Gina Riley

Last updated

Gina Riley
Gina Riley at Kath & Kimderella movie premiere.jpg
Riley in character as Kim Craig at the Kath & Kimderella film premiere in August 2012
Born (1961-05-06) 6 May 1961 (age 62)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)Actress
Writer
Comedian
Singer
Years active1983–present
SpouseRick McKenna
Children1

Gina Riley (born 6 May 1961) is an Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian, known for portraying Kim Craig in the television series Kath & Kim , and for her work in musical theatre.

Contents

Television and film

Riley became a popular television performer in the sketch shows Fast Forward , its successor Full Frontal , Big Girl's Blouse and Something Stupid . [1] In the latter she was also a producer and writer. On Fast Forward, Gina Riley sent-up such singers as Tina Arena, Paula Abdul, Bette Midler, Sinéad O'Connor and Dannii Minogue as well as Australian personalities Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Jacki MacDonald. She later appeared in The Games , a spoof behind-the-scenes look at the organising committee of the Sydney Olympics. [2]

She has enjoyed great success as Kim Craig in Kath & Kim , written and created by Riley and her long-time writing partner and friend Jane Turner. Riley also works frequently with Magda Szubanski. [3]

Riley starred as Kim in the Kath and Kim feature film Kath & Kimderella . The film opened in Australia on 6 September 2012 and despite negative reviews from critics it was a box office success having grossed $6,150,771.

In 2015, Riley appeared in an episode of Please Like Me .

Stage

In 1987, she played the part of 'Chrissie' (loosely based on rock singer Chrissy Amphlett) in Phil Motherwell's musical play Fitzroy Crossing which enjoyed successful seasons and rave reviews at LaMama Theatre, in Carlton, Victoria. The music for the play was composed by Joe Dolce.[ citation needed ]

Riley also had roles in musical theatre. [4] In 1992 and 1993, she appeared on stage as Janet in The New Rocky Horror Show ; she is included on the cast album. In 1994, she played Trina in Sydney Theatre Company's production of Falsettos , winning a Green Room Award for its Melbourne season. In 1998, she played The Baker's Wife in a Melbourne Theatre Company production of Into the Woods . In 2009, she played Matron "Mama" Morton in a production of Chicago . [5]

In 2019, Riley starred as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opposite Anthony Warlow. [6]

Personal life

Riley is married to Rick McKenna. Parents of Max McKenna (born 1996) a singer and actor who portrayed Muriel in the original Sydney production of Muriel's Wedding in 2017 and starred as Zoe Murphy in the Dear Evan Hansen US National Tour in 2018. [7] Max identifies as trans non-binary. [8]

In March 2013 Riley revealed she was being treated for breast cancer. It was later reported that she has since made a full recovery. [9] [10]

Riley makes relatively few public appearances as herself. One notable exception was on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, where she and Turner both appeared as themselves. [11]

Filmography

(as performer)

TitleYearRole
The Sullivans (TV series)1983Elsie
Six of the Best (TV series)1984 ?
While You're Down There (TV series)1986Various
Just Us1986Cathy
100% Wool1986Therese
Acropolis Now (TV series)1990Demi Cashimedes
Fast Forward 1990-1992Various
Bligh (TV series)1992Elizabeth Macarthur
A Royal Commission into the Australian Economy (TV movie)1992Peter Harvey
Full Frontal (TV series)1993Guest performer
The Making of Nothing (TV movie)1993Lyndall Roberts
Big Girl's Blouse (TV series)1994Various
Something Stupid (TV series)1998Various
The Games (TV series)1998-2000Gina
The Bob Downe Show 2000-2003Coralee Hollow
Kath & Kim (TV series)2002-2007 Kimberly "Kim" Day Craig/Trude/Robyn Nevinish
Bad Eggs 2003AMW Host
Da Kath & Kim Code (TV movie)2005Kim Craig/Trude
Little Britain: Down Under (TV movie documentary)2007Kim Day Craig
Kath & Kimderella (feature film)2012Kim Craig (nee Day)/Trude
Kath & Kim Kountdown2013Kim Craig
Holding the Man2015Popcorn seller (uncredited)
Open Slather (TV series)2015Various
The Beautiful Lie (TV miniseries)2015Catherine Ballantyne
Please Like Me (TV series)2015-2016Donna
How to Life (TV series)2017Charlotte Shelton
Our Effluent Life: Kath and Kim (TV miniseries)2022Kim Craig

Related Research Articles

<i>Kath & Kim</i> Australian comedy television series

Kath & Kim is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughter. The cast also includes Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn and Magda Szubanski as, respectively, Kath's metrosexual boyfriend Kel Knight, Kim's henpecked husband Brett Craig, and her lonely "second-best friend" Sharon Strzelecki. The series is set in Fountain Lakes, a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magda Szubanski</span> Australian actress and comedian (born 1961)

Magdalene Mary Therese Szubanski, known as Magda Szubanski, is an Australian comedy actress, author, singer and LGBT rights advocate. She performed in Fast Forward, Kath & Kim as Sharon Strzelecki and in the films Babe (1995) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998), Happy Feet (2006) and Happy Feet Two (2011). In 2003 and 2004 surveys, she polled as the most recognised and well-liked Australian television personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Warlow</span>

Anthony Warlow is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980.

