Sigrid Thornton AO

Over four decades, Sigrid Thornton has held a unique place in Australian film, television and theatre, working across multiple genres and platforms. She has starred in films now regarded as classics of Australian cinema, including the early box office hit The Man from Snowy River. Her early work caught the attention of HBO, leading to her starring role in the mini-series All the Rivers Run, which became a global success and earned her a Best Actress Logie award. She became the first Australian actress offered a lead role in a US network prime-time drama, Paradise for CBS, for which she received the Western Heritage Cowboy Hall of Fame award in 1999.

Sigrid’s recent screen work includes Nine Network’s Amazing Grace (2021), the Netflix series Wentworth, a reboot of Seachange (2019), Peter Allen – Not the Boy Next Door (AACTA Best Supporting Actor), and ABC’s Brazen Hussies documentary. She continues to work in theatre, most recently starring in Sydney Theatre Company’s The Lifespan of a Fact (2022), alongside previous highlights including The Blue Room, Talking Heads, A Streetcar Named Desire, Betrayal, The Effect, A Little Night Music, and Fiddler on the Roof.

As a child of the sixties, Sigrid’s teenage years were steeped in political activism, and she has long advocated for Australian stories on screen. Her contributions include board membership with the Australian Academy of Television and Cinema Arts, the Malthouse Theatre, the Australian Film Institute, Film Victoria, and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (currently serving a second term). She has also served as Executive Producer on the Seachange reboot and Associate Producer on ABC’s Great Expectations – The Untold Story.

Sigrid has acted as MC for international luminaries including Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama, and for the Centenary of Federation joint sittings of the Australian Parliament. She has received numerous honours, including the Centenary Medal (2002), Logie Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Screen Legend Award (Cinefest Oz, 2018), Chauvel Award (Gold Coast Film Festival, 2019), and in 2019 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her contribution to the performing arts.