‘The World May Break Your Heart’: Claudia Karvan Knows Things Are Dark, But These Songs Give Her Hope

When Claudia Karvan landed at London’s Gatwick Airport as a 17-year-old backpacker, she decided she was going to see Sinéad O’Connor.

Not live on stage, not on TV, but just in her presence – and soon.

“And I did!” says Karvan, who by pure chance saw O’Connor in a stall in “Portobello [or] Camden Markets”.

A diminutive figure behind some DJ decks, the real-life O’Connor exuded the quiet power Karvan was drawn to from the start.

“It was such a beautiful moment. I didn’t approach her or anything, no one was approaching her,” she says.

Karvan has been “obsessed” with the late Irish artist since discovering O’Connor’s powerful debut album The Lion and the Cobra as a teenager.

“…And that was just my album. It was just in high rotation. I found it mind-blowing.”

However, Karvan disagrees with the “woo woo” that others might attribute to this singular experience of seeing one of his idols in the flesh.

Her practical pragmatism has made her one of the most successful producers on Australian television today, with hits such as Love My Way, Doctor Doctor and Bump.

But many of us grew up with Karvan as an actor, and his talent for conveying the human condition has shaped the lives of generations of viewers. In everything she creates, optimism and belief are central.

When I invited her to Take 5, it felt right to explore the topic of hope.

A passion for music

Karvan’s deep connection with music dates back to his childhood. As a child living in a traditional Balinese village, she would listen to the distinctive gamelan melodies of the Legong dance soundtrack and press play on a single Plastic Ono Band tape she brought back from Sydney.

The song that stayed with her was Hold On.

“It’s such a beautiful message from John Lennon. There’s something where he sings about hanging on, almost like there’s a hope in it, but also a promise; just keep going. go?”

John and Yoko’s grounding mantra sat alongside Karvan, regularly witnessing ceremonial funeral rituals in Bali.

“You are constantly surrounded by the cycle of life, there are huge funeral processions passing along the beach every week and bodies burning on funeral pyres. It is around you all the time.”

This understanding of death gave Karvan a deep appreciation for making the most of each day.

Making a scene

As a child, Karvan landed a role in the 1983 film Molly before gaining breakthrough roles in 1990’s The Big Steal and the 1993 film The Heartbreak Kid. But it was her coming-of-age roles in 2000s dramas The Secret Life of Us and the award-winning Love My Way that solidified her as a small-screen favorite.

“Just lots of best friends wandering around.”

Being able to develop the characters of Alex (The Secret Life of Us) and Frankie (Love My Way) over several seasons was a gift, says Karvan, and the stories were often fueled by the evolution of his own adult life.

“Everyone’s life continues to fuel the stories and mine is the same; whatever is going on in my life or whatever appeals to me. You don’t want to go into a series repeating yourself or doing the same thing. You just continues to push the limits.”

A fountain of ‘parsley breath’

In December, Karvan will close the fifth and final season of Bump, a Stan original that was also successful internationally. It was his love of salsa that inspired the creation of the Hernandez family, central to the story.

Speaking about his choice of music, Marieta from Buena Vista Social Club frontman Ibrahim Ferrer, Karvan teaches me salsa. It’s harder than it seems.

After falling in love with salsa on a trip to South America, it took Karvan “about a year” to understand its rhythms.

“I’m a very stubborn person and I couldn’t understand the rhythm. It seemed so simple. I went to some classes and completely humiliated myself”, he admits.

“I grew up in clubs and mosh pits, we didn’t dance together. It’s not part of our culture. So that was a real eye-opener for me.

As someone whose pragmatism, drive, and independence have defined his career, I find this intriguing. Such is the complexity of the constantly evolving Claudia Karvan.

The healing power of Sinéad O’Connor

The way we grow, change and open up to the world is at the heart of the stories Karvan wants to tell.

“It’s people discovering things about themselves or surprising themselves, fooling themselves… I find all that kind of stuff really fascinating.”

Back at the record player, I scroll down to O’Connor’s Thank You For Hear Me. It starts so quietly, before O’Connor roars in the final moments.

The song swells as O’Connor’s voice breaks through with the line: “Thank you for breaking my heart, thank you for tearing me apart, now I’m a strong, strong heart, thank you for breaking my heart.”

Sinéad O’Connor’s eternal power strikes again.

“It’s a surprise twist on the song, but also a beautiful thing to hear, especially if you’re recovering from heartbreak, whether it’s one big one or lots of little ones,” says Karvan.

“The world can break your heart, the government can break your heart. There are many different sadnesses, but when you survive them, you feel very strong. It’s a hopeful song in that sense.”

Watch more stories like this on Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV on Tuesday nights at 8:30pm, or streaming on ABC iview now.

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