Gemma Ward and co-stars at The Black Balloon premiere

Posted by Helen Lee at 5:40 pm February 28th, 2008 | 2 comments

Gemma Ward made her first public appearance in a while at the Sydney premiere of her first movie, The Black Balloon. Wearing a gorgeous halter neck gown by Melbourne designer, Toni Maticevski, Gemma glowed on the red carpet with her blonde locks loose and flowing with a pop of red on her lips.

Pictured above with Elissa Down (Director), Luke Ford, and Rhys Wakefield, she took the opportunity to stay in Australia to celebrate the already critically acclaimed movie (did we mention that the movie won a Crystal Bear award?)

She told Chic Report that she prepared for the role by going back to her own teenage years.

“I actually read all my old diary journal entries that I wrote when I was 15 years old!” she said. “I also listened to ’90s music (i.e. MC Hammer) to bring myself back to that time. Hanging out with my twin brothers and being a tomboy helped free myself up a bit and help me relate more closely with Jackie.”

But hang on a second, wasn’t Gemma on the Milan and Paris runways for Prada when she was 15?

What’s next for the young model/actress? She’s apparently on a plane back to New York with plans to renovate her $1.5 million dollar apartment.

She’s no regular teenager.

The Black Balloon hits cinemas in Australia on March 6, 2008.

[Images: supplied]