Magda Szubanski
Multi-award winning Australian entertainer with a prolific background in acting, comedy, presenting and writing!
Best known for her appearance on the ABC TV hit sitcom KATH & KIM, Magda co-wrote, co-produced and starred in the 1995 sketch show BIG GIRL’S BLOUSE, alongside Gina Riley and Jane Turner. The critically-acclaimed series is widely considered the most successful comedy in Australian television history.
Magda has an extensive career in acting. She won internationally acclaim for her role as Mrs Hoggett in the hit-phenomena BABE and its sequel BABE: PIG IN THE CITY. She also starred alongside Steve Irwin in the 2002 release THE CROCODILE HUNTER: COLLISION COURSE. Re-collaborating with the creative team from BABE, Magda also voiced in the animated feature film HAPPY FEET alongside Brittany Murphy and Robin Williams.
Her entertainment work extends beyond the screen. In 2015, Magda reunited with Gina Riley for a new comedy show Open Slather. The show serves as a send-up to many icons like The Real Housewives of Melbourne’s Gina Liano, Gina Rinehart and even Hillary Clinton! As Magda explains, "Sketch comedy has a vibrancy and immediacy that no other form of comedy really has."
Magda’s contribution to the Australian entertainment industry has seen her named twice for Most Popular Person on Television (in 2003 and 2004), as well as an extraordinary seven Logies, three Australian Writers’ Guild Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best Actress.
On top of her entertainment work, Magda has also proven herself to be a fearless writer and natural storyteller with the recent publication of her first book Reckoning. Reckoning is a poignant memoir that manages to weave the tragedy of twentieth-century history with a personal reflection into family and the self. With assured writing and eloquent language techniques, Magda crafts a beautiful story that takes you through every joyful, intimate and heartbreaking moment that has shaped Magda’s story.
‘A brave and tender book about everything that matters most in life.’ – Cate Blanchett
Magda is an extraordinarily rare talent — somebody with the emotional and comedic instincts to match her fierce intellect. It’s no wonder she has become a crowd-favourite for comedy when it comes to corporate work.