Rachel Gordon Explained

Rachel Gordon
Birth Date:1976 5, df=y
Birth Place:Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Education:National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) (1997)
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1997–present
Spouse:Scott Johnson (2005–2009)
Jon Sivewright
Children:2

Rachel Gordon (born 10 May 1976) is an Australian actress.

Early life

Gordon was born in Brisbane, Australia, the daughter of Michael and Donna Gordon. Her great-grandfather was Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, and her great-grandmother was Dame Enid Lyons, who was the first woman in the Australian parliament.[1] Gordon is a 1997 graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney.

Career

After her graduation from NIDA, Gordon appeared on stage in numerous productions. She has since worked for most of Australia's major theatre companies, including Bell Shakespeare, Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre and Marian Street Theatre.[2]

Gordon's first television role was in medical drama All Saints playing the recurring role of Claudia McKenzie from 2000 to 2001. She then played Detective Senior Constable Amy Fox in long-running police procedural television show Blue Heelers, from 2004 to 2006. She starred in long-running soap opera Neighbours in 2007, playing Charlotte Stone. She followed this with a recurring role in soap opera Home and Away, playing Jazz Curtis, the estranged mother of Drew Curtis from 2007 to 2008.[3] [4]

Gordon appeared in a recurring capacity in the mystery drama thriller Winter as Melanie Winter from 2010 to 2015. During this time, she also starred in comedy series The Moodys in a main role as Bridget Quaill, from 2012 to 2014, reprising the role in A Moody Christmas.

In 2016, Gordon began appearing alongside Jessica Mauboy in Seven Network drama series The Secret Daughter playing Susan Norton until 2017.[5] The following year she had a main role as Bridget Kovacec in comedy series Back in Very Small Business.

In 2022, Gordon appeared in drama series The Twelve for four episodes, as Emily Cavanaugh, opposite Sam Neill and Brendan Cowell. In 2023, she starred as fictional Australian Prime Minister Rebecca Stewart in the BBC sitcom Queen of Oz,[6] created by English comedian Catherine Tate.

Gordon's television guest appearances include Big Sky (1997), White Collar Blue (2002), Farscape (2003), The Cooks (2005) The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting (2013), Playing for Keeps (2019) and Made in Rhode Island (2020). Her most recent television appearance was in an episode of the anthology series Erotic Stories in 2023.

Gordon's film credits include Thunderstruck (2004) opposite Sam Worthington, mockumentary comedy (2007) and Australian-American psychological thriller Angel of Mine (2019) alongside Luke Evans, Noomi Rapace and fellow Australian Yvonne Strahovski. She has also appeared in the made-for-television movies Never Tell Me Never (1998) as Angela, Comedy Showroom: The Letdown (2016) as Mandy.

Personal life

Gordon lived in a share house with fellow actor Ian Stenlake and other students, while she was studying at NIDA.

In late 2004, Gordon married her partner of 11 years, actor Scott Johnson, whom she met at NIDA.[7] They divorced in 2009.

She later married actor Jon Sivewright, whom she met on the set of Home and Away. Together they have two children.

Gordon was trained by Al Gore and the Australian Conservation Foundation as a presenter for The Climate Change Project in 2007.

In 2008, she walked the Great Wall of China with other celebrities in an effort to raise money for Olivia Newton-John's Cancer and Wellness Centre.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004ThunderstruckMolly
2004Woman in Middle ManagementShort film
2007Vomit Child's Mother
2019Angel of MineEllen

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997Big SkyTara Brown / Lisa"Wishing and Hoping"
1998Never Tell Me NeverAngelaTV film
2000–2001All SaintsClaudia McKenzieRecurring role
2002White Collar BlueMardi Peters"1.12"
2003FarscapeLo'Laan"Mental as Anything"
2004–2006Blue HeelersAmy FoxMain role
2005Annette"Sticky"
2007NeighboursDr. Charlotte StoneRecurring role
2007–2008Home and AwayJazz CurtisRecurring role
2012The MoodysBridget QuaillMain role
2012Bridget QuaillMain role
2013Special Guest"1.1", "1.2", "1.3"
2014[8] Bridget QuaillMain role
2010–15WinterMelanie WinterRecurring role
2016Comedy Showroom: The LetdownMandyTV movie
2016–2017The Secret Daughter[9] Susan Norton12 episodes
2018Back in Very Small Business[10] Bridget KovacecMain Role
2019Playing for KeepsNarelle Baxter"2.5"
2020Made in Rhode IslandGirl at The BarPilot
2022The TwelveEmily Cavanaugh4 episodes
2023Queen of OzRebecca Stewart6 episodes[11]
Erotic StoriesSandra1 episode

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997 Death Defying Acts Juliet
1997 Macbeth Bell Shakespeare
1998 Out There Sasha Hair of the Dog
1998 Light Particles Beth Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney
1998 All Things Considered Laura
1999 The Taming of the Shrew Bianca Sydney Botanic Gardens with EHJ Productions
1999 Last Nights of Ballyhoo Sunny Freitag
1999 Big Hair in America Reba HotHouse Theatre
2000 Wit Susie Monoghan / RN & BSN Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
2001 Crimes of the Heart Meg Magrath
2001 Don Juan Charlotte STC
2008 Boeing Boeing Gabriella New Theatricals
2009 Concussion
2009 Ninety Isabel MTC / QTC
2010 King Lear Regan / Jane Bell Shakespeare
2010 Let the Sunshine Emma MTC / QTC
2012 Managing Carmen Jessica
2012 Between Two Waves Grenelle Griffin Theatre Company
2014 Daylight Saving Felicity Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Sydney[12]
2015 Boston Marriage Claire QPAC, Brisbane & QLD regional tour with QTC[13]
2016 Jasper Jones Mrs Bucktin MTC
2017 Odd Man Out Various characters
2018 The Norman Conquests Trilogy Ruth
[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Litson . Jo . 2014-10-25 . Logie award nominee Rachel Gordon struts her stuff on stage in charming romantic comedy . The Sunday Telegraph.
  2. Web site: Rachel Gordon . Shanahan.
  3. Web site: MTV Music. https://web.archive.org/web/20141121050559/http://www.mtv.com/artists/rachel-gordon/biography/. dead. 21 November 2014. MTV .
  4. Web site: Logie award nominee Rachel Gordon struts her stuff on stage in charming romantic comedy . 26 October 2014 . Sydney . 7 December 2014.
  5. News: Jessica Mauboy to begin filming on new series The Secret Daughter. Halliwell. Elle. 17 April 2016. The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 30 October 2016.
  6. News: Reporters . The Telegraph . 2020-02-07 . What's on TV tonight: Best Interests, Sarah Beeny vs Cancer and more . en-GB . The Telegraph . 2023-06-12 . 0307-1235.
  7. Brygel. Jackie. 26 March – 1 April 2005. Aisle be fine!. TV Week. 13. 9.
  8. Web site: Cameras roll on the Moodys | TV Tonight . 13 September 2013 .
  9. Web site: More cast as cameras roll on the Secret Daughter | TV Tonight . 18 April 2016 .
  10. Web site: Cameras roll on Back in Very Small Business | TV Tonight . 4 December 2017 .
  11. Web site: 2023-06-16 . BBC One – Queen of Oz, Series 1, Episode 1 . 2023-06-02 . BBC . en-GB.
  12. Web site: Rachel Gordon interview . Jo Litson: Scene and Heard . 14 November 2014.
  13. Web site: The Forbidden Love of Rachel Gordon . Scenestr . 19 January 2015.