Magda Szubanski
Encyclopedia
Magda Szubanski is a British-born Australian actress, comedian, television presenter, radio host and author.
Szubanski's career began while she was studying at university and she progressed to television sketch comedy
, as both a writer and performer. She has performed in the comedy programs The D-Generation
and Fast Forward; more recently, she stars as Sharon Strzelecki
in the highly successful television comedy show Kath & Kim
.
Szubanski portrayed Esme Hoggett in the film Babe
and its sequel Babe: Pig in the City
, and played the recurring character of Furlow on the television series Farscape
.
, England; her father came from a well-off Polish family and her mother was Scottish, a native of Dunfermline
. She immigrated to Australia in 1966 with her brother, sister, and parents. Her high school was Siena College, Melbourne. In 1976, as a year 10 student, she captained a team on the television quiz It's Academic
.
revue of Too Cool for Sandals, with Michael Veitch and Tom Gleisner
, Szubanski was talent-spotted by producers from the ABC
network, who convinced her to join up with some other university friends in creating the television sketch comedy show, The D-Generation
.
Szubanski was part of the team that created the television sketch comedy Fast Forward for the Seven Network
, in which she played various characters, including Pixie-Anne Wheatley, Chenille, Sharon Strzelecki (Kath and Kim), Mary MacGregor, Joan Kirner
and Lynne Postlethwaite, and other characters. In 1995, she wrote, produced, and starred in Big Girl's Blouse
. She had a starring role in the 1995 international hit film Babe
as Esme Hoggett. She reprised her role in the 1998 sequel Babe: Pig in the City
.
Szubansky starred as Margaret O'Halloran in the Dogwoman
series of telemovies in 2000. She began her role on Kath & Kim
as Sharon in 2002 and she continued in the subsequent seasons, including the special Da Kath and Kim Code. In 2006, Szubanski hosted a five-part series on the Nine Network
, called Magda's Funny Bits
, which showed 'never-before-seen' footage of some of her most famous characters from the comedy show Fast Forward. Branded as 'no frills', it attracted insufficient ratings, and thus did not continue. She had a similar short-lived result as host of the Network Ten
clip show The Spearman Experiment
in 2009.
In 2007 she had a minor role as the house maid in The Golden Compass to Lyra Belacqua
. She also voiced the character Miss Viola from the Academy Award-winning animated feature Happy Feet
. In 2007, Szubanski played the part of William Barfee in the musical called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
. In 2008, she played the role of Big Jule in the major stage production Guys and Dolls. In 2010 she appeared in the film Bran Nue Dae
as Roadhouse Betty.
in November 2008. Szubanski joined Jenny Craig weighing 120 kg, and had been diagnosed with sleep apnea
. By July 2009 she had lost 36 kg to weigh 85 kg.
Szubanski's career began while she was studying at university and she progressed to television sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
, as both a writer and performer. She has performed in the comedy programs The D-Generation
The D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
and Fast Forward; more recently, she stars as Sharon Strzelecki
Sharon Strzelecki
Sharon Karen Strzelecki is a fictional character on the Australian comedy series, Kath & Kim, and is portrayed by Magda Szubanski.Sharon is sports-obsessed , and often unlucky in love. The character breifly appeared in 1990 Skits on Australian Comedy Shows...
in the highly successful television comedy show Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
.
Szubanski portrayed Esme Hoggett in the film Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
and its sequel Babe: Pig in the City
Babe: Pig in the City
Babe: Pig in the City is a 1998 sequel to the 1995 film Babe. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter , the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally...
, and played the recurring character of Furlow on the television series Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
.
Early life
Szubanski was born Magdalene M. Szubanski in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England; her father came from a well-off Polish family and her mother was Scottish, a native of Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
. She immigrated to Australia in 1966 with her brother, sister, and parents. Her high school was Siena College, Melbourne. In 1976, as a year 10 student, she captained a team on the television quiz It's Academic
It's Academic (Australian game show)
It's Academic is an Australian children's game show airing on the Seven Network. The show is based on the long-running American version of It's Academic, and pits students from different schools against each other in a test of knowledge covering a number of diverse subjects including English,...
.
Career
In 1985, whilst performing in a University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
revue of Too Cool for Sandals, with Michael Veitch and Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
, Szubanski was talent-spotted by producers from the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
network, who convinced her to join up with some other university friends in creating the television sketch comedy show, The D-Generation
The D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
.
