Rebecca Gibney

Rebecca Catherine Gibney was born in Levin, New Zealand and brought up in Wellington.

She attended Wellington Girls' College. She moved to Australia at the age of 19 after graduating from high school.

Gibney worked as a model, then appeared on television in the New Zealand kidult series Sea Urchins from 1980 to 1984. She broke into Australian television with the role of Julie Davis in the children's series Zoo Family in 1985. She went on to play mechanic Emma Plimpton in the popular drama series The Flying Doctors, and in 1990 starred in the mini-series Come In Spinner. In 1991, she starred in the Channel Nine sitcom All Together Now, leaving the series in 1993. After her departure, she starred in Snowy.^{[citation needed]}

The title character of Dr. Jane Halifax in Halifax f.p. was created especially for her by the producers of her previous show Snowy. Halifax f.p. debuted in 1994 with the episode "Acts of Betrayal", and continued with a further 20 telemovies leading up until 2002. She has also appeared in the miniseries' Kangaroo Palace (1997), and The Day of the Roses (in 1998).^{[citation needed]}

From 2002 to 2003, Gibney had a role in Stingers; from 2003 until 2006, she co-starred with Claudia Karvan in the telemovie trilogy Small Claims as Chrissy. She appeared in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot in 2004, followed by King's 2006 miniseries Nightmares and Dreamscapes. In 2006, she played the role of Lydia, a hippie restaurant owner and operator in the Network Ten drama series Tripping Over. In 2007, she had a small role in the film Clubland, starring Brenda Blethyn, and directed by Cherie Nowlan (known as Introducing the Dwights in the United States).^{[citation needed]}

A series of Australian television advertisements for Advil in 2006/07 featured Gibney and her family. A new television advertisement with only Gibney appeared in October 2007.

Gibney hosted four seasons of a documentary series produced by Television New Zealand called Sensing Murder (2006–10) in which unsolved cases of New Zealand murders or missing persons are probed by psychic investigators from both New Zealand and Australia. Gibney was executive producer and also starred in 2008 New Zealand feature film The Map Reader alongside Michael Hurst, playing Amelia, mother of Michael, the map reader of the title..^[1]

From August 2008 until its conclusion in 2013, Gibney played the female lead of Julie Rafter on the Seven Network's Packed to the Rafters.^[2][3] Gibney's role in the show proved popular, winning her the Gold Logie in 2009.^[4] In 2010, she played the lead role on Channel Ten's telemovie Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story. She starred in the 2012 movie Mental alongside Toni Collette.^[5] In 2014 Gibney produced and starred in a new TV film crime drama, The Killing Field. She played a detective tasked with solving the murder of a teenage girl in a small town.^[6][7] Winter, a follow-up series to The Killing Field, screened in 2015.^[8]

In 2020 Gibney reprised the role of Jane Halifax for Halifax: Retribution.^[9] In 2021, she joined the cast of Under the Vines.^[10] in 2024, she appeared in the Stan series Prosper^[11].

On 4 September 2024, Gibney was announced as part of the 2025 Sydney Theatre Company season for the play Circle Mirror Transformation, marking Gibney's return to theatre in almost 20 years.^[12]

In November 2024, she began appearing in the New Zealand-Austraian crime drama series A Remarkable Place to Die. The Queenstown-set series is a co-production between TVNZ and Australia's Nine Network.^[13][14][15]

Gibney was married to Irwin Thomas, (a.k.a. Jack Jones, former lead singer of Southern Sons), from 1992 to 1995. She married production designer Richard Bell in November 2001. They have one son.^[16] She currently lives in Dunedin, New Zealand.^{[citation needed]}

Gibney has won, and has been nominated, for several television awards at the AFIs and the Logies on numerous occasions in her acting career.^[4]

She won her first award in 1990, winning the AFI (Australian Film Institute) Award for Best Actress for her role in Come In Spinner. She also won a peer-nominated Most Outstanding Actress Logie award in 1991^[4] for her role in the show. She was also nominated in the Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Mini-Series award for her role.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992, she was nominated at the Logies for her role in the sitcom All Together Now in two categories: Most Popular Actress and Most Popular Light Entertainment / Comedy Female Performer.^{[citation needed]}

Her role as the lead in Halifax f.p. had Gibney nominated for three different awards – Most Popular Actress at the Logies (in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001); Most Outstanding Actress at the Logies (in 1998, 1999 and 2000) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI's (in 1998 and 2000).^{[citation needed]}

Gibney's role in the telemovie Small Claims led her to another nomination at the 2005 Logies in the Most Outstanding Actress category.^[17]

A popular role for Gibney has been on Packed to the Rafters. Her role in this has led her to win the 2009 Gold Logie and the 2009 Most Popular Actress award.^[4] She also been nominated at the Logies for the Gold Logie in 2010 and 2011, Most Popular Actress in 2010,^[18] 2011,^[19] and 2012, and Most Outstanding Actress in 2009. At the AFI Awards she was nominated in 2009, in the Best Lead Actress in a Drama award.^[4]

She has been honoured by her birthtown of Levin, New Zealand in their Walk of Fame (which commenced in 2021) and is run by Heritage Horowhenua Charitable Trust. Along with a biographical recognition on their website there is a named commemorative plaque for her in Oxford Street, Levin. ^[20]

In 2024, Gibney was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.^[21]

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rebecca Gibney.

• Rebecca Gibney at IMDb