Todd MacDonald
{{short description|Canadian Australian actor (born 1973)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{infobox person
| image =
| caption =
| name = Todd MacDonald
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1973}}
| birth_place = British Columbia, Canada
| education = Gold Coast Little Theatre
National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) (1996)
| occupation = Actor
| known_for = {{plainlist|
}}
| years active = 1992–present
| spouse = Rebecca McIntosh
| children = 2
}}
Todd MacDonald (born 1973) is a Canadian Australian actor who is best known for his roles on the soap opera Neighbours and the drama series The Secret Life of Us and Rush.
Early life
MacDonald and his older brother Paul were born in British Columbia to a Canadian father Deryle, who met their mother Margret, a former air hostess, while he was working in Australia. When MacDonald was seven years old, the family back-packed across Europe, before moving to Queensland, Australia.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005481/19980214/029/0005|title=Detention centre inmates are his biggest fans|date=14 February 1998|work=The Weekly News|access-date=25 April 2025|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
He developed an interest in acting while in primary school on the Gold Coast, and took classes at Gold Coast Little Theatre.{{cite web|url=https://www.oceanroadmagazine.com.au/spotlight-creative-director-todd-macdonald/|title=Spotlight Creative Director Todd MacDonald|last=Russo|first=Caroline|date=17 November 2020|work=Ocean Road Magazine|access-date=29 April 2025}} He played Ham in a production of Samuel Beckett's Endgame in his high school senior year.{{cite web|url=https://m.theweekendedition.com.au/the-locals/todd-macdonald/|title=Todd MacDonald, Artistic director and CEO of La Boite Theatre Company|last=Griffiths|first=Lauren|date=16 April 2015|access-date=29 April 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818183342/https://m.theweekendedition.com.au/the-locals/todd-macdonald/|archive-date=18 August 2024}} He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1996.
Career
After several minor roles, MacDonald secured a bigger role in the 1995 television film Sahara, which was shot in Sydney. He considered the film his "big break", but he was out of work for a number of months afterward. MacDonald attended an audition for television soap opera Neighbours in 1996 and was cast as Darren Stark, the son of Cheryl Stark (Caroline Gillmer). He relocated to Melbourne from Sydney for filming. The role of Darren had previously been played by Scott Major briefly in 1993. MacDonald departed the series in 1998, returning for guest appearances in 2004 and 2005, and again in 2007 and 2008.
In the early 2000s, MacDonald played the recurring role of Nathan Lieberman on The Secret Life of Us, which was one of his favourite roles. He stated "at the time the show was doing something entirely new which was a such a joy to be a part of." He appeared in the 2004 miniseries Salem's Lot, and had a supporting role in the drama series Rush in 2008. He has also appeared in BeastMaster, Blue Heelers, and feature film The Jammed.
In 2013, he appeared as Thomas with Libby Munro as Vanda in a production of David Ives' 2010 play Venus in Fur by the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane.{{cite news|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/theatre/venus-in-fur-a-dominant-piece-of-theatre-20130628-2p1hh.html|title=Venus in Fur a dominant piece of theatre|last=Bochenski|first=Natalie|date=28 June 2013|work=Brisbane Times|access-date=29 April 2025}}
MacDonald was co-founder and artistic director of The Store Room Theatre in Melbourne in 1999. He went on to become an artistic associate of the Queensland Theatre Company from 2011 to 2014, and CEO and artistic director of La Boite Theatre Company in Brisbane, from 2015 until 2020.{{cite web|url=https://artsreview.com.au/on-the-couch-with-todd-macdonald-2/|title=On the Couch with Todd MacDonald|date=23 November 2020|publisher=Australian Arts Review|access-date=29 April 2025}}
Personal life
MacDonald is married to Queensland performer Rebecca McIntosh, whom he met while she was hosting Love TV at the Edinburgh Festival. They have twin daughters.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/artist-rebecca-mcintoshs-love-tv-invites-guests-to-reveal-their-passion-before-a-live-audience-20140927-10mwxm.html|title=Artist Rebecca McIntosh's Love TV invites guests to reveal their passion before a live audience|last=Low|first=Lenny Ann|date=27 September 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=29 April 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.westendmagazine.com/creative-couple/|title=Creative Couple|last=Carri|first=Leah|date=3 October 2012|work=West End Magazine|access-date=29 April 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204181021/https://www.westendmagazine.com/creative-couple/|archive-date=4 December 2020}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Television |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| scope="row"| 1995
| Sahara | Mike Clarkson | Television film |
| scope="row"| 1996–1998, 2004, 2005, 2007–2008 | Series regular |
| scope="row"| 2000
| Bob | Television film |
| scope="row"| 2000
| Radioman Giles | Television film |
| scope="row"| 2001
| Breon | Episode: "The Crystal Ark" |
| scope="row"| 2001–2003
| Nathan Lieberman | Recurring |
| scope="row"| 2001
| Snr Constable Simon Barclay | Episode: "Letter of the Law" |
| scope="row"| 2004
| Floyd Tibbits | Miniseries |
| scope="row"| 2005
| Blue Heelers | Brendan Maguire | Recurring |
| scope="row"| 2007
| The King | Richard Croft | Television film |
| scope="row"| 2008
| Rush | Connor Barry | Recurring |
| scope="row"| 2009
| | |
| scope="row"| 2009–2010
| Bernie | Recurring |
| scope="row"| 2010
| Tangle | Paul | Recurring |
| scope="row"| 2011
| Conrad | Episode: "Laid Bare" |
| scope="row"| 2019
| Ross | Episode: "Dancing in the Dark" |
| scope="row"| 2022
| Nick | Episode 1.3 |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Film |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| scope="row"| 1997
| Bum Magnet | Judd | Short film |
| scope="row"| 2001
| Martin | Short film |
| scope="row"| 2002
| The Thing in the Roof | Willie | Short film |
| scope="row"| 2002
| Guru Wayne | David Fisher | Feature film |
| scope="row"| 2007
| Tom | Feature film |
| scope="row"| 2008
