Deborra-Lee Furness

Deborra-Lee Furness, (born 30 November 1955) is an Australian actress and producer. Furness was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2022.

Early life Furness was born in Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, and raised in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1974-1975 Furness regularly appeared as 'Debbie', an office girl at Channel 12 in the soap opera The Box. The role was minor, often uncredited and typically non-speaking and usually saw Furness in the background in cafe and bar scenes, often in the company of 'Chris - Office Boy' (Chris Hopley). She also appeared - once again as an office girl, this time unnamed - in an episode of Division 4 screened in mid-1975.

She then got a job as the assistant to John Sorell, the news director at Channel 9. Furness was asked to work on No Man's Land, the station's daytime current affairs program which was produced exclusively by women and hosted by Mickie de Stoop. or 1982. the Australian wife of Cole Gioberti (Billy Moses) on the television series Falcon Crest before returning to Australia to continue her acting career.

Career Furness rose to fame in 1988 when she starred in the movie Shame, for which she won Best Actor awards from the Film Critics Circle of Australia and the Golden Space Needle Award from the Seattle International Film Festival. Other roles included an episode of Halifax f.p. and The Flying Doctors. She has addressed the National Press Club of Australia on the subject of adoption laws in Australia. Furness is a patron of the Lighthouse Foundation for displaced children and International Adoption Families for Queensland. She is also a World Vision ambassador and serves on the Advisory Committee for Film Aid International, working with refugees throughout the world.

Personal life Furness met actor Hugh Jackman on the set of Australian TV show Correlli in 1995. Their wedding ceremony took place on 11 April 1996 at St. John's in Toorak, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne. After going through two miscarriages, and a girl born in 2005. A portrait of Furness and Jackman by Paul Newton was a finalist in the 2022 Archibald Prize. In September 2023, the couple announced their separation. She filed for divorce in May 2025 and it was finalised in June 2025.

Honour In 2014, Deborra-Lee Furness was named as the New South Wales Australian of the Year for her work in adoption campaigning.

Filmography Film +Film Year Film Role Type1985 Crossover Dreams Statue of Liberty Jenny Kissed Me Carol Grey Cool Change Lee 1986 The Humpty Dumpty Man Carmel DeVries 1987 The Bit Part Acting Teacher 1988 Shame Asta Cadell Evil Angels Magazine Reporter Two Brothers Running Silver's Secretary Celia Miss Greenaway 1990 Blue Heat aka 'The Last of the Finest' Linda Daly 1991 Voyager aka 'Homo Faber' Ivy Waiting Diane 1992 Newsies Esther Jacobs 1995 Angel Baby Louise Goodman When Harry Coached Sally Sally Short 1998 The Real Macaw Beth Girdis 2006 Jindabyne Jude 2008 Sleepwalking Danni 2009 Beautiful Mrs. Thomson Blessed Tanya 2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Barran (Voice) Animated film 2014 Dukale's Dream Herself Documentary 2023 Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Jill Bailey

Television

Television appearances

Saturday Night Fever|- Carols in the Domain|- 1999 Fox Studios Australia: The Grand Opening| Guest (with Hugh Jackman)

Australian Story| Herself

2004 Enough Rope with Andrew Denton|-

Jindabyne: The Process| Documentary

Sunrise| Guest

Today| Guest (2024 episode with Eric Bana) 2006 & 2008 Mornings with Kerri-Anne| Guest

Dancing with the Stars| Herself 1 episode The 2007 Australian Film Institute Awards| Presenter TV special The Directors' Series| Herself 2008 9am with David & Kim| Guest 1 episode

TV special 20 to 1| 2 episodes 2009; 2021 & 2024 The Project| Guest 3 episodes 2009 Artscape| Herself - Interviewee 1 episode

Documentary This Is Your Life| 1 episode 2011 & 2012

2 episodes

Mornings| 1 episode Kimchi Chronicles| Herself Documentary

The 66th Annual Tony Awards| Presenter TV special

The Living Room|- 60 Minutes| Herself (segment "Hugh Jackman")

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno| Herself (at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party) Jimmy Kimmel Live!| Guest The View| Guest Co-hostess Oprah's Next Chapter| Herself 2013; 2016; 2018 & 2019 Global Citizen Festival| Herself (2018 as host) TV special

Family Confidential| Herself The Talk| Guest Co-hostess

2014 & 2018 NBC Today Show| Guest 2015 CBS This Morning| Herself – Co-Founder, Global Citizen 1 episode 2017; 2021; 2022 & 2023 Studio 10| Guest (2022 episode with Hugh Jackman) 4 episodes

Entertainment Tonight Canada|

2020 Anh's Brush with Fame| Interviewee 2021 & 2024 The Project| Guest 2 episodes 2022 This Is Your Life: Rebecca Gibney| Herself (with Hugh Jackman)

Sunrise| Guest (with Eric Bana) News Breakfast| Guest (with Jacqueline McKenzie) Weekend Today'' Guest (with Eric Bana)

Awards 1988 SIFF Award for the best actress in Seattle International Film Festival. 1988 Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for the best actress. 1991 Silver Shell for the best actress in San Sebastián International Film Festival.