Thomas Weatherall black representation in Heartbreak High marked his beginning in the industry. Audiences loved his character and supported him wholeheartedly.
Teen heartthrob Thomas Weatherall is back with a new play, Blue. He began writing the script in 2019 and has now finally debuted it at Brisbane’s La Boite Theater.
Key Takeaways
- Thomas Weatherall portrays an indigenous character in Heartbreak High. However, international audiences often confuse his race.
- The rising actor brilliantly performed his role and stole the show.
- Thomas Weatherall is proud to have played a First Nations role and will continue in season three.
Blue is a one-man show featuring Thomas as a young man named Mark. The character frequently writes letters to his mom after moving out of home.
The play was a big hit last year in Sydney. Many critics praised the character’s openness, bluntness, and honest personality.
Surprisingly, Weatherall never intended to show Blue. The play was more like a diary entry before he re-drafted it five times to make the story more fictional.
Thomas Weatherall Black Character Has Made Many Curious About His Race
The actor never expected to hit big with his character in Heartbreak High.
The teen drama recently finished its second season and will return to Netflix for a third and final season next year.
Thomas’ character, Malakai Mitchell, is a First Nations man who is proud of his culture. In the show, Malakai and Missy (Sherry-Lee Watson) are referred to as “Blak” or “Black.”
This created confusion among international audiences. Many even questioned if Thomas Weatherall is Black in real life.
The actor shared how his identity in Australia is questioned or judged. He quotes,
It puts you in a weird position, as a person, to suddenly be getting things from Anglo-Saxon people around the world going, ‘You’re not Black’ and going, ‘Sweetie, you don’t get to tell me that’, you know?
From Pedestrian
Rather than interrogating and misunderstanding his character’s race, Thomas wants the audience to see Malakai as more than a guy of color.
Malakai’s struggles as a teen could resonate with many. So, Weatherall hopes to draw attention to them rather than getting tangled in his indigenous identity.
Thomas Weatherall Is A Rising Kamilaroi Actor
The Heartbreak High actor was born on August 22, 2000, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Thomas Weatherall’s race is Kamilaroi.
Kamilaroi are Aboriginal Australians primarily residing in New South Wales and Southern Queensland.
Weatherall is proud of his culture and heritage. He even won the Belvoir Theater’s 2021 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship.
The rising star was happy to portray a First Nations character in Heartbreak High. His character once encounters police violence in the show.
That essential plotline was done to make audiences realize about the racism First Nations experience in the society. Weatherall mentions that international audiences don’t know First Nations Australians exist.
As he continues to make waves in the industry, Thomas aims to showcase his indigenous identity and inspire young Kamilaroi people.
Additional Information About Thomas Weatherall
- Thomas Weatherall is supposedly dating Australian actress Stevie Answerth. However, they haven’t confirmed their relationship yet.
- The actor is the youngest of five children of his parents.
- Thomas Weatherall’s father is a former rugby league player who has become a government officer, while his mother is an ex-swimmer turned teacher’s aide.
