Bob Maza
Bob Maza | |
|---|---|
 Addressing a protest at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, July 1972 | |
| Born | Robert Lewis Maza 25 November 1939[1] Palm Island, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 14 May 2000 (aged 60)[1] Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor, playwright |
Robert Lewis Maza AM (25 November 1939 – 14 May 2000) credited as Bob Maza was an Australian actor and playwright.
Activism[]
In the 1960s, he was inspired by Malcolm X Speaks, and became politically active as a member of the Aborigines Advancement League, of which he was subsequently made president. In 1970, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly on the subject of "the third-world status of Indigenous Australians".[2] In 1972, he took part in the Aboriginal Tent Embassy protest.[2]
Literary career[]
Maza's plays include Mereki and The Keepers.[3]
He helped found theatre companies including Nindethana and the National Black Theatre.[2]
Acting career[]
Maza has appeared in television series including Bellbird, Harry's War, Wildside, A Difficult Woman, A Country Practice, Women of the Sun and Heartland. He has also acted in films, including (1998), Lilian's Story (1996), The Back of Beyond (1995), The Nostradamus Kid (1993), Reckless Kelly (1993), Ground Zero (1987), The Fringe Dwellers (1986), BabaKiueria (1986), White Man's Legend (1984), and 27A (1974).[1][4]
Personal life[]
Maza was born to a Murray Islander (Torres Strait Islander) father and to a Yidinjdji (Australian Aboriginal) mother.[2]
He married Vera Blankman, an immigrant from the Netherlands, and they had two sons, C'Zarke and Mataika and two daughters,[citation needed] Lisa and Rachael, also an actress.[5] They felt the impact of racism for those times, but their relationship endured.
Father and daughter, Bob and Rachael both had roles in the short-lived Australian drama series Heartland.
Recognition[]
In 1993, he was awarded the Order of Australia for services to the arts and to Indigenous people.[6]
Australia Council for the Arts[]
The Australia Council for the Arts arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. Since 1993, it has awarded a Red Ochre Award. It it presented to an outstanding Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal Australian or Torres Strait Islander) artist for lifetime achievement.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998[2] | himself | Red Ochre Award | Awarded |
Today, the Bob Maza Fellowship, awarded by the Australian government, is destined to help further the career of established Indigenous actors.[3]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Bob Maza on IMDb
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Bob Maza Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine on the website of the Australia Council for the Arts
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Bob Maza Fellowship" Archived 20 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Australian government
- ^ Bob Maza's filmography, New York Times
- ^ Rachel Maza at IMDB
- ^ It's an Honour
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| General | |
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| Other | |
- 1939 births
- 2000 deaths
- Australian male film actors
- Australian male television actors
- Members of the Order of Australia
- Indigenous Australian actors
- Australian male dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century Australian male actors
- 20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights