Back To The Outback’s Isla Fisher Revels In Australian Creatures (Interview)
Isla Fisher of Back to the Outback shares how she fell in love with her character, Maddie, based on early sketches of the “creepy” animal.
by netflix Back to the Outback is a sweet animated film that follows a band of nominally dangerous animals escaping from a Sydney-based zoo back to their natural habitat in the Australian Outback. At the center of the film is Maddie (Isla Fisher), the Tapian, a slippery serpent with the lethal ability to kill multiple men. In reality, Maddie is the kind-hearted leader among her friends, dreaming of reuniting them with their families.
Fisher leads the cast of Australian acting and comedy legends and gives Maddie an almost naive sense of optimism. During an exclusive interview with CBR, Fisher opened up about her favorite things to bring Maddie the Taipan to life in Back in the Outback. The star also explained what it means for her to bring such a sweet story to young audiences.
CBR: Your character, Maddie, ends up having this interesting element that makes her so naïve but also the leader of the group. There’s such an upbeat exploration of the world – what were some of your favorite things about Maddie?
Fisher Island: I know. It’s interesting that you talk about it. I wondered how, very early on in history, Maddie would rally everyone and convince them to take these modes of transportation back to the Outback. But yet, she is also the one that has been raised in captivity since she was an egg. So, I played it like, other than the story, maybe her mom explained some things to her because her leadership is there very early on despite having no experience whatsoever.
I think she is so shocked to have everyone she thought she loved her [like Chaz], see that she is actually something hideous [to them.] It’s such a shock and such a conflict for her. His journey [becomes about] empowerment and self-acceptance and achieving the thing that makes her unfriendly is actually the thing that makes her unique. This is his strength. It is such a beautiful message for children.
Snakes can be a scary animal for people, including me. I was surprised at how attractive Maddie’s design really is. What was your reaction the first time you saw her?
In fact, I immediately thought it was a very iconic image – just her color and the shape of her eyes and the symmetry of her face. I was very attracted by its contrast and its brightness. I felt like she had what it takes to be a … She’s the star of the movie. So I wanted her to really work visually. I think they did a fantastic job animating it. It was very special to see her in action, because obviously you only see her as a line drawing at first.
It’s a film with sweet messages. Even beyond the lessons on accepting yourself and not judging others before you know them, Back to the Outback is a celebration of Australian wildlife. What does it mean to you that young audiences, especially young Australian audiences, grow up with this story?
It’s fantastic – even just all the characters that are on display. There are so many famous Australian animals: the kangaroo, wombat, platypus and opossum. We love them and we are so proud of them, but we are also proud of the fact that we have nine of the ten most dangerous and deadly snakes and spiders. We wear it as a badge of honor as we have all those creatures that can kill you.
So it’s good to include them and have a story around them. Something like Taipan’s serpent, which is Maddie, the character that I play, a drop of his venom can kill ten men. Yet a Taipan, I think, never killed anyone. I’m not saying they’re as shy and sweet and sweet as Maddie, but it’s good to put these characters, these unlikely heroes, center stage for once.
To watch Fisher as the deadly gentle snake, Maddie, watch Back to the Outback, streaming now on Netflix.
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