Celia Pacquola

{{Short description|Australian comedian and actress (born 1983)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Celia Pacquola

| image = Celia Pacquola (cropped).jpg

| alt = Black-and-white photo of Celia Pacquola standing onstage, speaking into a microphone

| caption = Pacquola in 2013

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|2|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Yarra Glen, Victoria, Australia

| children = 1

| partner = Dara Munnis

| occupation = {{hlist|Comedian|actor|writer|presenter}}

| years active = 2006–present

| website = {{official website|https://lu2664.wixsite.com/celiapacquola}}

}}

Celia Pacquola (born 12 February 1983{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/comedy-festival/comfest-reviews/celia-pacquola-in-the-looking-glass-/news-story/c2ece9d863f229d14d0e07412c28c1b3 |title=Celia Pacquola in The Looking Glass |work=Herald Sun |date=3 April 2016 |access-date=4 April 2016}}) is an Australian comedian, writer, presenter and actor who performs predominantly in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Early life

Pacquola is a third child, and her parents separated when she was eighteen.{{Citation |title=Who Do You Think You Are? |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/who-do-you-think-you-are |access-date=22 November 2022}} She is a descendant of John Rae.{{cite news |last1=Rocca |first1=Jane |title=Celia Pacquola on Acknowledging Her Family's History |url=https://taustralia.com.au/celia-pacquola-on-acknowledging-her-familys-history/ |access-date=9 July 2022 |work=T: The New York Times Style Magazine Australia |date=8 June 2021 |language=en-AU}}

Career

She began doing stand-up comedy in 2006.{{cite news |last1=Pacquola |first1=Celia |title=On Women's Safety |url=https://www.marieclaire.com.au/celia-pacquola-womens-safety |access-date=9 July 2022 |work=Marie Claire |language=en-us}}

=Radio=

Pacquola has written and appeared on Australian and British radio,{{cite web |title=Full credits: Celia Pacquola |url=https://www.pbjmanagement.co.uk/artists/celia-pacquola/credits |website=PBJ Management |access-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128100959/https://www.pbjmanagement.co.uk/artists/celia-pacquola/credits |archive-date=28 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Celia Pacquola |url=https://token.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CEL-Biography-3.pdf |website=Token Artists |access-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709133621/https://token.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CEL-Biography-3.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2022 |date=September 2019 |quote=Curriculum vitae}} presenting Red Hot Go and Fox Summer Breakfast on Fox FM and The Comedy Hour on ABC Radio. She has written for and appeared on BBC Radio 4 shows, including Shappi Talk, What's So Funny?, It's Your Round, The Headset, The Unbelievable Truth, and Britain Versus the World.

=Television=

Pacquola has written for and performed in Good News Week and Laid.The Age [http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/best-laid-plans-of-roo-and-men-20120424-1xj6s.html "Celia Pacquola's EJ on ABC1's Laid, is the best friend every woman wants"] 26 April 2012. She appeared in and co-wrote the first episode of the second season of It's a Date.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/stars-come-out-for-its-a-date-20141014-115ikq.html|title=Stars come out for It's a date|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 October 2014|access-date=4 April 2016}} She has made acting appearances in ABC TV series Utopia{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} as well as The Beautiful Lie,{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/a-career-was-never-part-of-comedian-celia-pacquolas-plan-20150905-gjeqzs.html|title=A career was never part of comedian Celia Pacquola's plan|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=5 September 2015|access-date=4 April 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Pacquola |first1=Celia |author1-link=Celia Pacquola |title=Acting Showreel |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzpn_1ZYFts |website=Celia Pacquola |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=9 June 2015 |via= YouTube}} winning an AACTA Award for "best guest or supporting actress in a television drama".{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/aacta-awards-celia-pacquola-surprises-with-win-for-dramatic-role-in-a-beautiful-lie-20161204-gt3xry.html|title=AACTA Awards: Celia Pacquola surprises with win for dramatic role in A Beautiful Lie|first=Garry|last=Maddox|date=8 December 2016}} In 2016, she and Luke McGregor wrote and performed in Rosehaven.{{cite web|url=http://www.themercury.com.au/entertainment/tasmanian-comedian-luke-mcgregor-scores-comedy-series-gig-with-abc-tv/story-fnj3tycr-1227622084799|title=Tasmanian comedian Luke McGregor scores comedy series gig with ABC TV|work=The Mercury|date=25 November 2015|access-date=4 April 2016}} Rosehaven won the 2017 AWGIE Award for Best Comedy script.