Szubanski was part of the team that created the television sketch comedy Fast Forward for the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, in which she played various characters, including Pixie-Anne Wheatley, Chenille, Sharon Strzelecki (Kath and Kim), Mary MacGregor, Joan Kirner
Joan Kirner
Joan Elizabeth Kirner AM , Australian politician, was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, the first woman to hold the position, which she held for two years prior to a landslide election defeat.-Biography:...
and Lynne Postlethwaite, and other characters. In 1995, she wrote, produced, and starred in Big Girl's Blouse
Big Girl's Blouse
Big Girl's Blouse is an Australian skit program that aired in the mid-1990s on the Seven Network. The show was created by Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski who all went on to star in Kath & Kim. There were four one-hour episodes, plus the pilot, which are usually shown as eight half-hour...
. She had a starring role in the 1995 international hit film Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
as Esme Hoggett. She reprised her role in the 1998 sequel Babe: Pig in the City
Babe: Pig in the City
Babe: Pig in the City is a 1998 sequel to the 1995 film Babe. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter , the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally...
.
Szubansky starred as Margaret O'Halloran in the Dogwoman
Dogwoman
Dogwoman is a series of Australian television telemovies screened on the Nine Network in 2000. The telemovies were created by and starred Magda Szubanski as Margaret O'Halloran. Margaret, a professional dog trainer, is drawn into a world of mystery, intrigue, and murder, which lies beneath the...
series of telemovies in 2000. She began her role on Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
as Sharon in 2002 and she continued in the subsequent seasons, including the special Da Kath and Kim Code. In 2006, Szubanski hosted a five-part series on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, called Magda's Funny Bits
Magda's Funny Bits
Magda's Funny Bits was a television comedy featuring Magda Szubanski that was broadcast on the Nine Network, Australia in early 2006. The Nine Network commissioned five episodes, four of which were aired prior to the 2006 Commonwealth Games.-Format:...
, which showed 'never-before-seen' footage of some of her most famous characters from the comedy show Fast Forward. Branded as 'no frills', it attracted insufficient ratings, and thus did not continue. She had a similar short-lived result as host of the Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
clip show The Spearman Experiment
The Spearman Experiment
The Spearman Experiment was an Australian television series, hosted by Magda Szubanski that counts down Australian pop culture's most defining people and topics based on a public poll commented on by various Australian 'celebrities'...
in 2009.
In 2007 she had a minor role as the house maid in The Golden Compass to Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua , also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra is a young girl who inhabits a universe parallel to our own...
. She also voiced the character Miss Viola from the Academy Award-winning animated feature Happy Feet
Happy Feet
Happy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
. In 2007, Szubanski played the part of William Barfee in the musical called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
. In 2008, she played the role of Big Jule in the major stage production Guys and Dolls. In 2010 she appeared in the film Bran Nue Dae
Bran Nue Dae
Bran Nue Dae is a 1990 musical set in Broome, Western Australia that tells stories and of issues relating to Indigenous Australians. It was written by Jimmy Chi, his band Kuckles and friends and was the first Aboriginal musical. The musical was originally directed by Andrew Ross, a prominent...
as Roadhouse Betty.
Other projects
Szubanski became a spokesperson for the dieting company Jenny CraigJenny Craig
Jenny Craig is an American weight loss guru and founder of Jenny Craig, Inc. Craig was raised in New Orleans and married Sidney Harvey Craig in 1979. In 1983, she and her husband created a nutrition, fitness, and weight loss program in Australia...
in November 2008. Szubanski joined Jenny Craig weighing 120 kg, and had been diagnosed with sleep apnea
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low...
. By July 2009 she had lost 36 kg to weigh 85 kg.
Television
- The D-GenerationThe D-GenerationThe D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
(1986–1987) – various characters - The D-Generation Goes Commercial (1988) – various characters
- Fast Forward (1989–1992) – Pixie-Anne Wheatley, Chenille, Joan Kirner, Mary McGregor, Maggie T + Satan's Brides
- Bligh (1992) – Betsy Bligh
- A Royal Commission Into The Australian Economy (1993) – Mr. Cardigan, Mr. Trouser, Bill KeltyBill KeltyWilliam John "Bill" Kelty, AC is an Australian trade unionist and a well-known figure in the Australian labour movement, who served as Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1983 to 2000....
- The Making Of Nothing (1993) – Judith Gates/Kim Borrodale
- Big Girl's BlouseBig Girl's BlouseBig Girl's Blouse is an Australian skit program that aired in the mid-1990s on the Seven Network. The show was created by Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski who all went on to star in Kath & Kim. There were four one-hour episodes, plus the pilot, which are usually shown as eight half-hour...