| Belladonna | Luke | Feature film |
| scope="row"| 2009
| Welcome to the Cosmos | Rob | Short film |
| scope="row"| 2010
| Creature (voice) | Feature film |
| scope="row"| 2010
| The Pier | Joel | Short film |
| scope="row"| 2021
| Thea Goes to Town | Hal | Short film |
| scope="row"| 2024
| Audrey | Ranch Hand | Feature film |
| scope="row"| 2024
| A Vintage Christmas | Mayor Mitchell | |
Theatre
= As actor =
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Venue / Company | |||
| 1992 | Summer of the Aliens | Lewis | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1992 | Hanjo | Actor | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1993 | The Skin of Our Teeth | Actor | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1993 | The Grace of Mary Traverse | Lord Exrake / Guard | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1993 | All's Well That Ends Well | Actor | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1993 | A House is Built | William | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1994 | The Art of Success | Actor | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1994 | The Adding Machine | Actor | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1994 | Appetite | Actor | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with NIDA for Melbourne Fringe Festival |
| 1996 | Venus and Adonis | Actor | State Theatrette, Sydney for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras |
| 1999 | The Language of the Gods | Theo Braak | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1999 | Remembrance Day | Performer | Victorian Trades Hall with La Mama |
| 2002 | Screaming in America: The Bill Hicks Project | Actor | Store Room, Melbourne for Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
| 2003 | Ride | Actor | Store Room, Melbourne |
| 2004; 2006 | Blowback | Actor | St Kilda Army & Navy Club Memorial Hall, Melbourne with NYID, Sydney Opera House |
| 2004 | Julia 3 | Charlie | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 2005; 2007 | Construction of the Human Heart | 'Him' | Store Room, Melbourne, Tower Theatre, Melbourne, Belvoir Theatre, Sydney, Frankston Arts Centre, Colac Otways Performing Arts &Cultural Centre |
| 2007 | Make Me Cry | Actor | Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne |
| 2008 | Lovers and Haters | Actor | Norwood Concert Hall for Adelaide Festival |
| 2008; 2009 | Strangeland | Performer | Seoul Arts Centre, South Korea, Arts House Meat Market, Melbourne |
| 2008 | The Dispossessed | Performer | Seoul Arts Centre, South Korea |
| 2009 | Progress and Melancholy | Actor | Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne |
| 2010 | Bare Witness | Jacek | Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne with La Mama |
| 2013 | Venus in Fur | Thomas | Cremorne Theatre with Queensland Theatre Company |
| 2014 | The Button Event | One Man Show | Bille Brown Studio with Queensland Theatre for Brisbane Festival |
| 2015; 2016 | Uncle Vanya | Dr Astrov | Watford House, Avoca, Corinella Eganstown with La Mama |
| 2016 | The Tragedy of King Richard III | Shakespeare | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2018 | The Mathematics of Longing | Physicist father | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
= As director =
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Venue / Company | |||
| 2004 | The Conquest of the South Pole | Director | The Store Room, Melbourne |
| 2007 | Top Town | Director | Melbourne Town Hall for Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
| 2007 | Scenes from our Loungeroom | Director | Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne for Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
| 2007 | Cinderella Sux | Director | Meeting Room, Melbourne for Melbourne Fringe Festival |
| 2009 | The Dictionary of Imaginary Places | Producer | Arts House, Meat Market with The Store Room, Melbourne{{cite web |url= http://www.artshouse.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Arts-House-S2-2009-The-Dictionary-of-Imaginary-Places-House-Program.pdf |title= The Dictionary of Imaginary Places |publisher= Arts House |date= August 2024 |access-date= 29 April 2025 |archive-date= 8 October 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20241008213022/http://www.artshouse.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Arts-House-S2-2009-The-Dictionary-of-Imaginary-Places-House-Program.pdf |url-status= live }} |
| 2011 | An Oak Tree | Director | Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre |
| 2012; 2015 | Kelly | Director | Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane, Gasworks Theatre, Melbourne, Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with Queensland Theatre |
| 2014 | The Mountaintop | Director | Playhouse, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre |
| 2015 | Medea | Director | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2015; 2017; 2018 | Prize Fighter | Director | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane, Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Logan Entertainment Centre, Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne, IMB Theatre, Wollongong with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2016 | When One Door Closes | Dramaturge | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2016 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Director | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2017 | Blackrock | Director | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company & QUT |
| 2017; 2018 | The Village | Director | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2017; 2020 | Laser Beak Man | Dramaturge | Roundhouse Theatre with La Boite Theatre Company for Brisbane Festival, Sydney Opera House for Sydney Festival |
| 2018 | The Mathematics of Longing | Creator | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2019 | Single Asian Female | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company | |
| 2019 | Romeo and Juliet | Director | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
| 2020 | The Neighbourhood | Creator | Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with La Boite Theatre Company |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0531955|name=Todd MacDonald}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Todd}}
Category:Australian people of Canadian descent
Category:Australian male soap opera actors
Category:Australian male stage actors