Marriage, mental health and (no) make-up: Rebecca Gibney

She has starred in not just one, but several of Australia’s most iconic and beloved TV shows of all time – with a cabinet full of Logie Awards to prove it. So what is the secret to Rebecca Gibney’s success? According to the woman herself, the answer is kindness. She recalls being told as a young actor by a co-star that the best advice he could give her to build a long term career was to treat everyone with respect.

“Sometimes I'm not the best actor for the job,” Rebecca insists in this interview with Something To Talk About, “but I know people will employ me because they'll go: she's going to show up on time, she's going to know her lines and she's going to be kind.”

It’s an attitude that has not only helped the Packed to the Rafters star become one of the most popular and acclaimed actors in the country, but has served her well offscreen, too. As she explains in this episode, kindness and a lack of ego has played a key role in her marriage, helped her navigate the trauma of a childhood shaped by domestic violence, kept her grounded in her faith and taught her the value of being a little kinder to herself.

As someone who has been open about mental health struggles and family violence long before such issues became part of the national conversation, her honesty has had a profound impact on many – a candour she now extends to sharing make-up free selfies on social media to help make other women feel better about themselves.

And as she looks ahead to celebrating her 60th birthday next year, she gets frank about what she calls the “privilege” of growing older. So what does she think of the famous joke that there are only three ages for women to play onscreen: babe, district attorney and Driving Miss Daisy?

You can see Rebecca in the Stan Original Series, Prosper premiering January 2024 on Stan.

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