Crownies

Have you been watching Crownies? We have, and are strangely addicted to the ABC series (set the IQ for 8.30pm tonight!). Which is why we jumped at the chance to chat to star Indiana Evans, who has shed her sweet Home and Away shell to play vixen lawyer Tatum Novak. We made firm fashion friends with the super sweet actress and bonded over our shared love of Miu Miu shoes and Alexa's wardrobe.

FabSugar: Which are your favourite Australian labels?
Indiana Evans: I would say Lover. I also like sass & bide and Limedrop.
FS: What’s the last thing you bought — fashion wise?
IE: Oh gosh (laughs), I bought some clogs.
FS: Who are your personal style icons?
IE: Alexa Chung.
FS: We love her in the office too!
IE: Oh, she’s amazing. She just carries it off really well.
FS: Did you hear that she is coming to Australia?
IE: Oh no, I didn’t. That’s sick!
FS: What are your Winter wardrobe essentials?
IE: Some good opaque tights, so you can still wear dresses and stuff when they’re really thick and really warm. A good leather jacket — I’ve got one that I bought when I was 17 and I’ve worn it every Winter since. And lots of layers! For more from Indiana read more

The new ABC1 legal drama Crownies, which airs on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m., marks Indiana Evans’ latest small screen project, where she plays young lawyer Tatum Novak at the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP). With brains, beauty and spunk, Tatum brings some much-needed youthful energy to the often-stressed out office environment. We caught up with the former Home and Away cutie to talk about the challenges of getting into legal mode and what it’s like on the Crownies set.

On getting the role of Tatum Novak: “It was something I had to work hard for once I’d got it. There was a bit of preparation to get into the lawyer business. But as far as the audition process went, I suppose it was easier than most.”

On being a fan of legal and courtroom dramas: “I am. I really enjoyed [ABC’s] Rake when it was on, and I like Boston Legal quite a bit.”

On preparing to portray a young lawyer: “We met with people from the DPP and we were able to ask them questions. We were given lots of lawyer jargon to read and learn about, and whenever we have scenes to learn we usually have to figure out what everything means before we say it.”

Keep reading for more from Indiana . . .

At times it can feel like courtroom and legal dramas dominate the small screen, so what sets ABC1’s new show Crownies apart from the rest? Unlike shows that have seasoned professionals as their protagonists, Crownies follows the lives of five young solicitors as they work their way through controversial cases as well as their own single lives. You only need to watch the opening minutes of the first episode — young lawyer Tatum Novak (Indiana Evans) getting ready for the law firm’s ’20s-themed Christmas party, then answering the door to clients dressed in a low-cut top and hotpants — to see that these young guns like to play just as hard as they work. Led by a hot cast that includes former Home and Away stars Indiana, Todd Lasance and Ella Scott Lynch, along with Andrea Demetriades and Hamish Michael, Crownies shows that an injection of youth in legal drama gives the genre a fresh update.

Crownies premieres tonight at 8:30 p.m. on ABC1.