Natalie Mendoza
Encyclopedia
Natalie Jackson Mendoza (born 12 August 1978) is a Hong Kong-born Australian-British-Filipina classical theatre-trained actress and musician. She is best known for her role as one of the main characters, Jackie Clunes in the British TV drama Hotel Babylon
and as tough girl Juno in the acclaimed horror thriller The Descent
, as well as its sequel, The Descent Part 2
. She was playing Arachne in the Broadway musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
but was forced to leave the show due to a work related injury.She moved to LA where she embarked on a directing career and is scheduled to release a solo album produced by Glen Ballard and several films in 2012.
jazz pianist and arranger. She is one of 6 artist siblings. She was raised in Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong/South East Asia and attended Presentation Star of the Sea Ladies College. She was accepted into Cats the Musical
and went on to play roles such as Demeter, Rumpleteazer, Sillabub. In 1995 she understudied Kim in Miss Saigon
and played the role of Mimi. She then went on to play a lead soloist in The Music of Lloyd Webber Concert Tour, also understudying Sarah Brightman. She then went onto play the lead dancer in Sweet Charity. Mendoza performed the role of Eponine
in the 10th Anniversary Australasian Tour of Les Miserables
from 1997-99. In 1998, Mendoza formed the band Jackson Mendoza
with her sister Rebecca
. They had chart success and signed internationally to Virgin Records, releasing two singles that reached the Top 30 music charts in Australia. They disbanded in 2000.
Mendoza appeared in Moulin Rouge!
, in which she appeared as the cameo role and lead dancer 'China Doll'. After Moulin Rouge!, she began working on a solo album in Melbourne and signed a three picture deal with Miramax. She filmed several US series like Farscape
and played Liat in ABC's South Pacific opposite Harry Connick Junior and Glenn Close
. When filming The Great Raid
, she became involved with her co−star Joseph Fiennes
, and moved to London.
In 2003 Mendoza went back to England and studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School training in Classical Theater. Mendoza has appeared on stage in many classical theatre and modern theatre productions: Coup d'État at MTC, Five Kinds of Silence, Vagina Monologues, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Importance of Being Earnest, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plus many more. In 2005 she was cast as the lead role in the film The Descent
creating the iconic role of Juno. She developed the role of Galadriel
in The Lord of the Rings musical under the director Matthew Warchus in 2005 and was offered the role for the original and Westend production but was unable to accept the offer due to contractual obligations. In 2006, she appeared in the role of Australian immigrant and head of housekeeping Jackie Clunes in the BBC1 British drama series Hotel Babylon
and went on to shoot the 2nd and 3rd series.
In 2007, she guest-starred in the Doctor Who
audio dramas Absolution and The Girl Who Never Was
. In 2007 she filmed The Descent 2
sequel and horror film Surviving Evil, which she wrote the title track for, "Alone Again". She went onto workshop the lead role of Molly in Matthew Warchus production of Ghost which was based on the original screenplay. Music written by Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart. In 2008 she joined Dave Stewart's Weapons of Mass Entertainment and began being managed by him developing many projects including her own multimedia project and became his business partner. She was the "face" and designer for the Voodoo Dolls surf/ski apparel clothing line in London and Australia in 2003. She is currently based out of London/LA/NYC recording her solo album, producing films and creating her own multimedia projects.
Mendoza was scheduled to co-star in the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
, playing the role of Arachne
. Mendoza was forced to leave after an onstage injury. Mendoza since moved to LA to pursue a new career in directing, writing and producing films.
She won her first film festival entry as best director, best writer and best film at the 72 hour film festival in LA 2011. She also began recording an album with producer Glen Ballard and her new band. She has filmed several films and a TV series slated for release next year.
Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
and as tough girl Juno in the acclaimed horror thriller The Descent
The Descent
The Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who, having entered an unmapped cave system, become trapped, and are hunted by subterranean flesh-eating humanoids....
, as well as its sequel, The Descent Part 2
The Descent 2
The Descent Part 2 is a 2009 British horror film and a sequel to the 2005 horror film The Descent. Shot in London, the film was released in cinemas in the UK on 2 December 2009 and straight to DVD on 27 April 2010 in the US...
. She was playing Arachne in the Broadway musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is a rock musical with music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge and a book by Julie Taymor, Glen Berger, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The musical is based on the Spider-Man comics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, published by Marvel Comics, as well as the 2002...
but was forced to leave the show due to a work related injury.She moved to LA where she embarked on a directing career and is scheduled to release a solo album produced by Glen Ballard and several films in 2012.
Life and career
Mendoza was born in Hong Kong 1978, the daughter of an English/German Australian mother who was a dancer and television personality, and a FilipinoPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
jazz pianist and arranger. She is one of 6 artist siblings. She was raised in Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong/South East Asia and attended Presentation Star of the Sea Ladies College. She was accepted into Cats the Musical
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
and went on to play roles such as Demeter, Rumpleteazer, Sillabub. In 1995 she understudied Kim in Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
and played the role of Mimi. She then went on to play a lead soloist in The Music of Lloyd Webber Concert Tour, also understudying Sarah Brightman. She then went onto play the lead dancer in Sweet Charity. Mendoza performed the role of Eponine
Éponine
Éponine Thénardier is a fictional character in the 1862 novelLes Misérables by Victor Hugo.- Éponine in the novel :As children, Éponine and her younger sister Azelma are described as pretty, well-dressed, charming and a delight to see. They are pampered and spoiled by their parents the Thénardiers...
in the 10th Anniversary Australasian Tour of Les Miserables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
from 1997-99. In 1998, Mendoza formed the band Jackson Mendoza
Jackson Mendoza
Jackson Mendoza was a short-lived Australian pop duo consisting of sisters Natalie and Rebecca Jackson Mendoza. Jackson Mendoza's debut single "Venus or Mars" was the first song penned by music production team the Matrix. "Venus or Mars" spent 10 weeks on the ARIA singles charts, peaking at #24...
with her sister Rebecca
Rebecca Jackson Mendoza
Rebecca Jackson Mendoza is an Australian actress, singer and dancer.-Early life:Rebecca Jackson Mendoza was born in Melbourne, Australia to a Filipino father and German Australian mother. She first came to national prominence as half of the pop duo Jackson Mendoza, with her sister Natalie...
