Georgina Naidu

Last updated

Georgina Naidu
Georgina Naidu.jpg
Naidu in 2017
OccupationActress
Years active1990–present

Georgina Naidu is an Australian actress, stage writer and university lecturer from Melbourne.

Contents

Early life

Naidu is from Melbourne and has Anglo-Indian ancestry. [1] Naidu has claimed that her family knew she wanted to act following an impromptu dance piece at the age of three. [2] She took part in amateur acting from 1984 until 1991 with the St Martin's Youth Theatre in South Yarra, Victoria. [3] Naidu went to the Victorian College of the Arts and graduated in 1994. [4] She had also trained at Prahran College of Performing Arts in 1991. [3]

She later studied law at La Trobe University. [5] When she first started attending auditions Naidu was shocked because she felt that casting directors were "pigeon holing" her because of her ethnicity. After her first year of auditioning she became passionate about trying to change things. [6]

Career

One of Naidu's early roles came in 1990, when she played an extra in the Paul Cox film Golden Braid . [3]

Her television career began with small roles in the children's shows The Gift and Lift Off . Then came a guest role in the Australian drama series G.P. [2] [3] She soon gained a supporting role in the 1998 film Dead Letter Office as the office worker Mary. [7] [8] The actress also secured other guest roles in the late 1990s in the films Road to Nhill , Mallboy and the television series Blue Heelers . [2]

In 1998, Naidu secured one of her most prominent television roles, playing Phrani Gupta in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation drama SeaChange . The role made her a favourite with viewers. [9] [10] Naidu liked the role because Phrani is not a clichéd Indian woman, adding that "[Phrani] is industrious, has good business sense and can turn her hand to anything." [2] At the time Australian actors organised a strike over pay disputes. Her SeaChange co-star Kevin Harrington claimed that Naidu had been underpaid by those in charge of the programme. [11]

Following SeaChange Naidu secured guest roles in Blue Heelers , Stingers , Guinevere Jones and Something in the Air . [3] [12]

She continued to pursue on-camera work, taking a role in legal and medical drama MDA and acting the short film Tackle. She secured guest roles on further Australian television series including Tripping Over , Satisfaction , City Homicide , Mr & Mrs Murder , The Time of Our Lives , Winners & Losers and The Beautiful Lie . [13] She also played Paula in the 2009 film The Boys Are Back . [14]

In 2011, she appeared in the ABC1 drama At Home With Julia as Georgina. [3] The show's cast won a 2012 Equity Ensemble Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Television Comedy Series". [15]

In 2016, Naidu guest starred in Offspring , Wentworth and Please Like Me . [13] [16] That year in August it was announced that Naidu had secured the main role of Helena Chatterjee in Newton's Law and had begun filming. [17] The series debuted on 9 February 2017 on the ABC network and it was created by Deb Cox, who also created SeaChange . [18] Other ongoing roles included Marla in The Time of Our Lives .

In 2017 she made a guest appearance in the season finale of Rosehaven , playing Jocelyn. [16] [19] She also had a part portraying a university lecturer in the film Ali's Wedding [20] [3] and secured the supporting role of Toni Chadha in the 2018 Network Ten drama series Playing for Keeps . [21] She then made a guest appearance in an episode of Network Ten's How to Stay Married . [22]

In 2019, Naidu reprised her role as Phrani Gupta for a new series of SeaChange . [23] 2021 saw Naidu play several roles on Australian television. She played Alison Chen in ABC's drama series Harrow , Alice Pike in ABC's comedy Fisk and Prisha Kapoor in the Netflix mini-series Clickbait . [23] She then took on the role of school teacher Mrs Allen in Paramount+ comedy drama Spreadsheet . [23] In 2022, she appeared as Barb in SBS drama, A Beginner's Guide to Grief. [23]

Theatre

Naidu has taken part in various theatre productions over her career in-between securing roles in television and film. [3]

