Catherine McClements

Catherine McClements
McClements at the 2011 Logie Awards
Born	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Education	National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1986–present
Known for	Rachel Goldstein in Water Rats Kerry Vincent in Rush Christine Williams in Tangle
Spouse	Jacek Koman (c. 1990–present)
Children	2

Catherine McClements is an Australian stage, film, and television actress, and television presenter. She is known for her TV roles in Water Rats and Tangle, for which she won Logie Awards, and has performed in stage productions for theatre companies such as Belvoir St Theatre, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Sydney Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

Early life and education

Catherine McClements was born in Melbourne, Victoria,^{[citation needed]} the daughter of Frank, a high school teacher, and Pamela.^[1]

She attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1985, alongside Baz Luhrmann, Sonia Todd, and Justin Monjo.^[2][3][4] In 1988, McClements, along with a number of other people including Baz Luhrmann, set up an experimental theatre ensemble called Six Years Old and worked on expanding the play Strictly Ballroom, which was first produced in their second year of NIDA in 1984.^[5]

Career

Screen

In 1993, McClements had a role in The Girl from Tomorrow Part II: Tomorrow's End.^{[citation needed]} She is best known, however, for her starring role as Rachel Goldstein in the Australian police drama Water Rats from 1996 to 1999.^{[citation needed]} She followed this up with a recurring guest role on The Secret Life of Us in 2001, for which she won the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Guest Role in a Television Drama.^{[citation needed]}

She starred as Rosie in the 2003 drama series CrashBurn and appeared in the Network Ten telemovie Mary Bryant in 2005.^{[citation needed]}

From 2008 she played Inspector/Superintendent Kerry Vincent in the Australian police drama Rush, and psychologist Christine Williams in the Showcase drama Tangle. A second and third season of Tangle and Rush respectively were announced in 2009 and both aired in 2010.^[6][7] Tangle and Rush were commissioned for new seasons, both to start filming in mid-2011.^[8][9] In 2010, McClements won an AFI Award for her role in Tangle.^{[citation needed]} She has also won ASTRA Awards for her role in Tangle in 2011 and 2013.^[10]

In 2011, McClements guest starred in a YouTube and Facebook-only show called Queer as F**k, playing Mel, a friend of main character Aaron (Gary Abrahams).^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, McClements was cast as Meg Jackson in Wentworth, a contemporary reimagining of the Australian classic Prisoner. She was cast in a leading role for Season One of Wentworth, but her character did not appear beyond episode one.^{[citation needed]}

Earlier in 2013, McClements was cast in new ABC telemovie The Broken Shore, alongside Don Hany, Dan Wyllie and Claudia Karvan. It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2013 and aired on the ABC in early 2014.^[11]

In September 2013, McClements was cast in the film The Menkoff Method, directed by David Parker.^[12]

In 2019 she starred in Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries as Birdie Birnside.^[13]

In August 2022 she played the part of a teacher in the State Theatre Company South Australia and Sydney Theatre Company co-production Chalkface, written by Angela Betzien. The play opened at the Dunstan Playhouse in Adelaide.^[14]

In 2023, McClements was announced as part of the cast for SBS series Erotic Stories.^[15] She was also announced as part of the cast of the third and final season of ABC drama Total Control,^[16] as well as ABC drama Return to Paradise.^[17] On 21 November 2024, it was announced that McClements was a part of the cast for ABC drama The Family Next Door.^[18] McClements was also named for Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar.^[19]

Stage

McClements has also appeared in stage productions for many theatre companies, including Belvoir St Theatre, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, State Theatre Company of South Australia, and the Malthouse Theatre.^[20]

In 2013, McClements returned to the stage in Sharr White's play The Other Place for Melbourne Theatre Company^[1] and Phèdre for Bell Shakespeare.^[21]

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result
1990	AFI Award	Best Actress in a Lead Role	Weekend with Kate	Won
1993	Asia-Pacific Film Festival	Best Supporting Actress	Redheads	Won
1994	Green Room Award	Best Female Actor in a Play	Angels in America	Nominated
1998	Logie Award	Most Popular Actress	Water Rats	Nominated
		Most Outstanding Actress	Water Rats	Won
	People's Choice Award	Favourite Actress in a Drama or Serial	Water Rats	Nominated
1999	AFI Award	Best Actress in a Lead Role	Water Rats (episode 4.17: I'm Home)	Nominated
2000	Logie Award	Most Outstanding Actress	Water Rats	Nominated
2001	AFI Award	Best Actress in a Guest Role in a Television Series	The Secret Life of Us	Won
2007	AFI Award	Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama	Call Me Mum	Nominated
2008	Helpmann Award	Best Female Actor in a Play	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Nominated
2010	Astra Award	Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor	Tangle	Nominated
	AFI Award	Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama	Tangle	Won
2011	Astra Award	Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor	Tangle	Won
	Logie Award	Most Outstanding Actress	Rush	Nominated
2013	Logie Award	Most Outstanding Actress	Tangle	Nominated
	ASTRA Award	Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor	Tangle	Won

