See Netflix’s ‘My Brilliant Career’ Stars In and Out of Costume

A young woman blazes her own trail to financial independence through her passion for writing in Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, a series adaptation of the beloved Miles Franklin novel of the same name.

The six-part period piece premiered on August 13, bringing with it changes that improved upon the source material by depicting the true diversity of 1900 Australia.

Philippa Northeast stars as spitfire Sybylla Melvyn, whose huge family tells her that she has to get married to save them from financial destitution by using her connections to her wealthy grandmother, Mrs. Bossier (Anna Chancellor). The freedom that life at Mrs. Bossier’s Caddagat estate gives Sybylla is intoxicating, making her realize that even her wild imagination was held back by life at her family’s farm that provided little opportunity.

Sybylla fears marriage and how it would end her creative writing pursuits, but she also wants to help her family. She goes between considering marriage as a serious option with several suitors all while falling in love with neighbor Harry Beecham (Christopher Chung).

Deep down, Sybylla knows that marriage, even a modern arrangementwould kill any hopes of pursuing a writing career full-time. She has to make a choice between romantic and self-love.

My Brilliant Career also stars Kate Mulvany, Genevieve O’Reilly, Sherry-Lee Watson, Miah Madden, and more. It also features real-life Australian singers making cameos as performers at parties throughout the season. See the My Brilliant Career cast in and out of their 1900 Australia period garb in the gallery below.

My Brilliant Career, Season 1 Available Now, Netflix