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interview: Michael Ouzas
Hunters Hill lawyer-turnedwriter Michael Ouzas is hitting the big time in LA. He still misses home though….
You grew up in Hunters Hill and went to school there. What are your memories like from that time? The friends I made at Hunters Hill Public School over 20 years ago are still some of my best friends today. Growing up with them in Hunters Hill was a dream. I remember endless summers of tennis down by the Lane Cove river, and playing football for the All Saints. We lost almost every game and had to rotate the goalie every week because they were inevitably reduced to tears, but we all loved it. I’ve lived with those same friends and travelled the world with them. I feel very lucky to have met them. You’ve lived overseas for the past two and a half years. What do you miss most about home? The people. My friends and family, especially my mum. Sorry to my sister if she’s reading this. I keep in contact with everyone, but two Zoom Christmases is more than enough. I also miss the greenery. After living on the edge of a desert for two and a half years, you really start to appreciate a good tree. The food, too. I miss that a lot. Can you tell I’m homesick?
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You’ve worked as a waiter, a tipstaff to a Supreme Court judge, a lawyer, and a screenwriter in Hollywood. Are there any jobs I’m missing? I was a pizza delivery boy for Chelso’s (now Lipari Pizza Bar) in Hunters Hill for years. I was paid to drive around while listening to the rugby on the radio. Not the worst job in the world.
Why did you decide to leave the law and pursue a career in Hollywood? The law felt like more of a chore than a challenge. I wasn’t satisfied making rich companies richer. On the other hand, creating things has always given me energy. As a kid, I was always drawing or painting or writing mediocre songs and singing them even more mediocrely - I’m sure my parents regretted buying me that guitar. So, when the opportunity came along to follow my dream in the US, I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t take the plunge.
