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Rebecca Gibney
Rebecca Gibney arrives at the 58th Annual Logie Awards at Crown Palladium (26836426951).jpg
Rebecca Gibney 2016
Born
Rebecca Catherine Gibney

Occupation Actress
Years active 1980–present
Notable work
The Flying Doctors
All Together Now
Halifax f.p.
Packed to the Rafters Wanted
Spouse(s)
Irwin Thomas
(m. 1992; div. 1995)
Richard Bell
(m. 2001)
Children 1

Rebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand actress known for her roles on Australian television in The Flying Doctors, Halifax f.p., Packed to the Rafters, Winter and Wanted. She has also featured in a number of Australian films, including Mental and The Dressmaker. She is a Gold Logie winner

Early life and education

Rebecca Catherine Gibney was born in Levin, New Zealand and brought up in Wellington.

She attended Wellington Girls' College. She moved to Australia at the age of 19 after graduating from high school.

Career

Gibney worked as a model, then appeared on television in the New Zealand kidult series Sea Urchins from 1980 to 1984. She broke into Australian television with the role of Julie Davis in the children's series Zoo Family in 1985. She went on to play mechanic Emma Plimpton in the popular drama series The Flying Doctors, and in 1990 starred in the mini-series Come In Spinner. In 1991, she starred in the Channel Nine sitcom All Together Now, leaving the series in 1993. After her departure, she starred in Snowy.

The title character of Dr. Jane Halifax in Halifax f.p. was created especially for her by the producers of her previous show Snowy. Halifax f.p. debuted in 1994 with the episode "Acts of Betrayal", and continued with a further 20 telemovies leading up until 2002. She has also appeared in the miniseries' Kangaroo Palace (1997), and The Day of the Roses (in 1998).

From 2002 to 2003, Gibney had a role in Stingers; from 2003 until 2006, she co-starred with Claudia Karvan in the telemovie trilogy Small Claims as Chrissy. She appeared in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot in 2004, followed by King's 2006 miniseries Nightmares and Dreamscapes. In 2006, she played the role of Lydia, a hippie restaurant owner and operator in the Network Ten drama series Tripping Over. In 2007, she had a small role in the film Clubland, starring Brenda Blethyn, and directed by Cherie Nowlan (known as Introducing the Dwights in the United States).

A series of Australian television advertisements for Advil in 2006/07 featured Gibney and her family. A new television advertisement with only Gibney appeared in October 2007.

Gibney hosted four seasons of a documentary series produced by Television New Zealand called Sensing Murder (2006–10) in which unsolved cases of New Zealand murders or missing persons are probed by psychic investigators from both New Zealand and Australia. Gibney was executive producer and also starred in 2008 New Zealand feature film The Map Reader alongside Michael Hurst, playing Amelia, mother of Michael, the map reader of the title..

From August 2008 until its conclusion in 2013, Gibney played the female lead of Julie Rafter on the Seven Network's Packed to the Rafters. Gibney's role in the show proved popular, winning her the Gold Logie in 2009. In 2010, she played the lead role on Channel Ten's telemovie Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story. She starred in the 2012 movie Mental alongside Toni Collette. In 2014 Gibney produced and starred in a new TV film crime drama, The Killing Field. She played a detective tasked with solving the murder of a teenage girl in a small town. Winter, a follow-up series to The Killing Field, screened in 2015.

In 2020 Gibney reprised the role of Jane Halifax for Halifax: Retribution. In 2021, she joined the cast of Under the Vines. She appeared in the Stan series Prosper and also joined New Zealand TV series A Remarkable Place to Die.

On 4 September 2024, Gibney was announced as part of the 2025 Sydney Theatre Company season for the play Circle Mirror Transformation, marking Gibney's return to theatre in almost 20 years.

