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Heather Mitchell

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For the Australian farmer and community leader, see Heather Mitchell (farmer).

Heather Mitchell
AM
Born1958 (age 65–66)
EducationNational Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present
Websiteheathermitchell.com.au

Heather Lee Mitchell AM (born 1958) is an Australian actress, appearing in Australian productions of stage, television and film. She is a graduate of NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art). She is best known for her leading role in the 1990s television show Spellbinder.

Early life

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Mitchell attended Camden High School in Camden, New South Wales, between 1971 and 1976 and was school captain in her final year. She took the leading role of Judith Bliss in the 1976 school production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever.[citation needed]

Career

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Television

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Mitchell is, internationally, well known for her performance as Ashka in the Australian/Polish co-productions of Spellbinder (1995), and Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord (1997). The series was a popular children's fantasy program first broadcast in 1995.

Other television series include: the miniseries Bodyline (1984), Land of Hope (1986), Embassy (1992) and A Country Practice. In 1998, she starred in the miniseries drama The Day of the Roses, in which she played a victim of the 1977 Granville rail disaster. She has also appeared in episodes of Five Mile Creek (1984), Rake (2010), Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2013), and Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries (2019). In 2021, she played Birdie in The Unusual Suspects.

In 2024 Mitchell was named as part of the cast for the series The Narrow Road to the Deep North.[1] She was also named for Paramount Plus series Fake.[2]

Stage

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Mitchell is a foundation director and board member of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC).[3] She first appeared at the STC in 1981 performing scenes of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 with Andrew Tighe for a workshop.[4] She has since appeared in dozens of productions for several Australian theatre companies and has contributed to Terence Crawford's 2005 book Trade Secrets: Australian Actors and Their Craft.[5][6]

In 2022, Mitchell was announced to play the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the theatre play RBG: Of Many, One.[7] In 2024, Mitchell would again play Ginsburg for the 2024 Black Swan State Theatre Company season.[8] Critics called Mitchell's performance as Ginsburg as a 'tour de force'.[9] Mitchell would again reprise Ginsburg for the 2025 Sydney Theatre Company season.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 Hoodwink Nurse 2 Feature film
1985 I Can't Get Started Jill TV film
1986 Malcolm Barmaid Feature film
1987 The Place at the Coast Margot Ryan Feature film
1988 The Everlasting Secret Family Wife Feature film
1989 The Water Trolley TV film
1991 Proof Mother Feature film
1994 Muriel's Wedding Bridal manageress #1 Feature film
1995 Bathing Boxes 1st woman Short film
1996 Children of the Revolution Mrs. Savage Feature film
1997 Thank God He Met Lizzie Melanie Feature film
1998 A Little Bit of Soul Grace Michael TV film
2000 On the Beach British anchorwoman TV film
The Love of Lionel's Life Det Sgt TV film
2002 Black and White Roma Chamberlain Feature film
2003 Travelling Light Betty Ferris Feature film
2004 The Brush-Off Fiona Lambert TV film
2005 Hell Has Harbour Views Anne TV film
Da Kath & Kim Code Heather TV film
2006 The Society Murders Sally Honan TV film
Irresistible Rina Feature film
Mohammad Hossain's Intensive Care Herself – Narrator Documentary film
2007 Romulus, My Father Television presenter Feature film
Rogue Elizabeth Feature film
2008 Three Blind Mice Kathy Feature film
Seize the Day Valentine Short film
Emerald Falls Catherine Reid TV film
2009 A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne June Dally-Watkins TV film
2010 A Love Story Julia Short film
The Wedding Party Rose Feature film
Griff the Invisible Bronwyn Feature film
2011 The Moment Narrator (voice) Short film
Afterglow Kate Whitcomb Short film
The Eye of the Storm June Feature film
Snobs Mother TV film
Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away Rose McMillan TV film
2012 The Fort Joanna Short film
Census Sue Short film
The Red Valentine The Mother Short film
Sanctuary Aunty / Nurse Short film
Jack Irish: Bad Debts Mrs. Vane TV film
2013 Ravage Clare Short film
The Great Gatsby Daisy's Mother Feature film
The Fragments Heather Short film
2014 Maya the Bee Thekla the Spider / The Nurse (voice) Animated feature film
Love Is Now Evelyn Feature film
2015 Drown Helen Feature film
2016 Unified Janet Boyce Short film
2017 Lets Get Marriage Equality in Australia Herself Short film
2018 Riot Joan / Checkerboard Interviewer TV film
Dots The Lady Short film
Loud Thoughts Valerie Short film
Pimped Sophia Hanson Feature film
2019 Palm Beach Eva Feature film
2021 Daddy's Perfect Little Girl Fay Broward TV film
2022 Bosch and Rockit Wendy Feature film
Blaze Jackie Stevens Feature film
2023 Jones Family Christmas Heather Jones TV film
2024 Ricky Stanicky Leona Feature film
200% Wolf Lady Hightail (voice) Animated feature film
TBA† Wedding of the Year Eleanor Pre-production
† Not yet released

