Deborah Mailman
Encyclopedia
Deborah Mailman is an Australian television and film actress. She was the first Aboriginal
actress to win the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
. She is well known for having played the character "Kelly" on successful Australian television series, The Secret Life of Us
.
and is the youngest of five children born to Wally, an accomplished rodeo
rider, and Jane Mailman. She has both Indigenous Australian and Māori heritage. She graduated from Queensland University of Technology
's Academy of the Arts in 1992. She played the role of Kate in a La Boite Theatre production of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' in 1994.
win, was for playing the character "Nona", in the Australian independent film
Radiance
. From here she has since become one of Australia's most prominent local actors especially through her lead role on The Secret Life of Us
, a role for which she was twice awarded Most Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series at the Logies (2002
and 2004
). She stayed during the shows entire duration (2001–2006).
She then took part in a four-part television documentary series with Cathy Freeman
called Going Bush where the pair set off on a journey from Broome to Arnhem Land spending time with Indigenous communities along the way. She was featured prominently in the Leah Purcell
documentary Black Chicks Talking
(2001), where she candidly discussed her thoughts about her Aboriginal heritage.
She also appeared in the film Rabbit-Proof Fence
, the play The Sapphires
and the TV series Play School
and was part of The Actors Company for the Sydney Theatre Company (2006–2007).
She was recently awarded an Inside Film Award for her short film Ralph and will star in 2010 musical film Bran Nue Dae
. She plays the role of Cherie Butterfield in Channel Ten's Offspring
drama series, which premiered August 15 2010.
AFI
:
Logie Award
s:
The Deady Awards:
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
actress to win the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an award presented annually at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The award has been presented annually since 1971.-History:...
. She is well known for having played the character "Kelly" on successful Australian television series, The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
.
Early life
Mailman grew up in Mount Isa in north west QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and is the youngest of five children born to Wally, an accomplished rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
rider, and Jane Mailman. She has both Indigenous Australian and Māori heritage. She graduated from Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
's Academy of the Arts in 1992. She played the role of Kate in a La Boite Theatre production of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' in 1994.
Career
In 1998, Mailman won her first AFIAustralian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
win, was for playing the character "Nona", in the Australian independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Radiance
Radiance (film)
Radiance is a 1998 Australian independent film. It is the first feature film by Aboriginal director Rachel Perkins about three indigenous sisters who reunite for their mother's funeral...
. From here she has since become one of Australia's most prominent local actors especially through her lead role on The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
, a role for which she was twice awarded Most Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series at the Logies (2002
Logie Awards of 2002
The 44th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday 28 April 2002 at Crown Casino in Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network. Wendy Harmer from the Sydney radio station 2Day FM was the Master of Ceremonies.The ratings of the 2002 logie awards averaged around 1,865,000 and ranked at #5...
and 2004
Logie Awards of 2004
The 46th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday, 18 April 2004 at Crown Casino in Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network. Eddie McGuire presided as Master of Ceremonies for the second year in a row, and the awards featured special guest Mel Brooks...
). She stayed during the shows entire duration (2001–2006).
She then took part in a four-part television documentary series with Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
called Going Bush where the pair set off on a journey from Broome to Arnhem Land spending time with Indigenous communities along the way. She was featured prominently in the Leah Purcell
Leah Purcell
Leah Purcell is an Australian actor, director and writer.-Biography:She is a film, television and theatre actor, singer, director and playwright. She is the youngest of seven children of Aboriginal and white Australian descent. Her father was a butcher and a boxing trainer...
documentary Black Chicks Talking
Black Chicks Talking
Black Chicks Talking is an arts project by Australian actress Leah Purcell featuring a 2001 documentary film, a 2002 book, a stage production and an art exhibition. The film is co-directed by Brendan Fletcher and features Indigenous Australian women including Purcell, actress Deborah Mailman and...
(2001), where she candidly discussed her thoughts about her Aboriginal heritage.
She also appeared in the film Rabbit-Proof Fence
Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)
Rabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara...
, the play The Sapphires
The Sapphires (play)
The Sapphires is an Australian play written by Tony Briggs and directed by Wesley Enoch. It is set in 1968 and it tells the story of The Sapphires, a singing group of four Koori women who tour Vietnam during the war.It was inspired by the true story of Briggs's mother, Laurel Robinson, and aunt,...
and the TV series Play School
Play School (Australian TV series)
Play School is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is the longest-running children's show in Australia, and the second longest running childrens show in the world. An estimated 80% of pre-school children under six watch the...
and was part of The Actors Company for the Sydney Theatre Company (2006–2007).
