There’s no question of Asher Keddie’s talent but it’s been a long journey for one of Australia’s favourite actresses
Asher Keddie’s very first role on television was a guest spot for the Australian drama Five Mile Creek in 1985. After a string of guest roles in Australian films and television, Asher starred in the ABC series State Coroner in 1997 which played a key role in her career. Following on from this she had many guest roles in Australian dramas like Blue Heelers, Stingers and John Edwards drama The Secret Life of Us.
Asher Keddie’s big break came in the year of 2004 when she was cast in the Pay TV Australian drama Love My Way created by John Edwards. The role of Julia Jackson, a woman who struggles to cope with her own identity in the midst of family tragedy, saw her nominated for a total of four Most Outstanding Logie awards which are peer voted. She won an ASTRA Award for the role in 2007 – the show’s final year on air.
After Love My Way ended Asher was cast in the ABC telemovie Curtin about former Prime Minister John Curtin. In 2009 she had a lead role in the second season of Underbelly in which she scored another Outstanding Logie Nomination. Later that year, Asher starred in the big budget Hollywood blockbuster X-Men Origins Wolverine, alongside Hugh Jackman, before going on to a 7 episode arc as reporter Jacinta Burns in Rush.
In 2010, she depicted author Blanche d’Alpuget in Hawke, a telemovie about the leadership of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Later that year, Asher Keddie was cast as the lead role of Nina Proudman in Offspring. The role has cemented her as one of the nation’s most loved actresses, with her first Most Popular Actress Logie win in 2011, an award she again won in 2012.
Between seasons on Offspring in 2012, Asher took the part of Ita Buttrose in the ABC telemovie Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo and mastered it successfully.
2013 was a big year for Asher – she was finally awarded her first Gold Logie and continued her role on Offspring, which saw her character deal with the loss of her partner and the arrival of their daughter in some incredibly memorable scenes. She also won the Most Popular Actress Silver Logie for the third year in a row.
2014 saw the end of Offspring and Keddie awarded with another Most Popular Actress Award for her portrayal of Nina Proudman. She was also given a Gold nomination but missed out on back-to-back wins. Later that year she was cast in Party Tricks, alongside her Rush co-star Rodger Corser, where she played Kate Ballard who faces an election campaign alongside newly announced Opposition candidate David McLeod – with whom she once had a tumultuous affair. The series was a moderate success but hasn’t been renewed for a second season yet.
Sunday night will see Asher go for Gold for a fourth time and see if she can be named Most Popular Actress for a fifth consecutive year.
