Pia Miranda talks Survivor, Looking For Alibrandi and embracing her villain era in Invisible Boys.

When it comes to beloved Australian actors, you don't get much more iconic than Pia Miranda.

The star of Looking For Alibrandi and countless other roles, Miranda has taken on a comparatively dark character in the Stan Original Series Invisible Boys.

The gritty series is based on Holden Sheppard's novel of the same name. Set in the country town of Geraldton in Western Australia, it follows four gay teens navigating identity, sexuality and prejudice during the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite.

The cast includes rising stars Joseph Zada, Aydan Calafiore, Zach Blampied, and Joe Klocek as the four boys.

The series has already received huge acclaim for its raw portrayal of queer dating, teenage dilemmas and homophobia in Australia.

Watch the trailer. Post continues after video.

In Invisible Boys, the actress plays Anna Calogero, the conservative mother of Zeke (Aydan Calafiore) who is about as far away from Miranda's role in Looking For Alibrandi as you could get.

In an exclusive chat with Mamamia, Miranda opened up about playing a more villainous role like Anna, who is a homophobic mother in the series.

"I played Survivor, I'll be alright," she laughed.

"You know what I mean? That will definitely harden you. It's exciting playing a character that's very different. For me, I don't really go into a job, thinking about how people are going to perceive me. I'm more conscious of, 'Am I gonna do a good job? Am I going to do the writing justice?'"

Miranda said it was an important role that spoke to a larger problem.

"If you look at the world right now, there are a lot of these conversations going on in a way that I feel is negative," she said.

"For me, it was important to play Anna as a real person, because there are real people out there really spouting this kind of information."

With the rise of right-wing policies and homophobic rhetoric, especially in the US, Miranda said it was important to shine a light on this.

"Some people just don't change their minds. Some people really are committed to this way of thinking," she said.

"There are prejudiced values being spouted on the internet and in America at the moment, and there's a lot of really troubling situations when it comes to trans people or gay people. It was really timely for me."

Image: Supplied.

Miranda's friendship with her on-screen son, Aydan Calafiore, made it easier to navigate some of the more confronting scenes between them.

"Aydan and I just had such a good relationship and such a fun rapport that we could really go to those dark places because we would just chat and have a laugh in between [takes]."

This was a far cry from the tense relationship Anna had with her son Zeke in the series, a dynamic that Pia admits is the opposite to her relationship with her son, James, and daughter, Lily.

"I can happily and confidently say that I could not relate to anything that Anna did, which really warms my heart," she admits.

"In that way, it was easier to go there because I wasn't really challenging my own values or my own mindset. I don't understand this woman on any level so it was a fun experience to try and work out how to make this work and make it human."

One scene in the show is an unexpected callback to the actor's most iconic film.

"It made me laugh because the tomato scene from Looking For Alibrandi is referenced in Invisible Boys. I thought it was very sweet and quite great that he [director Nicholas Verso] thought of me for that role," she said.

"It was a really nice full circle moment considering that I've only done Tomato Day twice and both of them have been on-screen."

Speaking of Looking for Alibrandi, Miranda admits she still has a close friendship with the book's author, Melina Marchetta.

"My friendship with Melina makes it all the more special. We've been on this very long bizarre journey together for 25 years," she said.

"So many people want to be a part of something big or special, and they don't get to experience that. For me, I will always be grateful for that."

She still gets recognised, although not always for the right reason.

The three generations of Alibrandi women depicted in the iconic '90s film.

"I say to Melina that some people think I wrote the book. They ask me questions about it, like, 'Why did you write this? and I can't answer. I don't ever want to break anyone's heart who I meet in the street, and Melina laughs," she said.

"Unfortunately for Melina, she's not recognised, so I get all the free prosciutto at the deli. I get a couple of extra slices." Score!

Aside from her work on film, Miranda is most known for winning Australian Survivor in 2019, an experience she says had a huge impact on her approach to her work.

"Survivor was so hard, and it gave me confidence to do difficult things. It was just so difficult and I somehow came through those 50 days and then won it," she said.

"I have a lot of confidence now in my ability to tackle something that's scary. I don't get as scared. As far as career-wise or roles, I don't really fear anything like I used to, which is a nice gift. Survivor gives as much as it takes — and it takes a bit."

But if you were assuming Miranda is tuning into the current season, think again.

"I love Survivor, but when I see Jonathan [LaPaglia] on an island in his hat, I feel very triggered [laughs]. It's often on when I'm at the gym, so I just kind of watch with subtitles at the gym and it takes the pressure off," she said.

That said, she will be watching the next all-stars season. "I'm definitely gonna watch the next one because I've got a few friends on it."

Pia Miranda won Australian Survivor in 2019. Image: Ten.

Aside from her acting and reality TV stints, Miranda has a new hat she's keen to wear: TV show creator.

"I bought the rights to The Villain Edit, which is Alisha Aitken-Radburn's book. I've just done the pitch for that and everything. I'm pitching that around at the moment," she said.

"I've had some really good responses, so I'm hoping to turn that into a TV show because I think it'd make a great TV show." Hard agree!

In the coming months, Miranda is excited to broaden her horizons while focusing on her family.

"As you get older, it's really important to keep your career path wide. I think that's why I've kept working because there's only so many roles you can do in your 50s," she admits.

"Right now, I'm just trying to be mum of the year and be home every day to pick up, make lunches and make dinner so that no one's mad at me [laughs]."

As for Invisible Boys, Miranda couldn't be prouder to be part of such an important Australian art.

"Invisible Boys is the first queer story I've seen about young Australians in a small town navigating what it means to be queer in an environment that doesn't always feel that forgiving," she said.

"A lot of queer stories internationally and in Australia, really centre around big cities, and in a big city it's really easy to find your tribe. The beautiful thing about Invisible Boys is that it's about these young people finding their tribe in this incredible small town."

She is thrilled that the reaction has been so positive.

"It's so special to me. I've always taken pride in being such an ally for the LGBTQI community," she admits.

"Unfortunately, I'm not playing an ally in the show, but for me to be part of something that I really believe is an important story to tell was very special to me."

The Stan Original Series Invisible Boys is now streaming on Stan.

Feature image: Stan.