She was once one of Australia’s most recognisable child stars, shooting to fame at the tender age of 12 after being cast in the iconic series The Saddle Club.
But life looks very different for Lara Jean Marshall these days.
In an essay published by SBS, the former child star, 35, revealed she abandoned her Hollywood dreams in recent years and is now pursuing a career in journalism.
Shortly after she finished filming The Saddle Club in 2003, Lara relocated from Australia to Hollywood in the hopes of parlaying her local fame onto the international stage.
Unfortunately, making it as an actor wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped.
The Saddle Club star Lara Jean Marshall, 35, has penned a heartfelt essay for SBS revealing why she turned her back on Hollywood after trying to make it as an actor for a decade
‘I worked jobs that could give me the flexibility to act and went above and beyond to make it but I was getting little in return,’ she lamented.
Lara said she became worn down by the many difficulties of living overseas, blaming ‘red tape and other obstacles’ as the reason why she couldn’t break into the industry.
‘It got to a point where the lifestyle was negatively impacting my mental health and stressing me financially. I decided to stop acting because I was sick and tired of being powerless over my own life,’ she said.
Shortly after she finished filming The Saddle Club in 2003, Lara relocated from Australia to Hollywood in the hopes of parlaying her local fame onto the international stage. (Pictured on The Saddle Club)
After turning her back on acting, Lara returned to Australia and enrolled in a journalism course. In November 2022 she was announced as the new co-host of Power FM Ballarat’s breakfast show
The brunette said abandoning her dream ‘really hurt’, describing her efforts as ‘a huge loss’.
After turning her back on acting, Lara returned to Australia and enrolled in a journalism course.
In November 2022, she was announced as the new co-host of Power FM Ballarat’s breakfast show.
‘Thanks to my new career, I can engage with the local community through on-air competitions and giveaways, playing the latest hits, joking with listeners and empathising with the personal struggles they may have,’ she enthused
‘Thanks to my new career, I can engage with the local community through on-air competitions and giveaways, playing the latest hits, joking with listeners and empathising with the personal struggles they may have,’ she enthused.
Lara’s latest acting credit was in in the 2019 short sci-fi film Remarkable, in which she played a supporting role.
She is also set to appear in the upcoming TV series We Were Tomorrow opposite Underbelly star Gyton Grantley, which she filmed in 2019.
Lara starred in 52 episodes of The Saddle Club as Lisa Atwood, and also released five albums with her co-stars Sophie Bennett and Keenan Macwilliam.
Speaking to Ten back in 2019, Lara revealed she was still in contact with Sophie and Keenan, confirming they had ‘remained really close’ after filming.
Lara starred in 52 episodes of The Saddle Club as Lisa Atwood, and also released five albums with her co-stars Sophie Bennett (left) and Keenan Macwilliam (right)