Personal life

McClements' husband is actor Jacek Koman, who also guest-starred in The Secret Life of Us as Dominic, though they were not on the show at the same time.^[22] They have two children.^[1]

McClements' brother is Brendan McClements, who as of 2013^[update] was the CEO of Victorian Major Events Company, who is 18 months older than her and her "best friend growing up".^[1]

McClements is good friends with fellow actress Claudia Karvan, whom she met at the AFI Awards in 1990 and starred with in the film Redheads in 1992.^[23]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Just Us	Jessica Taylor	Telemovie
1987	The Right Hand Man	Sarah Redbridge	Feature film
1990	Struck by Lightning	Jill McHugh	Feature film
	Weekend with Kate	Kate Muir	Feature film
1992	Redheads	Diana Ferraro	Feature film (aka Desperate Prey)
2000	Waiting at the Royal	Dinny Weston	Telemovie
	Better Than Sex	Sam	Feature film
2003	After the Deluge	Nikki Kirby	Telemovie
	Floodhouse	Ava	50 minute film
2005	Mary Bryant	Marleen	Telemovie
2006	Call Me Mum	Kate	Telemovie
	Sexy Thing	Mum	Short film
2007	Fast Lane	Louise	Short film
2008	Emerald Falls	Rosalie Bailey	Feature film
2013	The Broken Shore	Erica Burgouyne	Telemovie
2014	The Menkoff Method	Majorie	Feature film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	My Brother Tom	Margaret 'Peggy' McGibbon	Miniseries
1993	The Girl from Tomorrow: Tomorrow's End	Lorien	Miniseries
1993	G.P.	Heather Ryan	TV series, 1 episode: "Close Encounters"
1996–99	Water Rats	Rachel Goldstein	TV series, 109 episodes
2001–02	The Secret Life of Us	Carmen	TV series, 10 episodes. Won AFI award for episode: "Love Sucks"
2003	CrashBurn	Rosie Denton Harfield	TV series
2006	Real Stories	Jillian	TV series, episode 8
2008–11	Rush	Kerry Vincent	TV series, all 70 episodes
2009–12	Tangle	Christine Williams	Foxtel series
2010	The Pacific	Catherine Leckie	TV series, 1 episode: "Home"
2013	Wentworth	Meg Jackson	Foxtel series, 4 episodes
2014	The Time of Our Lives	Diana Southey	TV series, season 2
2015	The Beautiful Lie	Tess du Pont	TV series
2016	Rake	Julie	TV series, season 4
2017	Sisters	Genevieve	TV series, 7 episodes
2019	Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries	Birdie Birnside	TV series
2022	Pieces of Her	Grace Juno	Netflix series, 6 episodes
2023	The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart	Sarah	TV miniseries, 2 episodes
	Erotic Stories	Sam	Anthology TV series, 1 episode: "Philia"
2024	Total Control	Marion Beaumont	TV series, season 3, 4 episodes
	Return to Paradise	Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong	TV series, 6 episodes
	Bump	Gaby	TV series: 1 episode
2025	The Family Next Door	TBA	In production
	Apple Cider Vinegar	TBA	Post Production

Self appearances

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Doing Time	Narrator	10-part TV documentary
2000; 2002; 2003	Good Morning Australia	Guest	TV series, 4 episodes
2003	Rove Live	Guest	TV series
	The Fat	Guest	TV series
2009	Whale Patrol	Narrator	TV documentary
2010	The Circle	Guest	TV series
	AFI Awards	Presenter	TV special
2011	Things on Sunday: Sex	Panel member	Malthouse Theatre
	Logie Awards	Presenter	TV special
	IF Awards	Presenter	TV special
2013	Astra Awards	Presenter	TV special
2015	Sperm Donors Anonymous	Narrator	TV documentary

Theatre work

McClements' work on stage includes:^[20]

