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).

Anna McGahan
McGahan in 2012
Born (1988-05-02) 2 May 1988 (age 36)
Alma materQUT and AFTRS
Occupations
  • Actress
  • playwright
Years active2009–present
Notable workUnderbelly: Razor
Anzac Girls
Spouse
Jonathan Weir
(m. 2017; div. 2021)
Children2

Early life

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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

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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

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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

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  • 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

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Film

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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

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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

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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

[12][13]

Awards and nominations

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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

[14]

References

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  1. ^ "47 AFTRS Student and Alumni Productions Set For Flickerfest 2021 | Australian Film Television and Radio School". www.aftrs.edu.au. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Taming of the shrew, 8 May – 5 Jun". Queensland Theatre. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ Knox, David (3 February 2023). "Cast confirmed for In Our Blood | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Inaugural Horne Prize shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2 December 2016. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  5. ^ "'Immaculate' wins 2023 Vogel". Books+Publishing. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  6. ^ Morris, Jessica (4 March 2017). "Anna McGahan: Bold, brave and blessed". Warcry. Salvos Warcry. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ McGahan, Anna. "Anna McGahan". Anna McGahan. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  9. ^ McGahan, Anna (11 June 2017). "Verdant". A forbidden room. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  10. ^ McGahan, Anna (19 March 2018). "Mercy". A forbidden room. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  11. ^ McGahan, Anna. "Anna McGahan". Anna McGahan. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  12. ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/445008
  13. ^ "Closer". La Boite. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A134310

Sources

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