Rachael Maza facts for kids

Rachael Zoa Maza, also known as Rachael Maza Long, is a talented Indigenous Australian actress and director for TV, movies, and plays. She is famous for her role in the 1998 movie Radiance. Rachael has worked a lot with a theatre group called Company B and director Wesley Enoch in Sydney. Since 2008, she has been the main creative leader, or artistic director, of the Ilbijerri Theatre Company.

About Rachael's Early Life and School

Rachael Maza has a mixed background. Her family comes from Dutch, Torres Strait Islander, and Aboriginal Australian people. Her father, Bob Maza, was also an actor.

Rachael studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, which is a well-known school for performers.

Rachael's Career in Acting and Directing

Working on Stage Plays

Rachael Maza has acted in many stage plays since 1992. She often worked with Company B and Wesley Enoch. Some of her main roles at the Belvoir St Theatre were in plays like Conversations with the Dead and The Dreamers. She also worked with Wesley Enoch again in The Sapphires, which was performed by the Melbourne Theatre Company and at the Sydney Festival.

She has also been part of The Black Arm Band, a group that performs music and theatre. Rachael also directed a play called Show Us Your Tiddas!, written by Lou Bennett.

Since 2008, Rachael has been the artistic director of the Ilbijerri Theatre Company. This means she helps decide which plays the company will put on and guides their creative work. In 2024, she helped direct a musical called Big names, No blankets. This musical was about how the famous Warumpi Band started. She directed it with Anyupa Butcher, whose father was a member of the band.

Acting in TV Shows and Movies

Rachael Maza first appeared on Australian TV in 1994 in the ABC Television series Heartland. She and Lillian Crombie had just finished acting school when they joined the show. This series was special because it was written by Aboriginal Australians and featured many Aboriginal actors. It was also the first TV show for famous actress Cate Blanchett.

Rachael also worked as a TV presenter. She hosted Message Stick on ABC Television, which focused on Indigenous Australians. She also hosted ICAM on SBS in 1997–1998.

She has acted in many popular TV shows, including Wentworth, Winners and Losers, Halifax f.p., Stingers, SeaChange, Heartland (where her father also acted), A Country Practice, and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

Rachael has also been in several movies. These include Cosi (1996), Radiance (1998), and Lilian's Story (1996).

Other Important Work

In September 2024, Rachael Maza was chosen for a big new role. She became a co-chair of First Nations Arts, which is a new part of the Australia Council. This council helps support arts in Australia. She will work in this role for four years.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2020, Rachael Maza was given a special award called Member of the Order of Australia. This award recognized her important contributions to the performing arts as a creative director.

Awards Rachael Has Won

Rachael's Family Life

Rachael Maza has a son named Ariel. His father is the actor Tom Long.

Rachael's Film and TV Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Rachael's Stage Work

As an Actor

As a Director

Rachael's Radio Work