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Lucy Durack

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Lucy Durack
Durack in 2012
Born (1982-11-17) 17 November 1982 (age 41)
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2004–present
TelevisionAustralia’s Got Talent
Spouse
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2

Lucy Durack (born 17 November 1982) is an Australian actress, singer and television personality who played Glinda in the Australian production of Wicked, and Elle Woods in the Australian production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. She starred as Tugger in Australian television drama Doctor Doctor in 2016 and as Roxy Karibas in Sisters in 2017.

Early life

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Born in Perth, Durack graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)[1] with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) and prior to graduating was cast in the Brisbane and Sydney seasons of Mamma Mia! in which she understudied and performed the role of Sophie.

Career

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Durack has played the roles of Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street,[2] Miss Dorothy in the Australian Premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie,[3] Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate,[4] Rikki Rose in Respect,[5] Sybil Chase in Noël Coward's Private Lives,[6] and Laurey in Oklahoma!.[7]

Durack's screen credits include the role of Cherry in the feature Goddess, Bunny in Southern Star/UKTV telemovie Dripping in Chocolate, Cassie Bennett on Channel Seven's headLand, All Saints, Rush II, Spicks and Specks, Parlami d'Amore,[8] the Australian feature film Finding Nigel and the worldwide broadcast of the BBC2 Voice of Musical Theatre Competition in Cardiff[9] in which she was a finalist. Durack is a frequent guest presenter on Channel Seven's Absolutely Melbourne. While regularly performing in concert with various orchestras throughout Australia, Durack's cabaret appearances include Immaculate Confection[10] with collaborator Matthew Lee Robinson which toured to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Tasmania and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, All Star Cabaret for the Sydney Theatre Company, Cavalcade for His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, and the 2003 Sydney Cabaret Convention for which she received the Judges' Award.

Durack is known for playing the role of Glinda in the Australian production of Wicked.[11] After previews began in June 2008, the show opened on 12 July at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. It closed on 9 August 2009, and transferred to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, where it ran from 5 September 2009 through 26 September 2010. After a short break, Durack began performances on the show's Australian National Tour which began 25 January 2011 in Brisbane (running to 2 April). It moved to Adelaide from 14 April to 4 June 2011, and played Perth from 19 June through 11 September 2011. She has co-starred alongside Amanda Harrison, Jemma Rix, Pippa Grandison, Maggie Kirkpatrick, Bert Newton, Rob Guest, Rob Mills and Anthony Callea.

Durack sang the National Anthem at the AFL Grand Final[12] and at Oaks Day as part of Melbourne's Spring Racing Carnival and performing on Channel 9's Carols By Candlelight and Channel Seven's Carols in the Domain, all as part of the cast of Wicked.

At the end of the Australian tour of Wicked which took place on 11 September 2011 in Perth, Durack moved on from her four-year role of Glinda to Melbourne for rehearsal of the new Australian production of Strange Bedfellows,[13] where she played the role of the mayor's daughter, Faith. Durack passed the role of Glinda onto Suzie Mathers. When Wicked returned to Australia in 2014, Durack once again played the role of Glinda beginning with the Melbourne season in May 2014.[14] In March 2012, it was announced that Durack would play the main character, Elle Woods in the Australian production of Legally Blonde,[15] which also feature her Wicked co-stars Rob Mills and David Harris as Warner Huntington III and Emmett Forrest respectively.[16] The Australian production season began in September 2012 at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney, before opening on 4 October 2012. It then went on to play at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane from March 2013. It opened in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre in May 2013. Lucy won the Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical for her work in Legally Blonde.

Durack completed filming the role of Katie Morgan in the film Now Add Honey in September 2013 playing the fiancée of Hamish Blake and sister of Portia De Rossi.[17]

Durack's debut self-titled album[18] was released on 28 September 2012. Beginning 2017, Durack portrays Glinda the Good Witch in the Australian tour of The Wizard of Oz.[19]

In 2019, Durack was announced as one of the new judges for the ninth season of Australia’s Got Talent alongside Shane Jacobson, Manu Feildel and Nicole Scherzinger and new host Ricki-Lee.[20] However in 2022, it was revealed that Durack would not return to the judging panel for the tenth season.[21] She was replaced by actress and children’s author Kate Ritchie.

In January 2020, Durack portrayed Princess Fiona in the Australian production of Shrek The Musical in Sydney before transferring to Melbourne. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Melbourne run was cut short, with the final performance being on 26 March.[22]