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 Cop Shop Michelle Beasley TV series, 1 episode
Ratbags Various characters TV series, 1 episode
1982 A Country Practice Peggy TV series, 2 episodes
1984 Five Mile Creek Jocelyn TV series, 1 episode
Bodyline Edith Clarke Miniseries
1986 Land of Hope Helen Davies Miniseries
The Fast Lane Eileen TV series, 1 episode
1989-95 G.P. Julia / Bianca Resteghini TV series, 3 episodes
1991 Boys from the Bush Joyce TV series, 1 episode
1992 Embassy Gillian TV series, 1 episode
1993 Seven Deadly Sins TV anthology series, 1 episode
A Country Practice Dr. Simone Fox TV series, 2 episodes
Clowning Around Sarah Gunner TV series, season 2
1994 The Ferals Crystal TV series, 1 episode
Cody: A Family Affair Inspector Genevieve Simmonds TV film
Cody: The Tipof
Cody: Bad Love
1995 Spellbinder Ashka TV series, 24 episodes
1996 Mercury Erica Boyer Miniseries, 1 episode
1997 Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord Ashka TV series
1998 The Day of the Roses Margaret Shuttler Miniseries
2002 All Saints Louise Malloy TV series, 1 episode
2003 Snobs Mary TV series, 1 episode
2004 Jessica Ada Thomas Miniseries
2007 Rain Shadow Sarah Balfour TV series (main role)
2008 Blue Water High Heather TV series, 1 episode
2009 Rogue Nation Elizabeth Macarthur TV series, 1 episode
Chandon Pictures Agent TV series, 1 episode
All Saints Gemma McKenzie TV series, 1 episode
2010 Satisfaction Georgia TV series, 1 episode
The Pacific Mrs. Keller Miniseries, 1 episode
Rake Jan Chandler TV series, 1 episode
2011 Killing Time Judge Hale TV series, 2 episodes
Crownies Judge Walker TV series, 8 episodes
Spirited Helen Payne TV series, 8 episodes
2012 Dance Academy Robyn TV series, 1 episode
2013–18 A Place to Call Home Prudence Swanson TV series, 22 episodes
2013 Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War Gretel Packer Miniseries
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Madame Fleuri TV series, 1 episode
2014–2017 Janet King Justice Victoria Walker TV series, 4 episodes
2014–2017 Starting From... Now! Elizabeth Peters TV series, 2 episodes
2015 Pypo Web series, 1 episode
Shit Creek Helen Web series, 2 episodes
2016 Molly Pat Hatcher Miniseries, 1 episode
2017 Newton's Law Caroline Gale TV series, 1 episode
2018 Away Gwen TV play
2019 Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Edwina Maddox TV series, 1 episode
Harrow Louise Whitehall TV series. 3 episodes
Reef Break Maeve Devlin TV series, 4 episodes
The Strange Chores Inspector (voice) TV series, 1 episode
2019, 2021 Upright Jen Flynn TV series
2020 Grey Nomads Ingrid Web series
The Secrets She Keeps Jenny Miniseries, 3 episodes
Operation Buffalo Caroline Syddell TV series, 2 episodes
2021 Wakefield Belle Knight TV series, 2 episodes
Homespun Pamela Monterra Miniseries
The Unusual Suspects Birdie Miniseries, 4 episodes
2022 Darby and Joan Rosemary TV series, 3 episodes
2022-23 Love Me Anita Miniseries
2023 Gold Diggers Colleen TV series, 3 episodes
2024 Pleasant Avenue Carolyn TV series, 5 episodes
Fake Margeaux TV series, 8 episodes
The Narrow Road to the Deep North Ella Miniseries

Self appearances / interviews

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Year Title Role Notes
2023 Luxury Escapes Herself TV series, 1 episode
News Breakfast 2 episodes
Today Extra TV series, 1 episode
Australian Story TV series, 1 episode
2012 Agony Aunts Herself TV series, 3 episodes
1998 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode
FCTV Guest TV series, 1 episode

