Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott reveals plans to take on Hollywood

Recently retired tennis legend and three-time Paralympian, Dylan Alcott has his eyes set on a new golden accolade after he revealed his plans to break into acting in Hollywood.

Speaking to Body+Soul Magazine, the current Australian of the Year opened up about his plans to turn his attention towards the entertainment industry alongside his partner Chantelle Otten.

“I want to try a bit of acting, which I’m excited about,” he told the publication

“I think it will be fun and I think I can be good at it. We have a few little leads already.”

Alcott’s entertainment aspiration comes as little surprise after he won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent at the 2019 Logies.

“Growing up, I never saw anyone like me on TV, so I was honoured to win a Logie, but it’s definitely not as cool as an Oscar,” he said.

“There are so many roles where someone is a paraplegic and they’re just sitting in a wheelchair. We could do that. Blind actors, people with Down syndrome, why not? The time for that is changing and if I could be involved in that in a small way, I would love to do it.”

Despite hopes of being the next big thing in Hollywood, Alcott recently joked that following his retirement from tennis he is now a “washed-up athlete” while discussing being “more present” following years of his life being consumed by his sporting career.

“I missed years of birthdays, celebrations and simple moments, so I’m enjoying being able to be more present, now I’m a washed-up athlete,” he told New Idea.

 

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However, it would appear the years he spent dedicated to his sport paid off, as Alcott became the third professional tennis player to achieve a Golden Slam after securing wins in the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and the singles gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Alcott has since become a celebrated Australian icon. Earlier this year, following his Australian of the Year title, Alcott received his second major honour as he received a Madame Tussauds wax figure.

“I’m such a huge fan of the Madame Tussauds attractions, they’re home to the biggest celebrities in the world and I feel so proud that I’ll be amongst them” Alcott had said at the time, further expressing that the honour was a “huge step” in achieving better and more equal representation for people living with a disability.

More recently, Alcott and other Australians of the Year met with Queen Elizabeth II as part of her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

In the meantime, while Alcott works his way into Hollywood, he continues his advocacy efforts having recently partnered with deodorant brand Rexona for his new Not Done Yet campaign.