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Anni Finsterer

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Anni Finsterer
OccupationActress
Years active1986-

Anni Finsterer is an Australian actress. For her performance in 3 Acts of Murder she won the 2009 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama.[1]

Early life

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Finsterer grew up in Canberra, Australia.

Career

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Finsterer is a film, teievision and stage actor, voice over artist, director, playwright. author, singer, keynote speaker, coach and teacher (of acting and drama).

Feature films include I Met a Girl, The Flood (both 2020), True History of the Kelly Gang (2019), Sweet Country (2017), Teenage Kicks (2016), Sleeping Beauty (2011), The Boys are Back and Prime Mover (both 2009). She has had significant roles in Bigger Than Tina (1999)[2][3] and To Have & to Hold (1996).[4][5]

Recent television roles include The Gloaming for Stan, Harrow, Wentworth (season 7), the US TV series Reckoning, Rake, Secret City for Foxtel and Glitch for the ABC.

On 9 September 2024, Finsterer was named as part of the extended cast for Stan Australia series Thou Shalt Not Steal.[6]

Stage

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Her lengthy stage career[7] has seen her perform in Australia, Asia and Europe, with Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin Theatre Company, Belvoir Theatre Company, La Mama and more. Highlights include playing the title character in Sharon Lilly Screwdriver (Stables Theatre, 1991),[8][9] and producing and acting in East (Bay Street Theatre, 1988).[10][11] Other significant roles include playing Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra, Ishtar, and the Queen of Hearts on stilts.

Finsterer is also an author - her most recent publication being Radical Rock and Roll Resilience' (2020) - a personal story of overcoming adversity, combined with strategies of how to live an empowered life.[12]

She holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts, and a Diploma of Education in Drama and English.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1990 Sky Trackers Scientist Feature film
1994 Cody: A Family Affair Leilani TV film
1995 Lessons in the Language of Love Nicki Short film
1996 To Have & to Hold Rose Feature film
1999 Bigger Than Tina Jacinta Fellows Feature film
1999 Strange Fits of Passion Judy Feature film
2000 Thomson of Arnhem Land Narrator Documentary film
2002 Queen of the Damned Euro Trash Vampire Feature film
2006 Candy Crystal (uncredited) Feature film
2007 The Uncertainty Principle Nellie Short film
2009 Prime Mover Thomas's mum Feature film
2009 3 Acts of Murder Anne Upfield TV film
2009 The Boys are Back Tennis journalist Feature film
2010 The Clinic Locker room woman (DCIII, Blue) Feature film
2011 Sleeping Beauty Train riding hairdresser Feature film
2011 Johnny Ghost Millicent Feature film
2011 Blue Monday Short film
2012 Grace Joy Short film
2012 Devine is Dead Kate Leigh Short film
2013 Strange Tourist Gena Short film
2013 Touch Sue Short film
2015 Damage Control The Pharmacist Short film
2016 Teenage Kicks Illona Varga Feature film
2016 Wolf Short film
2017 Sweet Country Nell Feature film
2019 Three Stories Inside a Rental Van Short film
2019 My First Panic Tracey Short film
2019 True History of the Kelly Gang Mrs Gill Feature film
2019 Backpedal Short film
2020 I Met a Girl Miss Needle Feature film
2020 The Flood Wilma Wilson Feature film
2021 We Have Me Principal Short film
2022 Lonesome Carol Feature film
2022 The Stranger Female uniformed cop (uncredited) Feature film
2022 Max Suzie Williams Short film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1987 Sons and Daughters Waitress TV series. 1 episode
1990 The Paper Man Australian newsreader TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1987-91 Rafferty's Rules TV publicist / Narelle Grimes TV series, 2 episodes
1991 Police Rescue Agnes TV series, 1 episode
1992 Chances Eva TV series, 1 episode
1993 Seven Deadly Sins TV miniseries, 1 episode
1997 Blue Heelers Danielle Simpson TV series, 1 episode
1997 State Coroner Daria Bond TV series, 1 episode
1998 Good Guys Bad Guys Sergeant Hawthorn TV series, 1 episode
1998 Halifax f.p. Maxine TV series, 1 episode
2000 Eugenie Sandler P.I. Irene Kendall TV miniseries, 1 episode
2001 Stingers Suzie Lake TV series, 2 episodes
2006 Love My Way Wendy TV series, 3 episodes
2007 Home and Away Brenda TV series, 1 episode
2002-08 All Saints Gina Finch / Gemma Lee / Stefanie Garrett TV series, 8 episodes
2009 City Homicide Megan Black TV series, 1 episode
2012 Underbelly Dianne Erlich TV series, 1 episode
2016 Secret City Vice Admiral Joanna Hartzig TV series, 5 episodes
2015-17 Glitch Caroline Eastley TV series, 3 episodes
2018 Rake Judge TV series, 1 episode
2019 Over and Out Dr Facecutter TV miniseries, 1 episode
2019 Wentworth May Jenkins TV series, season 7, 5 episodes
2020 The Gloaming Eileen McGinty TV miniseries, 6 episodes
2020 Reckoning Karen Anderson TV miniseries, 1 episode
2020 Deadhouse Dark Grace TV miniseries, 1 episode
2021 Harrow Di baverstock TV series, 1 episode
2020-21 Space Nova Guest cast TV series, 8 episodes
2020-21 100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone The Duchess / Mrs Mutton TV series, 8 episodes
2022 Barons Vic TV series, 1 episode
2023 The Clearing Evelyn Smith TV miniseries, 1 episode
2024 Return to Paradise Donna Smithwick TV series, 1 episode (Curl Up and Dye)
2024 Thou Shalt Not Steal TBA TV series

