Deborah Mailman

Last updated

Deborah Mailman
AM
Deborah Mailman, August 2012.jpg
Mailman at The Sapphires Australian premiere in August 2012
Born
Deborah Jane Mailman

(1972-07-14) 14 July 1972 (age 52)
Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Alma mater Queensland University of Technology
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1994–present
PartnerMatthew Coonan
Children2

Deborah Jane Mailman AM (born 14 July 1972) is an Australian television and film actress, and singer. Mailman is known for her characters: Kelly Lewis on the Australian drama series The Secret Life of Us , Cherie Butterfield in the Australian comedy-drama series Offspring , Lorraine in the Australian drama series Redfern Now and Aunt Linda in the Australian dystopian science fiction series Cleverman . Mailman portrayed the lead role of MP Alexandra "Alex" Irving on the Australian political drama series Total Control .

Contents

Mailman was the first Aboriginal actress to win the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and has gone on to win four more both in television and film. [1] She first gained recognition in the 1998 film Radiance for which she won her first AFI award. Her other well known films are Rabbit-Proof Fence , Bran Nue Dae , Oddball , The Sapphires , Paper Planes , Blinky Bill the Movie , Combat Wombat , H Is for Happiness , Scarygirl , and The Book of Revelation .

Personal life

Deborah Jane Mailman was born July 14, 1972 and grew up in Mount Isa in north-west Queensland. [2] She is one of five children. She has both Aboriginal (Bidjara) and Māori (Ngāti Porou and Te Arawa) heritage. In 1992, she graduated from Queensland University of Technology Academy of the Arts with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in performing arts. She is married with two children. [3]

Career

Mailman at Australian Film Walk of Fame at Randwick Ritz, The Spot Festival in 2012 Deborah Mailman.jpg
Mailman at Australian Film Walk of Fame at Randwick Ritz, The Spot Festival in 2012

Mailman played the role of Kate in a La Boite Theatre production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in 1994. [4] [5] Other early stage roles include solo show The Seven Stages of Grieving (which she co-wrote with Wesley Enoch) for Kooemba Jdarra, Queensland Theatre Company's 1997 revival of Louis Nowra's play Radiance , and Cordelia in King Lear for Bell Shakespeare in 1998. [6] [7]

In 1998, Mailman made her film debut as Nona in the Australian independent film Radiance (based on the play), for which she won the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. [2] She had a role in The Secret Life of Us , for which she was twice awarded Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the Logies (2002 and 2004).[ citation needed ]

Mailman was part of the Leah Purcell documentary Black Chicks Talking (2001), where she discussed her Aboriginal heritage. [8] In 2006, she took part in a four-part television documentary series with Cathy Freeman called Going Bush, where the pair set off on a journey from Broome to Arnhem Land spending time with Indigenous communities along the way. [9]

She appeared in the Play School TV series and was part of The Actors Company for the Sydney Theatre Company (2006–2007). [10] She was a presenter on the ABC Television show Message Stick . [11]

She appeared in the film Rabbit-Proof Fence . [6] She played a lead role in the 2010 musical film Bran Nue Dae . [12] In the play The Sapphires and the subsequent film of the same name she played the role of singer Gail McCrae.

She was awarded an Inside Film Award for her short film Ralph, which starred Madeleine Madden. [13] From 2010 to 2014, she played the role of Cherie Butterfield in Channel Ten's Offspring drama series. [14]

In 2012, she starred in Redfern Now , an indigenous mini-series for the ABC. [15]

On 29 January 2015, Mailman co-hosted the AACTA Awards with Cate Blanchett. [16]

Mailman started as Maureen Prescott in Paper Planes , released 15 January 2015. She then appeared as Mayor Lake in Oddball and the voice of Blinky Bill's mother in Blinky Bill the Movie .

On 18 February 2015, Mailman joined the Sydney Opera House Trust. [17]

In 2019, Mailman was appointed to a three-year term as a member of the Screen Australia Board. [18]

In 2019, she starred as politician Alex Irving in the series Total Control , produced by Blackfella Films and screened on the ABC. [19]

In 2024, Mailman guest starred in the Bluey episode The Sign , voicing one of the two Sheepdogs looking for a house with a swimming pool. On 7 August 2024, Mailman was named as part of the cast for Disney Plus series Last Days of the Space Age.