She appeared in six theatrical productions during 2003 and 2004. [12] She then played various roles in the Belvoir production of Run Rabbit Run, at the Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney. [12]

Naidu also writes theatre productions. On 20 September 2005, her autobiographical play Yellowfeather opened at the Sydney Opera House. [24] It was delivered as a one-woman show and featured Naidu documenting her life with a comedic tone. [20] [1] The full stage production toured around Australia and then internationally. [20] The following year she appeared in Gorkem Acaroglu's live stage documentary The Habib Show. [25]

In 2009, she also returned to the theatrical stage for The Melbourne Town Players production of Attract/Repel. [26] 2013 saw another return to theatre with the stage tour of Ganesh Versus The Third Reich. [27] In 2017, she took another main theatre role in Lally Katz's production Minnie & Liraz.

Naidu is a member of the Main Stage Green Room Panel which helps recognise talent in theatre productions and a member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Equity Diversity Committee. [20] She also works as a university lecturer and legal researcher. [20]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990 Golden Braid Diner (extra)Feature film
Babcia BabciaMs MacettiFilm
1995God I Missed You BabyLinaShort film
InterludeRoseFilm
1997 Road to Nhill Dr. EwingFeature film
1998 Dead Letter Office MaryFeature film
2000 Mallboy HelenFeature film
Cheek to CheekKatherine DavenportShort film
Return TripTicket InspectorFilm
2004TackleSusanShort film
Mommy's BoyShantiniShort film
Playing for CharlieLynneFilm
2009 The Boys Are Back PaulaFeature film
2013 Vessel DevonFilm
2017 Ali's Wedding University LecturerFeature film
2022 Run Rabbit Run AndreaFeature film
2024Jason is my DadKateShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995 G.P. HenriettaTV series, 1 episode
Lift Off GinaTV series
1998–2000; 2019 SeaChange Phrani GuptaTV series, seasons 1–3, 33 episodes
1999 Blue Heelers Bronywn Slater / Rosalie ParkerTV series, 2 episodes
25th Annual People's Choice AwardsPresenterTV special
2002 Stingers Dr. BaragwanathTV series, season 5, 1 episode
Something in the Air Ms. GibbsTV series, 1 episode
Guinevere Jones Marion HaynesTV series, guest role
2003 MDA Siobhan RayTV series, 1 episode
2006 Tripping Over Dr. NgaboTV series, 1 episode
City Homicide Shirley SymondsTV series, pilot episode
2009 Dirt Game DoctorTV series, 1 episode
2010 Satisfaction Angela BangroveTV series, season 3, 2 episodes
2011 City Homicide Nazia DurraniTV series, season 4, 1 episode
2011 At Home With Julia GeorginaTV series, 4 episodes
2013 Mr & Mrs Murder JanineTV series, 5 episodes
The Time of Our Lives MarlaTV series, 4 episodes
2013–14 Winners & Losers Dr. Naveena MalikTV series, 3 episodes
2015 The Beautiful Lie JoniTV miniseries, 1 episode
2016 Wentworth Dr. ChappellTV series, season 4, 3 episodes
Offspring Linda MasonTV series, season 6, 3 episodes
Please Like Me NurseTV series, season 4, 1 episode
2017How to LifeDr. KathleenTV series, 1 episode
Newton's Law Helena ChatterjeeTV series, 8 episodes
2017; 2020 Rosehaven JocelynTV series, season 2, episode 8 & season 4, episode 5
2018 Playing for Keeps Toni ChadhaTV series, 5 episodes
How to Stay Married Principal VencatTV series, 1 episode
2021 Harrow Alison ChenTV series, season 3, 2 episodes
Fisk Alice PikeTV series, 2 episodes
Clickbait Prisha KapoorTV miniseries, 1 episode
Spreadsheet Mrs AllenTV series, 2 episodes
2022A Beginner's Guide to GriefAunty BarbTV series, guest role
2023 Love Me SoniaTV series, season 2, 2 episodes
Warnie Tribunal LawyerTV miniseries, 1 episode
In Limbo ShenaliTV series, 6 episodes
JaffysZarina’s MumWeb series
2024 Troppo Devi ChandranTV series, season 2, 5 episodes
Apples Never Fall Dr. AdamsTV miniseries, 1 episode