Theatre

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As actor

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Year Title Role Location / Co.
1979 Man and Man Childers Street Hall, Canberra
1986 Snatched! Toni The Rocks Theatre, Sydney with Nepean College of Advanced Education School of Arts Theatre
1987 Kennedy’s Children Exchange Hotel, Sydney with New Mercury Theatre Company
1988 East Bay Street Theatre, Sydney
1990 Gilgamesh Ishtar Ashgrove Quarry with Queensland Theatre Company
1991 Sharon Lilly Screwdriver Sharon Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company
1992 The Women of Troy Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company
1993 Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra Wharf Sea Level Space, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company
1994 The Wedding Song NIDA at Parade Theatre
1994 The Threepenny Opera Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1995 Poor Super Man Wharf 2 Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1996 Macbeth Macbeth / Lady Macbeth Victorian regional tour with Melbourne Theatre Company
1996 Lenz The Police Garage with Mene Mene Theatre for Melbourne Festival
1996 Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts Melbourne Zoo with Australian Shakespeare Company
1997 Footprints on Water La Mama
1997 Raised by Wolves Shed 14, Docklands with Regurgitator and Handspan Theatre for Melbourne International Arts Festival
1998 The Present Carlton Courthouse with La Mama
1998 Scissors, Paper, Rock Trades Hall, Carlton South with La Mama
1998 The Keene / Taylor Project, Season 5: Kaddish / Violin / The Rain Woman - The Violin La Mama
2000 Gravegnomes La Mama
2003 Rabbit Kate Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company
2003 The Threepenny Opera Tiffany Belvoir Street Theatre
2004–05 Ray's Tempest Ruthie Belvoir Street Theatre
2004 Kimberly Akimbo Ensemble Theatre
2005 The World's Wife Littie Red Cap / Queen Herod / Pilate's Wife / Mrs Sisyphus / Queen Kong / The Devil's Wife / Mrs Lazarus / Mrs Icarus / Eurydice / Elvis's Twin Sister Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company
2007 Othello Playhouse Canberra, Playhouse Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Orange Civic Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
2007 Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train Mary Jane Hanrahan Belvoir Street Theatre
2011 Pin Drop Voice Over Artist Malthouse Theatre
2014 Parramatta Girls Melanie Riverview Productions at Lennox Theatre, Parramatta
2016 The Importance of Being Ernest Ensemble Theatre
2017 In Real Life Theresa Faber Darlinghurst Theatre
2018 The Readers Annie Belvoir Street Downstairs Theatre
2023 Camp Krissi Seymour Centre with Siren Theatre Company
2024 Othello Emilia Playhouse Canberra, Playhouse Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Orange Civic Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
Set Piece Sydney Festival
Macbeth Sydney Theatre Company
The Loaded Ute Sydney Theatre Company
Hamlet Theatre Up North Qld
A Christmas Carol American Drama Group Europe

