Robyn Nevin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robyn Nevin
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![]() Nevin in 2013
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Born | |
Education | National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1962–present |
Spouse(s) |
Jim McNeil
(m. 1975; div. 1977) |
Partner(s) | Nicholas Hammond (1987–present) |
Children | 1 |
Robyn Anne Nevin is a famous Australian actress and director. She was born on September 25, 1942. Robyn is known for her amazing work in Australian theatre, films, and TV shows.
She has won special awards like the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award. These awards celebrate her huge contributions to the performing arts in Australia. Robyn has led important theatre companies, directed many plays, and acted in over 80 stage productions.
You might also know her from movies like The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, where she played Councillor Dillard. She was also in the horror film Relic as Edna. On TV, she starred in Water Under the Bridge, Upper Middle Bogan, and Top of the Lake.
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Early Life and Education
Robyn Nevin was born in Melbourne, Australia. Her parents were Josephine Pauline Casey and William George Nevin. She went to Genazzano Convent until she was 11 years old.
Then, her family moved to Hobart, Tasmania. There, she attended the Fahan School, which was a school for girls. While at Fahan School, Robyn played the main character in the school's play, Snow White. This play was performed at the Theatre Royal.
Robyn's parents were very supportive when she decided to join the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). She was only 16 when she became one of the very first students at NIDA in 1959. NIDA is a special school where people learn how to act and work in theatre.
A Career in Acting and Directing
Robyn Nevin started her career working in radio and television. In the early 1960s, she worked at the Australian Broadcasting Commission. She was involved in many different types of shows, including news, music, talk shows, and even children's programs.
She soon found her true passion in theatre. For over 40 years, Robyn has been a constant and important part of the theatre world. She has acted in many plays and also directed a lot of them.
Even though theatre is her main focus, Robyn has also appeared in many Australian films and TV shows. She often played strong supporting characters. In 1986, she directed a film called The More Things Change....
In 1996, Robyn became the artistic director of the Queensland Theatre Company. This means she was in charge of all the artistic choices for the company. She did a great job, helping the company become very successful.
After that, in 1999, she became the artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company. She held this important role until 2007. During her time there, she created the Actor's Company, which was a unique group of actors who worked together on many plays.
Robyn has directed many plays for the Sydney Theatre Company. Some of these include Boy Gets Girl (2005), Summer Rain (2005), and Hedda Gabler (2004). She has also directed plays for other theatre companies across Australia.
As an actress, Robyn has performed in many different roles. She played Miss Docker in A Cheery Soul in 1979 and again in 2001. She was also Roxane in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1981 and Mrs Venable in Suddenly Last Summer in 2015.
Film and Television Roles
Robyn Nevin has had many roles in both films and television. Here are some of her selected works:
Films
Year | Title | Role | Type |
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1976 | Caddie | Black Eye | Feature film |
1978 | The Irishman | Jenny Doolan | Feature film |
1982 | Fighting Back | Mary | Feature film |
1983 | Careful, He Might Hear You | Lila | Feature film |
1988 | Emerald City | Kate Rogers | Feature film |
1997 | The Castle | Supreme Court Judge | Feature film |
2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Councillor Dillard | Feature film |
2003 | The Matrix Revolutions | Councillor Dillard | Feature film |
2016 | Gods of Egypt | Sharifa | Feature film |
2020 | Relic | Edna | Feature film |
Television Shows
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Water Under the Bridge | Shasta | TV miniseries, 8 episodes |
1983 | The Dismissal | Lady Kerr | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
1995–99 | Halifax f.p. | Angela Halifax | TV film series, 3 episodes |
2013-16 | Upper Middle Bogan | Margaret Denyar | TV series, 24 episodes |
2013-16 | Top of the Lake | Jude Griffin | TV series, 4 episodes |
2018 | Back in Very Small Business | Celeste Di Nonno | TV series, 8 episodes |
2020 | The End | Dawn | TV series, 8 episodes |
Theatre Performances
Robyn Nevin has been a major part of Australian theatre. She has worked with many theatre companies, both as an actress and a director.