. They had chart success and signed internationally to Virgin Records, releasing two singles that reached the Top 30 music charts in Australia. They disbanded in 2000.
Mendoza appeared in Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
, in which she appeared as the cameo role and lead dancer 'China Doll'. After Moulin Rouge!, she began working on a solo album in Melbourne and signed a three picture deal with Miramax. She filmed several US series like 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...
and played Liat in ABC's South Pacific opposite Harry Connick Junior and Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
. When filming The Great Raid
The Great Raid
The Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan, adapted from William Breuer's book of the same name. It tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin...
, she became involved with her co−star Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
, and moved to London.
In 2003 Mendoza went back to England and studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School training in Classical Theater. Mendoza has appeared on stage in many classical theatre and modern theatre productions: Coup d'État at MTC, Five Kinds of Silence, Vagina Monologues, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Importance of Being Earnest, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plus many more. In 2005 she was cast as the lead role in the film The Descent
The Descent
The Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who, having entered an unmapped cave system, become trapped, and are hunted by subterranean flesh-eating humanoids....
creating the iconic role of Juno. She developed the role of Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
in The Lord of the Rings musical under the director Matthew Warchus in 2005 and was offered the role for the original and Westend production but was unable to accept the offer due to contractual obligations. In 2006, she appeared in the role of Australian immigrant and head of housekeeping Jackie Clunes in the BBC1 British drama series Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
and went on to shoot the 2nd and 3rd series.
In 2007, she guest-starred in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
audio dramas Absolution and The Girl Who Never Was
The Girl Who Never Was
The Girl Who Never Was is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It takes place in Singapore in 1942 & 2008.-Plot:After the loss of C'rizz, Charley demands to be taken home...
. In 2007 she filmed The Descent 2
The Descent 2
The Descent Part 2 is a 2009 British horror film and a sequel to the 2005 horror film The Descent. Shot in London, the film was released in cinemas in the UK on 2 December 2009 and straight to DVD on 27 April 2010 in the US...
sequel and horror film Surviving Evil, which she wrote the title track for, "Alone Again". She went onto workshop the lead role of Molly in Matthew Warchus production of Ghost which was based on the original screenplay. Music written by Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart. In 2008 she joined Dave Stewart's Weapons of Mass Entertainment and began being managed by him developing many projects including her own multimedia project and became his business partner. She was the "face" and designer for the Voodoo Dolls surf/ski apparel clothing line in London and Australia in 2003. She is currently based out of London/LA/NYC recording her solo album, producing films and creating her own multimedia projects.
Mendoza was scheduled to co-star in the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is a rock musical with music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge and a book by Julie Taymor, Glen Berger, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The musical is based on the Spider-Man comics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, published by Marvel Comics, as well as the 2002...
, playing the role of Arachne
Arachne
In Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Minerva, the Latin parallel of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts. Arachne refused to acknowledge that her knowledge came, in part at least, from the goddess. The offended...
. Mendoza was forced to leave after an onstage injury. Mendoza since moved to LA to pursue a new career in directing, writing and producing films.
She won her first film festival entry as best director, best writer and best film at the 72 hour film festival in LA 2011. She also began recording an album with producer Glen Ballard and her new band. She has filmed several films and a TV series slated for release next year.
Television and films
- The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1995) (TV)
- Wildside (1998) (TV)
- Fearless (1999) (TV)
- 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) (TV) - BeastMasterBeastMaster (TV series)BeastMaster is a Canadian television series that aired from 1999 to 2002. It was loosely based on a 1982 MGM movie The Beastmaster. The series aired for three complete seasons...
(1999) - Muggers (2000)
- South PacificSouth Pacific (2001 film)Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific is a made-for-television movie, directed by Richard Pearce in 2001. This ABC production starred Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr. and Rade Šerbedžija...
(2001) - Moulin Rouge!Moulin Rouge!Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
(2001) - Hard Knox (2001) (TV)
- Horseplay (2003)
- Code 46Code 46Code 46 is a 2003 British film directed by Michael Winterbottom, with screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce. It was produced by BBC Films and Revolution Films. It is a disquieting science fiction love story with themes that explore the moral impacts of advances in biotechnology. The soundtrack was...
(2003) - The DescentThe DescentThe Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who, having entered an unmapped cave system, become trapped, and are hunted by subterranean flesh-eating humanoids....
(2005) - The Great RaidThe Great RaidThe Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan, adapted from William Breuer's book of the same name. It tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin...
(2005) - Hotel BabylonHotel BabylonHotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
(2006–2008) (TV) - Surviving EvilSurviving EvilSurviving Evil is a horror film directed by Terence Daw and stars Billy Zane, Christina Cole and Natalie Mendoza.-Plot:A team of documentary film makers arrive at a remote Philippine island to shoot a survival special, but the island they have chosen is inhabited by the Aswang, a shape-shifting...
(2008) - The Descent Part 2 (2009)
External links
- Natalie Mendoza at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....