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Catherine McClements

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Catherine McClements
McClements at the 2011 Logie Awards
Born (1965-11-30) 30 November 1965 (age 58)
EducationNational Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present
Known forRachel Goldstein in Water Rats
Kerry Vincent in Rush
Christine Williams in Tangle
SpouseJacek Koman (c. 1990–present)
Children2

Catherine McClements (born 30 November 1965) is an Australian stage, film and television actress and television presenter. She is known for her TV roles in Water Rats and Tangle, for which she won Logie Awards, and has performed in stage productions for theatre companies such as Belvoir St Theatre, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Sydney Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

Early life and education

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McClements attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1985, alongside Baz Luhrmann, Sonia Todd and Justin Monjo.[1][2][3] In 1988, McClements, along with a number of other people including Baz Luhrmann, set up an experimental theatre ensemble called Six Years Old and worked on expanding the play Strictly Ballroom, which was first produced in their second year of NIDA in 1984.[4]

Career

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In 1993, McClements had a role in The Girl from Tomorrow Part II: Tomorrow's End. She is best known, however, for her starring role as Rachel Goldstein in the Australian police drama Water Rats from 1996 to 1999. She followed this up with a recurring guest role on The Secret Life of Us in 2001, for which she won the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Guest Role in a Television Drama. She later starred as Rosie in the 2003 drama series CrashBurn and appeared in the Network Ten telemovie Mary Bryant in 2005.

From 2008 she played Inspector/Superintendent Kerry Vincent, in the Australian police drama Rush, and psychologist Christine Williams in the Showcase drama Tangle. A second and third season of Tangle and Rush respectively were announced in 2009 and both aired in 2010.[5][6] Tangle and Rush were commissioned for new seasons, both to start filming in mid-2011.[7][8] In 2010, McClements won an AFI Award for her role in Tangle. She has also won ASTRA Awards for her role in Tangle in 2011 and 2013.[9]

McClements is also an accomplished stage actress who has appeared in stage productions for many theatre companies, including Belvoir St Theatre, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare and the Malthouse Theatre. In 1987, she worked in Adelaide with the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

In 2011, McClements guest starred in a YouTube and Facebook-only show called Queer as F**k, playing Mel who was a friend of main character Aaron (Gary Abrahams).

In 2012, McClements was cast as Meg Jackson in Wentworth, a contemporary reimagining of the Australian classic Prisoner. She was cast in a leading role for Season One of Wentworth, but her character did not appear beyond episode one. Also in 2013, McClements returned to the stage in Sharr White's play The Other Place for Melbourne Theatre Company and Phèdre for Bell Shakespeare.

Earlier in 2013, McClements was cast in new ABC telemovie The Broken Shore, alongside Don Hany, Dan Wyllie and Claudia Karvan. It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2013 and aired on the ABC in early 2014.[10]

In September 2013, McClements was cast in the film The Menkoff Method, directed by David Parker.[11]

In 2019 she starred in Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries as Birdie Birnside.[12]

In August 2022 she played the part of a teacher in the State Theatre Company South Australia and Sydney Theatre Company co-production Chalkface, written by Angela Betzien. The play opened at the Dunstan Playhouse in Adelaide.[13]

In 2023, McClements was announced as part of the cast for SBS series Erotic Stories.[14] She was also announced as part of the cast of the third and final season of ABC drama Total Control,[15] as well as ABC drama Return to Paradise.[16] On 21 November 2024, it was announced that McClements was apart of the cast for ABC drama The Family Next Door.[17]

Awards

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Year Award Category Title Result
1990 AFI Award Best Actress in a Lead Role Weekend with Kate Won
1993 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Redheads Won
1994 Green Room Award Best Female Actor in a Play Angels in America Nominated
1998 Logie Award Most Popular Actress Water Rats Nominated
Most Outstanding Actress Water Rats Won
People's Choice Award Favourite Actress in a Drama or Serial Water Rats Nominated
1999 AFI Award Best Actress in a Lead Role Water Rats (episode 4.17: I'm Home) Nominated
2000 Logie Award Most Outstanding Actress Water Rats Nominated
2001 AFI Award Best Actress in a Guest Role in a Television Series The Secret Life of Us Won
2007 AFI Award Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Call Me Mum Nominated
2008 Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Nominated
2010 Astra Award Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor Tangle Nominated
AFI Award Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Tangle Won
2011 Astra Award Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor Tangle Won
Logie Award Most Outstanding Actress Rush Nominated
2013 Logie Award Most Outstanding Actress Tangle Nominated
ASTRA Award Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor Tangle Won

