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Marg Downey (born 5 May 1961) is an Australian comedian and actress best known for her roles in The D Generation, Fast Forward and Full Frontal
Downey grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in the Melbourne suburb of East Malvern in an eight-child family. Her father worked as a chartered accountant. She attended Sacré Cœur School (with fellow comedian Jane Turner) in Glen Iris, and then studied Arts/Law at the University of Melbourne, where she resided at Newman College. At university, she began to perform in university revues, and auditioned for performing arts courses at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, the Victorian College of the Arts and the University of Melbourne, but was not successful in gaining entry to any of them.[1]
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Downey first rose to prominence in the sketch comedy program The D-Generation on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in the late 1980s. She subsequently appeared in later sketch comedy series with other members of The D-Generation, including Fast Forward, Full Frontal and Something Stupid. In these, she was known for her portrayals of a news anchor, a stern SBS presenter and for her spot-on impression of current affairs host Jana Wendt. Her spoof of "The What's On SBS Presenter" satirised the eccentricity of SBS programming, displaying grim masochistic determination to "not miss a moment of this scintillating entertainment".
Downey starred in the 2001 Network 10 comedy series Sit Down, Shut Up, playing the role of Principal Sue which was played by American comedian Kenan Thompson in the 2009 American Fox television re-make of the original Australian series. The animated American version was produced and written by Mitch Hurwitz, of Arrested Development fame.[2]
In 2005, Downey was cast as a regular player in Seven's live comedy sketch show Let Loose Live, but the show was cancelled after just two episodes due to low ratings. The following year, she appeared in the sketch show Magda's Funny Bits alongside Magda Szubanski. In this show, she recreated her role as infomercial host Janelle, first developed on Fast Forward.
In 2018, she voiced Stanley "Stan" Stinkleton and the narrator in the kids TV series, Kitty Is Not a Cat.
In 2021 Downey joined the cast of ABC Drama The Newsreader in the role of Evelyn Walters,[3] Downey reprised the role for the second series of the show.[4]
Comedy style
Downey's television roles are often authority figures or professional women with slightly eccentric personalities, such as Principal Sue in Sit Down, Shut Up and the "relationship-counselor" Marion seen in comedy series Kath & Kim. On Fast Forward, Marg Downey appeared in a lot of sketches with Steve Vizard, such as Eyeball News, The Midday Show, Candid Camera, The Cosby Show and Get Smart. Downey also played Clancy in the Skippy send-up, and appeared in send-ups of I Dream Of Jeannie, Mr Ed and Bewitched.
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Film appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jones Family Christmas | Sandra | [5] | |
| 2017 | The Birth | Midwife | Short | |
| 2012 | Kath & Kimderella | Marion | ||
| Christmas Clay | Kate | Short | ||
| 2010 | Us | Nell | Short | |
| Oranges and Sunshine | Miss Hutchinson | |||
| Matching Jack | Nurse Celia | |||
| 2009 | The Wake | Ellen | Short | |
| 2004 | Under the Radar | Maxine | ||
| 2002 | The Merchant of Fairness | Mrs Rowe | ||
| The Real Thing | Psychologist | |||
| Guru Wayne | Mrs Marsh | |||
| 2002 | Queen of the Damned | Talamascan | ||
| 2000 | The Magic Pudding | Various (voice) | ||
| 2000 | Beware of Greeks....Bearing Guns | Policewoman | ||
| 1996 | Zone 39 | Computer (voice) |
Television appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-present | The Newsreader | Evelyn Walters | 12 episodes | [6] |
| 2021-22 | Fisk (TV series) | Lindy | 2 episodes | [7] |
| 2018-19 | Kitty Is Not a Cat | Narrator/ Stanley | 82 episodes (voice) | [8] |
| 2018 | Back In Very Small Business | Yvonne Giradoux | 5 episodes | [9] |
| 2017 | Get Krack!n | McCartney's Mum | 1 episode | |
| The Other Guy | Wilma | 1 episode | ||
| Top of the Lake | Isadore | 3 episodes | ||
| Newton's Law (TV series) | Melinda Whitley | 1 episode | ||
| 2016 | Dogstar: Christmas in Space | Alice / Daina / Greta Clark (voice) | TV Movie | [10] |
| 2015 | Open Slather | Various | 20 episodes | [11] |
| 2014-15 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Evelyn Toohey | 2 episodes | |
| 2014 | The Flamin' Thongs | Crystal Woman (voice) | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | Exchange Student Zero | Happy Peach Flower / Peg (voice) | TV Movie | [12] |
| House Husbands | Principal Moon | 1 episode | ||
| 2010-12 | Wakkaville | Various (voice) | 25 episodes | |
| 2007-11 | Dogstar (TV series) | Great / Alice / Daina | 52 episodes | [13] |
| 2010 | City Homicide | Jane Clegg | 1 episode | |
| 2008 | Very Small Business (TV series) | Yvonne | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | The Starter Wife | Proper Lady | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | Nightmares and Dreamscapes | Judy Diment | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | Let Loose Live | Various | 2 episodes | |
| 2002-04 | Kath & Kim | Marion | 6 episodes | |
| 1995-02 | Blue Heelers | Kaye / Kanga / Karen | 3 episodes | |
| 2001 | Horace and Tina | Mrs Belevedere | 1 episode | |
| The Bob Downe Show | Janelle | 1 episode | ||
| 2000 | The New Adventures of Ocean Girl | Elgar/ Various | 10 episodes | |
| Sit Down, Shut Up (2001 TV series) [14] | Sue Dirkin | 13 episodes | ||
| Gloria's House | Various (voice) | TV Series | ||
| 1999 | The Late Report | Various | TV Series | |
| 1998 | The Silver Brumby | Mrs Dingo/ Eee | 1 episode | |
| 1997-98 | Li'l Elvis and the Truckstoppers | Janet Rig / Eileen | 26 episodes | |
| 1998 | Something Stupid | Various | 6 episodes | |
| The Games | Radio Newsreader | 1 episode | ||
| Good Guys Bad Guys | Glynnis Filch | 1 episode | ||
| 1997 | Get a Life | The Nanny | TV Series | |
| 1994 | Economy Class | Sue Atherton | TV Movie | |
| 1993-94 | Full Frontal (Australian TV series) | Guest | 7 episodes | |
| 1993 | The Making of Nothing | Diane Feust | TV Movie | |
| A Royal Commission into the Australian Economy | Dame Victoria Market | TV Movie | ||
| 1989-92 | Fast Forward (Australian TV series) | Various | 90 episodes | |
| 1922 | Bligh | Yvette / Frances | 2 episodes | |
| 1991 | Turn it Up | Aggie | TV Movie | |
| 1988-89 | The D-Generation Goes Commercial | Various | 4 episodes | |
| 1986-87 | The D-Generation | Various | 16 episodes | |
| 1986 | The Fast Lane | Nadene | 1 episode |
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