When recent WAAPA graduate Lila McGuire received audition scripts for a new television series about Australian tennis icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley, she made a startling personal discovery. The Whadjuk and Ballardong Noongar woman, who grew up in Western Australia and South Australia, realised she bears an uncanny resemblance to the sporting legend.
An unexpected doppelganger discovery
McGuire only recognised her striking similarity to Goolagong Cawley when researching for her audition. "I remember googling her to see what she looked like when she was young, and to look at the time period the series is set in," McGuire told STM from her Melbourne home. "I was like, 'Holy moly! We really do look quite similar!' OK, that could work."
The actor had planned to take a break after finishing her studies in 2023, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to portray the trailblazing Wiradjuri athlete. Her professional career had already begun with a role in the second season of The Twelve, filmed during her final year at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Becoming a sporting legend
After securing the role through a successful audition tape and callback session with acclaimed director Wayne Blair, McGuire embarked on an intensive preparation period. She moved from Perth to Melbourne and immersed herself in Goolagong Cawley's life story.
The three-part series 'Goolagong' begins with the champion as a young girl peering through the wire fence of the Barellan tennis courts in rural New South Wales. It follows her rise through tennis ranks during the 1970s and 80s, exploring her relationship with future husband Roger Cawley and her complex dynamic with coach Vic Edwards.
Goolagong Cawley's extraordinary career included:
- Four Australian Open titles
- Two Wimbledon championships (becoming the first mother to win in 1980)
- The 1971 French Open trophy
- World number one ranking in 1976
The series also delves into challenges the public rarely saw, including harassment from her coach, career-threatening injuries, and personal losses.
Physical and emotional transformation
McGuire underwent significant physical changes to embody the tennis star, including perming her naturally straight hair and committing to months of intensive training. She worked with coach Lois Plowman at Taylors Lakes Tennis Club in Melbourne, often practising during quiet periods when renovations limited court traffic.
"There was a lot of staring at myself in the mirror, playing with the racquet and adjusting my poses," McGuire explained about her preparation. "I did five or six months of multiple tennis sessions a week, and multiple gym sessions a week."
While tennis double Vanessa Larkin handled the most demanding sequences, McGuire performed much of the footwork herself and developed a genuine love for the sport.
Personal connections and shared experiences
McGuire found personal resonance with Goolagong Cawley's story, having spent part of her childhood in small communities like Burringurrah inland from Meekatharra. She understood the tennis star's experience of moving from country life to city environments, having herself transitioned to boarding school in Adelaide.
"I very much related to Evonne, and her first experience of going to a big city," McGuire said. "I felt very connected to her desire to return home to country when she needed to connect back to the land."
The actor only met Goolagong Cawley, who serves as associate producer on the project, after filming began. The encounter made the responsibility of portraying a living legend feel profoundly real.
The miniseries 'Goolagong' premieres on ABC on Sunday January 4 at 8.20pm. Meanwhile, McGuire has moved on to another television project, Dustfall, alongside Anna Torv, but continues to play tennis recreationally with her partner.
