Singing and performing for as long as she can remember, she will soon be seen on SBS as part of the female-led ensemble cast in The Unusual Suspects, a four-part comedy drama series.
Set in Sydney’s glamorous Eastern Suburbs, the tale of female friendship and empowerment revolves around the heist of a $16 million necklace.
Admitting to a minor “fan girl” moment at the first zoom meeting of the full cast, Downes said she had “the best time” working alongside Aina Dumlao (Sanzaru, MacGyver), ACTA award-winner Miranda Otto (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Michelle Vergara Moore (Condor, The Time of Our Lives), as well as the other big group of Filipino-Australian actors with whom she has become good friends.
Filmed in September last year under Covid-safe conditions, she said the cast and crew formed a strong bond and were very supportive.
“It was such a great experience to meet everyone and work with them and not feel like the newbie, even though I was,” she said.
Describing her character in the show as from a wealthy family in the Phillipines, Downes said she was sent to Sydney to work as a cleaner after getting into a “bit of trouble back home”, before finding herself embroiled in an even bigger drama in Australia.
“She’s just a typical Gen Z, she loves glamour and she is all about design and very into social media, which is not far from myself,” she said.
The Unusual Suspects premieres on SBS at 8.30pm on Thursday, June 3, with a full-series drop on SBS On Demand.