Personal life

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McClements' husband is actor Jacek Koman, who also guest-starred in The Secret Life of Us as Dominic, though they were not on the show at the same time.[18] They met at the Anthill Theatre in Melbourne in the late 1980s, and have a daughter named Coco and a son named Quincy. McClements' sister is Georgina McClements, a producer, who has credits in shows such as Summer Heights High and Real Stories. Her brother is Brendan McClements, who is the current CEO of Victorian Major Events Company.[19] McClements is good friends with fellow actress Claudia Karvan, whom she met at the AFI Awards in 1990 and starred with in the film Redheads in 1992.[20]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Just Us Jessica Taylor Telemovie
1987 The Right Hand Man Sarah Redbridge Feature film
1990 Struck by Lightning Jill McHugh Feature film
Weekend with Kate Kate Muir Feature film
1992 Redheads Diana Ferraro Feature film (aka Desperate Prey)
2000 Waiting at the Royal Dinny Weston Telemovie
Better Than Sex Sam Feature film
2003 After the Deluge Nikki Kirby Telemovie
Floodhouse Ava 50 minute film
2005 Mary Bryant Marleen Telemovie
2006 Call Me Mum Kate Telemovie
Sexy Thing Mum Short film
2007 Fast Lane Louise Short film
2008 Emerald Falls Rosalie Bailey Feature film
2013 The Broken Shore Erica Burgouyne Telemovie
2014 The Menkoff Method Majorie Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 My Brother Tom Margaret 'Peggy' McGibbon Miniseries
1993 The Girl from Tomorrow: Tomorrow's End Lorien Miniseries
1993 G.P. Heather Ryan TV series, 1 episode: "Close Encounters"
1996–99 Water Rats Rachel Goldstein TV series, 109 episodes
2001–02 The Secret Life of Us Carmen TV series, 10 episodes. Won AFI award for episode: "Love Sucks"
2003 CrashBurn Rosie Denton Harfield TV series
2006 Real Stories Jillian TV series, episode 8
2008–11 Rush Kerry Vincent TV series, all 70 episodes
2009–12 Tangle Christine Williams Foxtel series
2010 The Pacific Catherine Leckie TV series, 1 episode: "Home"
2013 Wentworth Meg Jackson Foxtel series, 4 episodes
2014 The Time of Our Lives Diana Southey TV series, season 2
2015 The Beautiful Lie Tess du Pont TV series
2016 Rake Julie TV series, season 4
2017 Sisters Genevieve TV series, 7 episodes
2019 Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Birdie Birnside TV series
2022 Pieces of Her Grace Juno Netflix series, 6 episodes
2023 The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Sarah TV miniseries, 2 episodes
Erotic Stories Sam Anthology tv series, 1 episode: "Philia"
2024 Total Control Marion Beaumont TV series, season 3, 4 episodes
2024 Return to Paradise Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong TV series, 6 episodes
2025 The Family Next Door TBA In production

Self appearances

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Year Title Role Notes
1999 Doing Time Narrator 10-part TV documentary
2000; 2002; 2003 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 4 episodes
2003 Rove Live Guest TV series
The Fat Guest TV series
2009 Whale Patrol Narrator TV documentary
2010 The Circle Guest TV series
AFI Awards Presenter TV special
2011 Things on Sunday: Sex Panel member Malthouse Theatre
Logie Awards Presenter TV special
IF Awards Presenter TV special
2013 Astra Awards Presenter TV special
2015 Sperm Donors Anonymous Narrator TV documentary

