Rachel Friend | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 January 1970 Australia |
| Occupations | Actress, journalist, communications consultant |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
Rachel Amanda Friend (born 8 January 1970) is an Australian actress and journalist.
Early life
Friend completed her HSC at Sacré Cœur School, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and deferred a commerce course at University of Melbourne.
Career
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]
 | This section needs to be updated. (December 2017) |
Personal life
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
| 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
| 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
- ^ Devlyn, Darren (2 July 1988). "A Friend & neighbor". TV Week. p. 25.
- ^ a b "Your New Neighbour". The Sun-Herald. Fairfax Media. 25 June 1988. p. 51. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ Idato, Michael (14 March 2005). "Role of honour". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ "1990 TV Week Logie Awards". TV Week. tvweek.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ Lewis, Rachel (9 October 2019). "The Cast of Neighbours: Where Are They Now?". Pens & Patron. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Brown, David (5 May 1990). "Rachel goes rustic!". TV Week. pp. 4–5.
- ^ a b c Holder, Peter; Casamento, Jo (7 February 2001). "Sydney Confidential". The Daily Telegraph. p. 28. Retrieved 15 September 2025 – via Gale.
- ^ Cooney, Jenny (27 April 1991). "Rachel faces up to life on the road... It's a jungle out there!". TV Week. p. 2.
- ^ Schwartz, Larry (6 December 2007). "Wined, dined, bowled over by MacGill". The Age. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b Domjen, Briana (30 August 2014). "MacGill and Friend pull up stumps". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b Sharp, Annette (15 October 2000). "The Diary". The Sun-Herald. Fairfax Media. p. 26. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ "Rachel Friend confirms a split from former cricketer Stuart MacGill". 31 August 2014.
- ^ "Logies '89 Nominations". TV Week. 18 March 1989. p. 13.
- ^ Oliver, Robin (10 March 1990). "Five top Logie awards go to two soap operas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Logies '92 Nominations". TV Week. 7 March 1992. p. 12.
