Teaching Teens Nobody's Perfect
Newcastle Herald
Saturday May 22, 2004
SARAH Wynter's flop and Eliza Stankovic's ``fart"have kept the pair of Newcastle natives humble in the face of stardom.
Actress Wynter and paralympian Stankovic have revealed their most embarrassing moments in Perfect People, a book to help youths find their way through the teenage years.
Written by Dianne Cleary, it features more than 100 glamorous and successful Australians to try to dispel the myth of perfection.
Wynter's first big break was a small supporting role in a big studio film.
``I was destroyed, however, when my role was cut from the final print," Wynter said in the book.
``My devastation turned to relief, though, when the film turned out to be a horrendous flop. The experience taught me not to take anything for granted and trust fate.
``Sometimes the hardest experiences provide the most gratifying lesson."
She went on to star in Hollywood movies such as The Sixth Day and in television series 24.
Stankovic's legs and fingers were amputated after she contracted meningococcal septicemia just after her 16th birthday in 1997.
It didn't stop her dressing up for the school social.
``[My date] scrubbed up in his suit and he was looking pretty damn nice ... it's a pretty romantic moment, though he was only a friend," wheelchair athlete Stankovic, of Adamstown, said in the book.
``My friend got out [of the taxi] first and came around to give me his arm, to help me to get out.
``All of a sudden you just heard this `crrrk'. It sounded like a fart. He just looked at me and said, `Was that you?' I said, `yes, but it's not what you think'."
It was her prosthetic legs squeaking as she stood up.
Joining Wynter and Stankovic in Perfect People are Ian Thorpe, Elle McPherson, Lisa McCune and John Singleton.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald