Diane Craig

Last updated

Diane Craig
Born
Diane Mary Craig

1949 (age 7576)
Other namesDi Craig
Education National Institute of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1970–2013
Known for Ned Kelly (1970)
The Restless Years (1978–1979)
E Street (1991–1993)
Out of the Blue (2008–2009)
Spouse Garry McDonald (m. 13 April 1971)
Children2

Diane Mary Craig (born 1949), sometimes credited as Di Craig, is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress best known for her performances in film and television.

Contents

Early life

Craig was born in County Down, Northern Ireland in 1949. Her family relocated to Australia in 1960. She attended Sydney's prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

Career

Film

Craig left NIDA after a year, making her debut in 1970 starring in the British Australian feature film Ned Kelly (1970), alongside Mick Jagger – replacing Marianne Faithfull in the role of Maggie Kelly. [1]

Her subsequent film appearances included roles in drama feature The Mango Tree (1977), Double Deal (1981), war film The Highest Honor (1982) and Travelling North (1987) starring Leo McKern and based on the David Williamson play of the same name. She played the lead role of Diane Lane in the 1989 political satire A Sting in the Tale . Her most recent film was the 2009 drama In Her Skin , based on the true story of the murder of 15-year-old Rachel Barber, alongside Guy Pearce, Sam Neill and Miranda Otto.

Additionally, she has appeared in several television films, including drama Roses Bloom Twice (1977), The Newman Shame (1978) starring one-time James Bond, George Lazenby and After Marcuse (1988). She has also featured in American comedy film Traveling Man (1989) alongside John Lithgow, sport biopic Never Tell Me Never (1998) opposite Claudia Karvan and One of the Lucky Ones (2007).

Television

Craig has also appeared on the small screen in numerous serials, miniseries and telemovies. Early television appearances included recurring roles in Snake Gully with Dad and Dave as Mabel Smith (1972), police drama Division 4 as Jenny Franklin (1973–1975) and sport drama And The Big Men Fly as Lil (1974), based on the Alan Hopgood play of the same name. She played the regular role of Majorie Faber in soap opera Certain Women (from 1975 to 1976), Alison Finlay in police drama Cop Shop and Pamela Summers in period drama The Sullivans (both, from 1978 to 1979).

She is probably best known however, for her long-running roles in the soap operas The Restless Years as Gail Lawrence (from 1978 to 1979), and E Street , replacing actress Penny Cook as main character Dr. Elly Fielding (from 1991 to 1993). [2]

Craig appeared several times in the cult television series Prisoner and played a recurring role in medical soap opera The Young Doctors as Diane Brooke (1980–1981). She had ongoing roles in Home and Away playing Theresa Lynch (1995) and Heartbreak High playing June Dyson (1995–1996). Craig's last long-running role was as Deborah McManus in the 2008 series Out of the Blue .

She has featured in several miniseries including political drama Dead Men Running (1971), crime drama Scales of Justice (1983), historical series All The Rivers Run (1983) alongside Sigrid Thornton and based on the book of the same name, True Believers (1988), underworld crime drama Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (2009) and media drama Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (2012).

Craig has also made guest appearances on numerous television series, including The Godfathers , Matlock Police , Homicide , Boney , Ryan , Young Ramsay , Bellamy , Holiday Island , A Country Practice , Chopper Squad , Skyways , Carson's Law , Special Squad , The Henderson Kids , Willing and Abel , Mother and Son (alongside husband Garry McDonald), Rafferty's Rules , the 1980s reboot of Mission: Impossible , Acropolis Now , The Flying Doctors , Law of the Land , Medivac , Murder Call , Wildside , All Saints , Packed to the Rafters and Crownies .

Theatre

Craig has acted on stage in numerous theatre productions, beginning from her time studying at Sydney's NIDA. She has appeared for Nimrod Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Belvoir Street Theatre and Old Tote Theatre Company. [3]

She has featured alongside husband Garry McDonald in several plays, including Let's Get a Divorce (1970), Double Act (1995), Two Brothers (2005) and Don Parties On (2011), the sequel to David Williamson’s Don's Party . [3]

Her most recent appearance was in the Williamson play Crunch Time in 2020. [3]

Personal life

Craig met Garry McDonald when they were cast as husband and wife in a 1970 production of Let’s Get a Divorce at Hobart’s Theatre Royal. They were married on 13 April 1971. [4] They have two grown children, including actor daughter Kate, who played McDonald's character's daughter on Mother and Son . [5] The couple live in Berry on the New South Wales south coast. [6]

Acting credits

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1970 Ned Kelly Maggie KellyFeature film
1970No Roses for MichaelShort film
1977 The Mango Tree Miss PringleFeature film
1977The CowboyShort film
1978Road TollShort film
1980And Sometimes I Feel Like I'm Only 18Short film
1980The ApplicantHerself (as Di Craig)Short film
1980The Tape RecorderShort film
1981 Double Deal Miss StevensFeature film
1982 The Highest Honor (aka Southern Cross)Mrs. PageFeature film
1984Tell Us in Your Own WordsShort film
1987 Travelling North SophieFeature film
1989 A Sting in the Tale Diane LaneFeature film
1998The CowboyShort film
2005Marti's PartyTrishShort film
2007One of the Lucky OnesNeighbourShort film
2009EmergenceMargaretShort film
2009 In Her Skin JoyFeature film
2013101 CupcakesMatilda [7] Short film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1971 Dead Men Running Teresa DohertyMiniseries, 6 episodes
1971 The Godfathers 1 episode
1971–1974 Matlock Police Madeleine Reynolds / Christine Anderson / Kate Wilson/Val Hudson4 episodes
1972CrisisTV pilot
1972 Homicide Trish LangleySeason 9, episode 41:
"Change of Heart"
1972 Snake Gully with Dad and Dave Mabel Smith8 episodes
1973–1975 Division 4 Jenny Franklin5 episodes
1973 Boney MarionSeason 2, episode 4:
"Boney and the Powder Trail"
1973 Ryan Lacey GlenEpisode 29:
"A Little Something Special"
1974 And The Big Men Fly LilMiniseries, 6 episodes
1974 This Love Affair Episode 6: "Seven Tenths of a Second"
1975–1976 Certain Women Majorie Faber27 episodes
1977 Hotel Story 1 episode
1977 Roses Bloom Twice JennyTV movie
1977; 1980 Young Ramsay Tess Cameron / Sara2 episodes
1978 Chopper Squad JennySeason 2, episode 13:
"The Big Trip"
1978 The Newman Shame GingerTV movie
1978–1979 Cop Shop Alison Finlay27 episodes
1978; 1979 The Sullivans Pamela Summers28 episodes:
#289-291 & #410-434
1978–1979 The Restless Years Gail Lawrence43 episodes
1979 Mr Squiggle and Friends Guest Host1 episode
1979 Skyways Catherine TissotSeason 1, episode 83: "Catnip"
1980 Cop Shop Eve Kadar2 episodes
1980The Great Australian ComedyTV pilot
1980–1981 The Young Doctors Diane Brooke7 episodes
1980–1985 Prisoner (aka Prisoner Cell Block H)Jacki Nolan / Anita Selby / Sarah Forrest22 episodes
1981 Holiday Island Marie-Claude1 episode: "Treasure Shop"
1981 Bellamy ConnieSeason 1, episode 17: "A Minor Charge of Murder"
1982 Taurus Rising Libby Hilton
1982; 1983; 1987; 1991 A Country Practice Diane Irving / Deborah Townsend / Carmel Hutchins / Judy Harper10 episodes
1983For Love or MoneyHerselfFilm documentary
1983 Scales of Justice MeredithMiniseries, episode 3: "The Numbers"
1983 All The Rivers Run Dorothy BarrettMiniseries, episode 1
1984 Carson's Law Anne Preston2 episodes
1984 Special Squad 1 episode
1985 The Henderson Kids Alice Henderson2 episodes
1987Have a GoGuest Judge3 episodes
1987 Willing and Abel 1 episode
1988 Mother and Son DeloresSeason 4, episode 4:
"The Surprise"
1988 True Believers ElsieMiniseries, 6 episodes
1988 After Marcuse LizTV movie
1988 Rafferty's Rules 1 episode
1988Stringer1 episode
1989 Mission: Impossible Lady Michelle Faulkner1 episode: "The Lions"
1989 Travelling Man TV movie
1989 Chances Barbara TaylorTV pilot (never screened on TV)
1989Living with the Law1 episode
1990 Family and Friends Pamela Chandler
1990 The Flying Doctors Marion BurgessSeason 7, episode 10:
"A Little Tenderness"
1991 Acropolis Now Miss Joan WilsonSeason 3, episode 6: "The Kid"
1991–1993 E Street Dr. Elly Fielding153 episodes
1993 Law of the Land Season 1, 2 episodes
1994Love RulesHost
1995This Is Your Life: Garry McDonaldGuest1 episode
1995 Home and Away Theresa Lynch22 episodes
1996 Medivac Mrs. FlynnSeason 3, episode 8: "Code Purple"
1996–1997 Heartbreak High June Dyson24 episodes
1997 Murder Call Diane CochraneSeason 1, episode 5: "Who Killed Cock Robin?"
1998 Never Tell Me Never Shirley ShepherdTV movie
1998 Wildside Robyn Stark2 episodes
1999; 2001 All Saints Colleen Collins / Sophia Hanrahan4 episodes
2002; 2015 Australian Story Herself2 episodes
2007One of the Lucky OnesNeighbourTV movie
2008–2009 Out of the Blue Deborah McManus75 episodes
2009 Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities Barbara Mackay3 episodes
2009 Packed to the Rafters MarjorySeason 2, episode 5:
"Brave New World"
2011 Crownies Carolyn FletcherSeason 1, episode 17
2012 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Well Dressed Woman at SCGMiniseries, 1 episode

Theatre

YearTitleRoleType
1968 Our Town Emily (Act I) UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1968 Hippolytus Phaedra's attendant Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1968 Dark of the Moon Barbara Allen Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1969 Lock Up Your Daughters Hillaret (politic's daughter) NIDA Theatre, Sydney
1969 You Can't Take It With You Aline NIDA Theatre, Sydney
1970Let's Get a DivorceCyprienne National Theatre, Launceston, Devonport Town Hall, Theatre Royal, Hobart with AETT
1970 Ned Kelly Glenrowan and District Soldiers Memorial Hall, Glenrowan
1971 As You Like It UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1971 The Man of Mode UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1971 A Month in the Country Celia UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre with Tasmanian Theatre Company
1972Bigotry V.C. Nimrod St Theatre, Sydney (double bill with Housey under season title of On Yer Marx)
1972Housey Nimrod St Theatre, Sydney (double bill with Bigotry V.C. under season title of On Yer Marx)
1973 The Philanthropist Theatre Royal, Hobart
1975 Hobson's Choice Alice UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1983The Marginal FarmToby Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1987 Emerald City Kate Sydney Opera House with STC
1990 Love Letters Melissa Gardner Sydney Opera House
1994Three Hotels Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1994 The Heidi Chronicles Playhouse, Perth with Perth Theatre Company
1995; 1996Double ActAlexandra Playhouse, Perth, Ford Theatre, Geelong with Perth Theatre Company
1996 Money and Friends Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, University of Sydney
WallfloweringRailway Street Theatre, Penrith
1999Arms and the ManRailway Street Theatre, Penrith
1999–2000 Face to Face Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Playhouse, Canberra, Bruce Gordon Theatre, Wollongong
1999–2000Scam Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney & Regal Theatre, Perth with Christine Dunstan Productions
2001 The Women Q Theatre, Penrith with Railway Street Theatre Company
2001 A Conversation Barbara Milsom Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
2002 After the Ball Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal Sydney
2003Wicked Sisters Monash University, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with Griffin Theatre Company
2005Two BrothersFiona Benedict Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Glen Street Theatre, Sydney, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with STC & MTC
2011 Don Parties On Helen Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Theatre with MTC
2013Rapture, Blister, BurnAlice Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
2020 Crunch Time Helen Ensemble Theatre, Sydney

[3]

References

  1. "Like a Rolling Stone: The Making of 1970's Ned Kelly". FilmInk. 25 July 2019.
  2. "Penny Cook, A Country Practice star, dies aged 61". The Guardian . 27 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Diane Craig theatre credits". AusStage.
  4. "Star couple Garry McDonald and Diane Craig in like Flynn for awards". The Mercury. 4 September 2014.
  5. "Going The Family Way". Who magazine. 7 February 1994.
  6. "Garry MacDonald". The Art of Healing. May 2023.
  7. ALLERTON, MARGOT AND VEITCH "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Australian Showbiz" published hardback by Sunshine Books division of Allans Books

Diane Craig at IMDb