(1994) – herself, Sharon Strzelecki, Lynne Postlethwaite - Something StupidSomething StupidSomething Stupid was a short-lived Australian sketch comedy series which aired in 1998 on the Seven Network. The program was produced, written and performed by much the same team that was behind the Fast Forward series...
(1998) – various characters - FarscapeFarscapeFarscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
(1999–2001) – Furlow - DogwomanDogwomanDogwoman is a series of Australian television telemovies screened on the Nine Network in 2000. The telemovies were created by and starred Magda Szubanski as Margaret O'Halloran. Margaret, a professional dog trainer, is drawn into a world of mystery, intrigue, and murder, which lies beneath the...
(2000) – Margaret O'Halloran - Cubix (2001) - Mrs. Tuteru
- Kath & KimKath & KimKath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
(2002–Current) – Sharon Strzelecki (the character's name is a play on Magda's Polish descent) - Magda's Funny BitsMagda's Funny BitsMagda's Funny Bits was a television comedy featuring Magda Szubanski that was broadcast on the Nine Network, Australia in early 2006. The Nine Network commissioned five episodes, four of which were aired prior to the 2006 Commonwealth Games.-Format:...
(2006) – Mary McGregor, Chenille, Sharon Strzelecki, Lynne Postlethwaite (5 episodes made, but only 4 were shown) - The Spearman ExperimentThe Spearman ExperimentThe Spearman Experiment was an Australian television series, hosted by Magda Szubanski that counts down Australian pop culture's most defining people and topics based on a public poll commented on by various Australian 'celebrities'...
(2009) – Host - Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are? (Australian TV series)Who Do You Think You Are? is an Australian television documentary series, based on the BBC series of the same name, airing on SBS One. SBS first aired six episodes of the BBC series in late 2007, followed by six Australian episodes beginning 13 January 2008, and then six more from the original BBC...
(2010) – Herself
Film
- BabeBabe (film)Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
(1995) – Esme Hoggett - Babe: Pig in the CityBabe: Pig in the CityBabe: Pig in the City is a 1998 sequel to the 1995 film Babe. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter , the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally...
(1998) – Esme Hoggett - The Crocodile Hunter: Collision CourseThe Crocodile Hunter: Collision CourseThe Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course is a 2002 Australian comedy-adventure film based on the nature documentary series The Crocodile Hunter, starring Steve Irwin and his wife Terri Irwin. The Irwins play themselves filming an episode of The Crocodile Hunter while trying to protect a crocodile....
(2002) – Brozzie Drewitt - Son of the MaskSon of the MaskSon of the Mask is a 2005 American fantasy family-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman, starring Jamie Kennedy as Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist from Fringe City who has just had his first child born with the powers of the Mask. It is the stand-alone sequel to the successful 1994 film The...
(2005) – Neighbour Betty - Happy FeetHappy FeetHappy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
(2006) – Miss Viola - Happy Feet 2Happy Feet 2Happy Feet Two is a 3D computer-animated family film film directed by George Miller, who co-directed the original film Happy Feet. The film is a sequel to Happy Feet and stars Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink, E.G. Daily, Sofía Vergara and Common. Dr...
(2011) – Miss Viola - The Golden Compass (2007) – Mrs Lonsdale
- Dr PlonkDr PlonkDr Plonk is a 2007 Australian film directed by Adelaide-based Australian director Rolf de Heer. It premiered in Australia in March 2007 at the Adelaide Film Festival. It is a silent film and at the premiere had live accompaniment by the Stiletto Sisters. The film was also screened at the launch of...
(2007) – Mrs Plonk - Bran Nue DaeBran Nue DaeBran Nue Dae is a 1990 musical set in Broome, Western Australia that tells stories and of issues relating to Indigenous Australians. It was written by Jimmy Chi, his band Kuckles and friends and was the first Aboriginal musical. The musical was originally directed by Andrew Ross, a prominent...
(2010) – Roadhouse Betty
Stage
- Guys and Dolls – Big Jule
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
– William Barfee
Awards
- Won the 'Most Popular Comedy Personality' award at the 1991, 1992 and 1996 Logie awards
- Won the Australian Film Institute's award 'Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama' award in 2002
- Nominated for the 'Most Popular Actress' award at the 2005 Logie Awards, for her role in Kath and Kim
- Nominated for 'Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy' award in 2003 at the AFI AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
- Nominated for 'Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy' award in 2004 at the AFI AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
Further reading
- Quinn, Karl: The Magda carta, The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 14 September 2003.