Rebecca Smart

{{short description|Australian actor}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Rebecca Smart

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_name = Rebecca Elizabeth Smart

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|1|30}}

| birth_place = Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia

| height =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| other_names =

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1984–present

| known for = The Shiralee (1987)
Elly & Jools (1990)
Heartbreak High (1997–1998)
Water Rats (2000–2001)

| spouse =

| domestic_partner =

| website = {{URL|http://leeleslie.com/artist/rebecca-smart}}

}}

Rebecca Elizabeth Smart (born 30 January 1976) is an Australian actor, known for her role in the 1987 television film The Shiralee.{{cite web|url=http://leeleslie.com/artist/rebecca-smart|title=Rebecca Smart|website=leeleslie.com}}

Early life and education

Smart was born in Tamworth, New South Wales on 30 January 1976. She was educated at St Catherine's School, Waverley, an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.{{cite web| url=http://www.abc.net.au/heartbreak/actor/rebecca.htm| title=Profile Rebecca Smart| website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation| access-date=23 January 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991014043214/http://www.abc.net.au/heartbreak/actor/rebecca.htm| archive-date=14 October 1999}}

Career

Smart began acting for television at the age of eight, appearing in the 1984 miniseries The Cowra Breakout as Shirley Murphy. Her first movie role came one year later, alongside Eric Roberts and Greta Scacchi in the 1985 romantic comedy The Coca-Cola Kid.

She gained recognition playing the co-lead role as Buster (opposite Bryan Brown), in the 1987 television film The Shiralee, based on the 1955 novel of the same name. The role won her the Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actress in a Miniseries/Telemovie.{{cite web|url= https://www.leanartistscollective.com.au/rebecca-smart |title= Rebecca Smart |website= www.leanartistscollective.com.au}} She also played the title character in the 1988 horror drama film Celia.

Smart went on to feature in regular roles in several television series, including playing Eleanor 'Elly' Lockett in 1990 children's series Elly & Jools, Zoe Rose in 1991 sitcom Eggshells, student Melanie Black in high school drama Heartbreak High (1997–1998), and Constable Donna Janevski in police procedural crime drama Water Rats (2000–2001). She also featured in several miniseries including Spit MacPhee (1988), Come in Spinner (1990) and Clowning Around (1991)

She has had guest roles in numerous series including Winners (1985), The Comedy Company (1989), Rafferty's Rules (1989), More Winners (1990), English at Work (1992), G.P. (1994), Home and Away (1996), House Gang (1996), Murder Call (1998), All Saints (1999) and Blue Heelers (2004).

Smart starred in the 1997 thriller Blackrock, alongside Heath Ledger, which saw her nominated for Best Supporting Actor at both the Film Critics Circle of Australia and Australian Film Institute Awards.

Her other film credits include Echoes of Paradise (1987), Say a Little Prayer (1993), Violet's Visit (1997), Tom's Funeral (1999), Savages Crossing (2011) and Skin Deep (2014). She also featured in the made-for-TV films Doom Runners (1997) and Corn Devils (1998).

Smart has also acted for the stage, her credits including The Crucible, Blackrock, and Del Del for Sydney Theatre Company and Hollow Ground for NIDA / Belvoir St Theatre.

Personal life

Smart started studying a Bachelor of Education degree at University of Sydney in her early 20s, when acting opportunities weren't as forthcoming.

Awards and nominations

class=wikitable

! Year

! Award

! Category

! Work

! Result

1987Logie AwardsMost Popular Actress in a Miniseries/TelemovieThe Shiralee{{won}}
1997Australian Film Institute AwardsBest Supporting ActressBlackrock{{nom}}
1997Film Critics Circle of Australia AwardsBest Supporting ActressBlackrock{{nom}}

{{cite web|url= https://www.leanartistscollective.com.au/rebecca-smart |title= Rebecca Smart |website= www.leanartistscollective.com.au}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Type

1985

| The Coca-Cola Kid

| DMZ

| Feature film

1985

| The Empty Beach

| Little Girl

| Feature film

1987

| Echoes of Paradise (aka Shadow of the Peacock)

| Tessa

| Feature film

1989

| Celia

| Celia Carmichael

| Feature film

1993

| Say a Little Prayer

| Lynne

| Feature film

1997

| Blackrock

| Cherie Milenko

| Feature film

1997

| Violet's Visit

| Scooter

| Feature film

1999

| Tom's Funeral

| Rebecca

| Feature film

2004

| Industrial Love Dwarf Number 7

| Friend

| Film short

2005

|Oedipus

| Mother

| Film short

2011

| Savages Crossing

| Mickey

| Feature film

2014

| Skin Deep

| Nina

| Feature film

2016

| Highway

| Marlene

| Film short

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1984

| The Cowra Breakout

| Shirley Murphy

| Miniseries, 4 episodes

1985

| Winners

| Jennie Nelson

| Anthology series, 1 episode: "Top Kid"

1987

| The Shiralee

| Buster

| Miniseries, 2 episodes

1988

| Spit MacPhee (aka The True Story of Spit MacPhee)

| Sadie Tree

| Miniseries, 4 episodes

1989

| The Comedy Company

| Herself

| 1 episode

1989

| Rafferty's Rules

| Jackie Rogan

| 1 episode

1990

| Elly & Jools

| Eleanor 'Elly' Lockett

|

1990

| Come in Spinner

| Luen

| Miniseries, 2 episodes

1990

| More Winners: Mr Edmund

| Cherry

| Anthology series, 1 episode: "Mr Edmund"

1991

| Eggshells

| Zoe Rose

| 13 episodes

1992

| Clowning Around

| Linda Crealy

| Miniseries, 2 episodes

1992

| English at Work

| Herself

| 1 episode: "Assurance of Support"

1994

| G.P.

| Cassandra 'Caz' Koffel

| 1 episode: "Sugar & Spice"

1996

| Home and Away

|

| TV series

1996

| House Gang

| V.J.

| 2 episodes: "Sex", "Truth or Dare"

1997

| Doom Runners

| Lizzie

| TV film

1997–1998

| Heartbreak High

| Melanie Black

| 42 episodes

1998

| Corn Devils

| Becky

| TV film

1998

| Murder Call

| Claudine Kent

| 1 episode: "Fatal Charm"

1999

| All Saints

| Charlotte 'Charlie' Wilde

| 1 episode: "Outside the Square"

2000–2001

| Water Rats

| Constable Donna Janevski

| 60 episodes

2004

| Blue Heelers

| Amy Rose

| Season 12, 1 episode: "Secrets & Lies"

Theatre

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Type

1994The CrucibleSusanna WalcottMonash University, Melbourne, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth
1995BlackrockCherieWharf Theatre, Sydney with STC
1998Del DelBethGlen St Theatre, Sydney with STC{{cite web|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/261738295 |title= Del Del |publisher= The Australian Jewish News |date= 29 May 1998}}
2000Hollow GroundShelleyBelvoir St Theatre with NIDA{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/hollow-ground-1200461841/ |title= Hollow Ground |publisher= Variety |date= 10 April 2000}}
2000Beyond the DoorTunks Productions{{cite web|url= https://www.tunks.com.au/bio |title= Meet Wayne Tunks |publisher= www.tunks.com.au}}

{{cite web|url= https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/465953 |title= Rebecca Smart theatre credits |publisher= AusStage}}

References