Deborah Mailman (born 14 July 1972) 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. She is also well known
for her current role as Cherie in the successful Australian drama series
Offspring.
Deborah Mailman grew up in Mount Isa in north-west
Queensland. She is one of five children born to Wally Mailman, a famous
rodeo rider and horseman, and Jane (Heeni) Mailman, the daughter of a
preacher and talented musician. She has both Indigenous Australian (Bidjara)
and Maori (Ngati Porou and Te Arawa) heritage.
Deborah was born in Mt Isa - north west Queensland (Map
Source)
In 1992 she graduated from Queensland University of Technology Academy of
the Arts with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Performing Arts. Since then she
has worked extensively in Australian film, television and theater as well as
many contributions overseas. She played the role of Kate in a La Boite
Theatre production of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' in 1994.(Source:
Wikipedia)
Did You Know?
Deborah Mailman's portrait
in National Portrait Gallery (by
artist Evert Ploeg) is one of the most
popular in the collection, appealing to audiences of all ages.
Visitors who recognise her from her numerous performances comment on
the strength of the likeness; those who are unfamiliar with her work
comment on the representation of inner beauty, which seems to
radiate from the portrait. Comments about the work centre around the
sitter's comfortable and relaxed pose which presents her in an open
manner, as a person who is approachable and content within herself,
with an almost serene expression on her face.
The portrait was a finalist in the Archibald Prize in 1999 and was
the winner of the People's Choice Award by the largest ever margin;
it also won the ABC Radio 2BL Listeners' Award. (Source: NPG)
Education:
Deborah Mailman was educated at Barkly HighwayState
School Mt
Isa, Queensland for her primary
years.
YouTube: Yarramundi Kids - When I was a Kid by
Deborah Mailman - Deborah talks about her early
schooling, how she was bullied and her family - 9mins
She first took drama at high school with a group of mates
just to avoid a dull business subject, but found she was good at it. Her
first major role at school was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, she won prizes
for performing at local eisteddfods and eventually went to drama school.
(Source: SMH)
"At the end of my high school year, 1989, I auditioned at
James Cook University in Townsville, Darling Downs in Toowoomba (now
University of Southern Queensland) and Queensland University of Technology
Academy of the Arts in Brisbane. I was accepted into all three and chose
Brisbane as my place of study." (Source:
Indigenous Scholarships)
Deborah went to Queensland
University of Technology's Academy of the Arts and
graduated in 1992.
Employment & Training:
In 1998, Mailman won her first AFI 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"
(2006) 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 appeared in the Play School TV series and was part of The Actors Company
for the Sydney Theatre Company (2006–2007).
She appeared in the film "Rabbit-Proof Fence".
She played a lead role in the 2010 musical film "Bran
Nue Dae". In the play "The
Sapphires" and the subsequent film of the same
name she played the role of singer Gail McCrae.
She was awarded an Inside Film Award for her short film Ralph. She played
the role of Cherie Butterfield in Channel Ten's "Offspring"
drama series.
In 2012 she is starring in "Redfern Now",
an indigenous mini-series for the ABC.(Source:
Wikipedia)
In 2019 and 2021, Deborah played the lead role of Alex
Irving in Total Control.
2003
- Centenary Medal
For distinguished service to the arts in the fields of stage, film
and television.
(Source:
AusLit)
2012 Qld Greats Recipient
"One of Australia’s most celebrated actors, Deborah Mailman grew up in Mount
Isa, Queensland. A proud Bidjara woman, Deborah’s outstanding performances
in film , television and theatre have been acknowledged by numerous awards
across stage and screen. Deborah is a role model to many young Indigenous
people, dedicating her time to Indigenous literacy awareness projects, most
notably through The 7 Stages of Grieving, a play which has been
workshopped and performed for over 15 years with school students across
Australia.
Deborah also helped establish the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Program of Contact Youth Theatre and the Kooemba Jdarra
Indigenous Performing Arts which is dedicated to developing and producing
contemporary performances both locally and internationally on the stories of
Indigenous Australians. Deborah is proud of her many years of training and
working in Queensland and credits this for many of her successes."
(Source: 2012 Queensland Greats)
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Faculty
of Arts and Professional Excellence Award Winner - 1999
Deborah Mailman's highly- acclaimed film and theatre work has seen
her emerge as a leading Australian actor. Since graduating from the Academy
of the Arts in 1992, she has achieved extraordinary success, as an actor,
writer and producer. In 1998 she won the Australian Film Institute Award for
Best Actress for her portrayal of Nona in Radiance. The film, which was
written by Louis Nowra, confirmed 27-year-old Deborah as a star and as a
role-model for young indigenous Australians. Over the past 12 months,
Deborah has performed in two works by Shakespeare, appeared in ABC's
Playschool program and completed a second film. Deborah continues her
involvement with the Kooemba Jdarra Theatre which she co-founded with
fellow-graduate Wesley Enoch, and she is currently developing indigenous
content for a QUT Academy of the Arts project. (Source:
QUT)
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
Australian Curriculum: Cross Curriculum
Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
1. Look at the following "This
is Your Life" - video - Adam Gilchrist - to get an idea of the
"old TV series". (This is the first of 5 videos but it will give you
an idea of the gist of this program).