Shari Sebbens

Shari Sebbens (born 22 April 1985) is an Aboriginal Australian actress, most famous for her debut film role in The Sapphires. She has also appeared in Redfern Now.[1]

Shari Sebbens
Born (1985-04-22) 22 April 1985
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
NationalityAustralian
OccupationActress
Years active2010–present

Early life and family

Sebbens, one of six children, was born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory.[2] Her father is a former long-distance coach driver from Sydney of English descent and her mother, Annarella,[3] an Indigenous education worker from Broome, Western Australia is of Jabirr Jabirr and Bardi heritage.[2][4] She refers to Australian music composer and playwright Jimmy Chi as her uncle, although they are not related by blood. She is the cousin of writer and film director Mitch Torres.[2]

As a child, Sebbens wanted to become a palaeontologist or an astronaut but at the age of thirteen she saw Indigenous actress Deborah Mailman in the film Radiance (1998) and was inspired to pursue acting.[2]

Education

Sebbens graduated from Darwin High School in 2001[5] and four years later, at age nineteen, was chosen to participate in "SPARK"; a theatre mentorship programme established by the Australia Council for the Arts.[6] At age twenty she was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where she completed a one-year course in Aboriginal Theatre. Upon completing her studies at WAAPA Sebbens successfully auditioned for a place at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), where she studied acting full-time for three years.[7]

Career

Early work and breakthrough: 2010–present

Sebbens played Anna in a short film called Violet and she starred in the Australian play A Hoax, receiving a nomination for "Best Newcomer" at the Sydney Theatre Awards.[8] By May 2012 Sebbens landed a role in Redfern Now, a television series about "six inner city households whose lives are changed by a seemingly insignificant incident."[9] She received the Logie Award for Most Outstanding New Talent at the Logie Awards of 2013 for her role in the show.[10]

Sebbens secured a role in The Sapphires (2012), a film based on the stage show of the same name. It was directed by Wayne Blair and also starred Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, and Miranda Tapsell. Sebbens played the role of Kay McCrae, one of four Indigenous Australian singers "who travel from a mission in Victoria to Vietnam to sing for American troops".[7][11][12] The cast attended the film's premiere at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on 20 May 2012.[11]

Filmography
Films
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Violet Anna Short film
2012 The Sapphires Kay McCrae
2013 The Darkside Naomi
2014 You Wanna Order Pizza? Cass Short film
2015 Alone Nina Short film
2015 Silent Night Carly Short film
2016 OnO Ollie Short film
2016 Teenage Kicks Annuska
2017 Australia Day Sonya Mackenzie
2017 Puppets vs. People: Night of the Living Thread Susie Short film
2017 This Is Desmondo Ray! Clementine Love Short film
2017 Thor: Ragnarok Asgardian Mother
2019 Top End Wedding Ronelle
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2012 Redfern Now Julie Episode: "Joy Ride"
Logie Award for Most Outstanding New Talent
Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2014 The Gods of Wheat Street Isolde Freeburn 6 episodes
2014 Soul Mates Samus 2 episodes
2014, 2016 Black Comedy Various 4 episodes
2015 8MMM Aboriginal Radio Jessie 6 episodes
2018 Show Me the Movie! Herself Episode: "Episode #1.3"
2018 A Chance Affair Aviante Episode: "Just Like Smoke"
2019 The Heights Leonie

Theatre appearances
Year Production Theatre Role Notes
2012 A Hoax[13] Griffin Theatre, Sydney Miri Smith/Currah Nominated – Sydney Theatre Award for Best Newcomer
2014 Lobby Hero[14] Tap Gallery, Sydney Dawn
2015 Radiance[15] Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Mae
2017 Black is the New White[16] Sydney Theatre Company Charlotte Gibbons
2019 Our Town Black Swan State Theatre Company Julia Hersey

References
  1. Quinn, Karl (13 November 2012). "Redfern Now back for second series".
  2. Blake, Elissa (15 July 2012). "Dream time to act out". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  3. Palin, Megan (9 April 2013). "Logie double in top night for Top End". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  4. Moran, Jonathan (26 August 2012). "Shari Sebbens shines with best of both worlds". Herald Sun. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  5. "NamesDatabase: Shari Sebbens". Names Database. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  6. "Characters – Refern Now: Julie". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  7. "The Sapphires Press Kit: About Shari Sebbens" (PDF). Australia at Cannes 2012 (Screen Australia). Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  8. King, Darryn (12 December 2012). "Sydney Theatre Awards 2012 nominations". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  9. Knox, David (28 May 2012). "Cameras Roll on Redfern Now". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  10. Cartwright, Darren (7 April 2013). "Sebbens hopes Logie opens more doors". The Australian. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  11. Hohenboken, Angus (21 May 2012). "The Sapphires starring Jessica Mauboy and Deborah Mailman is a gem, insist Cannes critics". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  12. Moran, Jonathon (19 June 2011). "Mauboy's new tilt at movies". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  13. Blake, Jason (30 June 2012). "Depths of deception create publishing sensation". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  14. Blake, Jason (11 July 2014). "Lobby Hero review: Level comedy elevated by fiery performances". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  15. Blake, Jason (8 January 2015). "Radiance review: Strong performances, but more polish needed for Purcell's Radiance to shine". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  16. "Black is the New White". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 23 March 2018.

Further reading
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