Anna McGahan
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|
Anna McGahan | |
|---|---|
 McGahan in 2012 | |
| Born | 2 May 1988 |
| Alma mater | QUT and AFTRS |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Notable work | Underbelly: Razor Anzac Girls |
| Spouse |
Jonathan Weir
(m. 2017; div. 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
Anna McGahan (born 2 May 1988) is an Australian actress and playwright. She is best known for playing the roles of Nellie Cameron on the television series, Underbelly: Razor (2011), Lucy in House Husbands (2012–2014), and Rose Anderson in The Doctor Blake Mysteries (2015–2018).
Early life
[edit]McGahan grew up in Coorparoo, Queensland, attending to Brisbane Girls Grammar School and then studied for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at QUT, graduating in 2010. She subsequently relocated to Sydney. Growing up she was a dedicated ballet dancer and then began studying psychology upon finishing high school. She studied screenwriting at AFTRS in 2015.[1]
Career
[edit]McGahan has appeared in Australian film, television and theatre. Her most notable appearance to date is starring as Nellie Cameron in the hit Australian TV series Underbelly: Razor, in which she plays a 16-year-old 1920s prostitute from a wealthy background who influenced some of the era's most powerful men, for which she won the Inside Film 'Out of the Box' Award and was nominated for two Logies.
In 2012 she received a 'Best Emerging Artist' Matilda Award for her performance in La Boite Theatre Company’s Julius Caesar.
McGahan appeared in the 2012 film 100 Bloody Acres and Australian TV series House Husbands on the Nine Network in the same year.
On 27 June 2012, McGahan was awarded the Heath Ledger scholarship at the Australians in Film benefit in Los Angeles.
In 2014 she played Sister Olive Haynes in the six-part miniseries for ABC Television ANZAC Girls. Based closely on real characters, she plays opposite Brandon McClelland as the Australian soldier Norval 'Pat' Dooley, who married Haynes in 1917.
In May 2021, McGahan played Katharina in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew with Queensland Theatre (in the Bille Brown Theatre, Brisbane), directed by Damien Ryan.[2] Petruchio was played by Nicholas Brown.
In 2023, McGahan was named as part of the cast for ABC musical drama In Our Blood.[3]
McGahan is also a playwright. She won the Queensland Theatre Company Young Playwright's Award in 2009 and 2010, and was shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Drama Award in 2011 for her play He's Seeing Other People Now, which she produced through the Metro Arts Independents Season in Brisbane. She co-wrote the immersive theatre piece The People of the Sun with Joel McKerrow, which toured Melbourne and Sydney in 2016 and 2017. In 2016 she was shortlisted for The Saturday Paper's national essay award, the Horne Prize,[4] while in 2023 she won The Australian/Vogel Literary Award.[5]
Personal life
[edit]In 2012 McGahan converted to Christianity while reading a Gideon's Bible in a hotel room, where she had a "series of spiritual encounters".[6] In 2019 her memoir of her spiritual journey was published by Acorn Press, and was nominated for the global ECPA Christian Book Awards.[7] She is no longer heavily involved in the church as an institution, and in 2021 stated that she creates work that ‘prioritises a defiant female gaze to explore experiences of embodiment, motherhood, sexuality and spirituality’.[8]
McGahan married Jonathan Weir in April 2017.[9] They welcomed their first child, Mercy Weir, in February 2018, born prematurely at 33 weeks.[10] They separated in 2021, and she now lives in Brisbane with her two daughters.[11]
Bibliography
[edit]- McGahan, Anna (19 August 2019). Metanoia: A Memoir of a Body, Born Again. Bible Society Australia. ISBN 978-0647519837.
- McGahan, Anna (2020). Skin: A Book of Blessings for the Woman Learning to Bear Life. Anna McGahan. ISBN 978-0646830582.
- McGahan, Anna (20 June 2023). Immaculate. Allen and Unwin. ISBN 978-1761067990.