In August 2020, Durack was revealed to be the 'Cactus' in the second season of The Masked Singer Australia. She was the seventh contestant eliminated from the show, placing 6th overall.[23][24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2009 Remembering Nigel Lucy Durack
2012 Dripping in Chocolate Bunny TV Movie
2013 Goddess Cherry
2015 Now Add Honey Katie Halloway Main role
2016 Comedy Showroom: The Letdown Sophie TV Movie
2020 Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal Mum Quokka
2022 A Perfect Pairing Audra [25]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 All Saints (TV series) Emma Christian 1 episode
2006 HeadLand Cassie / Vicki 2 episodes
2009 Rush Fiona 1 episode
2014 The Moody's Nicola 1 episode
2016-2017 Doctor Doctor Tugger 9 episodes
2016 Upper Middle Bogan Michelle 1 episode
2016–2017 Here Come the Habibs Judy
2017-2019 The Letdown[26] Sophie 10 episode
2017 Have You Been Paying Attention? Herself Guest quiz master
Sisters[27] Roxy Karibas 7 episodes
2018 Show Me the Movie! Herself 1 episode
2018 How to Stay Married Hernandez 1 episode
2019 Delete History Series
Lift Olivia Series
Show Me The Movie Self 1 episode
Celebrity Name Game 2 episodes
Australia's Got Talent Judge
Hard Quiz Herself Celebrity contestant
2020 Love in Lockdown Georgie 6 episodes
At Home Alone Together Stephanie 2 episodes
2020–2021 Neighbours Rose Walker 28 episodes
2020 The Masked Singer Australia Cactus/herself Contestant
2022 Fisk SOS Choir 1 episode
2022 The Cook Up with Adam Liaw Self 3 episodes

Awards

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Year Award ceremony Category Role Production Result Ref
2008 Green Room Awards Best Leading Actress in a Musical Glinda Wicked Nominated [28]
2009 Helpmann Awards Best Female Actor in a Musical Nominated [29]
Sydney Theatre Awards Judith Johnson Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Nominated [30]
2012 Elle Woods Legally Blonde Judith Johnson Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Won [31]
2013 Helpmann Awards Best Female Actor in a Musical Elle Woods Won [32]

Personal life

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Durack with husband Christopher Horsey

Durack married Christopher Horsey on Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth, Western Australia on 5 April 2014.[33] They have a daughter and a son.[34]

References

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  1. ^ WELCOME TO WAAPA (PDF), retrieved 17 January 2013
  2. ^ Stephanie Glickman (5 October 2007). "42nd Street | The Production Company". Australian Stage. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  3. ^ ICS Voices lucy Durack, archived from the original on 30 December 2012, retrieved 31 July 2012
  4. ^ West Wyalong Lucy Durack, archived from the original on 17 December 2012, retrieved 31 July 2012
  5. ^ Respect - The Musical
  6. ^ "Private Lives". www.mtc.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013.
  7. ^ Wire image
  8. ^ Parlami D'Amore (2000), retrieved 17 January 2013
  9. ^ Top Six
  10. ^ Immaculate Confection, 30 May 2005
  11. ^ Perth's Good Witch Lucy Durack floats home for Wicked, 7 June 2011
  12. ^ last call before Lucy flies off into a bright future
  13. ^ Lucy Durack as Faith in Strange Bedfellows, archived from the original on 18 April 2012, retrieved 12 August 2012
  14. ^ The Worldwide Phenomenon Returns to Melbourne with an All Star Cast
  15. ^ Exclusive interview with Lucy Durack, Australia's Elle Woods, 5 March 2012
  16. ^ Lucy Durack to Play Elle Woods in Australian LEGALLY BLONDE
  17. ^ "Portia de Rossi, Hamish Blake - and maybe Ellen - bring a little Honey to Australian movie shoot | News.com.au". www.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013.
  18. ^ Lucy Durack, archived from the original on 19 February 2013, retrieved 17 January 2013
  19. ^ "Lucy Durack and Jemma Rix Join Anthony Warlow in a Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road in THE WIZARD OF OZ". Broadway World. broadwayworld.com.
  20. ^ "Australia's Got Talent returns: Manu, Shane, Lucy & Ricki-Lee preview new series". 7NEWS. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Shock Australia's Got Talent shake-up REVEALED". New Idea. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  22. ^ "What events have been cancelled, postponed or rescheduled in Melbourne, Victori". Herald Sun. heraldsun.com. 15 March 2020.
  23. ^ Story, Hannah (31 August 2020). "The Masked Singer's Cactus Was Unveiled Tonight & She's Definitely a Familiar Face". PopSugar. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  24. ^ Whitehead, Mat (31 August 2020). "All The Clues From Episode 7 Of The Masked Singer 2020". 10 Play. Network Ten. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  25. ^ McDonald, Stuart (19 May 2022), A Perfect Pairing (Comedy, Romance), DAE Light Media, Front Row Films, Hoodlum Entertainment, retrieved 21 May 2022
  26. ^ "Returning: The Letdown | TV Tonight". 3 May 2019.
  27. ^ "Sisters: Trailer | TV Tonight". 23 September 2017.
  28. ^ "Green Room Awards Past Recipients (2008)". Green Room Awards. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  29. ^ "Helpmann Award nominees (2009)". Live Performance Australia. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  30. ^ "2009 - Nominations and Winners". Sydney Theatre Awards. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  31. ^ "2012 - NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS". Sydney Theatre Awards. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  32. ^ Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde and King Kong Honored at Helpmann Awards Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, Retrieved 29 July 2013
  33. ^ Perth Now article Retrieved 27 Aug 2018.
  34. ^ Perth Now article Linda Parri Retrieved 27 Aug 2018.
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