Rachel Friend | |
---|---|
Born | Australia | 8 January 1970
Occupation(s) | Actress, journalist, communications consultant |
Years active | 1985–present |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 2 |
Rachel Amanda Friend (born 8 January 1970) is an Australian actress and journalist.
Friend completed her HSC at Sacré Cœur School, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, and deferred a commerce course at University of Melbourne.
Friend began her screen career with roles in Zoo Family , Prime Time and The Bartons . She also starred in the 1986 family adventure film Frog Dreaming . [1]
Friend joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours in 1988, when she was eighteen. [2] Friend chose to postpone her university degree to join the show as Bronwyn Davies. [2] Friend quit Neighbours in 1990. [3] That same year saw her win the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress. [4] [5]
After leaving Neighbours, Friend starred as Annette in the telemovie Mission Top Secret , alongside Beth Buchanan. [6] Other roles include Golden Fiddles (1991), and a brief appearance in Round The Twist as a mermaid. Friend hosted the Seven Network show Saturday Kitchen with her husband Stuart MacGill on Saturday afternoons.
In 2003, Friend established her own PR company, "Media Friendly", and in July 2007 produced and presented the Seven Network parenting show, Mums and Bubs. In 2009, Friend began hosting a television show on the Seven Network called New Idea TV alongside Barbara Northwood, Tom Williams and a variety of other presenters. [ citation needed ]
This section needs to be updated.(December 2017) |
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Frog Dreaming (aka The Quest (US) and The Go Kids (UK) | Wendy | Feature film |
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Zoo Family | Susie’s friend | TV series, season 1, episode 22: "The Good, The Bad and Martin" |
1986 | Prime Time | TV series | |
1988 | The Bartons | Miranda | TV series, season 1, episode 10: "Bartons on the Beach" |
1988–90 | Neighbours | Bronwyn Davies | TV series, 199 episodes |
Round The Twist | Mermaid | TV series | |
1991 | Golden Fiddles | Kitty Balfour | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
1991 | Midday | Reporter | TV series |
1992 | Mission Top Secret | Annette | TV movie / pilot |
1993 | London Tonight | Reporter | TV series |
1996 | Wild Life | Presenter | TV series (also writer) |
1999 | A Current Affair | Reporter | TV series, 1 episode (interviewing Stuart MacGill) |
Saturday Kitchen | Co-host (with husband Stuart MacGill) | TV series | |
2001 | A Current Affair | Reporter | TV series, 1 episode: "Vaccination: A Stab in the Dark?" |
2005 | Under the Grandstand | Guest | TV series, 1 episode: #1.4 |
2007 | Beauty and the Beast | Guest | TV series |
2007 | Mums and Bubs | Presenter | TV series (also producer) |
2009 | New Idea TV | Host | TV series |
2010 | The Morning Show | Guest | TV series |
2018 | The Go Kids: Looking Back on Frog Dreaming | Self | TV special (short) |
2019 | Tidying Up with Marie Kondo | Guest | TV series, season 1, episode 1: "Tidying with Toddlers" |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Neighbours | Logie Awards | Most Popular Actress | Won |
In 1993, Friend married Australian actor-singer Craig McLachlan whom she had met on the set of Neighbours . [7] They divorced the following year. [7] McLachlan's hit song "Amanda" was about Friend, which is her middle name.
Friend married Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill in 2000 [7] after meeting in 1999 when she interviewed him for A Current Affair . [8] They have two children together – a boy born in 2003 and a girl born in 2006. The pair separated and subsequently divorced in 2013. [9]
Craig Dougall McLachlan is an Australian actor, musician, singer and composer. He has been involved in film, television, the music industry and music theatre for over 30 years. He is best known for appearing in the soap operas Neighbours and Home and Away and the BBC One spy drama Bugs. He has portrayed the title character in The Doctor Blake Mysteries, for which he was nominated for the Logie Award for Most Popular Actor; he has previously won the award in this category three times.
Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian singer, actress and television personality. Born in Crookwell and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an acting career in 1998 with guest appearances in television shows. Bassingthwaighte rose to prominence in 2003 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours for her role as Izzy Hoyland, which earned her three Logie Award nominations.
Annie Jones is an Australian actress, known for her roles in soap operas and serials, most especially Sons and Daughters as Jess Campbell, in Neighbours as Jane Harris and Newlyweds as Allie Carter. She has won two Logie Awards.
Jean Vivra Gray, known professionally as Vivean Gray, also credited as Vivian Gray and Viven Gray, was an English television and film actress. She starred in the films Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave, but her best-known roles were in TV soap operas, after having appeared in numerous roles for Crawford Productions, she had regular roles in serials, The Sullivans, as Ida Jessup for its entire run from 1976 to 1983; in Prisoner, as Edna Pearson 1984, and in Neighbours, as Nell Mangel from 1986 to 1988.
Charlene Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours played by Kylie Minogue. Charlene was introduced to the show along with several new characters, as part of a revamp by Network Ten to increase ratings. Minogue auditioned for the role in 1985, shortly after finishing her high school exams. She attended the audition dressed as the character and casting director Jan Russ cast her in the role. Minogue was initially contracted for a week, but this was later extended through to mid-1988. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 April 1986.
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Bronwyn Davies is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Rachel Friend. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 July 1988. Bronwyn is the sister of Sharon Davies. Bronwyn fell in love with Henry Ramsay and when he left for New Zealand, she followed him not long after. Bronwyn departed on 22 February 1990.
Sophie Dean is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Rebekah Elmaloglou. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 23 January 1990 and appeared as a regular until 1993. Elmaloglou returned to filming when Sophie made subsequent guest appearances in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
Grant Mitchell is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Craig McLachlan. Grant debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 9 February 1990. McLachlan had previously appeared on rival soap opera Neighbours playing Henry Ramsay. When his contract was due to be renewed, the Seven Network offered him a more flexible contract to appear in Home and Away, which McLachlan signed. Grant arrives in Summer Bay as a new teacher starting work at the local school. Grant is described as a likeable teacher with a good rapport with his pupils. His unorthodox teaching methods land him with the nickname "Cool Mitch".
Lachlan "Lachie" Fraser is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Richard Grieve. He made his screen debut on 19 March 1997 and last appeared on 27 November 1998. He joined the show after previously appearing in rival soap opera Neighbours. Lachlan is introduced as a new doctor working at Summer Bay's local hospital. Grieve had to research the profession and received help from an on-set medical advisor. Lachlan is characterised as a sweet and gentle person who is brilliant at medicine.