Marg Downey is an Australian comedian and actress best known for her roles in The D Generation, Fast Forward and Full Frontal

The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for two series, between 1986 and 1987. A further four specials were broadcast on the Seven Network between 1988 and 1989. The show would also serve as a stepping stone for many early incarnations of iconic characters, including Lynne Postlethwaite, Gina Hard-Faced B***h, Eileen Maverick and Kelvin Cunnington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Turner</span> Australian comedian

Jane Turner is an Australian actress, comedian and Logie Award-winning comedy series creator and screenwriter.

Peita Margaret Toppano stage name Peta Toppano is an English-born Australian of stage and screen actress, singer and dancer, who is known for her series roles in The Young Doctors as Dr. Gail Henderson, Prisoner, as Karen Travers, Return to Eden as Jilly Stewart and her recurring role in Home and Awayas Helen Poulos

Something Stupid was a short-lived Australian sketch comedy series which aired in 1998 on the Seven Network. The program was produced, written and performed by much the same team that was behind the Fast Forward series. The series had the working title The Lazy Susan Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Prior</span>

Marina Prior is an Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly in musical theatre. From 1990 to 1993, she starred as the original Christine Daaé in the Australian premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, opposite Anthony Warlow and later Rob Guest.

Big Girl's Blouse was an Australian skit program that aired in the mid-1990s on the Seven Network. The show was created by Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski who all went on to star in Kath & Kim. There were four one-hour episodes, plus the pilot, which are usually shown as eight half-hour episodes. The phrase "Big Girl's Blouse" is a British English idiom meaning "ineffectual or weak, someone failing to show masculine strength or determination."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kath Day-Knight</span> Fictional character

Kathleen "Kath" Darleen Day-Knight is an Aussie icon featured in the Australian reality television series Kath & Kim and is portrayed by Jane Turner. Her character has appeared on multiple Australian comedy series including Fast Forward, Big Girl's Blouse and Something Stupid before appearing on Kath & Kim. Kath is revealed to be a Leo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Craig</span> Fictional character

Kimberly Diane "Kim" Craig is the moody, immature and accident-prone daughter in the Australian sitcom Kath & Kim, portrayed by Gina Riley. Along with co-star Jane Turner who plays Kim's onscreen mother Kath Day-Knight, Riley is the creator and writer of the series. Turner invented the character of Kim Craig during the nineties while performing on Australian sketch comedy shows such as Big Girl's Blouse.

St Martins Youth Arts Centre is a youth-focused performing arts centre in South Yarra in inner Melbourne. It is a non-profit organisation that makes contemporary theatre works for adult audiences and runs weekly drama workshops for young people.

<i>Kath & Kimderella</i> 2012 Australian comedy film by Ted Emery

Kath & Kimderella is a 2012 Australian film. It is a spin-off of the television series Kath & Kim, created by Gina Riley and Jane Turner. It was written by and stars Riley, Turner and Magda Szubanski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robyn Kershaw</span>

Robyn Kershaw is an Australian independent film and television producer, best known for her work on feature drama, Looking for Alibrandi (2000), musical-comedy, Bran Nue Dae (2009), the hit TV series Kath & Kim and working with the YouTube sensation Mychonny on Sucker (2015), Mychonny Moves In (2015) and The China Boy Show (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Maunder</span> Australian cabaret and theatre performer

Lucy Maunder is an Australian cabaret and theatre performer. She originated the role of Lara in the Australian premiere of Doctor Zhivago opposite Anthony Warlow, and has toured with her own cabaret Songs in the Key of Black, releasing an album with the same name. Maunder toured with the national touring company of Grease playing the role of Rizzo. She then starred in the role of Miss Honey in the Australian tour of Matilda the Musical, replacing Elise McCann. She is currently starring in the Australian production of Fun Home, in the adult lead role.

Da Kath & Kim Code is a 2005 Australian comedy telemovie of the television series Kath & Kim.

Geraldine Gail Turner is an Australian actress and singer. She has been a leading performer in Australian musical theatre since the 1970s, and has also been active in plays, recordings, film and television.

<i>Muriels Wedding</i> (musical) Australian stage musical

Muriel's Wedding the Musical is an Australian stage musical, based on the 1994 film of the same name. It has a book by P.J. Hogan, and music and lyrics by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall, with additional songs originally written for ABBA by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Rathgeber</span> Australian actor and singer

Alex Rathgeber is an Australian actor and singer, perhaps best known for his Helpmann Award-winning performance as Billy Crocker in Anything Goes. More recently he appeared as the Tin Man in Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of The Wizard of Oz.

References

  1. Turner, Tonya: Gina Riley leaves Kim for a spell in Chicago, The Courier-Mail , 5 December 2008.
  2. The Games: Complete Series, The Games (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
  3. Quinn, Karl: The Magda carta, The Age , 14 September 2003.
  4. AusStage - Gina Riley AusStage. Retrieved 22 February 2015
  5. "Gina Riley leaves Kim for a spell in Chicago". news.com.au.
  6. "TEG Life Like Company – Sweeney Todd starring Anthony Warlow & Gina Riley" . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  7. "Australia's Maggie McKenna Completes Cast of DEAR EVAN HANSEN Tour Taking on the Role of Zoe".
  8. "Melbourne's most well-known nepo babies".
  9. "Kath & Kim star battling cancer". 3 News NZ. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  10. Coster, Alice (28 December 2020). "Jane Turner jumps to it for Melbourne Theatre Company". Herald Sun .
  11. Jane Turner and Gina Riley (Kath and Kim), Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, ABC TV, 28 July 2003.