Leigh Sales could soon be breaking out the shoulder pads and big hair amid an unexpected career move. New Idea hears the Australian Story host is being pursued to make her acting debut in the upcoming third season of the ABC’s ’80s-set drama, The Newsreader.
Production is currently underway in Melbourne. Taking place in 1989, this next slate of episodes will depict real-life events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Stars Anna Torv and Sam Reid are confirmed to be reprising their roles of Helen Norville and Dale Jennings. According to our insider, a “fun idea” is being floated for Leigh, 50, to guest star in a small role. They speculate she could play a new colleague of Helen’s, or a mentor to Michelle Lim Davidson’s character Noelene.
That would be quite poignant, given Leigh helped inspire Noelene.
Indeed, last year Leigh revealed The Newsreader’s creator Michael Lewis picked her brain over coffee about being “the most junior person in a newsroom 30 years ago” when he was writing the initial scripts.
“Some of my experiences went into … Noelene,” Leigh shared on Instagram.
A big fan of the show, Leigh also launched a podcast series to tie-in with Season 2 last year, with friend and fellow journalist Lisa Millar.