In 2020, Pacquola won the seventeenth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia and received A$50,000 for her charity, the Safe Steps Family Violence and Support Centre.{{cite web|last=Whitehead|first=Mat|url=https://10daily.com.au/entertainment/tv/a200329sohnd/celia-pacquola-wins-dancing-with-the-stars-2020-20200329|title=Celia Pacquola Wins Dancing With the Stars 2020|date=29 March 2020|website=10 Daily|publisher=10 Daily|access-date=29 March 2020}}

Other shows she has performed in, both in Australia and the UK, include Rove,{{cite web |last1=Pacquola |first1=Celia |author1-link=Celia Pacquola |title=Celia Pacquola on Rove |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyZibY_xcKU |website=Paul Ferrett |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=9 November 2008 |via= YouTube}} The Project, Sleuth 101, Celebrity Name Game, Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, The Hundred with Andy Lee, Would I Lie to You? Australia, Spicks and Specks, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Hughesy, We Have a Problem, The Rob Brydon Show, Russell Howard's Good News, Live At The Apollo, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

In 2021, Pacquola was the subject of the first episode of the twelfth season of the SBS documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?, which explored her family's ancestral history.{{Cite web|date=6 June 2021|title=Comedian Celia Pacquola features in the season return of Who Do You Think You Are?|url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2021/06/07/comedian-celia-pacquola-features-in-season-return-of-who-do-you-think-you-are/|access-date=29 June 2021|website=TV Blackbox}} From 2023, Pacquola will host a second revival of Thank God You're Here on Network 10, replacing Shane Bourne.{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2 April 2023 |title=Thank God You're Here returning to 10 |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/04/thank-god-youre-here-returning-to-10.html |access-date=2 April 2023 |website=TV Tonight}}

On 16 September 2024, Pacquola was announced as part of the cast for the Paramount+ series Playing Gracie Darling.{{Cite web |title=Paramount Upfront – Murder mystery Playing Gracie Darling |url=https://www.adnews.com.au/news/paramount-upfront-murder-mystery-playing-gracie-darling |access-date=17 September 2024 |website=adnews.com.au}}

=Live performances=

Pacquola has written and performed live shows since 2007.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Her 2009 show Am I Strange?The Telegraph [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/edinburgh-festival/5989912/Edinburgh-Festival-2009-Celia-Pacquola-in-Am-I-Strange.html “Celia Pacquola in Am I Strange?”] 7 August 2009. was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where it won Best Comedy and Critics Award for Best Australian Act. She performed in 2009 at the Sydney Opera House with This Was The Year That Was. The following year, she showcased Flying SolosChortle [http://au.chortle.co.uk/?p=540 “Celia Pacquola in Flying Solos”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830045517/http://au.chortle.co.uk/?p=540 |date=30 August 2011 }} 1 April 2010. at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe{{cite news |last1=Neil |first1=Gabriel |title=Celia Pacquola: Flying Solos Review |url=https://edinburghguide.com/festival/2010/edinburghfringe/celiapacquolaflyingsolosreview-6137 |access-date=9 July 2022 |work=Edinburgh Guide |date=14 August 2010 |language=EN}}The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/aug/12/celia-pacquola-fringe-review "Celia Pacquola Fringe Review"], 12 August 2009. and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and in 2012, returned with Delayed.{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Steve |title=Celia Pacquola: Delayed : Review |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2012/04/08/28693/celia-pacquola-delayed |access-date=9 July 2022 |work=Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |date=8 April 2012 |language=en |quote=Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival}}Melbourne International Comedy Festival [http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/delayed-celia-pacquola/ "Celia Pacquola - Delayed Listing"] {{Cite web |url=http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/delayed-celia-pacquola/ |title=Celia Pacquola – Delayed | Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2012 |access-date=1 November 2012 |archive-date=20 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520233558/http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/delayed-celia-pacquola/ |url-status=bot: unknown }} 2012ScotsGay Magazine: Fringe [http://sgfringe.com/2012/08/06/celia-pacquola-delayed/ “Celia Pacquola: Delayed”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630150559/http://sgfringe.com/2012/08/06/celia-pacquola-delayed/ |date=30 June 2013 }}

