Sigrid
Thornton AO

Over four decades Sigrid Thornton has held a unique position in the Australian film, television and theatre landscape over multiple genres and platforms on and off screen. She has starred in many films now regarded as classics of the Australian cinema including early box office hit THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER. Her early work brought her to the attention of HBO, leading to her starring role in the mini series ALL THE RIVERS RUN which became a huge popular success globally and earned her her first best actress Logie award. Sigrid became the first Australian actress to be offered a lead role in a US network prime time drama series - PARADISE for CBS, receiving a Western Heritage Cowboy Hall of Fame award in 1999.

In 2022, Sigrid stars with Charles Wu in Sydney Theatre Company’s THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT after returning to Australian TV screens in 2021 in Nine’s flagship drama, AMAZING GRACE. She commenced shooting on a new Australian feature film in March 2021 with details to be announced shortly. Sigrid narrates and appears in the ABC documentary on second wave Australian feminism, BRAZEN HUSSIES, screening on Easter Monday 2021. Her more recent television career highlights include a reboot of her hit series SEACHANGE which topped the 2019 ratings with its debut episode. She was a series regular on Netflix’s ratings winner WENTWORTH and played Rosyln Coulson in its forerunner, PRISONER. Her performance in the highly acclaimed 2016 mini series PETER ALLEN – NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR won her the AACTA Best Supporting Actor award for her portrayal of Judy Garland. Other productions include Netflix’s THE CODE, the original SEACHANGE, LITTLE OBERON, UNDERBELLY – THE GOLDEN MILE, THE FAR COUNTRY opposite Michael York and THE BOY IN THE BUSH opposite Kenneth Branagh.

In late 2021 Sigrid will perform for the Sydney Theatre Company in a soon to be announced theatre production. Past theatre highlights include Best Actress for the sell out Australian tour of David Hare’s THE BLUE ROOM, a national tour co-starring with Brenda Blethyn in Alan Bennett’s TALKING HEADS and a critically acclaimed performance playing Blanche DuBois in Black Swan’s production of A STREET CAR NAMED DESIRE. For the MTC ,Sigrid performed in Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL and Lucy Prebble’s THE EFFECT. She completed two seasons of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC opposite Anthony Warlow and Robert Grubb for Opera Australia. Sigrid and Anthony played opposite one other again more recently in sell out seasons of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF in Sydney and Melbourne.

As a child of the sixties, Sigrid’s teenage life was steeped in political activism. One of her first screen roles was recently revealed in secretly filmed footage shot by ASIO when as a teenager she demonstrated against the Sth. African Springbok tour (as seen in the 2020 documentary feature BRAZEN HUSSIES). Throughout her career Sigrid has been an advocate to government and the private sector in support of Australian stories on our film and TV screens. Her work in this sector includes inaugural board member of the Australian Academy of Television and Cinema Arts, delivery of the NFSA Lotte Lyell lecture, board member of the Malthouse Theatre, the Australian Film Institute and Film Victoria as well as Patron for Women in Film and Television. Sigrid was appointed to the Commercial Television Production Fund by the Keating government and was Chair of the Victorian Film & Television Taskforce, whose recommendations revitalised the Victorian film and television industries. She was an Executive Producer on the SEACHANGE reboot and Associate Producer on The ABC mini GREAT EXPECTATIONS – THE UNTOLD STORY. Sigrid is currently serving a second term on the board of the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Sigrid has acted as MC for Australian appearances by international luminaries including Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama and was MC for the Centenary of Federation joint sittings of the Australian Parliament. In 1999 she received Peoples Choice Awards for most favourite actress and favourite TV star. In 2000 she received a Logie award for most outstanding actress for SEACHANGE. In 2002 Sigrid was awarded a Centenary medal. In 2003 the Variety Club honoured her as one of the Top 100 Australian Entertainers of the Century. In 2018 Sigrid was honoured with the Screen Legend Award by Cinefest Oz Film Festival and in 2019 she received the Chauvel Award at the Gold Coast Film Festival. In 2019 she was awarded an AO for her contribution to the performing arts.