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Pia Miranda

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Pia Miranda
Miranda in 2013
Born (1973-06-15) 15 June 1973 (age 51)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
EducationSacré Cœur School
Victoria University, Melbourne (BA)
Atlantic Theater Company
OccupationActress
Years active1997−present
Spouse
Luke Hanigan
​
(m. 2001)​
Children2

Pia Miranda is an Australian actress. Her career was launched with her role in the 2000 feature film Looking for Alibrandi, an Australian film based on the novel of the same name by Melina Marchetta. She is also known for her roles as Karen Oldman in Neighbours (1998–1999), Jodie Spiteri in Wentworth (2015), and Jen in Mustangs FC (2017–2020), as well as winning Australian Survivor in 2019.[1][2]

Early life

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Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Miranda spent the majority of her early life travelling throughout Australia with her family, attending a large number of schools. She is of Italian and Irish descent.[3] After completing her high school certificate at the Sacré Cœur School,[4] Miranda studied history and drama at La Trobe University[5] before transferring to Victoria University, where she majored in drama and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Performance Studies) in 1996.[6][7][8]

Career

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Film and television career

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After university, Miranda studied drama at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York for one year[9] before playing Karen Oldman on the Australian soap Neighbours, from 1998 to 1999. At this time, she was also starring in the ABC television series '’Bondi Banquet'’, playing Jo Tognetti. This was the starting point for Miranda's future success within the Australian film and television industry, quickly being chosen for the role of Josephine Alibrandi in the hugely successful Australian movie Looking for Alibrandi, directed by Kate Woods in 1999.

The movie was based on the novel written by Melina Marchetta in 1992, where seventeen-year-old Josephine Alibrandi deals with the stresses of Year Twelve, her illegitimacy, the reunion with her father, new-found companionship, the death of her close friend and life as a third-generation migrant in contemporary Australian society. Miranda co-starred with fellow prominent Australian actors Kick Gurry, Anthony LaPaglia, Greta Scacchi, Elana Cotta and Matthew Newton. The movie received critical acclaim, with Pia Miranda receiving the Australian Film Institute award in 2000 for Best Actress for her performance.[10][11] Her role in Looking for Alibrandi also earned her a nomination in 2001 for an FCCA Award in the Best Actor - Female category which she lost to Julia Blake.[12]

In 2002, Miranda played a small role in the US movie, Queen of the Damned, although her scene was cut from the film as it appeared on the DVD. Also in 2002, Pia Miranda starred in The Doppelgangers. The movie was part of a project where eight Australian filmmakers were given a short film script by celebrated writer Brendan Cowell. Filmmakers had to name their own film and characters and adhere to a set of rules, such as shooting on digital cameras and making no dialogue changes. The project had limited success.

Following The Doppelgangers, Miranda starred in another Australian film Garage Days, playing Tanya. The coming-of-age comedy revolved around a young Sydney band trying to gain a foothold in the competitive pub rock scene. The movie was well received within Australia and is available on DVD. In 2003, Miranda played the role of Leanne Ferris in Travelling Light, about two sisters growing up in Adelaide in the early 1970s. Following this, Miranda also starred in Right Here Right Now in 2004.

Though Miranda is best known as a film actress, she has also featured in some television series. She was a recurring guest star on the long-running drama All Saints in 1998, the drama The Time of Our Lives in 2013 and 2014, and the popular Australian drama The Secret Life of Us, playing Talia.[9] Miranda has also been featured in The Glass House, Grass Roots and the Australian talk shows The Panel and The Project.[13]

Miranda has also worked as a celebrity artist for A Midwinter Night's Dream, a ticketed charity auction of art with pillow cases as the medium and inspired by the childhood dreams of artists and celebrities, to raise money for War Child Australia and was a judge for the 2005 Project Greenlight competition alongside fellow actors such as Sam Worthington. Miranda's sister, Nicole, starred in the Australian film Moving Out with Vince Colosimo. In 2014, she performed in Standing on Ceremony, nine plays on gay marriage written by Neil LaBute and Paul Rudnick.[9][14]

