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Deborra-Lee Furness

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Deborra-Lee Furness
Deborra-lee Furness
Furness in 2018
Born (1955-11-30) 30 November 1955 (age 68)
Years active1975–present
Spouse
(m. 1996; sep. 2023)
Children2

Deborra-Lee Furness Jackman, AO (born 30 November 1955)[1][2] is an Australian actress and producer.

Early life

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Furness was born in Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, and raised in Melbourne, Victoria.[3] At the age of 18, Furness attended secretarial school to learn shorthand and typing after her mother advised her to have a back-up career if her acting ambitions didn't eventuate to anything.[4] She then got a job as the assistant to John Sorell, the news director at Channel 9.[4] Despite describing herself as "such a bog secretary", Furness has said she thoroughly enjoyed the urgency, the fast action and the high energy of the newsroom.[4] After working in the newsroom for a year, Furness was asked to work on No Man's Land, the station's daytime current affairs program which was produced exclusively by women and hosted by Mickie de Stoop.[4] Furness started working on the show as a researcher before becoming an on-air reporter.[4] After her work at Channel 9, Furness then travelled through Europe for one year.[4]

She studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, where she graduated in either 1981[5] or 1982.[3] She performed on the stage in New York and played Kathleen,[6] the Australian wife of Cole Gioberti (Billy Moses) on the television series Falcon Crest before returning to Australia to continue her acting career.[3]

Career

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Furness rose to fame in 1988 when she starred in the movie Shame, for which she won Best Actor awards from the Film Critics Circle of Australia and the Golden Space Needle Award from the Seattle International Film Festival. Other roles included an episode of Halifax f.p. and The Flying Doctors.[7] In 1993, Furness appeared as Chrissy in the television mini-series Stark starring Ben Elton and Jacqueline McKenzie.[8] In 1995 she featured in the film Angel Baby directed by Michael Rymer and starring Jacqueline McKenzie and John Lynch.[9] The film followed the story of two schizophrenic people who met during therapy and fell passionately in love.[9]

In 1995, she starred in the title role in the television series Correlli, where she met her future husband, Hugh Jackman. From 1995 to 1996, Furness starred in television series Fire alongside Andy Anderson and Wayne Pygram. Furness played the role of Dolores Kennedy.[10]

An adoptive mother of two, Furness is known for her work assisting orphans globally and streamlining international adoptions, especially in her native Australia where she is a patron, and one of the creators, of National Adoption Awareness Week.[7][11][12] She has addressed the National Press Club of Australia on the subject of adoption laws in Australia.[13][14] Furness is a patron of the Lighthouse Foundation for displaced children and International Adoption Families for Queensland.[15][16] She is also a World Vision ambassador and serves on the Advisory Committee for Film Aid International, working with refugees throughout the world.[17][18]

Personal life

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Furness met actor Hugh Jackman on the set of Australian TV show Correlli in 1995.[19] Their wedding ceremony took place on 11 April 1996 at St. John's in Toorak, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne.[20] After going through two miscarriages,[19] she adopted two children with Jackman: a boy born in 2000[21] and a girl born in 2005.[22] A portrait of Furness and Jackman by Paul Newton was a finalist in the 2022 Archibald Prize.[23] In September 2023, the couple announced their separation.[24][25]

Honour

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In 2014, Deborra-Lee Furness was named as the New South Wales Australian of the Year for her work in adoption campaigning.[26][27][28]

Filmography

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Film

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Film
Year Film Role Type
1985 Crossover Dreams Statue of Liberty
Jenny Kissed Me Carol Grey
Cool Change Lee
1986 The Humpty Dumpty Man Carmel DeVries
1987 The Bit Part Acting Teacher
1988 Shame Asta Cadell
Evil Angels Magazine Reporter
Two Brothers Running Silver's Secretary
Celia Miss Greenaway
1990 Blue Heat aka 'The Last of the Finest' Linda Daly
1991 Voyager aka 'Homo Faber' Ivy
Waiting Diane
1992 Newsies Esther Jacobs
1995 Angel Baby Louise Goodman
When Harry Coached Sally Sally Short
1998 The Real Macaw Beth Girdis
2006 Jindabyne Jude
2008 Sleepwalking Danni
2009 Beautiful Mrs. Thomson
Blessed Tanya
2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Barran (Voice)
2014 Dukale's Dream Herself Documentary
2023 Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Jill Bailey

