Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton AO | |
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Born | Sigrid Madeline Thornton 12 February 1959 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1973–present |
Spouse(s) | Tom Burstall (1981–present) |
Children | 2 |
Sigrid Madeline Thornton AO (born 12 February 1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes Prisoner (1979–80), All the Rivers Run (1983), SeaChange (1998–2019) and Wentworth (2016–2018). She also starred in the American Western series Paradise (1988–91). Her film appearances include Snapshot (1979), The Man from Snowy River (1982), Street Hero (1984) and Face to Face (2011). She won the AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for the 2015 miniseries Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door.
Biography[]
Early years[]
Thornton was born in Canberra, the daughter of Merle, an academic and writer, and Neil Thornton, an academic.[1] She was raised in Brisbane, attending St. Peter's Lutheran College. For two years, she lived in London, where she was a member of the Unicorn Theatre.
Back in Brisbane she attended Twelfth Night Theatre Junior Workshop and in 1970, during the Captain Cook Bicentenary Celebrations, Thornton appeared before Queen Elizabeth II as Rosa Campbell-Praed in Looking Glass on Yesterday.[2] Thornton was a student of noted theatre director, Joan Whalley.
Career[]
She acted in TV series Homicide and Division 4 in 1975. She also appeared on The Sullivans, as Elizabeth "Buffy" Turnbull.
In 1977, Thornton made her film debut as Wendy in The FJ Holden directed by Michael Thornhill, and in the same year as Maria in the film adaptation of Henry Handel Richardson's colonial Australian novel, The Getting of Wisdom (1977) directed by Bruce Beresford. In 1978, Thornton appeared in the Australian television sequel of the British comedy series Father, Dear Father in Australia and Cop Shop,. The same year she played Angela in the film Snapshot (aka The Day After Halloween) directed by Simon Wincer, for which role she was nominated for Australian Film Awards Best Actress in a Feature Film in 1979.
In 1980, she appeared as Roslyn Coulson in the Australian television drama Prisoner (known overseas as Prisoner: Cell Block H).[3] Thornton starred in 1981 in Duet for Four. In 1982, she took on the roles of Jessica Harrison in the films The Man from Snowy River and its sequel in 1988 The Man from Snowy River II. In 1983, she marked an appearance in Street Hero. She starred in 1983's miniseries All the Rivers Run.[4] 1986 saw her in The Lighthorsemen, the TV adaptation of Nevil Shute's novel The Far Country,[5] Great Expectations: The Untold Story and Slate, Wyn & Me.
From 1988 to 1991, she appeared as Amelia Lawson in the American television drama series Paradise. Syndication of All the Rivers Run and The Man from Snowy River and The Man from Snowy River II brought her to a wider international audience.
In 1991, she starred in Over the Hill directed by George T. Miller and in 1996, Love in Ambush directed by Carl Shultz. She starred as Laura Joy Gibson in the Australian television series SeaChange from 1998 to 2000,[6] winning the Most Outstanding Actress award in 1999 and 2000.
Stage highlights[]
Thornton's stage performances include a 2002/03 touring production of The Blue Room directed by Simon Phillips for the Melbourne Theatre Company opposite Marcus Graham.[7] In 2009 she made her debut with Opera Australia in its production at Melbourne's Arts Centre as Desiree Armfeldt in Sondheim and Wheeler's A Little Night Music, directed by Stuart Maunder.[8]
In 2014, she won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire for the Black Swan State Theatre Company in Perth.[9]
In 2015, she appeared in the premiere of Stephen Beckett's play Diary of a Nobody, inspired by the 1892 novel The Diary of a Nobody, at the Princess Theatre, Launceston, Tasmania.[10] The same year, Thornton played the part of Golde in Fiddler on the Roof at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.[11]
Recent film and television work[]
In 2002, Thornton starred in Australian thriller The Pact, directed by Strathford Hamilton, written by Hugh O'Brien.
In 2003, Thornton appeared in Mittens directed by . In 2004, she played a geneticist in a four-episode arc on MDA. She shaved her head for her role in the 2005 telemovie Little Oberon.
