Nadia Townsend

Nadia Townsend was born in Sydney on 27 November 1979 and lived in Gladesville, the younger daughter of television presenter, producer and print journalist, Simon Townsend (1945–2025) and his second wife Rosanna ({{c.}} 1950–2003).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55458783 |title=Life's a wonder in Simon's world |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly. TV World |volume=48 |issue=39 |date=4 March 1981 |access-date=3 March 2021 |page=51 |via=National Library of Australia }} She grew up with an elder brother (born 1978). Their elder half-sister Lisbeth Kennelly (born {{c.}} 1968), had been put up for adoption soon after she was born: her parents (Simon and a former girlfriend) had already separated.{{cite web | url = http://simontownsendjournalism.com/about/simon-townsend-wonder-world/ | title = Simon Townsend’s Wonder World! {{!}} About | work = Simon Townsend Journalism | access-date = 1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105222327/http://simontownsendjournalism.com/about/simon-townsend-wonder-world/ |archive-date=2016-11-05|url-status=unfit }} The Townsend family were reunited with Kennelly in 1992, she had also become an actress.{{cite news | archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20201116210558/https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/simon-townsends-career-simon-townsend-wonder-world |url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/simon-townsends-career-simon-townsend-wonder-world |title=Simon before Wonder World |last=Bondfield |first=Mel |publisher=National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) | archive-date=16 November 2020 |access-date=3 March 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

As a child, Townsend began ballet lessons but was removed for talking too much. For secondary education she attended Hunters Hill High School,{{cite news | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110807061349/http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/tv/simon-townsends-daughter-nadia-townsend-enjoys-drama/story-e6freqj6-1225757983413 | url = http://couriermail.com.au/entertainment/tv/simon-townsends-daughter-nadia-townsend-enjoys-drama/story-e6freqj6-1225757983413 | title = Simon Townsend's daughter Nadia Townsend enjoys drama | last = Shearer | first = Geoff | work = The Courier Mail | archive-date = 7 August 2011 | date = 5 August 2009 | access-date = 1 March 2021 | url-status = dead | url-access = subscription }} where she befriended fellow future actress, Rose Byrne, in a year 9 Science class.{{cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/rose-byrne-to-star-in-sydney-theatre-companys-2016-speedtheplow-20150902-gja0zb.html | title=Rose Byrne to star in Sydney Theatre Company's 2016 Speed-the-Plow | author=Wood, Stephanie | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=4 September 2015 | via=National Library of Australia | archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150905145013/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/153320/20150906-0001/www.smh.com.au/entertainment/rose-byrne-to-star-in-sydney-theatre-companys-2016-speedtheplow-20150902-gja0zb.html | archive-date=5 September 2015 | access-date=1 March 2021 | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Townsend studied at the Australian Theatre for Young People, Sydney. After meeting visiting United States film and theatre actor, producer and director, Robert Bella, at age 18, she was accepted as a student at his Atlantic Theater Company, New York.{{cite web | url = https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/140918 | title = Event: Chambres | publisher = AusStage | access-date = 2 March 2021 }}