Theatre work

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Name Year Character Venue
1984 Holiday Makers Sasha NIDA
1984 Impromptu at Versai (part of Three French Farces) Mrs Moliere NIDA
1984 All's Well That Ends Well Helena NIDA
1984; 1986 Strictly Ballroom Barbara Pierce NIDA, Bratislava
1985 Dreamplay NIDA
1985 The Unseen Hand (part of Hallucinogenics? 3 plays from the 60s) NIDA
1985 The War (from The Greeks trilogy) Iphigenia NIDA & St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1985 Once in a Lifetime NIDA
1986 And a Nightingale Sang Joyce Sydney Opera House with Gary Penny Productions
1987 Much Ado About Nothing Hero Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987 Shepherd on the Rocks Rhonda Moffat / News team member / Female whale saver Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987 The Winter's Tale Perdita; Servant Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987 Les Liaisons dangereuses Cecile de Volanges Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987 Away Meg Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1988 Molière (aka The Cabal of Hypocrites) Armando Key Studios, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre for Spoleto Melbourne Festival of the Arts
1989; 1990 The Imaginary Invalid Angelique New Fortune Theatre for Perth Festival, Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Armoury Lawns for Adelaide Festival with Australian Nouveau Theatre
1990 Crystal Clear Thomasina Universal Theatre
1991 The Crucible Abigail Williams Sydney Opera House with STC
1993; 1994 Angels in America Harper Amity Pitt Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne & Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC, Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1994 Seeing Violet (part of Unsettled trilogy) Isabel Hope Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne with $5 Theatre Company
1994 No Family (part of Unsettled trilogy) Doris Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne with $5 Theatre Company
1994 At Dusk (part of Unsettled trilogy) Lily Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne with $5 Theatre Company
1995 The Blind Giant Is Dancing Louise Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2000 Suddenly Last Summer Catharine Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2000 Emma Celebrazione! Gasworks Arts Park, Melbourne
2003 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2005 Cruel and Tender Amelia Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2006 It Just Stopped Beth Malthouse Theatre & Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2007 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2008 Appetite Louise Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Sydney Opera House, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne
2011 Happy Ending (part of the Cybec Readings) Louise Lawler Studio, Melbourne
2012 8 – The Play Sandy Stier Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne & Sydney Town Hall
2012 Never Did Me Any Harm Southbank Theatre Force Majeure & STC for Melbourne Festival
2013 The Other Place Juliana Smithton Arts Centre Melbourne with MTC
2013 Phèdre Phèdre Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne & Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2013 White Rabbit, Red Rabbit Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
2016; 2018 The Events Claire Granville Town Hall, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA for Adelaide Festival, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Festival, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Studio Underground, Perth, IMB Theatre, Wollongong
2017 Three Little Words Tess Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2018 Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre Centre, Arts Centre Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare
2022 The Sound Inside Bella Baird Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2022 Chalkface Pat Novitsky Dunstan Playhouse with STCSA & Sydney Opera House with STC[13]

[21]

References

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  1. ^ Alumni Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine National Institute of Dramatic Art
  2. ^ Morgan, Joyce (14 June 2003). "Good cop, bad cop". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  3. ^ Bone, Pamela (15 May 1986). "Chiltern lives again – just for television". The Age. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  4. ^ Albert, Jane (2010). House of Hits: The great untold story of Australia's first family of music. Prahran,VIC: Hardie Grant Books.
  5. ^ Second season for Tangle TV Tonight
  6. ^ Rush wins third season on Ten TV Tonight
  7. ^ Renewed: Tangle TV Tonight
  8. ^ Renewed: Rush TV Tonight
  9. ^ 2011 Winners Archived 22 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Astra awards
  10. ^ ABC announced the top cast for The Broken Shore TV Tonight, 2 April 2013
  11. ^ Cast is set for The Menkoff Method Inside Film
  12. ^ "Ms Fisher's MODern Murder Mysteries Announces Cast - Every Cloud Productions".
  13. ^ a b Keen, Suzie (29 July 2022). "Catherine McClements goes back to school in Chalkface". InDaily. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Seductive SBS Original drama series 'Erotic Stories' premieres 26 October".
  15. ^ Knox, David (June 2023). "Total Control filming third and final series | TV Tonight". TV Tonight.
  16. ^ Slatter, Sean (9 April 2024). "Anna Samson to lead ABC's 'Return to Paradise' as production commences on NSW South Coast". IF Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  17. ^ Writer, Staff. "NEW DRAMA SERIES THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR MOVES INTO BAYSIDE MELBOURNE". VicScreen. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  18. ^ Rose, Colin (8 June 2003). "Double Trouble". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  19. ^ Boland, Michaela (25 September 2009). "Roll out the red carpet". The Australian.
  20. ^ Cool Cat The Age, 31 October 2008
  21. ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2250
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