She has been nominated for and won a number of awards, including best first-time entrant (Raw Recruit Prize) at the Raw Comedy Awards in 2006.Chortle [http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/c/33745/celia_pacquola "Celia Pacquola"]

In 2016, Pacquola hosted the Oxfam Gala for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.{{cite web |title=Profile: Celia Pacquola |url=https://token.com.au/artist/celia-pacquola/ |website=Token Artists |access-date=26 July 2019}}

In 2018, she won the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer for her stand-up comedy show All Talk.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-16/helpmann-awards-full-results-sydney-theatre-company-dominates/9998470 |title=Helpmann Awards: Sydney Theatre Company the biggest winner across split ceremony at Capitol Theatre |first=Dee |last=Jefferson |date=17 July 2018 |work=ABCNews |access-date=27 July 2018}} In 2019, Pacquola appeared as J. G. (Jenny) Milford in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Oriel Gray's The Torrents.{{cite web |last1=Glance |first1=Vivienne |title=Why revive a forgotten Australian classic? Oriel Gray's The Torrents remains relevant today |url=https://theconversation.com/why-revive-a-forgotten-australian-classic-oriel-grays-the-torrents-remains-relevant-today-119226 |website=The Conversation |date=21 June 2019 |access-date=21 June 2019 |language=en}} At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards, she was nominated for Best Comedy Release for her album All Talk.{{cite web | url = https://www.aria.com.au/awards/news/and-the-2020-aria-award-goes-to | title = And the 2020 ARIA Awards Go To… | publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | access-date = 3 December 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201126005048/https://www.aria.com.au/awards/news/and-the-2020-aria-award-goes-to | archive-date = 26 November 2020 | url-status = live }}{{Failed verification|date=March 2022|reason=Source states winner of the award, but none of the nominees}}

=Film=

Pacquola's first movie role was in the 2018 New Zealand romantic comedy The Breaker Upperers alongside Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek, both of whom wrote and directed the film.{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6728096/|title=The Breaker Upperers|access-date=27 February 2019|website=www.imdb.com}}

Personal life

Pacquola openly talks about her anxiety and depression.{{cite web |title=Exclusive: Celia Pacquola opens up about putting her mental health first even if it's "selfish" |url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/celia-pacquola-mental-health-68474 |website=Now To Love |access-date=9 July 2022 |language=en}}

She gave birth to her first child, with partner Dara Munnis, in 2022.{{cite web |last1=Couros |first1=Faye |title=Celia Pacquola reveals her burgeoning baby bump on Have You Been Paying Attention |url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/parenting/pregnancy-birth/celia-pacquola-have-you-been-paying-attention-pregnancy-73872 |website=Now to Love |access-date=9 July 2022 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Celia Pacquola flaunts her baby bump |url=https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/news/celia-pacquolas-baby-bump/ar-AAZcjIT |website=MSN |access-date=9 July 2022 |language=en-AU}}{{cite web |title=Aussie celebs are losing it at comedian Celia Pacquola's pregnancy announcement! |url=https://www.bountyparents.com.au/news-views/celia-pacquola-pregnant/ |website=Bounty Parents |access-date=9 July 2022 |language=en-AU |date=16 June 2022}}