Recently, Miranda starred in the popular Australian prison drama Wentworth in 2015. She has played a recurring role in the teenage comedy drama Mustangs FC as Jen since 2017.[15]

Miranda was a contestant on the sixth season of Australian Survivor.[16] A long time fan of the Survivor franchise, Miranda's casting resulted from an interview with the television blog TV Tonight, where she revealed her "Guilty Pleasure" of Survivor before being called by producers to see if she was interested in participating on the show. After 50 Days of competition, she ultimately won the series, winning the Final Jury Vote unanimously 9–0 over fellow finalist Baden Gilbert.[17] In 2021 she was inducted into the Australian Survivor Hall Of Fame.[18]

In 2022, Miranda appeared as Thong on the fourth season of The Masked Singer Australia. She was the third contestant to be revealed, and placed tenth overall.[19][20]

In May 2023, it was announced that Miranda would be participating in the twentieth series of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with Declan Taylor.

In October 2023 Miranda released her first book, a memoir titled Finding My Bella Vita,[21] which tells the story of how Looking for Alibrandi changed her life and how her career almost went in a very different way.

In March 2024, Miranda was named as part of the cast for Stan Australia series Invisible Boys.[22] Miranda would also appear in the Stan Australia movie Winddcatcher.[23]

Personal life

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In March 2001, Miranda married her boyfriend Luke Hanigan,[24] lead singer and guitarist of the Australian band Lo-Tel,[25][26] at the Elvis Presley chapel in Las Vegas after four months of dating.[7][8] The couple have two children.[27][28]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 Looking for Alibrandi Josie Alibrandi Won ⁠— AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Nominated ⁠— FCCA Award for Best Actor, Female
2002 Queen of the Damned Jesse's Roommate
Garage Days Tanya
The Doppelgangers Cornell Short
2003 Travelling Light Leanne Ferris
2004 Right Here Right Now Mads
2007 The Girl Who Swallowed Bees Girl Short
2008 Three Blind Mice Sally
The Tender Hook Daisy
2011 Surviving Georgia Heidi
2013 Goddess Sophie
2015 Telepathy Alina Short
2021 The Odyssey Mrs. A Short
Seen Pia-Ryan's Sister
2023 Slant Maggie Kopoulos Film
2024 Windcatcher Miss Berrick

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1998–1999 Neighbours Karen Oldman 19 episodes
1999 Bondi Banquet Jo Tognetti
2000 All Saints Brittany Finlay 6 episodes
2003 Grass Roots Ruth Levine Episode: "Youth"
2003–2004 The Secret Life of Us Talia 7 episodes
2011 The Jesters The Voice Episode: "Go For Gold"
Sea Patrol Tracey McQueen Episode: "Lifeline"
2013–2014 The Time of Our Lives Kristen 6 episodes
2015 Wentworth Jodie Spiteri 8 episodes
2017 Sherazade: The Untold Stories Jinan (voice) 7 episodes
2017–2020 Mustangs FC Jen 26 episodes
2018 True Story with Hamish & Andy Mrs. D Episode: "Stephen's Meet The Parents Story"
Back in Very Small Business Sandi 2 episodes
2019 The Drop Off Nicola McGinty 2 episodes
2019 Welfare Dr. Michele Henderson Episode: "PTSD"
2022 Riptide Jenny Clark 2 episodes
2023 Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe Nic Episode: "1.4"
Heat Sarah Cameron 4 episodes
2025 Invisible Boys Anna TBA

Self appearances

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Year Title Role Notes
2023 The Cook up with Adam Liaw Herself 1 episode
2023 Dancing with the Stars Contestant [29]
2022 Would I Lie to You? Herself Episode: "1.7"
The Masked Singer Contestant / Thong 2 episodes
The Hundred with Andy Lee Herself Episode: "3.8"
2019 Show Me the Movie! Herself Episode: "2.2"
Australian Survivor Contestant 24 episodes, Sole Survivor
Season: "Champions vs Contenders II"
Have You Been Paying Attention? Herself Episode: "Have You Been Paying Attention to 2019?"