As crew

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Year Title Role Location / Co.
1988 East Producer Bay Street Theatre
1992 The Tale of the Tiger Designer / Director Seymour Centre & European tour
1994 Bloodwood Playwright
1995 Shorts Program Co-Author Wharf Theatre
2000 Gravegnomes Playwright / Director La Mama
2000 The Sax Diaries Director The Fitzroy Gallery for Melbourne International Comedy Festival
2013 Stolen Director Education Program at Riverside Theatres Parramatta
2014 The Shoe-Horn Sonata Director Education Program at Riverside Theatres Parramatta
2014–15 Fast and Fresh (performance shorts) Riverside Theatres Parramatta
2016 Betrayal in Shakespeare Sport for Jove for Shakespeare Carnival 2016
2020 Girl Wild Playwright Australian Plays with Red Hot Arts Festival.
Nominated for the Rodney Seabourne Award
2023 Amadeus Resident Director Sydney Opera House
MotherHunt Red Hot Arts Festival
Malawa Director Seymour Centre with OnSTAGE
Sunset Estate Director Seymour Centre with OnSTAGE
The Astonishing World of Wonders: School of Life (aka Happiness is a Place Called School) Playwright Newtown High School of the Performing Arts (Senior showcase)

[13] [14]

Books

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Year Title Type
The Girl Who Lost Her Bounce Novella
2020 Radical Rock and Roll Resilience: How to Get Up, Get Real & Totally Rock Your Life Autobiography
2020 My Quarantine Companion e-book (collaborator)

Awards and nominations

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Year Nominated work Organisation Award Result
2009 3 Acts of Murder Australian Film Institute Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama Won
2020 Girl Wild The Seaborn Broughton & Walford Foundation Rodney Seabourne Playwrights Award Nominated

[15]

Personal life

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In the 1980s Finsterer was involved in two car accidents, having to undergo many operations including skin grafts, facial reconstruction, a hand replacement and an ear reconstruction from her rib cartilage.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ "2009 AFI Award winners", The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 December 2009
  2. ^ James, Stan (17 November 1999), "Desperate to be a star", The Advertisor
  3. ^ Williams, Evan (27 November 1999), "Bond again", The Weekend Australian
  4. ^ Hessey, Ruth (25 October 1986), "Hold - on - film", The Sydney Morning Herald
  5. ^ Creed, Barbara (24 October 1986), "Tale of obsession offers nothing new", The Age
  6. ^ Knox, David (9 September 2024). "Airdate: Thou Shalt Not Steal | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  7. ^ Anni Finsterer, AusStage
  8. ^ Pottinger, Paul (27 September 1997), "Beat generation", The Sydney Morning Herald
  9. ^ Sharon Lilly Screwdriver, AusStage
  10. ^ Barnes, Mick (16 October 1988), "Berkoff's raw scream of rage", The Sun Herald
  11. ^ East, AusStage
  12. ^ https://apt.org.au/author/?authorinfoid=531
  13. ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2361
  14. ^ http://www.sjmanagement.com.au/creative/Anni-Finsterer?page=1
  15. ^ https://www.seymourcentre.com/biographies/anni-finsterer/
  16. ^ Moran, Johnathon (12 August 2007), "Selfless act of healing - David Wenham aids hospital that put his friend back together", The Daily Telegraph
  17. ^ "How Anni Finsterer defied tragedy to pursue her dreams of acting", Conversations with Richard Fidler, ABC, 24 May 2011
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