Selected filmography

=Acting=

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ {{Sronly\|List of film and television appearances, with year, title, and role shown}}
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2011–12 \|Laid \|EJ Griggs \|12 episodes
2013–14 \|Offspring \|Ange Navarro \|18 episodes
2013–14 \|It's a Date \|Cynthia \|2 episodes
2014–15 \|Kinne \|Various \|9 episodes
2014–23 \|Utopia \|Nat Russell \|40 episodes
2015 \|The Beautiful Lie \|Dolly Faraday \|6 episodes
2016–21 \|Rosehaven \|Emma Dawes \|40 episodes
2017–19 \|Mustangs FC \|Narrator \|39 episodes
2018 \|The Breaker Upperers \|Anna \|Feature film
2020 \|Dancing with the Stars \|Self \|TV series{{Cite web \|last=Knox \|first=David \|date=14 January 2020 \|title=Claudia Karvan, Ed Kavalee, Celia Pacquola, Dami Im on Dancing with the Stars \|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/01/claudia-karvan-ed-kavalee-celia-pacquola-dami-im-on-dancing-with-the-stars.html \|access-date=17 September 2024 \|website=tvtonight.com.au}}
2021 \|The Truth About Anxiety \|Self \|Documentary{{cite news\|title=Airdate: The Truth About Anxiety \|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/09/airdate-the-truth-about-anxiety.html\|website=tvtonight.com.au \|date=17 September 2021 \|access-date=2 December 2023}}
2021, 2023 \|Love Me \|Sasha \|12 episodes
2022 \|Shut Up \|Syballa \|6 episodes
2023–present \|Thank God You're Here \|Host \|{{Cite web \|last=Knox \|first=David \|date=14 August 2024 \|title=Celia Pacquola: "It really is like working at a circus" \|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/08/celia-pacquola-it-really-is-like-working-at-a-circus.html \|access-date=17 September 2024 \|website=tvtonight.com.au}}
2025 \|Playing Gracie Darling \|Ruth \|TV series

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ {{Sronly|List of film and television appearances, with year, title, and role shown}}

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2011–12

|Laid

|EJ Griggs

|12 episodes

2013–14

|Offspring

|Ange Navarro

|18 episodes

2013–14

|It's a Date

|Cynthia

|2 episodes

2014–15

|Kinne

|Various

|9 episodes

2014–23

|Utopia

|Nat Russell

|40 episodes

2015

|The Beautiful Lie

|Dolly Faraday

|6 episodes

2016–21

|Rosehaven

|Emma Dawes

|40 episodes

2017–19

|Mustangs FC

|Narrator

|39 episodes

2018

|The Breaker Upperers

|Anna

|Feature film

2020

|Dancing with the Stars

|Self

|TV series{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=14 January 2020 |title=Claudia Karvan, Ed Kavalee, Celia Pacquola, Dami Im on Dancing with the Stars |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/01/claudia-karvan-ed-kavalee-celia-pacquola-dami-im-on-dancing-with-the-stars.html |access-date=17 September 2024 |website=tvtonight.com.au}}

2021

|The Truth About Anxiety

|Self

|Documentary{{cite news|title=Airdate: The Truth About Anxiety |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/09/airdate-the-truth-about-anxiety.html|website=tvtonight.com.au |date=17 September 2021 |access-date=2 December 2023}}

2021, 2023

|Love Me

|Sasha

|12 episodes

2022

|Shut Up

|Syballa

|6 episodes

2023–present

|Thank God You're Here

|Host

|{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=14 August 2024 |title=Celia Pacquola: "It really is like working at a circus" |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/08/celia-pacquola-it-really-is-like-working-at-a-circus.html |access-date=17 September 2024 |website=tvtonight.com.au}}

2025

|Playing Gracie Darling

|Ruth

|TV series

=Production/writing=

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ {{Sronly\|List of production/writing work, with year, title, and role shown}}
Year !Title !Role !Notes
2008–10 \|Good News Week \|Writer \|17 episodes
rowspan=2\|2012 \|Laid \|Additional material writer \|6 episodes
Warehouse Comedy Festival \|Writer \|
2014 \|It's a Date \|Writer \|1 episode
2016-21 \|Rosehaven \|Writer; producer \|40 episodes
2017 \|One Night Stan \|Writer \|1 episode
2020 \|Australia's Funniest Stand up Specials \|Writer \|Special
2021 \|Celia Pacquola: Let Me Know How It All Works Out \|Writer \|Special
2022 \|Nude Tuesday \|Writer \|Film
2023 \|Love Me \|Writer \|1 episode

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ {{Sronly|List of production/writing work, with year, title, and role shown}}

Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

2008–10

|Good News Week

|Writer

|17 episodes

rowspan=2|2012

|Laid