Diane Craig

Diane Mary Craig (born 1949), sometimes credited as Di Craig, is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress best known for her performances in film and television.

Early life Craig was born in County Down, Northern Ireland in 1949. Her family relocated to Australia in 1960. She attended Sydney's prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

Career

Film Craig left NIDA after a year, making her debut in 1970 starring in the British Australian feature film Ned Kelly (1970), alongside Mick Jagger – replacing Marianne Faithfull in the role of Maggie Kelly.

Her subsequent film appearances included roles in drama feature The Mango Tree (1977), Double Deal (1981), war film The Highest Honor (1982) and Travelling North (1987) starring Leo McKern and based on the David Williamson play of the same name. She played the lead role of Diane Lane in the 1989 political satire A Sting in the Tale. Her most recent film was the 2009 drama In Her Skin, based on the true story of the murder of 15-year-old Rachel Barber, alongside Guy Pearce, Sam Neill and Miranda Otto.

Additionally, she has appeared in several television films, including drama Roses Bloom Twice (1977), The Newman Shame (1978) starring one-time James Bond, George Lazenby and After Marcuse (1988). She has also featured in American comedy film Traveling Man (1989) alongside John Lithgow, sport biopic Never Tell Me Never (1998) opposite Claudia Karvan and One of the Lucky Ones (2007).

Television Craig has also appeared on the small screen in numerous serials, miniseries and telemovies. Early television appearances included recurring roles in Snake Gully with Dad and Dave as Mabel Smith (1972), police drama Division 4 as Jenny Franklin (1973–1975) and sport drama And The Big Men Fly as Lil (1974), based on the Alan Hopgood play of the same name. She played the regular role of Majorie Faber in soap opera Certain Women (from 1975 to 1976), Alison Finlay in police drama Cop Shop and Pamela Summers in period drama The Sullivans (both, from 1978 to 1979).

She is probably best known however, for her long-running roles in the soap operas The Restless Years as Gail Lawrence (from 1978 to 1979), and E Street, replacing actress Penny Cook as main character Dr. Elly Fielding (from 1991 to 1993).

Craig appeared several times in the cult television series Prisoner and played a recurring role in medical soap opera The Young Doctors as Diane Brooke (1980–1981). She had ongoing roles in Home and Away playing Theresa Lynch (1995) and Heartbreak High playing June Dyson (1995–1996). Craig's last long-running role was as Deborah McManus in the 2008 series Out of the Blue.

She has featured in several miniseries including political drama Dead Men Running (1971), crime drama Scales of Justice (1983), historical series All The Rivers Run (1983) alongside Sigrid Thornton and based on the book of the same name, True Believers (1988), underworld crime drama Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (2009) and media drama Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (2012).

Craig has also made guest appearances on numerous television series, including The Godfathers, Matlock Police, Homicide, Boney, Ryan, Young Ramsay, Bellamy, Holiday Island, A Country Practice, Chopper Squad, Skyways, Carson's Law, Special Squad, The Henderson Kids, Willing and Abel, Mother and Son (alongside husband Garry McDonald), Rafferty's Rules, the 1980s reboot of Mission: Impossible, Acropolis Now, The Flying Doctors, Law of the Land, Medivac, Murder Call, Wildside, All Saints, Packed to the Rafters and Crownies.

Theatre Craig has acted on stage in numerous theatre productions, beginning from her time studying at Sydney's NIDA. She has appeared for Nimrod Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Belvoir Street Theatre and Old Tote Theatre Company. They have two grown children, including actor daughter Kate, who played McDonald's character's daughter on Mother and Son. The couple live in Berry on the New South Wales south coast.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre Source: Year Title Role Type 1968 Our Town Emily (Act I) UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1968 Hippolytus Phaedra's attendant Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA 1968 Dark of the Moon Barbara Allen Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA 1969 Lock Up Your Daughters Hillaret (politic's daughter) NIDA Theatre, Sydney 1969 You Can't Take It With You Aline NIDA Theatre, Sydney 1970 Let's Get a Divorce Cyprienne National Theatre, Launceston, Devonport Town Hall, Theatre Royal, Hobart with AETT 1970 Ned Kelly Glenrowan and District Soldiers Memorial Hall, Glenrowan 1971 As You Like It UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1971 The Man of Mode UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1971 A Month in the Country Celia UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1972 Bigotry V.C. Nimrod St Theatre, Sydney (double bill with Housey under season title of On Yer Marx) 1972 Housey Nimrod St Theatre, Sydney (double bill with Bigotry V.C. under season title of On Yer Marx) 1973 The Philanthropist Theatre Royal, Hobart 1975 Hobson's Choice Alice UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1983 The Marginal Farm Toby Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1987 Emerald City Kate Sydney Opera House with STC 1990 Love Letters Melissa Gardner Sydney Opera House 1994 Three Hotels Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1994 The Heidi Chronicles Playhouse, Perth with Perth Theatre Company 1995; 1996 Double Act Alexandra Playhouse, Perth, Ford Theatre, Geelong with Perth Theatre Company 1996 Money and Friends Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, University of Sydney Wallflowering Railway Street Theatre, Penrith 1999 Arms and the Man Railway Street Theatre, Penrith 1999–2000 Face to Face Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Playhouse, Canberra, Bruce Gordon Theatre, Wollongong 1999–2000 Scam Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney & Regal Theatre, Perth with Christine Dunstan Productions 2001 The Women Q Theatre, Penrith with Railway Street Theatre Company 2001 A Conversation Barbara Milsom Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2002 After the Ball Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal Sydney 2003 Wicked Sisters Monash University, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with Griffin Theatre Company 2005 Two Brothers Fiona Benedict Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Glen Street Theatre, Sydney, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with STC & MTC 2011 Don Parties On Helen Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Theatre with MTC 2013 Rapture, Blister, Burn Alice Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2020 Crunch Time Helen Ensemble Theatre, Sydney