On 18 August, Mailman won the Logie for Best Lead Actress in a drama at the 2024 Logie Awards. [20]

Filmography

Mailman and actor Barry Otto in 2012 Deborah Mailman, Barry Otto (6825541756).jpg
Mailman and actor Barry Otto in 2012

Films

YearFilmRoleNotes
1998 Radiance Nona
2000The Third NoteTinaShort film
The Monkey's Mask Lou
2002 Rabbit-Proof Fence Mavis
2006 The Book of Revelation Julie
2009 Bran Nue Dae Roxanne
2012 Mental Sandra
The Sapphires Gail McCrae
Mabo Bonita
2013The DarksidePamela
2014 Paper Planes Maureen
2015 Oddball Mayor LakeAlso narrator
Redfern Now: Promise Me LorraineTV movie
Blinky Bill the Movie Blinky's mumVoice
2016A Few Less MenPolice Officer
2017 Three Summers Pam
DjaliGracie PhillipsShort film
2019 H Is for Happiness Penelope Benson
2020 2067 Regina
Combat Wombat Maggie DigginsVoice
2023 Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back
2023 The New Boy Sister Mum
2024RuntBernadette Box

Television

YearTelevisionRoleNotesRef
2001–05 The Secret Life of Us Kelly Lewis / NarratorMain cast (86 episodes)
2005 The Alice SoniaEpisodes 1 & 2
2006 Two Twisted JonesTV series
2006 The Chaser's War on Everything HerselfEpisode 9
2010–17 Offspring Cherie ButterfieldMain cast (69 episodes)
2012 Redfern Now LorraineEpisode 3: "Raymond"
Episode 7: "Where the Heart Is"
2014–16 Black Comedy Guest Cast9 episodes
2014–21 Jack Irish CynthiaDead Point movie and 7 episodes
2016 Tomorrow When the War Began Kath Mackenzie6 episodes
2016–17 Cleverman Aunty Linda12 episodes
2016 Wolf Creek Bernadette O'DellEpisode 1.3: "Salt Lake"
Episode 1.4: "Opalville"
Please Like Me SiobhanEpisode 4.6: "Souvlaki"
2017–23 Little J & Big Cuz Big CuzAnimated series
2017 Get Krack!n Prime Minister BurneyEpisode 1.7
2018 Mystery Road Kerry ThompsonMini-series
Bite Club Anna Morton8 episodes
2019–24 Total Control Alex IrvingMain cast [21] [22]
2023 Ark: The Animated Series Deborah WalkerVoice role [23]
2024 Boy Swallows Universe Poppy Birkbeck3 episodes
Bluey Sheepdog 1Voice role, Episode: "The Sign"
Last Days of the Space Age [24]

Awards and nominations

Mailman's plaque at the Australian Film Walk of Fame, Ritz Cinema, Randwick, Sydney Film Walk of Fame Ritz Cinema Sydney 019.JPG
Mailman's plaque at the Australian Film Walk of Fame, Ritz Cinema, Randwick, Sydney

AACTA Awards

YearCategoryFilmResult
1998 Best Leading Movie Actress Radiance Won
2003 Best Leading TV Actress The Secret Life Of Us Won
2010 Best Supporting Movie Actress Bran Nue Dae Won
Best Supporting TV Actress Offspring Won
2013 Best Leading Movie Actress The Sapphires Won
Best Supporting Movie Actress Mental Nominated
2015 Paper Planes Nominated
Best Leading TV Actress Redfern Now: Promise Me Nominated
2019 Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama Total Control Won
2020 Best Actress in a Supporting Role H Is for Happiness Nominated
2024 Best Actress in a Supporting Role The New Boy Won

Equity Ensemble Awards

YearCategoryFilmResult
2010 Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Offspring Nominated
2011Nominated
2012 Redfern Now Won
OffspringNominated
Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries Mabo Nominated

FCCA Awards

YearCategoryFilmResult
2010Best Supporting Actress Bran Nue Dae Nominated
2013Best Actress The Sapphires Nominated

Helpmann Awards

YearCategoryProductionResult
2003 Best Female Actor in a Play The Seven Stages of GrievingNominated
2005 The Sapphires Nominated
2007 Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play The Lost EchoWon

Logie Awards

YearCategoryTelevisionResult
2002 Most Outstanding Actress The Secret Life Of Us Won
2003 Nominated
2004 Won
2013 Mabo Won
Most Popular Actress Nominated
2016 Most Outstanding Actress Redfern Now: Promise Me Won
2017 Most Outstanding Supporting Actress Wolf Creek Nominated
Most Popular Actress Cleverman / Jack Irish / Offspring / Wolf CreekNominated
2018 ClevermanNominated
2019 Bite Club / Mystery Road Won
2024Best Lead Actress in a Drama Total Control Won

Other awards

In 2003, Mailman was NAIDOC Person of the Year, and also won Female Actor of the Year.[ which? ][ citation needed ]

In 2012, Mailman was a recipient of the Queensland Greats Awards. [25]

