a successful role like "ocean girl" Neri. The last project that Marzena Godecki participated in was called Round the Twist but it was only a small role.
According to a source, the film Ocean Girl ended just as Marzena entered college. She decided to give up her acting career to focus on her studies, hoping to become a doctor.
Marzena Godecki cannot overcome the shadow of "Ocean Girl" (Photo: News).
However, Marzena's dream of becoming a doctor did not come true, so she switched to studying graphic design and business. In 2008, Marzena got married and focused on taking care of her "home" and the couple's business. The actress's husband is a businessman.
No longer active in the entertainment industry, Marzena is now a true family woman and enjoys happiness with her husband and children. She also does not use social media to ensure a peaceful life with her small family.
Currently, Marzena and her husband live in Melbourne (Australia) with their two children, a boy and a girl. She participates in managing a children's fashion store in Melbourne.
For Marzena Godecki, The Ocean Girl is truly an unforgettable memory in her life. Marzena Godecki once confided that the success of the character Neri and her own immersion in the role made it difficult for her to choose another role later.
Marzena Godecki is happy with her small family and focuses on her business (Photo: Instagram).
"Handsome blond Jason Bates" David Hoflin still pursues acting career
David Hoflin plays Jason Bates in Ocean Girl . In the film, Jason is the eldest son of the director of the Australian Marine Science Center. The Bates brothers meet Neri by chance and become friends with her. The trio became legendary in Ocean Girl.
The legendary trio of "Ocean Girl" (Photo: News).
When he starred in the movie Ocean Girl , David was in his teens. The handsome and scholarly appearance of the Swedish boy at that time made young audiences crazy. Along with the pure feelings that Jason had for Neri in the movie, David Hoflin became the dream prince of many female audiences.
After the success of Ocean Girl , David Hoflin continued to work as an actor but did not shine as expected. He appeared in many TV series such as Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Supernatural, Hawaii Five-O... but his roles were mainly supporting characters.
His career was not as successful as expected, but David did not give up his passion for acting. Sharing about the turning point in his life after the success of Ocean Girl , David admitted that he still felt lucky to be involved in a famous television project. Although he was not a successful star in adulthood, David was still satisfied with his own choice.
David Hoflin (right) is happy with his partner, also an actor (Photo: Getty Images).
In real life, the blond actor has a happy family. He met the love of his life - actress Natalie Blair when he participated in the movie Neighbours . Their love for art and similar outlook on life made them determined to get married. The couple has been together for 10 years and has a child together. His wife is a great source of motivation for David not to give up acting.
Currently, the actor lives and works in Los Angeles, USA. At the age of 44, he is still working hard on films and trying to prove himself. He is also a rare actor in the film crew of Ocean Girl who still maintains his passion for acting until now.
"Sly Brett Bates" Jeffrey Walker Makes an Unexpected Turn
Jeffrey Walker (born 1982) grew up in Melbourne, Australia. He started acting at the age of 6 and became famous in the land of kangaroos thanks to his natural acting ability. At the time of participating in Ocean Girl , Jeffrey was already a child star in the Australian entertainment industry. In the film, Jeffrey Walker plays the role of the intelligent and quick-witted younger brother Brett Bates.
However, after this film, Jeffrey Walker's acting career did not have much breakthrough, despite the popularity of the film. After many years of struggling to find a life-changing role or to affirm his role as an actor, Jeffrey made a bold decision to switch to directing.
Some of the works directed by Jeffrey Walker include television series such as Neighbours (2003-2004), Home and Away (2005), Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 (2012), Modern Family (2013-2014)... As a director, he also won several awards.
Among the projects he participated in after Ocean Girl , Jeffrey had the opportunity to reunite with "ocean girl" Marzena Godecki in Round the Twist and "brother" David Hoflin in the project Neighbors . Besides his directing work, Jeffrey is also a member of a band in Sydney (Australia) as the group's lead guitarist.
Currently, Jeffrey is married to actress Brooke Harman and has two sons. On his personal page, he occasionally shares pictures of his happy family. Talking about the movie Ocean Girl, the actor born in 1982 affirmed that this is truly a beautiful memory in his artistic career.
"Mera personality" Lauren Hewett mysteriously disappeared from the spotlight
In Ocean Girl , Lauren impressed the audience with her beautiful appearance and long red hair. Lauren's role in the film is Mera, the lost daughter of "ocean girl" Neri.
Mera always longed for a home of her own, especially when she was constantly bullied by the children at the orphanage. With a strong personality, the role of Mera was both loved and hated by the audience.
Lauren Hewett (left) and Marzena Godecki in "Ocean Girl" (Photo: News).
The director of the film Ocean Girl said that he had Lauren in mind for the role of Mera since he wrote the script. At the time of participating in the film, the actress born in 1981 was already a talented and famous child star in the Australian entertainment industry. She acted in films since she was a child and won many prestigious Australian film awards in the 90s of the last century.
Leaving the film, Lauren was not the female lead, but the most sought-after character. She received invitations to many famous television projects such as Strictly Ballroom, The Echo of Thunder, Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord. With her natural acting talent and the launch pad of Ocean Girl, Lauren's acting career took off like a kite.
When her career was on the rise, Lauren Hewettt decided to retire to start a family in 2010. Since then, she has lived a private life, not interacting with the media and not posting on social networks. Some of the actress's friends said that Lauren's husband is someone who works outside the entertainment industry.
After many years of living in the spotlight and the pressure of being a star, the 8X generation actress wishes to have a normal, simple life like any other married woman. Her last role in her career was Bronwyn McChristie in the movie Cubbyhouse in 2010.
Lauren Hewett retired, seemingly disappearing from the entertainment industry after getting married in 2010 (Photo: News).
Lesson 3: The ups and downs of the life of the actor "Prime Minister Liu the Hunchback"
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