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 The Nutcracker Maid Playhouse, Canberra
1999 The Wild Duck Hedvig Ekdal STCSA & Glen Street Theatre, Sydney
2000 Sweet Road Stables Theatre, Sydney with Ensemble Theatre
2001 Fireface Olga Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company for Sydney Festival
2004 The Glass Menagerie Laura Wingfield Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
2004 The Unlikely Prospect of Happiness Zoe Sparkes Sydney Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2007 ALP Arts Election Launch Riverside Theatres Parramatta
2016 Around the World in 80 Days Passepartout Alex Theatre, Melbourne
2023 Finding my Bella Vita (reading) Herself Australian book tour

[30] [31]

Audio

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Podcasts

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Year Title Notes
2019-2021 Rob Has a Podcast Guest; 5 episodes

Audiobooks

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Year Title Notes
2020 What Zola Did on Monday Written by Melina Marchetta) ISBN 978-1760895150

References

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  1. ^ Burke, Tina (17 September 2019). "Pia Miranda wins Australian Survivor 2019: "This will change my family's life!"". Now To Love. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  2. ^ Bond, Nick (17 September 2019). "Survivor winner: 'I was ready to die '". news.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Lunch with...Pia Miranda".
  4. ^ "Go Pia Miranda - Class of 1990! - Sacre Coeur Glen Iris". Facebook. 8 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  5. ^ Wulff, Alana (27 September 2018). "La Trobe University Alumni on Turning Your Interests into Your Career". Junkee. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  6. ^ "'Looking for Alibrandi': The story of three generations of Italian-Australian women living together". Il Globo. 4 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Pia Miranda". QT Sydney. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  8. ^ a b "The eyes have it". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 August 2003. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Bennett, Sally (31 December 2013). "Love and marriage lure Pia back to stage". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Past Awards – 2000". AACTA Awards. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Pia pressure". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 September 2003. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards (2001)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  13. ^ "The Project - Pia Miranda". Facebook. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  14. ^ Bailey, John (2 January 2014). "The way we wed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  15. ^ Spira, Madi (14 March 2019). "Pia Miranda: 'I won't let my kids watch Looking for Alibrandi'". WHO Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  16. ^ McKnight, Robert (22 May 2019). "Major cast details leaked for AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR: CHAMPIONS vs CONTENDERS". TV Blackbox. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  17. ^ Lilly, Alex (17 September 2019). "Survivor fans are divided over Pia Miranda's controversial win". Now To Love. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  18. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Pia Miranda - Australian Survivor Hall of Fame 2021 Inductee". YouTube.
  19. ^ Laidlaw, Kyle (9 August 2022). "RECAP | PIA MIRANDA revealed as the Thong on THE MASKED SINGER AUSTRALIA". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Third celebrity revealed on The Masked Singer Australia". News.com.au. 10 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Finding My Bella Vita: A story of family, food, fame and working out who you are by Pia Miranda - Books".
  22. ^ Rigden, Clare (12 March 2024). "FIRST LOOK: What to expect from series filming in WA". PerthNow. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Jessica Mauboy, Pia Miranda join cast of Windcatcher | ScreenHub Australia - Film & Television Jobs, News, Reviews & Screen Industry Data". 6 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Lo and behold". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 September 2003. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  25. ^ "Luke Hanigan". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  26. ^ "Planet of the Stereos - Lo-tel". CD Baby Music Store. 2003. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  27. ^ Hawker, Philippa (18 January 2014). "Lunch with...Pia Miranda". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  28. ^ Todoroska, Valentina (17 September 2019). "'I Was Really Worried': Pia Miranda Didn't Want Her Kids To Visit Her During 'Survivor'". 10 daily. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  29. ^ "Dancing With The Stars 2023: Mary Coustas And Olympians Among The Most Competitive Line-up Ever".
  30. ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/6743
  31. ^ https://www.henriestridemanagement.com/artists/pia-miranda
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