Rachel Friend

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Rachel Friend
Born (1970-01-08) 8 January 1970 (age 54)
Australia
Occupation(s)Actress, journalist, communications consultant
Years active1985–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 19931994)

(m. 20002013)
Children2

Rachel Amanda Friend (born 8 January 1970) is an Australian actress and journalist.

Contents

Early life

Friend completed her HSC at Sacré Cœur School, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, and deferred a commerce course at University of Melbourne.

Career

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 ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1986 Frog Dreaming
(aka The Quest (US) and
The Go Kids (UK)
WendyFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1985 Zoo Family Susie’s friendTV series, season 1, episode 22: "The Good, The Bad and Martin"
1986 Prime Time TV series
1988 The Bartons MirandaTV series, season 1, episode 10: "Bartons on the Beach"
1988–90 Neighbours Bronwyn Davies TV series, 199 episodes
Round The Twist MermaidTV series
1991 Golden Fiddles Kitty BalfourMiniseries, 2 episodes
1991 Midday ReporterTV series
1992 Mission Top Secret AnnetteTV movie / pilot
1993 London Tonight ReporterTV series
1996Wild LifePresenterTV series (also writer)
1999 A Current Affair ReporterTV series, 1 episode (interviewing Stuart MacGill)
Saturday KitchenCo-host (with husband Stuart MacGill)TV series
2001 A Current Affair ReporterTV series, 1 episode: "Vaccination: A Stab in the Dark?"
2005Under the GrandstandGuestTV series, 1 episode: #1.4
2007 Beauty and the Beast GuestTV series
2007Mums and BubsPresenterTV series (also producer)
2009 New Idea TV HostTV series
2010 The Morning Show GuestTV series
2018The Go Kids: Looking Back on Frog Dreaming SelfTV special (short)
2019 Tidying Up with Marie Kondo GuestTV series, season 1, episode 1: "Tidying with Toddlers"

Awards

YearNominated workAwardCategoryResult
1990 Neighbours Logie Awards Most Popular Actress Won

Personal life

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]

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References

  1. Devlyn, Darren (2 July 1988). "A Friend & neighbor". TV Week . p. 25.
  2. 1 2 "Your New Neighbour". The Sun-Herald . Fairfax Media. 25 June 1988. p. 51. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  3. Idato, Michael (14 March 2005). "Role of honour". The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  4. "1990 TV Week Logie Awards". TV Week . tvweek.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  5. Lewis, Rachel (9 October 2019). "The Cast of Neighbours: Where Are They Now?". Pens & Patron. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. Brown, David (5 May 1990). "Rachel goes rustic!". TV Week . pp. 4–5.
  7. 1 2 3 Sharp, Annette (15 October 2000). "The Diary". The Sun-Herald . Fairfax Media. p. 26. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  8. "Rachel Friend confirms a split from former cricketer Stuart MacGill". 31 August 2014.
  9. "MacGill and Friend pull up stumps". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2020.