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bipolar | Mopsy | Short film |
| 2009 | Maligayang Pasko | Short film | |
| 2010 | Lance Johnson in Person | Abby | Short film |
| 2011 | A Little Bit Behind | Jen | Short film |
| 2012 | Undertow | Newlywed | TV movie |
| 2012 | 100 Bloody Acres | Sophie | Feature film |
| 2012 | The Mystery of a Hansom Cab | Rosanna Moore / The Queen | TV film |
| 2012 | Reef 'n' Beef | Daisy | |
| 2012 | Scratch | Lola | Short film |
| 2012 | Gingers | Ginge | Short film (also writer) |
| 2016 | Spirit of the Game | Elspeth | Feature film |
| 2016 | Trolley | Anna | Short film |
| 2017 | Project Eden: Vol. I | Alice Lawson | Feature film |
| 2017 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries: Family Portrait | Rose Anderson | TV film |
| 2018 | Fur Baby | Colette | Short film (also writer) |
| 2020 | Liquid Moonlight | Erin Buchanan | Short film (also writer) |
| 2021 | Julia | Radio Presenter | Short film |
| 2021 | Sunshine | Roseanne | Short film |
| 2022 | Sit. Stay. Love. | Remy | TV film |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rescue: Special Ops | Tegan Reid | TV series, episode: "It's Not the Fall that Kills You" |
| Spirited | Penelope (guest role) | TV series, season 2 | |
| Underbelly: Razor | Nellie Cameron (main role) | TV series | |
| The Boys' Place | Jane Alexander | TV series | |
| 2012 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Miss Prout | TV series, episode: "Away with the Fairies" |
| 2012–14 | House Husbands | Lucy Crabb (main role) | TV series, season 1–3 |
| 2014 | ANZAC Girls | Sister Olive Haynes | TV miniseries |
| 2016 | The Kettering Incident | Gillian Baxter / Dr. Colleen McKay | TV series, episode: "The Homecoming" |
| Fancy Boy | Karen / Rachel | TV series, episodes: "1.2", "1.3" | |
| 2016–17 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Rose Anderson (main role) | TV series, season 4–5 |
| 2018 | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Greta McCraw | TV miniseries |
| 2019 | Glitch | Millie | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2022 | Troppo | Frankie | TV series, 2 episodes |
| Joe vs. Carole | Mia | TV miniseries, 1 episode | |
| Darby and Joan | Rebecca Kirkhope | TV series, 6 episodes | |
| 2023 | In Our Blood | Michelle | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Julius Caesar | Portia | Roundhouse Theatre with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2012 | Managing Carmen | Clara Salope | Playhouse, QPAC with Queensland Theatre, Heath Ledger Theatre Perth with Black Swan Theatre Company |
| 2014 | The Effect | Connie | Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre / STC |
| 2019 | Hydra | Charmian | Dunstan Playhouse, Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre, Wharf Theatre with STC |
| 2021–22 | The Taming of the Shrew | Katharina | Bille Brown Theatre, Brisbane, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Inlet Cinema, Sussex Inlet, Belgrave Cinema, Armidale, Majestic Cinemas, Huskisson Pictures with Queensland Theatre |
| 2024 | Closer | Anna | Roundhouse Theatre with La Boite Theatre Company |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Title of Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Queensland Theatre Company | Young Playwright's Award | Won | |
| 2010 | Queensland Theatre Company | Young Playwright's Award | Won | |
| 2011 | He's Seeing Other People Now | Queensland Theatre Company | Queensland Premier’s Drama Award | Shortlisted |
| 2011 | Inside Film Awards | Out of the Box Award | Won | |
| 2012 | Underbelly: Razor | TV Week Logie Awards | Most Popular New Female Talent | Nominated |
| 2012 | Underbelly: Razor | TV Week Logie Awards | Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent | Nominated |
| 2012 | Various | Australians in Film | Heath Ledger Scholarship | Won |
| 2012 | La Boite’s Julius Caesar | Matilda Awards | Best Emerging Artist | Won |
| 2016 | Brightness | The Saturday Paper's Horne Prize | National Essay Award | Shortlisted |
| 2020 | Metanoia : Memoir of a Body, Born Again | Australian Christian Book of the Year Awards | Australian Christian Book of the Year | Shortlisted |
| 2023 | Immaculate | The Australian | Vogel National Literary Award | Won |
| 2024 | Immaculate | Adelaide Writers' Week | MUD Literary Prize | Shortlisted |
References
[edit]- ^ "47 AFTRS Student and Alumni Productions Set For Flickerfest 2021 | Australian Film Television and Radio School". www.aftrs.edu.au. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ "Taming of the shrew, 8 May – 5 Jun". Queensland Theatre. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ Knox, David (3 February 2023). "Cast confirmed for In Our Blood | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Inaugural Horne Prize shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2 December 2016. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ "'Immaculate' wins 2023 Vogel". Books+Publishing. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ Morris, Jessica (4 March 2017). "Anna McGahan: Bold, brave and blessed". Warcry. Salvos Warcry. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ April 7th, Anne Lim |; Comment, 2020 04:07 PM | Add a (7 April 2020). "McGahan thrilled her 'radical story' has been honoured in global book award - Eternity News". www.eternitynews.com.au. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ McGahan, Anna. "Anna McGahan". Anna McGahan. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ McGahan, Anna (11 June 2017). "Verdant". A forbidden room. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ McGahan, Anna (19 March 2018). "Mercy". A forbidden room. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ McGahan, Anna. "Anna McGahan". Anna McGahan. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/445008
- ^ "Closer". La Boite. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A134310
Sources
[edit]- QUT Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Australia.
- The Courier Mail - an Australian newspaper
- SMH The Sydney Morning Herald
- The Courier Mail - an Australian newspaper
- The Gatehouse[permanent dead link] - Studio B
- Marquee
External links
[edit]- Anna McGahan at IMDb
| International | |
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| National | |