Her first television role was playing Clare Gormley in the ABC drama series, Head Start (2001) for 18 episodes.{{cite web | url = http://www.australiantelevision.net/headstart/headstart.html | title = Head Start | last = Zuk | first = Tim | work = Australian Television Information Archive | access-date = 1 March 2021 }} Townsend took the role of Bec in Matt Bird-directed horror thriller film, Blue Neon (2001).{{cite web | url=http://www.screensound.gov.au/bigscreen04/locations/goldcoast/goldcoast_films/goldcoast_blue%2Bbunny.htm | title=Big screen 2004: Blue Neon + Stuffed Bunny | website=ScreenSound | date=9 September 2004 | via=National Library of Australia | archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050718135752/http://www.screensound.gov.au/bigscreen04/locations/goldcoast/goldcoast_films/goldcoast_blue%2Bbunny.htm | archive-date=18 July 2005 | access-date=2 March 2021 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} She appeared in Fireflies (February–June 2004) as Fiona "Fifi" Sharp, a rural fire-fighter, for ABC-TV, which was produced by John Edwards.{{cite web | url = http://www.australiantelevision.net/fireflies/fireflies.html | title = Fireflies | last = Zuk | first = Tim | work = Australian Television Information Archive | access-date = 3 March 2021 }} Townsend and her half-sister, Kennelly both acted in a theatre drama, Loss and Gloss (December 2004), co-written by mother-daughter writers, Helen and Sophie Townsend.{{cite web | url = https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/65321 | title = Event: Loss and Gloss | publisher = AusStage | access-date = 3 March 2021 }}{{cite web | url = https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/a-letter-from-america-and-a-bum-note-from-the-backbenches-1.764507 | title = A letter from America - and a bum note from the backbenches | last = Fottrell | first = Quentin | work = The Irish Times | date = 31 October 2009 | access-date = 3 March 2021 }} She took the lead role of Liz, an abductee, in the black comedy feature film, Puppy (2005), alongside Bernard Curry as her abductor.{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070716091547/http://www.puppythemovie.com/ | url = http://www.puppythemovie.com/ | title = Puppy | publisher = Puppy The Movie Official Site | archive-date = 16 July 2007 | access-date = 3 March 2021 | url-status = dead }}

In 2008, Townsend relocated to Melbourne to study at the Victorian College of the Arts gaining her post-graduate degree in theatre directing.{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090820033119/http://au.tv.yahoo.com/city-homicide/cast/article/-/article/5753215/nadia-townsend/ | url = http://au.tv.yahoo.com/city-homicide/cast/article/-/article/5753215/nadia-townsend/ | title = City Homicide: Nadia Townsend | publisher = Yahoo7 | archive-date = 20 August 2009 | access-date = 3 March 2021 }} In 2009, Townsend appeared in the US-produced film, Knowing, playing Grace Koestler, opposite Hollywood star Nicolas Cage and Byrne. From August 2009, she portrayed a detective, Allie Kingston, in the Channel 7 police drama, City Homicide, starting in its third season in the episode, "Meet and Greet".{{cite web | url = http://www.australiantelevision.net/city_homicide/series3.html | title = City Homicide: Episode Guide Series 3 | last = Zuk | first = Tim | work = Australian Television Information Archive | access-date = 3 March 2021 }} She continued the role in season four (2010) and its mini-series continuation, City Homicide: No Greater Honour (2011).{{cite web | url = http://www.australiantelevision.net/city_homicide/series4.html | title = City Homicide: Episode Guide Series 4 | last = Zuk | first = Tim | work = Australian Television Information Archive | access-date = 3 March 2021 }}{{cite web | url = http://www.australiantelevision.net/city_homicide/index.html | title = City Homicide | last = Zuk | first = Tim | work = Australian Television Information Archive | access-date = 3 March 2021 }}

In June 2013, she appeared in the theatre production of Neil LaBute's Helter Skelter at Old 505 Theatre, Surry Hills.{{cite web | url = https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/cosy-night-descends-into-wild-ride-20130624-2osv8.html | title = Cosy night descends into wild ride | last = Blake | first = Jason | work = The Sydney Morning Herald | date = 24 June 2013 | access-date = 6 March 2021 | url-access = subscription }} She is also a film dramaturge, a rare job in Australia; she had been mentored by Nico Lathouris.{{cite web | url=https://www.aftrs.edu.au/staff/nadia-townsend/ | title=Tutor: Nadia Townsend | publisher = Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) | via=National Library of Australia | archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20190329110459/https://www.aftrs.edu.au/staff/nadia-townsend/ | archive-date=29 March 2019 | access-date=6 March 2021 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In 2015, she was assistant dramaturge to Lathouris on George Miller's latest instalment of the Mad Max franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road. She is a co-founding member of Turtle Lab, a performance laboratory. In 2016, she appeared in the TV sci-fi thriller film, Restoration, playing Emma Laws.[http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/08/nadia-turns-to-restoration.html "Nadia turns to Restoration"]

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Category:Living people

Category:Australian film actresses

Category:Australian television actresses

Category:Australian stage actresses

Category:1979 births

Category:Actresses from Sydney

Category:Victorian College of the Arts alumni