Personal life

Gibney was married to Irwin Thomas, (a.k.a. Jack Jones, former lead singer of Southern Sons), from 1992 to 1995. She married production designer Richard Bell in November 2001. They have one son. She currently lives in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Among the Cinders Sally Feature film
1985 I Live with Me Dad Jill Harkness TV film
1986 Mr. Wrong Clive's Secretary
1989 Jigsaw Virginia York Feature film
1994 Lucky Break (aka Paperback Romance) Gloria Wrightman Feature film
1997 Joey Penny McGregor Feature film
1998 13 Gantry Row Julie TV film
1999 Sabrina Down Under Hilary Hexton TV film
The Millennium Disaster: Computer Crash 2000 [de] Nicole TV film
2001 Finding Hope Hope Fox TV film
Ihaka: Blunt Instrument Kirsty Finn TV film
2003 Sensing Murder: Easy Street Host TV film
2004 Small Claims Chrissy Hindmarsh TV film
2005 Small Claims: White Wedding Chrissy Hindmarsh TV film
2006 Small Claims: The Reunion Chrissy Hindmarsh TV film
Lost and Found Mac's Mum Feature film
2007 Clubland (aka Introducing the Dwights) Lana Feature film
2008 Map Reader, TheThe Map Reader Amelia Rosemont Feature film
2009 In Her Skin Gail Feature film
2010 Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story Maria Korp TV film
2011 Seek Mummy Short film
2012 Mental Shirley Moochmore Feature film
2014 Killing Field, TheThe Killing Field Detective Sergeant Eve Winter TV film
2015 Dressmaker, TheThe Dressmaker Muriel Pratt Feature film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1980-1984 Sea Urchins Karen TV series
1985 Zoo Family Julie Davis TV series
1986 The Great Bookie Robbery Bonnie TV miniseries
1986–1990; 1991 The Flying Doctors Emma Plimpton Patterson TV series
1990 Come in Spinner Guinea Malone TV miniseries
Acropolis Now Mrs. Spiro Strangulator TV series, episode: Cappuccino Catastrophe
Ring of Scorpio Judith TV miniseries
1991–1992 All Together Now Tracy Lawson TV series
1993 Snowy Lilian Anderson TV series
1994 Time Trax Dr. Maria Mills TV series, episode: The Cure
1994–2002 Halifax f.p. Jane Halifax TV series
1995 G.P. Larissa Schuller TV series, episode: Still Life
1997 Kangaroo Palace Heather Randall TV miniseries
1998 Silver Brumby, TheThe Silver Brumby Boon Boon (voice) TV series, episode: Getting Together
Day of the Roses, TheThe Day of the Roses Sister Margaret Warby TV miniseries
1999 Lost World, TheThe Lost World Lady Cassandra Yorkton TV series, episode: Cave of Fear
2001 Farscape Rinic Sarova TV series, episode: Thanks for Sharing
2002–2003 Stingers Criminal Barrister Ingrid Burton TV series
2004 Salem's Lot Marjorie Glick TV miniseries
2006-2010 Sensing Murder Narrator TV series, Seasons 1–4
2006 Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King India Fornoy TV series, episode: The End of the Whole Mess
Tripping Over Lydia TV miniseries
2008–2013 Packed to the Rafters Julie Rafter TV series
2015 Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door Marion Woolnough TV miniseries
Winter Det Sgt Eve Winter TV series
2016–2018 Wanted Lola Buckley TV series
2020 Halifax: Retribution Jane Halifax TV series
2021 Back to the Rafters Julie Rafter TV series
2021-present Under the Vines Daisy Monroe TV miniseries, Season 1-3
2023 The Brokenwood Mysteries Tabatha Shepherd TV series, 1 episode
2024 Prosper Abi Quinn 8 episodes
TBA A Remarkable Place To Die TBA TBA

Self appearances

Year Title Role Notes
1987; 1988; 1990; 1991; 1999 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself ("Red Faces" segment) TV series, 5 episodes
1990 Hey Hey It's Saturday Guest (with All Together Now cast) TV series, 1 episode
1999 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Guest TV series, 1 episode
In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
2005 50 Years 50 Shows Herself TV special
2021 Celebrity MasterChef Australia (series 2) Contestant TV series
2022 Sunrise Guest TV series, 1 episode
This Is Your Life: Rebecca Gibney Herself TV series, 1 episode
2023 Would I Lie To You? Guest TV series, 1 episode
2024 2024 TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame Inductee TV special
Sunrise Guest (with son Zachary Bell) TV series, 1 episode
The Morning Show Guest (with son Zachary Bell) TV series, 1 episode
Shaun Micallef's Eve of Destruction Guest TV series, 1 episode

Awards

Gibney has won, and has been nominated, for several television awards at the AFIs and the Logies on numerous occasions in her acting career.

She won her first award in 1990, winning the AFI (Australian Film Institute) Award for Best Actress for her role in Come In Spinner. She also won a peer-nominated Most Outstanding Actress Logie award in 1991 for her role in the show. She was also nominated in the Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Mini-Series award for her role.

In 1992, she was nominated at the Logies for her role in the sitcom All Together Now in two categories: Most Popular Actress and Most Popular Light Entertainment / Comedy Female Performer.

Her role as the lead in Halifax f.p. had Gibney nominated for three different awards – Most Popular Actress at the Logies (in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001); Most Outstanding Actress at the Logies (in 1998, 1999 and 2000) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI's (in 1998 and 2000).

Gibney's role in the telemovie Small Claims led her to another nomination at the 2005 Logies in the Most Outstanding Actress category.

A popular role for Gibney has been on Packed to the Rafters. Her role in this has led her to win the 2009 Gold Logie and the 2009 Most Popular Actress award. She also been nominated at the Logies for the Gold Logie in 2010 and 2011, Most Popular Actress in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and Most Outstanding Actress in 2009. At the AFI Awards she was nominated in 2009, in the Best Lead Actress in a Drama award.

She has been honoured by her birthtown of Levin, New Zealand in their Walk of Fame (which commenced in 2021) and is run by Heritage Horowhenua Charitable Trust. Along with a biographical recognition on their website there is a named commemorative plaque for her in Oxford Street, Levin.

In 2024, Gibney was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rebecca Gibney para niños

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