[28]

Stage

YearTitleRoleVenue / Co.
1988Off the Tracks St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1992 Jack and the Beanstalk Ruby (Mrs Giant) St Martins Youth Arts Centre with Princeless Productions
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat Pussy CatPrinceless Productions
Seeking out AngelsLeadOpen House, Belvoir Street Theatre
1995Learning to Waltz with Tigers and Dragons Belvoir Street Theatre, Bondi Pavilion for Sydney Fringe Festival & New Orientations 95, Asian Theatre Festival
Merry Xmas Pauline HansonClub Cockroach
Thtr YermaJaun’s SisterKoel Productions
Dangerous Le AsiansVarious rolesAsian Theatre Festival, Belvoir Street Theatre
Three Weird SistersSisterArtrage Festival, Perth
Cosmic Genie (script workshop)Ayah Playbox Theatre
One Plus OneVarious roles Malthouse Theatre
The Saints Play (Multicultural Workshop 1 & 2)Various roles MTC
2000 Macbeth Convent Gallery, Daylesford
2000 Mr Ionesco & the Bald Rhinoceros Co-Lead Adelaide Fringe Festival
2001 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Titania

Amphitheatre, Gateway Island, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre

2002Citizen XNurse / Various roles / DevisorSidetrack Theatre, Sydney for Carnivale Multicultural Arts Festival
2002–03The Book Keeper of Rua Dos DouradoresVarious roles Seymour Centre, Sydney, Sidetrack Theatre, Sydney for Carnivale Multicultural Arts Festival
2003 Alcestis Various rolesSidetrack Theatre, Sydney
2003The Daphne MassacreVarious roles Riverside Theatres Parramatta
2003Titania's BoyVarious roles Riverina Theatre Company
2004 Macbeth Second Witch / Lady Macduff Theatre Works, Melbourne, Kyneton, Colac, Bendigo, Wangaratta, Portland
2004The Perfumed GardenAyah Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Elephant Theatre Company
2004Run Rabbit RunHelen Grasswill / Cindy Hawkey / Rupert Murdoch / Jeff Cook / Natasha Lawrence Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney
2004Scratch Night - 4X20: Yellow Sydney Opera House with Theatre 4A
2005YellowfeatherYellowfeather Sydney Opera House & Australian national tour, Theatre 4A Inc, SOH Studio, The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga , Hong Kong Fringe Festival ‘06
2005Country Energy Comedy FestivalComedianThe Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre
2006The Habib ShowMaha HabibAuspicious Arts Projects
2007Roulette: Legacy / Petroleum / HotelTaraCarlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama
2008 Fearless N Film Director Sydney Olympic Park with Theatre Kantanka
2009A Narrow Time for AngelsBlissThe Store Room, Melbourne
2009Attract/RepelGeorgina NaiduThe Store Room, Melbourne with Melbourne Town Players
2010Yet to Ascertain the Nature of the CrimeActor / Co-DevisorArts House, North Melbourne Town Hall with Melbourne Workers Theatre & La Mama
2011Ganesh Versus the Third ReichParvati Malthouse Theatre, Back to Back Theatre
2014 The Vagina Monologues Lead Melbourne Athenaeum, Stanley Burbury Theatre, Hobart
2017Minnie and LirazNorma Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Geelong Arts Centre with MTC
2019Dance NationConnie Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Melbourne
2020Feather in the WebPsychiatrist / various roles Red Stitch Actors Theatre
2021HydraDramaturge Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne
2022LaurindaTricia / Mrs Grey / Mrs WhiteThe Sumner with MTC

[29] [30]

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