Television

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Year Film Role Type
1975 The Box Office Girl 6 episodes
1975 Division 4 Junior 1 Episode: "The Human Factor"
1979 Prisoner Connie (uncredited) 3 episodes
1980 Cop Shop Trisha Clarke 1 episode
1983 All the Rivers Run Miniseries
1983-1984 Kings Frances Dalton Recurring role
1984 Carson's Law 1 episode
1984 Special Squad Liz Jenkins Episode: "The Long Secret"
1985 Neighbours Linda Fielding 5 episodes
The Flying Doctors Fran Miniseries
Glass Babies Joan Simpson
1986 The Fast Lane Guest role: Stella 1 episode
1987 Falcon Crest Kathleen Gioberti Episode: "The New Faces"
A Matter of Convenience Valma TV film
1988 Sentiments
The Flying Doctors Sapphire Episode: "Sapphire"
Act of Betrayal Kathy TV film
Fields of Fire II Cloris Miniseries
1993 Stark Chrissie
Singapore Sling Annie TV film
1994 G.P. Guest role: Kate Morrison Episode: "All of Me"
1995 Halifax f.p. Brigit Grant Episode: "The Feeding"
Correlli Louisa Correlli Recurring role
Populate or Perish Narrator Documentary
1995–1996 Fire Dolores Kennedy Recurring role
1997 Roar Guest role: Agrona Episode: "The Cage"
2000 SeaChange Vicki Drury Episode: "Hungi Jury"
2007 Raising Children: A Guide to Parenting From Birth to Five Narrator Documentary
2009 The Beautiful Vision Herself
2013 Phineas and Ferb Additional voices Episode: "Primal Perry"
2016 Hyde & Seek Claudia Rossini Miniseries
2020 Misunderstandings of Miscarriage Herself Documentary

Television appearances

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Year Film Role Type
1974 No Man's Land Herself - Reporter
1989 The Media Show Guest 1 episode
1991 & 1992 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard 2 episodes
1992 The Morning Show 1 episode
In Sydney Today
1994 Level 23
Sale of the Century Contestant 2 episodes
1994-2005 Good Morning Australia Guest
1994; 1995 & 1998 Hey Hey It's Saturday 3 episodes
1994 & 1995 TVTV Herself 2 episodes
1995 Ernie and Denise Guest 1 episode
1995 & 1997 Midday Guest (1997 episode with Hugh Jackman) 2 episodes
1995 The Australia Remembers Tribute Gala Herself TV special
World Vision Appeal: Vision For a Better World
1996 Witness 1 episode
This Is Your Life
1997 Mouthing Off Guest
1998 The Making of 'The Real Macaw' Herself TV special
Saturday Night Fever
Carols in the Domain
1999 Fox Studios Australia: The Grand Opening Guest (with Hugh Jackman)
2003 Australian Story Herself 1 episode
Rove Live Guest
2004 Enough Rope with Andrew Denton
2006 At the Movies Herself
Jindabyne: The Process Documentary
2006 & 2024 Sunrise Guest 2 episodes
Today Guest (2024 episode with Eric Bana)
2006 & 2008 Mornings with Kerri-Anne Guest
2007 Dancing with the Stars Herself 1 episode
The 2007 Australian Film Institute Awards Presenter TV special
The Directors' Series Herself
2008 9am with David & Kim Guest 1 episode
2009 Australia Unites: The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Herself TV special
20 to 1 2 episodes
2009; 2021 & 2024 The Project Guest 3 episodes
2009 Artscape Herself - Interviewee 1 episode
2010 Seeds of Hope Herself Documentary
This Is Your Life 1 episode
2011 & 2012 The Circle Guest 2 episodes
2011 Mornings 1 episode
Kimchi Chronicles Herself Documentary
2012 The 66th Annual Tony Awards Presenter TV special
Can of Worms Herself 1 episode
The Living Room
60 Minutes Herself (segment "Hugh Jackman")
2013 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Herself (at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest
The View Guest Co-hostess
Oprah's Next Chapter Herself
2013; 2016; 2018 & 2019 Global Citizen Festival Herself (2018 as host) TV special
2014 Family Confidential Herself
The Talk Guest Co-hostess 2 episodes
2014 & 2018 NBC Today Show Guest
2015 CBS This Morning Herself – Co-Founder, Global Citizen 1 episode
2017; 2021; 2022 & 2023 Studio 10 Guest (2022 episode with Hugh Jackman) 4 episodes
2018 E Live from the Red Carpet Herself
Entertainment Tonight Canada
Entertainment Tonight 1 episode
2020 Anh's Brush with Fame Interviewee
2021 & 2024 The Project Guest 2 episodes
2022 This Is Your Life: Rebecca Gibney Herself (with Hugh Jackman) 1 episode
2024 Sunrise Guest (with Eric Bana)
News Breakfast Guest (with Jacqueline McKenzie)
Weekend Today Guest (with Eric Bana)