Stage

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Year Play Role Notes
1975 1 Double-D NIDA Theatre
1976 Hay Fever Judith Bliss School production
1978 Gammer Gurton's Needle NIDA Theatre
1979 The Seagull NIDA Theatre
1979 Lower Depths NIDA Theatre
1979 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Sydney Opera House
1979 The Fire Raisers NIDA Theatre
1979 Beyond Mozambique NIDA Theatre
1979 Saved Jane Street Theatre
1980 The Women Pirates Ann Bonney and Mary Read NIDA Theatre, University of Newcastle, Playhouse, Canberra
1980 Strife NIDA Theatre
1981 Henry IV, Part 1 Sydney Theatre Company workshop with Andrew Tighe
1981 Roses in Due Season Nimrod Theatre Company
1981 Rare Words - Brave Deeds Sydney Opera House)
1981 The Revenger's Tragedy Court Lady Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1981 No End of Blame Playhouse, Adelaide
1982 The Suicide Nimrod Theatre Company
1982 You Can't Take It with You with Geoffrey Rush; written by George S. Kaufman, Moss Hart; at Sydney Opera House
1982 Macbeth Witch with John Bell, Colin Friels, Hugo Weaving; directed by Richard Wherrett; at Sydney Opera House
1982 As You Desire Me [it] with Peter Carroll, Hugo Weaving, Geoffrey Rush; written by Luigi Pirandello; at Sydney Opera House
1983 The Fields of Heaven with Lex Marinos: written by Dorothy Hewett; at Sydney Opera House
1983 The Cherry Orchard Vanya with John Howard; written by Anton Chekhov
1984 The Lady from the Sea Bolette Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1984 Private Lives Amanda Prynne Araluen Arts Centre & Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1985 The Doll Trilogy: Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Kid Stakes & Other Times Nancy with Harold Hopkins; written by Ray Lawler; at Sydney Opera House & Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
1986 No Worries Wriiten by David Holman; adapted into a film in 1994; at Playhouse, Adelaide
1986 She Stoops to Conquer Kate Hardcastle Playhouse, Melbourne
1986 Pravda Rebecca Foley Playbouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1987 Hamlet / Henry IV Part 1 Sydney Theatre Company
1987 No(h) Exit: No Exit, The Lady Aoi, Hanjo from Five Modern Noh Plays Written by Jean-Paul Sartre & Yukio Mishima; at Wharf Theatre
1987 Pericles Wharf Theatre
1987 Blood Relations Cathy / Tessa with John Wood; written by David Malouf; at Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company & Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1988 1841 with Gillian Jones; written by Michael Gow; at Sydney Opera House & Playhouse, Adelaide
1989 A Dream Play directed by Göran Järvefelt; written by August Strindberg; at Playhouse, Adelaide & Sydney Opera House
1989 Major Barbara Playhouse Adelaide & Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane
1989 All My Sons directed by Gale Edwards; written by Arthur Miller; at Wharf Theatre
1989 Ring Round the Moon Playhouse, Adelaide
1990 The Secret Rapture Isobel Glass with Hugo Weaving,Pamela Rabe; written by David Hare; at Wharf Theatre
1990 Burn This with Richard Roxburgh; directed by Wayne Harrison: written by Lanford Wilson; at Wharf Theatre
1991 Uncle Vanya Yelena Russell Street Theatre
1991 Morning Sacrifice Miss Gwyn Carwithen Russell Street Theatre
1991 Hay Fever Myra Arundel Playhouse, Melbourne
1992 The Homecoming with Richard Roxburgh & Warren Mitchell; written by Harold Pinter; at The Wharf Theatre
1993 Two Weeks with the Queen directed by Wayne Harrison; at Playhouse, Adelaide
1993 Coriolanus with John Howard; at Sydney Opera House
1995 Scenes from a Separation Nina Moss Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company
1997 The Winter's Tale Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House & Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
1998 A Delicate Balance directed by Simon Phillips, with Michael Craig; written by Edward Albee; at Sydney Opera House
2000 The White Devil with Hugo Weaving, Angie Milliken; directed by Gale Edwards; written by John Webster; at Theatre Royal, Sydney
2001 Bye Bye Birdie Music: Charles Strouse, words: Lee Adams
2003 The Real Thing with Andrew Tighe; directed by Robyn Nevin; written by Tom Stoppard; at Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2007 Self Esteem with Toby Schmitz; written & directed by Brendan Cowell; at Wharf Theatre
2008 Tender Yvonne The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga & Stables Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre
2008 Hamlet Gertrude with Brendan Cowell & Barry Otto; directed by Marion Potts; at Sydney Opera House & Playhouse, Melbourne
2008 Ghosts Helene Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide
2010 A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania Sydney Symphony Orchestra[11]
2010 True West Mom directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman; written by Sam Shepard
2011 Neighbourhood Watch Christina with Robyn Nevin & Kris McQuade; directed by Simon Stone; written by Lally Katz; at Belvoir Street Theatre[12]
2012 Never Did Me Any Harm with Marta Dusseldorp; directed by Kate Champion; devised by Force Majeure
2012 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Madame Volanges with Hugo Weaving, Justine Clarke & Pamela Rabe; directed by Sam Strong; written by Christopher Hampton; at Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2012 Signs of Life Georgie Jutland Sydney Opera House
2013 The History Boys Mrs Lintott Sydney Opera House
2013 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Gertrude written by Tom Stoppard; at Sydney Theatre
2014 Strictly Ballroom Shirley Hastings written by Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce & Terry Johnson; at Sydney Lyric Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne & Lyric Theatre, Brisbane
2016 Hay Fever Judith Bliss written by Noël Coward; at Sydney Opera House
2016 The Hansard Monologues: Age of Entitlement Seymour Centre, Bruce Gordon Theatre, Wollongong, Glen Street Theatre, Old Parliament House, Canberra
2017 Away Gwen directed by Matthew Lutton; written by Michael Gow; at Sydney Opera House & Malthouse Theatre
2017 Cloud Nine Edward / Betty directed by Kip Williams; written by Caryl Churchill; at Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company

