Heather Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 (age 65–66) |
| Education | National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Website | heathermitchell.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
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.
Career
Television
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.
Stage
Mitchell is a foundation director and board member of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC).[1] She first appeared at the STC in 1981 performing scenes of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 with Andrew Tighe for a workshop.[2] 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.[3][4]
Filmography
Film
| 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 | Post-production | |
| TBA† | Wedding of the Year | Eleanor | Pre-production |
| 2023 | Jones Family Christmas [5] | Heather Jones |
| † | Not yet released |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Cop Shop | Michelle Beasley | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | 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 |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Edith Clarke | Miniseries |
| 1986 | Land of Hope | Helen Davies | Miniseries |
| 1986 | 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 | 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 | Inspector Genevieve Simmonds | TV film | |
| Cody: Bad Love | Inspector Genevieve Simmonds | TV film | |
| 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 | FCTV | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| The Day of the Roses | Margaret Shuttler | Miniseries | |
| Good Morning Australia | Guest | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 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 |
| Agony Aunts | Herself | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| 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 | |
| 2014–17 | Janet King | Justice Victoria Walker | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2014–17 | 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 |
| 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 | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| 2022-23 | Love Me | Anita | Miniseries |
| 2023 | News Breakfast | Guest | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| Today Extra | Herself | TV series, 1 episode | |
| Australian Story | Herself | ABC TV series, 1 episode | |
| Gold Diggers | Colleen | ABC TV series, 3 episodes | |
| News Breakfast | Guest | ABC TV series, 1 episode | |
| Luxury Escapes | Herself | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2024 | Fake | TV series [6] | |
| The Narrow Road to the Deep North | [7] |
Stage
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Afterglow (short film) | NYC International Film Festival Award for Best Lead Actress | Won | [12] |
| 2012 | The Red Valentine (short film) | NYC International Film Festival Award for Best Lead Actress | Won | [12] |
| 2014 | Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War (for 'Part 1') | AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Nominated | [13] |
| 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 | [12] |
| 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 | [14] |
Publications
- Heather Mitchell (2023) Everything and Nothing ISBN 9781761067303
Personal life
Mitchell met cinematographer Martin McGrath in 1989, they were engaged in the following year and married in February 1992.[15] The couple have two adult children and reside in Sydney.[15]
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."[16]
References
- ↑ "Board and Staff", Sydney Theatre Company
- ↑ "Archive: Heather Mitchell". STC Magazine. Sydney Theatre Company. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ↑ "Heather Mitchell". The Australian Live Performance Database. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ↑ Crawford, Terence (2005). Trade Secrets: Australian Actors and Their Craft. Currency Press. ISBN 9780868197630.
- ↑ https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/08/filming-underway-on-jones-family-christmas-for-stan.html
- ↑ https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/10/2024-upfronts-10-paramount.html
- ↑ https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/11/production-begins-on-the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north.html
- ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/tv/agonyaunts/characters/heather-mitchell.htm
- ↑ "Neighbourhood Watch, productions". Belvoir. July–August 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ↑ John McCallum (10 July 2017). "Politics of sexual identity disturbing in Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine". The Australian. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ↑ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2594
- 1 2 3 https://heathermitchell.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Heather-Mitchell-Bio-1.pdf
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Pitt, Helen (23 January 2023). "From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Mary Poppins: Sydney Theatre Awards winners". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ Stehle, Mark (25 January 2020). "Australia Day Honours 2020: Full list of recipients". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Heather Mitchell at IMDb
- "Heather Mitchell" by Melanie Tait, One Plus One, 3 October 2019, ABC News
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