Imagine being so good at something that you manage to become a worldwide sensation and take home the PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION award for Screen Star Of The Year after your first-ever on-screen gig? Well, that’s the reality for talented up-and-comer Sherry-Lee Watson.
The proud Arrernte woman made a name for herself within the Aussie screen industry after scoring the role of Missy Becket in Netflix’s 2022 reboot of the beloved ’90s Aussie series Heartbreak High.
Her character is bold, brash, bisexual and unashamedly deadly. While Sherry-Lee’s portrayal of Missy in Season One was stellar, in Season Two, Missy’s story arc was front and centre — and god, it was good.
Although Sherry-Lee knocked it out of the park, she admits that she was a bit nervous about having a more prominent role in Season Two.
“I was equally stoked and nervous for this season — particularly around a scene which involves Missy ahh… lettn’ one loose 😭😂,” she joked to PEDESTRIAN.TV.
(IYKYK!!! If you don’t, go watch Heartbreak High!)
“It’s so fun to be able to explore these character’s vulnerabilities and bring lighthearted moments to a show which explores the highs and lows of teenage life in Australia,” she continued.
In what felt like moments after the entire season was released on Netflix, Missy — and Sherry-Lee — quickly became a Gen Z icon with countless scenes and fan edits from her time on the show circulating around TikTok with intergalactic speed and numbers.
But clearly, after knocking her first screen gig out of the park, Heartbreak High is just the beginning for Sherry-Lee. In fact, she’s already working on a project that she can barely contain her excitement for. As a proud Arrernte woman hailing from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, she’s stoked to be filming an upcoming Stan Original series from her very own home town.
Thou Shalt Not Steal stars Sherry-Lee as Robyn, a young Indigenous girl who escapes from detention to go on a bonkers journey across the outback with some awkward dude named Gidge, played by fellow Heartbreak High star Will McDonald.
As a gal who moved her entire life to study arts at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), it’s pretty special to be coming home to Alice Springs to star as the lead in a series.
Below, I had a chat with Sherry-Lee about her groundbreaking win, and what the last whirlwind year has been like in her shoes.