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Jackman, Hugh (29 November 2018). Hugh Jackman Announces World Arena Tour on TODAY. Today. Event occurs at 03:50. Retrieved 4 December 2018. By the way, it's her birthday tomorrow
  2. ^ Jackman, Hugh [@RealHughJackman] (30 November 2018). "Happy birthday to my smart, sassy, sexy bride" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 December 2018 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b c Dunning, Jennifer (29 July 1988). "New Face: Deborra-Lee Furness; Bringing 'Shame' to the City". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Jones, Kate (10 March 2014). "My first job: Deborra-lee Furness". The New Daily. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Alumni Spotlight - 1980s" (PDF). The Journal of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Fall–Winter 2008. p. 15 (unnumbered). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Falcon Crest" (PDF).
  7. ^ a b Lee, Sandra (10 November 2012). "Deborra-Lee Furness spills on life with Hugh Jackman". ews.com.au (NewsLifeMedia, News Corporation). Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  8. ^ Stark, Colin Friels, Ben Elton, Derrick O'Connor, retrieved 12 February 2018{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ^ a b Rymer, Michael (24 January 1997), Angel Baby, John Lynch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Colin Friels, retrieved 12 February 2018
  10. ^ Fire, Andy Anderson, Wayne Pygram, Tayler Kane, retrieved 12 February 2018{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^ National Adoption Awareness Week: Key People. Accessed 2 January 2013 Archived 16 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Silverman, Stephen (5 September 2013). "Hugh Jackman's Wife Reveals Just How She Likes Him". People Magazine. Retrieved 13 September 2013. Furness serves as a board member of the Worldwide Orphan Foundation to help create a National Adoption Awareness Week, "to shine a light on the fact that there are 153 million orphans in the world," she says: "If that were a country, it would be the ninth-largest in the world, just ahead of Russia."
  13. ^ Vasek, Lanai (9 November 2011). "Deborra-Lee Furness calls for uniform laws, stronger voice on adoption". The Australian. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Deborra-Lee Furness". National Press Club. 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2013. Deborra-Lee Furness is an internationally acclaimed actress as well as a passionate supporter of children and defender of their human rights across the globe.
  15. ^ "Lighthouse Patrons". Lighthouse Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  16. ^ "Bone Marrow Donor Institute". Bmdi.org.au. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  17. ^ "Advisory Board". Film Aid International. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  18. ^ "Deborra-Lee Furness spills on life with Hugh Jackman". News.com.au (NewsLifeMedia, News Corporation). 10 November 2012. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Deborra-Lee Furness". Enough Rope with Andrew Denton / Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 March 2004. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  20. ^ "The Wedding of the Year 1996". Trumpet Events. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  21. ^ Schafer, Jenny (16 May 2010). "Hugh Jackman & His Birthday Boy". CelebrityBabyScoop.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2011. ...Oscar's 10th birthday, which was yesterday.
  22. ^ "Hugh Jackman & His Wife Adopt a Daughter". People. 27 July 2005. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  23. ^ "Archibald Prize Archibald 2022 work: Portrait of Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness by Paul Newton". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  24. ^ France, Lisa Respers (15 September 2023). "Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness announce separation". CNN. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness split after 27 years of marriage". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  26. ^ "Deborra-Lee Furness named NSW Australian of the Year". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Deborra-Lee Furness Honoured as NSW Australian of the Year". ABC Online. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  28. ^ "NSW government congratulates Furness". news.com.au. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  29. ^ Internet, Unidad Editorial (27 September 2013). "Hugh Jackman: 'Es un oficio arriesgado, pero hay que hacer cosas nuevas cada vez'".
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