Deborah Mailman: A Successful Indigenous Actor in Australia

Deborah Mailman is a well-known and successful actor in Australia who has enjoyed national acclaim. She has worked actively in film, television, and theatre. Learn about her background, education, and achievements in this article.

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Deborah Mailman
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
According to the United Nations Permanent Forum, there are more than 370 million
Indigenous peoples are living in 70 countries worldwide (AIATSIS, 2018). Each of those groups
has their own unique social and cultural traditions as well as economic and political
characteristics. The Indigenous peoples carry strong relation with their Ancestral lands and
territories, which they consider are necessary for their physical and cultural survival as peoples.
Australia’s Indigenous peoples are made of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
However, there is great diversity within groups that are spread across the nation (AIATSIS,
2018). The Indigenous peoples indeed face several challenges to feel a part of the mainstream
population, mainly because of their language and cultural barriers.
Nevertheless, these people have continued to evolve and develop. Today, the indigenous
peoples have evolved with times and come up as writers, consultants, performers, directors and
thus expanding and surging the Native participation. Native filmmakers and actors have explored
the power of visual media through the circuits of filmmaking and cinema (Hearne, 2013).
The Australian government has introduced several grants, scholarships, and courses
intended for indigenous Australians (AIATSIS, 2018). However, the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people dislike being referred to as Indigenous as they consider it to be too generic.
Australian Indigenous cinema has seen continual ascendancy over the past few years and is even
making its presence felt in the film festivals around the world. Indigenous filmmakers and actors
have made remarkable contributions to Australian cinema (Dolgopolos, 2014). Indigenous films
are known for their rich storytelling and remarkable narrative innovations. Australia’s
Aborigines filmmakers and Indigenous directors have indeed redefined the Australian cinematic
consciousness. The mixing of Indigenous and white, international and domestic cinema has

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created a new wave in the cinematic industry (Dolgopolos, 2014). There is a distinct group of
both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stars who carry a strong connection with audiences.
Deborah Mailman is one such film actor.
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman is a well-known and successful actor in Australia who has enjoyed
national acclaim. She has worked actively in film, television, and theatre (Australian plays,
2018). Deborah and her four siblings grew up in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. Her father
Wally Mailman is a rodeo star (Famous Birthdays, 2018). Brisbane was her place of study where
she enrolled at Queensland University of Technology Academy of the Arts. Deborah admits that
as she was away from her home, her initial years at college were difficult as she felt very dumb
in the big city (Aurora Economic Foundation. 2018). However, she developed nurturing
relationships and friendships that kept her motivated. She was determined to succeed and learned
every aspect of theater, like sound design and directing plays. She got the chance to perform in
Shakespeare and contemporary dramas (Aurora Economic Foundation. 2018). Her university
education gave her a holistic approach on how the arts help to build and strengthen the
communities. Deborah believes that her learning continues all this time and even today. Deborah
considers education to be essential. However, when in school, the only subject that she could
relate to was drama as it gave her immense satisfaction and enjoyment. The more she performed
on stage, the more she got passionate about it. By the time she was in college, she was sure that
she wanted acting to be her career. For her, the combination of acting and a university degree
that she enjoyed at college gave her just the perfect start in life. The university education
displaced her mind while acting gave her exposure to the world of drama.

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She has won AFI and Film Critics’ Circle Award for her outstanding performance in the
film Radiance for the portrayal of ‘Nona’ (Australian plays, 2018). In the television series, she
enjoys recognition for her role as ‘Kelly.’ In theater, she earned credits for performances in
Company B and Mother Courage. Deborah has won several awards like Matilda Award,
Helpmann Award, Deadly Award and was named NAIDOC Person of the Year. (Australian
plays, 2018). ABC television series Redfern Now enjoys a reputation of a high-end drama that
depicts Indigenous Australian living in Sydney suburb. The series won the Aacta and Logie
awards for best television drama in 2014 (Spring, 2015). Deborah Mailman, the actor, states that
what makes it a great drama is because people from all over the world connect to the story.
Deborah has previously worked with Redfern and is one of the most successful actors of
Australia. According to her, Indigenous stories can be entertaining and not just about sorrow or
despair.
Deborah was the first Aboriginal to get Australian Film Institute's Best Leading Actress
Award. She won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award in 1998 for her
role in Radiance. Along with Cathy Freeman, an Australian sprinter, she hosted a documentary
titled Going Bush based on an Aboriginal theme (Famous Birthdays, 2018).
Here are some awards and nominations bagged by Deborah (IMDB, 2018)
 1998- AFI Award for Radiance
 2004- Winner for Best Actress in a The Secret Life of Us
 2010- Winner AFI Award for Bran Nue Dae
 2011- Nominee - FCCA Award Best Supporting Actor for Bran Nue Dae
 2013- Winner - AACTA Award -The Sapphires (2012)
 Nominee - AACTA Award - Mental (2012)

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 2015- Nominee AACTA Award- Redfern Now: Promise Me (2015)
o Nominee AACTA Award- Paper Planes (2014)
 2016 - Nominee AFCA Award d- Paper Planes (2014)
 2017- Winner - Chauvel Award, Nominee Silver Logie
 2018- Winner -The Equity Award (IMDB, 2018).
Deborah is indeed one of the most famous actresses in Australia. However, at the same
time, she is genuine and human as she deals with anxiety and insecurity just like any other
person. It can be challenging to lead a balanced life in an industry ridden with insecurities
(Sheather, 2018). Deborah is aware of how there can be loneliness and insecurities in the
industry.
Looking at the life of Deborah Mailman and her life, one can only imagine the kind of
challenges she must have gone through. It is indeed incredible that despite having an indigenous
background, she was able to carve a niche for herself in every competitive world of films and
media. The film industry is a tough place to be in, and every actor has to face those challenges.
Her path to success was not a smooth one for her, and she had to work hard. She is not a social
activist, but there is a special charm about her. Hr. work and identity shows that she is not afraid
to be what she is and firmly believes in working with honesty and sincerity. She was able to
success despite her background and marginalized position in the society.

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References
AIATSIS. (2018). Indigenous Australians: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, The
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Retrieved from
https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/indigenous-australians-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-
islander-people
Aurora Economic Foundation. (2018). Deborah Mailman, the aspiration initiative Retrieved
from https://theaspirationinitiative.com.au/news/inspirational-stories/8-deborah-mailman
Australian plays. (2018). Deborah Mailman, Australian plays Retrieved from
https://australianplays.org/playwright/PL-91
Dolgopolos, G. (2014). Beyond black and white: indigenous cinema and the mainstream. Metro
Magazine, (181), 78.
Famous Birthdays. (2018). Deborah Mailman, famous birthdays Retrieved from
https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/deborah-mailman.html
Hearne, J. (2013). Native Recognition : Indigenous Cinema and the Western. Albany: State
University of New York Press,1(1), 1–428.
IMDB. (2018). Deborah Mailman Awards, imdb Retrieved from
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0537648/awards
Spring, A. (2015). Deborah Mailman on why mainstream Australia connected with Redfern
Now; The award-winning actor says although the show centres around Indigenous
Australian lives, it’s simply seen by television audiences as a “great drama.”, The

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Guardian Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/apr/09/deborah-mailman-on-why-
mainstream-australia-connected-with-redfern-now
Sheather, M. (2018). EXCLUSIVE: 'I don’t know many actors who don’t have insecurities...'
Deborah Mailman on living with anxiety, nowtolove Retrieved from
https://www.nowtolove.com.au/health/mind/deborah-mailman-on-living-with-anxiety-
44635
Thompson, J. (2017). An Outsider Journeys In: Imaginary Border and Indigenous Issues. Metro,
(193), 76–78.