The South Coast’s Laura Ritchie has taken out an Emmy!
The Tura Beach resident was the casting director for Love on the Spectrum US.
The series was based on the ABC program about young people on the autism spectrum exploring dating, love and relationships.
“We recreated a US version of the show, and people with autismm come with varying levels of needs, so it’s sort of a social impact documentary,” Ritchie said.
Love on the Spectrum US was nominated for outstanding unstructured reality program, as well as outstanding picture editing and outstanding casting in that category and it won all three.
“So I was nominated and won outstanding casting for a reality program,” Ritchie said.
“It’s quite funny that the US regards Love On The Spectrum as a reality program but programming is a little different there,” she said.
“My two co-winners are two US-based casting agents Jeffrey Marx and Kat Elmore, they took over on-the-ground casting in the States where as I started the casting process and put together the ensemble that got the show through with Netflix.”
The Freelance Producer said she hadn’t previously been awarded any individual honour.
“I had never won an award for my work personally before so for my first ever win to be an Emmy is just out of control,” Ritchie said.
“It’s a nice bookshelf ornament,” she laughed.
Richie desribed herself as being in a state of disbelief when she first realised her name had been called out at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards presentation which preceded the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
“I was in shock,” Ritchie said.
“At the start of the night, I thought, I’m sitting in a room with people like Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers and Ron Howard,” she said.
“The more celebrities I noticed, the more I was thinking, how the hell am I in the same room as these people.
“When I actually won, the adrenaline kicked in and I was just so grateful.
“I wasn’t at all nervous which surprised me, I was just happy to be there.”
When asked if a Merimbula or Bega Valley reality television show is on the cards for her next project, the Freelance Producer didn’t say no.
“Maybe, I’m developing a few docos (documentaries) and there might be something local coming up,” Ritchie hinted.
“There’s some true crime things in the works, and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.
She said she couldn’t be happier living on the Sapphire Coast.
“When I moved here I didn’t know anyone, and everyone has been so lovely and friendly on the South Coast, there’s no such thing as tall poppy syndrome here.”
Images: Laura Richie
