Australian actor Isabel Lucas talks to Stellar about acting, activism, how she’s learnt the power of saying “no” – and why you’ll never see her in a horror flick.

It’s fair to say that although Isabel Lucas is an actor by trade, she’s an environmental activist at heart. The 34-yearold cut her teeth on Home And Away in 2003 and since then has starred in both local and Hollywood films and television shows, and also appeared in Ed Sheeran’s ‘Give Me Love’ music video. The Melbourne born actor, now based in Byron Bay, has made just as many headlines for her work with the environment as she has for her career – most notably when she joined Nashville’s Hayden Panettiere and others to protest dolphin culling in Japan. Lucas has also worked with Sea Shepherd, Oxfam, Women Against Violence, and in 2010 she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global clean water crisis. Her latest role sees her working on sustainable fashion and helping women who have experienced exploitation.

Like several other high-profile Australian actors, you choose Byron Bay to be your home. What do you love about it?
I love the ocean, especially seeing the whales migrating, and all the dolphins. I love being able to walk to the beach and have healthy, pristine nature around. It’s very encouraging and inspiring.

Your first acting gig was playing Tasha on Home And Away for three years. How do you look back on that time?
I reflect on it with gratitude and think it was a very sweet entry into the film and television industry. The community on that project were very tight-knit and supportive. I feel the people I was on the show with were an especially beautiful bunch of people.

You have worked on a range of films from Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen to The Water Diviner. What draws you to particular projects?
Always the first thing is a good script. Then there are factors that vary, such as if I really want to work in Australia, I’ll say yes to a small Aussie independent film, or I’ll have friends on a film that I want to work with, or I’m inspired to explore a certain genre. That genre never includes horror. I’ve passed on so many horror films. I just can’t do them!

Why is that?
I just feel like the classic horror genre creates more fear in the world. It’s like getting a little explosion of fear and putting it out to the world and I don’t want to be a part of that. I think it plants more fear and gets us to be more anxious and less trusting.

You’ve partnered with Outland Denim as the new brand ambassador. Why was this the right fit for you?
Brands that are creating with a conscience are very attractive to me. I was shocked to learn recently that every 10 minutes, 6000 kilos of textile fabric ends up in landfill. We shot the campaign in the Sydney CBD. I’m not a huge fan of doing photo shoots, but it was fun and it really heightened how fortunate I am to be in the position I’m in, especially when I was there wearing these beautiful clothes that are made by many women that have experienced extreme exploitation, coming out of sex trafficking. It’s quite incredible what the brand has created and how they help people.

You’ve always been an environmental activist. How do you approach your own shopping?
I choose to buy organic where I can. It makes a big dif­ference because when you buy natural fibre clothing, like organic cotton, denim, linen and hemp, they don’t have the microplastics inside that will end up in landfill.

What was the best advice you’ve received in your career?
Well, the thing I heard and applied to my career is that your “no” is really powerful. It’s not all about making money, it’s about growth and being an artist. Sometimes you need to take some time out and replenish. Our society does not applaud replenishment or taking breaks; this is a more feminine way of living – listening to your body and not always your head.

Do you think that saying yes is something women tend to do?
Yes, absolutely. I think as women it’s in our DNA, the mantra is centuries and centuries of giving and caring and wanting to be there. It’s the natural instinct, so I think to safeguard our own health and the health of the planet, we need to set boundaries. Slow down and listen to the body, it needs replenishment to stay healthy.

How have you put that into practice?
My whole life is based on listening to my gut instinct, so I follow my body and listen to it. It’s usually a very quick moment and it’s a real instinct of “yes” or “no”. I’m so grateful because my intuition is always right.

You don’t second-guess it?
I don’t anymore. I used to and whenever I did, it wouldn’t end up working well. The second guessing is the head and the intuition is the body; the body is the more feminine and the head is the more masculine, which is just as valuable, but society has placed more value on the head than the body.

What does success look like to you?
Seeing the ones around me thriving and happy. I feel like we live in a society where competition gets pushed in our face a lot. But success for me would be seeing a healthy world, healthy community, and friends and family around me.