Thornton hosted the Nine Network's What's Good For You.
In 2010, she appeared in Underbelly: The Golden Mile as recurring character Geraldine "Gerry" Lloyd, an Australian Federal Police detective and investigator for the Wood Royal Commission.[12]
In 2011, Thornton starred in Face to Face, an independent Australian film directed by Michael Rymer.[13]
In 2012, she participated in Who Do You Think You Are.[14]
In 2016, Thornton appeared in the fourth season of SoHo drama series Wentworth for seven episodes as a special guest star. She portrayed the character of Sonia Stevens (initially played by Tina Bursill in Prisoner), a woman on remand for the suspected murder of her best friend.[15]
Thornton returned for season 5 of Wentworth as a main cast member and served as the main antagonist in season 6, until her characters death in episode 7, "The Edge".
In 2018, she appeared in Anh's Brush with Fame.
The "Sigrid factor"[]
In his book The Big Shift, about changing Australian demographics and culture, Bernard Salt coined the term the "Sigrid factor" pointing out that Australian towns in which movies had been made featuring Thornton had prospered since that time.[16] More broadly he referred to changing Australian cultural values which were well reflected in the types of places in which Sigrid Thornton had acted: the Riverland during the 1980s All the Rivers Run and the coast in the 2000s SeaChange.
Personal life and advocacy[]
Thornton is married to actor Tom Burstall and has two children. She is known for her work with World Vision, the Royal Children's Hospital, Vision Australia, Reach Foundation and other charitable causes.[17] She has lobbied successive governments to keep libraries open and to resource the Australian film and television industry. She has been appointed to several federal and state film bodies, including Film Victoria[3] and is involved in helping to sustain and develop the industry.[18]
Filmography[]
Title | Year | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Matlock Police | 1975–76 | Simone Foley, Cathy Simpson | 2 episodes |
The FJ Holden | 1977 | Wendy | |
The Getting of Wisdom | 1977 | Maria | |
The King of the Two Day Wonder | 1978 | Maria | |
Father, Dear Father | 1978 | Sue Glover | 14 episodes |
Cop Shop | 1978 | Helen Davis, Karen | 2 episodes |
Snapshot | 1979 | Angela | |
Prisoner | 1979–80 | Roslyn Coulson | 30 episodes |
The Last Outlaw | 1980 | Kate Kelly | 4 episodes |
I Can Jump Puddles | 1981 | Mabel | 2 episodes |
Duet for Four | 1982 | Carline Martin | |
The Man from Snowy River | 1982 | Jessica Harrison | |
1915 | 1982 | Frances | 7 episodes |
All the Rivers Run | 1983 | Philadelphia Gordon | 8 episodes |
Street Hero | 1984 | Gloria | |
Best Enemies | 1985 | Fennimore | |
Slate, Wyn & Me | 1987 | Blanche McBride | |
The Lighthorsemen | 1987 | Anne | |
The Man from Snowy River II | 1988 | Jessica Harrison | |
Paradise | 1988–91 | Amelia Lawson | 51 episodes |
Over the Hill | 1992 | Elizabeth | |
Whipping Boy | 1996 | Cass Meridith | |
SeaChange | 1998–2000 2019–present |
Laura Gibson | |
The New Adventures of Ocean Girl | 2000 | Narrator | 10 episodes |
Inspector Gadget 2 | 2003 | Mayor Wilson | Direct-to-video |
The Pact | 2003 | Susan Tuttle | |
MDA | 2005 | Dr. Robyn Masterton | 4 episodes |
Underbelly | 2010 | Gerry Llyod | 7 episodes |
Face to Face | 2011 | Claire Baldoni | |
BFFs | 2014 | Jacqueline | |
Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door | 2015 | Judy Garland | 2 episodes |
Scare Campaign | 2016 | Vicki | |
Wentworth | 2016–18 | Sonia Stevens | 26 episodes |
The Code | 2016 | Lara Dixon | 6 episodes |
Orange Is the New Brown | 2018 | Dr. Vulva, Nigella Lawson | 2 episodes |
Lambs of God | 2019 | Rose Stanford | 2 episodes |
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Association | Category | Work | Result[19] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Sammy Award | Best Television Juvenile Performance | Homicide | Won |
1979 | Australian Film Institute Award | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Snapshot | Nominated |