Name	Year	Character	Venue
1984	Holiday Makers	Sasha	NIDA
1984	Impromptu at Versai (part of Three French Farces)	Mrs Molière	NIDA
1984	All's Well That Ends Well	Helena	NIDA
1984; 1986	Strictly Ballroom	Barbara Pierce	NIDA, Bratislava
1985	Dreamplay		NIDA
1985	The Unseen Hand (part of Hallucinogenics? 3 plays from the 60s)		NIDA
1985	The War (from The Greeks trilogy)	Iphigenia	NIDA & St Martins Youth Arts Centre
1985	Once in a Lifetime		NIDA
1986	And a Nightingale Sang	Joyce	Sydney Opera House with Gary Penny Productions
1987	Much Ado About Nothing	Hero	Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987	Shepherd on the Rocks	Rhonda Moffat / News team member / Female whale saver	Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987	The Winter's Tale	Perdita; Servant	Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987	Les Liaisons dangereuses	Cecile de Volanges	Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1987	Away	Meg	Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1988	Molière (aka The Cabal of Hypocrites)	Armando	Key Studios, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre for Spoleto Melbourne Festival of the Arts
1989; 1990	The Imaginary Invalid	Angelique	New Fortune Theatre for Perth Festival, Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Armoury Lawns for Adelaide Festival with Australian Nouveau Theatre
1990	Crystal Clear	Thomasina	Universal Theatre
1991	The Crucible	Abigail Williams	Sydney Opera House with STC
1993; 1994	Angels in America	Harper Amity Pitt	Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne & Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC, Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA
1994	Seeing Violet (part of Unsettled trilogy)	Isabel Hope	Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne with $5 Theatre Company
1994	No Family (part of Unsettled trilogy)	Doris	Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne with $5 Theatre Company
1994	At Dusk (part of Unsettled trilogy)	Lily	Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne with $5 Theatre Company
1995	The Blind Giant Is Dancing	Louise	Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2000	Suddenly Last Summer	Catharine	Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2000	Emma Celebrazione!		Gasworks Arts Park, Melbourne
2003	Macbeth	Lady Macbeth	Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2005	Cruel and Tender	Amelia	Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2006	It Just Stopped	Beth	Malthouse Theatre & Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2007	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Martha	Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
2008	Appetite	Louise	Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Sydney Opera House, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne
2011	Happy Ending (part of the Cybec Readings)	Louise	Lawler Studio, Melbourne
2012	8 – The Play	Sandy Stier	Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne & Sydney Town Hall
2012	Never Did Me Any Harm		Southbank Theatre Force Majeure & STC for Melbourne Festival
2013	The Other Place	Juliana Smithton	Arts Centre Melbourne with MTC
2013	Phèdre	Phèdre	Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne & Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2013	White Rabbit, Red Rabbit		Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
2016; 2018	The Events	Claire	Granville Town Hall, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA for Adelaide Festival, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Festival, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Studio Underground, Perth, IMB Theatre, Wollongong
2017	Three Little Words	Tess	Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2018	Antony and Cleopatra	Cleopatra	Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre Centre, Arts Centre Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare
2022	The Sound Inside	Bella Baird	Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2022	Chalkface	Pat Novitsky	Dunstan Playhouse with STCSA & Sydney Opera House with STC[14]

References

1. Connolly, Paul (9 February 2013). "What I know about men". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
2. Alumni Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine National Institute of Dramatic Art
3. Morgan, Joyce (14 June 2003). "Good cop, bad cop". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
4. Bone, Pamela (15 May 1986). "Chiltern lives again – just for television". The Age. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
5. Albert, Jane (2010). House of Hits: The great untold story of Australia's first family of music. Prahran,VIC: Hardie Grant Books.
6. Second season for Tangle TV Tonight
7. Rush wins third season on Ten TV Tonight
8. Renewed: Tangle TV Tonight
9. Renewed: Rush TV Tonight
10. 2011 Winners Archived 22 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Astra awards
11. ABC announced the top cast for The Broken Shore TV Tonight, 2 April 2013
12. Cast is set for The Menkoff Method Inside Film
13. "Ms Fisher's MODern Murder Mysteries Announces Cast - Every Cloud Productions".
14. Keen, Suzie (29 July 2022). "Catherine McClements goes back to school in Chalkface". InDaily. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
15. "Seductive SBS Original drama series 'Erotic Stories' premieres 26 October".
16. Knox, David (June 2023). "Total Control filming third and final series | TV Tonight". TV Tonight.
17. Slatter, Sean (9 April 2024). "Anna Samson to lead ABC's 'Return to Paradise' as production commences on NSW South Coast". IF Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
18. Staff Writer. "NEW DRAMA SERIES THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR MOVES INTO BAYSIDE MELBOURNE". VicScreen. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
19. Staff Writer (19 November 2024). "Apple Cider Vinegar Cast Plot". Netflix.com. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
20. "Catherine McClements". AusStage. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
21. "Phèdre". AusStage. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
22. Rose, Colin (8 June 2003). "Double Trouble". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
23. Cool Cat The Age, 31 October 2008

External links

• Catherine McClements at IMDb