She was recently awarded an Inside Film Award for her short film Ralph and will star in 2010 musical film Bran Nue Dae
Bran Nue Dae (film)
Bran Nue Dae is a feature film adaptation of 1990 musical Bran Nue Dae by Jimmy Chi. It was theatrically released in Australia on 14 January 2010, and in the United States on 10 September 2010.-Plot:...
. She plays the role of Cherie Butterfield in Channel Ten's Offspring
Offspring (TV series)
Offspring is an Australian television comedy-drama series which premiered on Network Ten in Australia on 15 August 2010. Offspring is centred around 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her family, as they navigate the chaos of modern life...
drama series, which premiered August 15 2010.
Personal life
Mailman's partner is advertising executive Matthew Coonan. They have two sons, Henry and Oliver. Deborah also has an older sister that resides in New Zealand, born of the same mother, different father.Filmography
- RadianceRadiance (film)Radiance is a 1998 Australian independent film. It is the first feature film by Aboriginal director Rachel Perkins about three indigenous sisters who reunite for their mother's funeral...
(1998), Nona - The Third Note (2000), Tina
- The Monkey's MaskThe Monkey's MaskThe Monkey's Mask is a 2000 thriller film directed by Samantha Lang. It stars Susie Porter and Kelly McGillis. Porter plays a lesbian private detective who falls in love with a suspect in the disappearance of a young woman...
(2000), Lou - The Secret Life of UsThe Secret Life of UsThe Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
(2001–2006), Kelly Lewis / Narrator — 86 episodes - Rabbit-Proof FenceRabbit-Proof Fence (film)Rabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara...
(2002), Mavis - The Book of RevelationThe Book of Revelation (film)The Book of Revelation is a 2006 Australian film directed by Ana Kokkinos, which she adapted with Andrew Bovell to screen from the novel by Rupert Thomson. It was produced by Al Clark, with original music by Cezary Skubiszewski...
(2006), Julie - Bran Nue DaeBran Nue Dae (film)Bran Nue Dae is a feature film adaptation of 1990 musical Bran Nue Dae by Jimmy Chi. It was theatrically released in Australia on 14 January 2010, and in the United States on 10 September 2010.-Plot:...
(2009), Roxanne - OffspringOffspring (TV series)Offspring is an Australian television comedy-drama series which premiered on Network Ten in Australia on 15 August 2010. Offspring is centred around 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her family, as they navigate the chaos of modern life...
(2010–Present), Cherie Butterfield - MentalMentalMental, a word referring to aspects of, or things related to, the mind; or in anatomy, the skull, e.g. the mental foramen, can also mean:* a slang, pejorative term used to describe people who act like lunatics, which is itself an outdated term for people with mental disorders* Mental , a 2009...
(2012), - The SapphiresThe SapphiresThe Sapphires were an American pop ensemble from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their sound was comparable to much of the music released on Motown in the 1960s....
(2012), Cynthia Macrae - Mabo (TV Film) (2012), Bonita
Awards
Mailman has won and been nominated for several awards, including the following –AFI
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
:
- 1998 – Best Performance by a Leading Actress, for RadianceRadiance (film)Radiance is a 1998 Australian independent film. It is the first feature film by Aboriginal director Rachel Perkins about three indigenous sisters who reunite for their mother's funeral...
(WIN) - 2003 – Best Leading Actress in a Television Drama, for The Secret Life Of UsThe Secret Life of UsThe Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
(NOMINATED) - 2010 – Best Supporting Role in a Feature Film, for Bran Nue Dajje (film) (WIN)
- 2010 – Best Supporting Role in a Television Drama, for Offspring (TV series)Offspring (TV series)Offspring is an Australian television comedy-drama series which premiered on Network Ten in Australia on 15 August 2010. Offspring is centred around 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her family, as they navigate the chaos of modern life...
(WIN)
Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
s:
- 2002 – Most Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series, for her role in The Secret Life Of UsThe Secret Life of UsThe Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
(WIN) - 2004 – Most Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series, for her role in The Secret Life Of UsThe Secret Life of UsThe Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
(WIN)
The Deady Awards:
- 2003: NAIDOC Person of the Year (WIN)
- 2007: Female Actor of the Year (WIN)