1979 | Silver Logie | Best Actress in a Miniseries/Telemovie | 1915 | Nominated |
1984 | Silver Logie | Best Actress in a Miniseries/Telemovie | All the Rivers Run | Won |
1990 | Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Paradise | Nominated |
1999 | Australian Caption Centre | Personality of the Year | Nominated | |
Silver Logie | Most Outstanding Actress | SeaChange | Nominated | |
2000 | Silver Logie | Most Outstanding Actress | Won | |
Silver Logie | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | ||
Gold Logie | Most Popular Personality on Australian Television | Nominated | ||
2001 | Gold Logie | Most Popular Personality on Australian Television | Nominated | |
Silver Logie | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | ||
Silver Logie | Most Outstanding Actress | Nominated | ||
2003 | Helpmann Award | Best Female Actor in a Play | The Blue Room | Nominated |
2005 | AACTA Award | AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Little Oberon | Nominated |
2015 | AACTA Award | AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door | Won |
References[]
Notes
- ^ Sigrid Thornton: biography and credits
- ^ Morris 1970, p. [page needed].
- ^ Jump up to: a b Griffin, Michelle (18 September 2005). "The Sigrid weapon". The Age. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Warden, Ian (2 April 1984). "Familiar damsel saved from ravagingly good shipwreck". The Canberra Times. p. 26. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Wallace, Lisa (14 September 1987). "An Australian miniseries for everyone". The Canberra Times. p. 6. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Idato, Michael; Lallo, Michael (17 October 2018). "Nine revives ABC drama SeaChange – with Sigrid Thornton at the helm". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Thornton, Graham red hot in the Blue Room" by Helen Thomson, The Age, 16 January 2003
- ^ A Little Night Music Archived 3 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Opera Australia
- ^ "Sigrid Thornton shines as Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire" by Jay Hanna, Perth Now, 20 March 2014
- ^ "Event Details: Sigrid Thornton in Diary of a Nobody"
- ^ "Anthony Warlow returns to Australian stage for Fiddler on the Roof". Herald Sun. 13 September 2015.
- ^ McWhirter, Erin (8 September 2009). "Sigrid Thornton plays hard cop in Underbelly The Golden Mile". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Face to Face". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Season 2, episodes – Who Do You Think You Are". SBS. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ Sarah Thomas (5 November 2015). "Sigrid Thornton joins Wentworth as part of Foxtel's home-grown roster for 2016". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Salt 2001, p. [page needed].
- ^ Quinn, Karl (5 December 2015). "'There is no endgame': Sigrid Thornton on a life embracing change". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Thornton, Sigrid (28 March 2006). "National Press Club Address: Expanding Horizons". National Press Club, Council of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ^ Thornton, Sigrid. "Biography". sigridthornton.com. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
Sources
- Morris, Jill (April 1970). A Looking Glass on Yesterday. Brisbane: Captain Cook Bicentennary Committee.
- Salt, Bernard (2001). The Big Shift. Hardie Grant Publishing. ISBN 978-1-876719-29-6.
Further reading[]
- Plum Role for 14-year-old. Brisbane: Queensland Newspapers. November 1974.[not specific enough to verify]
- Denton, Andrew (2005). Enough Rope: Sigrid Thornton. Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sigrid Thornton. |
- Sigrid Thornton at IMDb
- The Sigrid Thornton WebSite
- Thornton, Sigrid (1959–) in The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia
- 1959 births
- 20th-century Australian actresses
- 21st-century Australian actresses
- Actresses from Brisbane
- Actresses from Canberra
- Australian film actresses
- Australian soap opera actresses
- Australian stage actresses
- Officers of the Order of Australia
- Living people
- Logie Award winners