In 2017, Mailman won the Chauvel Award, which acknowledges significant contribution to the Australian screen industry. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeanna Walsman</span> Australian actress

Leeanna Walsman is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Zam Wesell in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), and for her roles in the 2000 film Looking for Alibrandi and the television series Wentworth. She was nominated for both AACTA and Logie awards for her role in Emmy Award-winning series Safe Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Purcell</span> Indigenous Australian actress, film director and writer

Leah Maree Purcell is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actress, playwright, film director, and novelist. She made her film debut in 1999, appearing in Paul Fenech's Somewhere in the Darkness, which led to roles in films, such as Lantana (2001), Somersault (2004), The Proposition (2005) and Jindabyne (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Karvan</span> Australian actress (born 1972)

Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress and producer. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film Molly (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in High Tide (1987). She portrayed a teacher in The Heartbreak Kid (1993) – the film was spun off into a TV series, Heartbreak High (1994–1999), with her character taken over by Sarah Lambert. Karvan's roles in television series include The Secret Life of Us (2001–2005), Love My Way (2004–2007), Newton's Law (2017) and Halifax: Retribution (2020). She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI Awards for her appearance in G.P. (1996). She won two similar AFI Awards for her role in Love My Way and in 2014 for her work in The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014). As a co-producer and co-writer on Love My Way, she won three further AFI Awards for Best Drama Series in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Karvan was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2007 in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Australian film and television industry. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the drama series Spirited, which she co-created and was executive producer. She appeared as Judy Vickers in Puberty Blues. Karvan has co-produced House of Hancock and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021). In 2021 she co-created, co-produced and starred in the TV drama series, Bump.

<i>Love My Way</i> Australian television series

Love My Way is an Australian television drama series created by John Edwards and Claudia Karvan, which premiered on Fox8 on 22 November 2004, before moving to W. for its second season, and Showtime for its third and final season, concluding on 19 March 2007. The series stars Claudia Karvan, Asher Keddie, Brendan Cowell, Daniel Wyllie, Lynette Curran, Alex Cook, Max Cullen and Gillian Jones. It was produced by Southern Star Group for Foxtel, with Kim Vecera and Mike Sneesby serving as executive producers for the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celia Ireland</span> Australian actress

Celia Ireland is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Regina Butcher on the television series All Saints and her Logie award winning role as Liz Birdsworth on the prison drama series Wentworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kat Stewart</span> Australian actress

Katherine Louise Stewart is an Australian actress who has made numerous appearances in television series, movies and on-stage.

<i>Radiance</i> (1998 film) 1998 Australian film

Radiance is a 1998 Australian independent film. It is the first feature film by Aboriginal director Rachel Perkins about three indigenous sisters who reunite for their mother's funeral. The film is based on the 1993 play written by Louis Nowra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Perkins</span> Australian filmmaker

Rachel Perkins is an Australian film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. She directed the films Radiance (1998), One Night the Moon (2001), Bran Nue Dae (2010), and Jasper Jones (2017). Perkins is an Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman from Central Australia, who was raised in Canberra. She is the daughter of Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins and his wife Eileen.

Denise Roberts, is an Australian actress, director, and founder of film and television acting school Screenwise in Sydney. She is known for her roles on TV in 1980s-90s medical drama G.P. and 2009 series Packed to the Rafters.

<i>Bran Nue Dae</i> (film) 2009 Australian film

Bran Nue Dae is a 2009 Australian musical comedy-drama film directed by Rachel Perkins and written by Perkins and Reg Cribb. A feature film adaptation of the 1990 stage musical Bran Nue Dae by Jimmy Chi, the film tells the story of the coming of age of an Aboriginal Australian teenager on a road trip in the late 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirrah Foulkes</span> Australian actress

Mirrah Foulkes is an Australian director, screenwriter, and film and television actress. She was raised on the Sunshine Coast, in South East Queensland, Australia. She has appeared in films such as Animal Kingdom (2010), Sleeping Beauty (2011), and in the Australian anthology film The Turning (2013).

Phillip "Rocky" McKenzie is an Aboriginal Australian chef and actor from Broome, Western Australia. He played Willie in the film version of Bran Nue Dae. In 2010, he won a Deadly Award for Male Actor of the Year.

<i>Redfern Now</i> Australian TV series or program

Redfern Now is an Australian drama television series that first aired on ABC1 in 2012. It follows the lives of six Aboriginal Australian families living in the urban hub of Redfern, Sydney. The series provides insight into contemporary issues facing Aboriginal Australians, including lack of employment and mental illness, which are positioned as direct ramifications of colonialisation and the Stolen Generations. Produced by Blackfella Films as part of the ABC's Indigenous Department, the show is the first series to be 'commissioned, written, acted and produced by Indigenous Australians'. f5 in The series' release contributes to widespread public debate surrounding Indigenous representation in the Australian media.