[13]

2017-18 You Animal, You Mum Track 12 at Carriageworks
2018 Top Girls Pope Joan / Louise written by Caryl Churchill; at Sydney Opera House
2018 Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story Cate McGregor written by Priscilla Jackman; at Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2018 The Harp in the South, Part One and Part Two Eny Kilker directed by Kip Williams; written by Ruth Park & Kate Mulvany
2019-20 The Iliad - Out Loud Belvoir Street Theatre, Scott Theatre, Adelaide
2020 Escaped Alone Belvoir Street Theatre
2020 Away Online (NSW / VIC)
2021 Playing Beatie Bow Granny Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2022-25 RBG: Of Many, One Ruth Bader Ginsburg written by Suzie Miller; at Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company Black Swan Theatre

[14]

Awards and nominations

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Year Work Award Result Ref
2011 Afterglow (short film) NYC International Film Festival Award for Best Lead Actress Won [15]
2012 The Red Valentine (short film) NYC International Film Festival Award for Best Lead Actress Won [15]
2014 Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War (for 'Part 1') AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama Nominated [16]
2014 Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War (for 'Part 1') Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries or Telemovie Nominated
2019 Significant Service to the Performing Arts, and to the Community Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Won [15]
2022 Love Me Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress Won
2022 Love Me AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Nominated
2022 Homespun Septimus Award for Best Oceanian Actress Nominated
2023 RBG: Of Many, One (as Ruth Bader Ginsberg) Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performer in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production Won [17]
2024 Love Me AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama Won [18]

Publications

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  • Heather Mitchell (2023) Everything and Nothing ISBN 9781761067303

Personal life

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Mitchell met cinematographer Martin McGrath in 1989, they were engaged in the following year and married in February 1992.[19] The couple have two adult children and reside in Sydney.[19]

Mitchell was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to the performing arts, and to the community."[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Production begins on The Narrow Road to the Deep North | TV Tonight". 20 November 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ^ "2024 Upfronts: 10 / Paramount+ | TV Tonight". 24 October 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Board and Staff", Sydney Theatre Company
  4. ^ "Archive: Heather Mitchell". STC Magazine. Sydney Theatre Company. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Heather Mitchell". The Australian Live Performance Database. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  6. ^ Crawford, Terence (2005). Trade Secrets: Australian Actors and Their Craft. Currency Press. ISBN 9780868197630.
  7. ^ Krasnostein, Sarah (17 April 2024). "The role of RBG was written for Heather Mitchell. It's easy to understand why". The Age. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  8. ^ "From oval to pool: Black Swan Theatre releases 2024 program". The West Australian. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  9. ^ Brown, Phil (19 May 2024). "All the way with RBG: a one-woman tour de force". InReview. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  10. ^ Blake, Jason. "Sydney Theatre Company reveals 2025 Season". Limelight. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Agony Aunts - ABC TV". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Neighbourhood Watch, productions". Belvoir. July–August 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  13. ^ John McCallum (10 July 2017). "Politics of sexual identity disturbing in Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine". The Australian. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Heather Mitchell". Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "HEATHER MITCHELL AM" (PDF). Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  16. ^ "3rd AACTA Awards Ceremony Winners Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  17. ^ Pitt, Helen (23 January 2023). "From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Mary Poppins: Sydney Theatre Awards winners". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  18. ^ https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/02/aacta-awards-2024-winners.html [bare URL]
  19. ^ a b Abadee, Nicole (17 September 2021). "Two of Us with Actor Heather Mitchell and Cinematographer Martin McGrath". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  20. ^ Stehle, Mark (25 January 2020). "Australia Day Honours 2020: Full list of recipients". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
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