Sydney Theatre Company
The Sydney Theatre Company is a very important theatre group in Sydney. Robyn Nevin was a leader there for many years. She was the associate artistic director from 1984 to 1987. Then, she became the main artistic director from 1999 to 2007. During her time, she helped create 20 plays. She also acted in 27 plays for the company. Artistic Director
Title | Years | Role | Location | Notes |
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Macbeth | 1980 | Nimrod Theatre Company | ||
Cyrano de Bergerac | 1981 | Roxanne | Sydney Opera House | |
The Seagull | 1986 | Arkadina | Wharf Theatre | |
Emerald City | 1987 | Kate | Sydney Opera House | |
A Cheery Soul | 2000 | Miss Docker | Wharf Theatre | |
The Cherry Orchard | 2005 | Ranyevskaya | Wharf Theatre | |
The Year of Magical Thinking | 2008-2009 | Joan Didion | Wharf Theatre | Directed by Cate Blanchett |
Long Day's Journey into Night | 2010 | Mary Tyrone | Sydney Opera House | |
Suddenly Last Summer | 2015 | Mrs Venable | Wharf Theatre | |
King Lear | 2015 | Fool | Wharf Theatre |
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is another well-known theatre group in Melbourne. Robyn Nevin directed four plays for them in the 1990s. She also acted in 14 of their productions. Artistic Director
Title | Years | Role | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | 1984 | Martha | Arts Centre Melbourne | |
The Cherry Orchard | 1989 | Madam Ranevskaya | Arts Centre Melbourne | |
A Cheery Soul | 1996 | Miss Docker | Arts Centre Melbourne | |
Julius Caesar | 1996 | Mark Antony | Arts Centre Melbourne | |
Master Class | 1997 | Maria Callas | Arts Centre Melbourne | |
August: Osage County | 2009 | Violet Weston | Arts Centre Melbourne | |
The Drowsy Chaperone | 2010 | Mrs Tottendale | Arts Centre Melbourne |
Awards and Achievements
Robyn Nevin has received many awards for her amazing work in theatre, film, and television.
She has won several Helpmann Awards, Green Room Awards, and Sydney Theatre Awards for her theatre performances. Some of her Helpmann Awards include Best Female Actor in a Play for Women of Troy and Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for My Fair Lady.
In 1981, she won a Logie Award for 'Best Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Telemovie' for her role as Shasta in Water Under The Bridge. She also won Logies in Tasmania in 1965 and 1967 as the 'Most Popular Female'.
Robyn Nevin was honored by Australia for her contributions to the arts. On June 8, 1981, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia. Later, in 2020, she was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia. This was for her "distinguished service to the performing arts as an acclaimed actor and artistic director, and as a mentor and role model."
In 1999, the University of Tasmania gave her an honorary doctorate degree. She also gave the Australia Day Address on January 21, 2004.
Film & Television Awards
Association | Year | Work | Category | Result |
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Logie Awards | 1981 | Water Under the Bridge | Best Lead Actress in a Single Drama or Mini Series | Won |
Penguin Award | 1981 | Water Under the Bridge | Best Actress | Won |
Equity Ensemble Awards | 2014 | Upper Middle Bogan | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won |
Equity Ensemble Awards | 2014 | Top of the Lake | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Telemovie/Mini-Serie | Won |
Film Critics Circle of Australia | 1987 | The More Things Change | Best Director | Won |
Theatre Awards
Association | Year | Work | Category | Result |
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Helpmann Award | 2009 | The Women of Troy | Best Female Actor in a Play | Won |
Helpmann Award | 2012 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Best Female Actor in a Play | Won |
Helpmann Award | 2014 | Angels in America | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Won |
Helpmann Award | 2017 | My Fair Lady | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Won |
Helpmann Award | 2017 | Herself | JC Williamson Lifetime Achievement | Won |
Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards | 1998 | Herself | Outstanding Individual Award | Won |
Sydney Theatre Awards | 2006 | Summer Rain | Best Direction in a Musical | Won |
Personal Life
Robyn Nevin has been married twice. Her second marriage was to a playwright named Jim McNeil. They were married from 1975 to 1977.
Currently, she lives with her partner, actor and screenwriter Nicholas Hammond. They met in 1987 while working together on a play called Woman in Mind at the STC. Robyn has a daughter named Emily Russell, who was born in 1968. Emily is also an actress.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Robyn Nevin para niños