The 2nd Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards are a series of awards which includes the 2nd AACTA Awards Luncheon, the 2nd AACTA Awards ceremony and the 2nd AACTA International Awards. The former two events were held at the Star Event Centre, in Sydney, New South Wales on 28 January and 30 January 2013, respectively. Presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), the awards celebrated the best in Australian feature film, television, documentary and short film productions of 2012. The AACTA Awards ceremony was televised on Network Ten. Actor Russell Crowe hosted the show. These awards are a continuum of the Australian Film Institute Awards, established in 1958 and presented until 2010, which was rebranded the AACTA Awards when the Australian Film Institute (AFI) established AACTA in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Blair (director)</span> Indigenous Australian actor

Wayne Blair is an Australian writer, actor, and director. He was on both sides of the camera in Redfern Now, and directed the feature film The Sapphires. He played a prominent role in the 2021–2024 drama series Total Control.

Shari Sebbens is an Aboriginal Australian actress and stage director, known for her debut film role in The Sapphires (2012), as well as many stage and television performances. After a two-year stint as resident director of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), in 2023 she will be directing productions by STC and Griffin in Sydney, as well as Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. She is on the board of Back to Back Theatre.

Meyne Wyatt is an Aboriginal Australian actor, known for his stage, film, and television roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Box</span> Australian actress

Kate Box is an Australian stage, film, and television actress. She is known for her roles as Nicole Vargas in Rake, Lou Kelly in Wentworth, and as Dulcie Collins in Deadloch.

Sara West is an Australian actress, director and screen writer. She began her career with roles in short films and television roles. Her 2015 role as Liza Minnelli in television series Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door earned her a Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Newcomer. In 2017, West played Lyndal in the film, Don't Tell and was nominated for an AACTA Award. She also appeared in the main roles of the 2016 film Bad Girl, as Amy Anderson and the 2019 film, Awoken playing the medical student Karla. She also plays Brooke in ABC TV drama series Troppo. In 2023, West joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours, playing Cara Varga-Murphy. West also writes and directs films and has won awards at the 2014 and 2018 South Australian Screen Awards.

Nicole Chamoun is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Zahra in the 2018 SBS miniseries Safe Harbour, and for playing a lead role as Amanda Pharrell in the 2022 ABC crime drama series Troppo.

References

  1. Note: The awards are now known as the AACTA Awards.
  2. 1 2 Lehmann, Megan (9 November 2013). "Darkside star Deborah Mailman moves amid kindred spirits". The Australian . Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  3. Sunday Herald Sun
  4. AusStage
  5. Bryant, Nick (October 2012). "The Mailman express: An actress on a roll". The Monthly . Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  6. 1 2 Prior, Sian (11 March 2002). "Smashing through". The Age . Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  7. "AusStage".
  8. Jopson, Debra (15 June 2002). "Look at us now". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  9. Dwyer, Michael (26 January 2006). "Home and away". The Age . Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  10. "The Actors Company's short, fraught life". The Sydney Morning Herald . 7 April 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  11. "Message Stick". Australian Screen. NFSA . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  12. Hawker, Philippa (8 August 2009). "Indigenous film's world premiere introduces some Bran Nue stars". The Age . Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  13. "Ralph" . Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  14. "Deborah Mailman". Offspring. Network Ten. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  15. Knox, David (28 May 2012). "Cameras roll on Redfern Now". TV Tonight . Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  16. Domjen, Briana (11 January 2015). "Deborah Mailman and Cate Blanchett to co-host the AACTA Awards". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  17. "Our People: The Sydney Opera House Trust". Sydney Opera House. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  18. "Appointments to Screen Australia Board". www.minister.communications.gov.au. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  19. "'Black Bitch' TV series renamed 'Total Control' by ABC". NITV. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  20. Knox, David (18 August 2024). "Logie Awards 2024: winners | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  21. "Total Control filming third and final series | TV Tonight". June 2023.
  22. "Total Control filming third and final series | TV Tonight". 31 May 2023.
  23. Del Rosario, Alexandra (11 December 2020). "'Ark: The Animated Series': Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh & Elliot Page Among Voice Cast Members In New Video Game-Inspired Show".
  24. "Last Days of the Space Age: Australian Disney+ series coming soon | ScreenHub Australia - Film & Television Jobs, News, Reviews & Screen Industry Data". www.screenhub.com.au. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  25. "2012 Queensland Greats recipients". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  26. "The Chauvel Award". Gold Coast Film Festival. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2022.