Shari Sebbens facts for kids

Shari Sebbens is an Aboriginal Australian actress and stage director. She is well-known for her first movie role in The Sapphires (2012). She has also performed in many plays and TV shows.

Early Life and Education

Shari Sebbens was born and grew up in Darwin, Australia. She is one of six children. Her father is from Sydney and has English family roots. Her mother, Annarella, is an Aboriginal Australian education worker from Broome, Western Australia. She comes from the Jabirr Jabirr and Bardi groups. Shari also calls Australian music artist Jimmy Chi her uncle, even though they are not blood relatives. She is the cousin of writer and film director Mitch Torres.

When Shari was a child, she wanted to study old bones (a palaeontologist) or travel to space (an astronaut). But at 13, she saw Indigenous Australian actress Deborah Mailman in the movie Radiance (1998). This movie inspired her to become an actress.

Shari finished Darwin High School in 2001. Later, she joined "SPARK," a theatre program that helps young artists. At 20, she was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). There, she studied Aboriginal Theatre for one year. After WAAPA, Shari got into the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney. She studied acting full-time for three years and finished in 2009.

Acting and Directing Career

Screen Roles

In 2010, Shari Sebbens played Anna in a short film called Violet. By May 2012, she got a role in Redfern Now. This TV series was about how small events changed the lives of people in six city homes.

Shari also got a part in The Sapphires (2012). This movie was based on a stage play and was directed by Wayne Blair. Shari played Kay McCrae, one of four Indigenous Australian singers. These singers traveled from Australia to Vietnam to perform for American soldiers. The movie's cast went to its first showing at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in France in 2012.

In 2024, Shari joined the cast of the Australian version of The Office. She played Greta King, a sales representative in the show.

Theatre Performances

Shari Sebbens has performed in many plays. In 2012, she played Miri Smith and Currah in A Hoax. In 2014, she was Dawn in Lobby Hero. In 2015, she played Mae in Radiance. In 2017, she played Charlotte Gibbons in Black is the New White.

In 2019, she played Julia Hersey in Our Town. That same year, she was Carina in City of Gold. This was her last stage role for a few years. She later directed this play herself in 2021.

Directing Work

In 2021, Shari Sebbens became a resident director at the STC. She was an assistant director for Appropriate in 2021. That same year, she directed The 7 Stages of Grieving for STC. This play had to be moved from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Shari worked as a dramaturg for Shakespeare's play The Tempest. A dramaturg helps with the story and research for a play. In 2023, she directed plays for several theatre companies in Sydney and Melbourne. Shari is also on the board of Back to Back Theatre.

Other Activities

In 2018, Shari Sebbens was a judge for the Patrick White Playwrights Award at STC.

After becoming a resident director at STC, she hosted a TV series called The Whole Table. This show was made by STC and NITV and aired in early 2021. Shari discussed topics with other artists and guests. Guests included Taika Waititi and Miranda Tapsell.

Awards and Nominations

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

As actor

As writer / director

External links

See also

In Spanish: Shari Sebbens para niños