Rebecca Bana and Sophie Bana on their quiet Hollywood-ish life | A1214O5 | 2024-05-10 14:08:01
Rebecca Bana and Sophie Bana on their quiet Hollywood-ish life | A1214O5 | 2024-05-10 14:08:01
On being a role model…
Rebecca: I have quite a good mother-daughter relationship with Sophia which I am grateful for. I also really wanted to be a mum and was so happy when my kids came along. At first, I was a travelling spouse for my husband Eric Bana who was overseas a lot filming, and I was fortunate enough to be with him and have the kids with us at the same time. Our son Klaus was born first (1999) and then Sophia (2002) came along. She is blessed with a lovely, happy and even temperament and I don't put any of that down to excellent parenting. We all are born a certain way and she hasn't caused me any trouble at all. I know that sounds unique, but I think it all comes down to her character. Yes, some kids are trickier than others, and I got it easy with Sophia.
Sophia: My mum is very passion-led and that was inspiring to me growing up. Being able to see someone like her be so interested in what she does, and remains driven by that today, has definitely made an impression on me. It's that same passion I apply when it comes to my dancing career and modelling work. Mum and I have always had a close relationship and are like-minded and very similar in a lot of ways even though I don't like to admit that sometimes [laughs]. We don't really get into many arguments, if we do, it was when I was 10 and on the tennis court with mum trying to give me tips on how to play, and me ignoring her. As long as we stay in our lanes, we're fine.
A childhood reflection…
Sophia: We did spend a lot of time watching Dance Moms when I was growing up. I still live at home, and [we] now watch a new series Dance Life together.
Rebecca: Sophia and I also love spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking. We are both similar in our desire to keep healthy. I love when it's just us at home, because we have a similar palette for food and cooking meals. We make Buddha bowls and both bake pretty cakes and biscuits. We often go on walks and sometimes do Pilates together.
On work life…
Rebecca: I have been working as a freelance photographer for the past 10 years and it's something I discovered I could do later in life, after my career in PR wound up.
It was then, a decade ago, that I spotted Eric had some beautiful camera gear at home and decided I should learn how to use this! I enrolled in a week-long course, exploring how to use the gear. I then went on to do a three-month course, and then enrolled in a photographic college. l just loved it. From the moment I touched the camera I fell in love. I remember when I was doing publicity, it was always the photo shoots that was my favourite part of the media experience. I don't know why I didn't pick it up earlier, it took me a while for me to find my thing. I don't shoot every day. I also play golf [with friend Kitty Flanagan of Fisk fame] which keeps me busy too. I do like to photograph weekly. When I started it, I committed to it daily, and during COVID-19 I forced myself to shoot something pretty every day — that was a discipline I maintained which got me through.
In some ways I wish I had discovered photography sooner. I do constantly think that the career path Sophia has chosen is really hard, but I also see there is a real grit about her and a determination that will work in her favour. I don't think I had that same discipline at her age, so I back her intentions because that's what you do as a parent, and I know she'll keep pushing forward and if she needs to change paths she will. She has the most beautiful work ethic — and most kids today have 10 different careers, so I guess as a mum I can see it's her work ethic and grit that puts me to shame. She is competitive and focused.
Sophie: My mum doesn't give herself enough credit especially watching her with her photography career! She is leaning into what she is great at and making it work for her. I know it's a good idea to have career back-up options, but I am not about giving myself excuses. I want to do what I want to do with my work. I see that in mum's approach to life and work, and my dad too. Having a supportive home to bounce off when things don't go my way is invaluable. Mum has always been level headed. We're both academic [her sister is a High Court Judge] but also have a creative flair, and it's about which one you want to highlight at what point you're at in life.
I am INSPIRED by my PARENTS and take their ADVICE, but I'll go about getting there MY WAY.
As for me, I have a few fashion shoots coming up which is exciting. I also switched agencies and now with GIANT so I am excited to see what will come next. I really love being on set and doing photo shoots, the buzz you get from being around photographers and stylists is really inspiring — it's a dream for me to work in that space. Both my parents are conscious of not trying to help me out too much when it comes to my career, and want me to achieve things in life on my own merit, but I also think I have a lot to learn and look up to them for. To ignore my dad's influence on my life wouldn't be fair on him, he has worked hard to get to where he is and what he has achieved, so I definitely look up to him and take a leaf from that book.
On their shared love of fashion…
Sophie: Mum is very fashionable and will often show me pieces she has purchased, and I'll think that's so not cool. A month later, everyone is wearing it. She is always a step ahead. Her advice when it comes to fashion is that less is more and choose one item to be the standout piece. As I am getting older, I wander more into her closet and steal Camilla and Marc tops and haven't returned a pair of Scanlan & Theodore black sandals.
Rebecca: I do love clothes, but while my mother liked nice clothes, the inspiration for fashion came from my maternal grandmother who was a dressmaker.
On building a family with a Hollywood star …
Rebecca: There is a lot of love between Eric and I. You get married and there's plenty of things that can be thrown at you, and things you can't predict in life, but we are really best friends. I think it's also Eric's decision to maintain a low profile that has sat well with me well over the years – we're both on the same page, and we enjoy a lot of things together. I also know that what will take us through the next 30 years is our golf journey. We are both so obsessed with doing that. As a couple we're good friends, and what we have tried to do is keep life as normal as possible for the kids. He stills makes me laugh and he's supportive of my photography work.
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