Rachel Friend

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Rachel Friend
Born (1970-01-08) 8 January 1970 (age 56)
Australia
OccupationsActress, journalist, communications consultant
Years active1985–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1993⁠–⁠1994)

(m. 2000⁠–⁠2013)
Children2

Rachel Amanda Friend (born 8 January 1970) is an Australian actress and journalist.

Early life

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Friend completed her HSC at Sacré Cœur School, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and deferred a commerce course at University of Melbourne.

Career

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Friend began her screen career with roles in Zoo Family, Prime Time and The Bartons. She also starred in the 1986 family adventure film Frog Dreaming.[1]

Friend joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours in 1988, when she was eighteen.[2] Friend chose to postpone her university degree to join the show as Bronwyn Davies.[2] Friend quit Neighbours in 1990.[3] That same year saw her win the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress.[4][5]

After leaving Neighbours, Friend starred as Annette in the telemovie Mission Top Secret, alongside Beth Buchanan.[6] Other roles include Golden Fiddles (1991), and a brief appearance in Round The Twist as a mermaid.

Friend then moved into TV journalism.[7] In 1991, she became a reporter for Midday with Ray Martin.[8] She was a reporter for A Current Affair for seven years, until her departure in 2001.[7] Friend co-hosted the Seven Network show Saturday Kitchen with her husband Stuart MacGill.[9]

In 2003, Friend established her own PR agency, Media Friendly.[10] In July 2007, she produced and presented the Seven Network parenting show, Mums and Bubs. In 2009, Friend began hosting a television show on the Seven Network called New Idea TV alongside Barbara Northwood, Tom Williams and a variety of other presenters. [citation needed]

Personal life

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In 1993, Friend married Australian actor-singer Craig McLachlan whom she had met on the set of Neighbours.[11] They divorced the following year.[11] McLachlan's hit song "Amanda" was about Friend, which is her middle name.

Friend married Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill in Melbourne in October 2000,[7] after meeting in 1999 when she interviewed him for A Current Affair.[12] They have two children together – a son born in 2003 and a daughter born in 2006. The pair separated and subsequently divorced in 2013.[10]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1985 Zoo Family Susie's friend Episode: "The Good, The Bad and Martin"
1986 Frog Dreaming Wendy aka The Quest (US) and The Go Kids (UK)
Prime Time
1988 The Bartons Miranda Episode: "Bartons on the Beach"
1988–1990 Neighbours Bronwyn Davies Series regular
Round The Twist Mermaid
1991 Golden Fiddles Kitty Balfour Miniseries
Midday Reporter
1992 Mission Top Secret Annette TV movie / pilot
1993 London Tonight Reporter
1996 Wild Life Presenter Also writer
1999 A Current Affair Reporter
Saturday Kitchen Co-host (with husband Stuart MacGill)
2001 A Current Affair Reporter Episode: "Vaccination: A Stab in the Dark?"
2005 Under the Grandstand Guest Episode: #1.4
2007 Mums and Bubs Presenter Also producer
2009 New Idea TV Host
2018 The Go Kids: Looking Back on Frog Dreaming Self TV special (short)

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Work Result Ref
1989 Logie Awards Most Popular New Talent Neighbours Nominated [13]
1990 Most Popular Actress Won [14]
1992 Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Miniseries Golden Fiddles Nominated [15]

References

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