Simone Louise Buchanan is an Australian film and television actress, and television director. She is best known for her television roles as Debbie Kelly in the situation comedy Hey Dad..! and Samantha Fitzgerald in the soap opera Neighbours.

Simone Buchanan
Born
Simone Louise Buchanan
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present
SpouseBrett Smith (m. 2008)
Children2

Early life

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Buchanan's siblings Miles Buchanan and Beth Buchanan are also actors.[1] All three appeared in the children's television show Secret Valley.[1]

Buchanan's father later learned that he had a daughter from a relationship before he married Buchanan's mother. Buchanan's half-sister Rudie Chapman is also an actor and worked with Beth on Neighbours. The three sisters went onto star in a production of Crimes of the Heart together.[2]

Career

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Having attended a drama and dance school along with her brother, the siblings were cast in the 1978 feature film A Good Thing Going.[3] Buchanan went on to appear in a number of television series, including The Flying Doctors and Sons and Daughters, before she was cast in Hey Dad..!.[3]

Buchanan has appeared in several films, including playing a rape victim in Shame, and as Laura Harris – and eventually Anna Dodwell – in the Australian drama series Pacific Drive.

In 2008, Buchanan played Samantha Fitzgerald, the bipolar-suffering estranged wife of Dan Fitzgerald (Brett Tucker), in the long-running soap opera Neighbours. Originally appearing for three months, from March to June, the character's introduction was considered a success, leading to her return for a second three-month stint from November to February 2009. The character appeared for a four-week guest role in late 2010, to coincide with the 6,000th episode celebrations.[4]

Buchanan returned to the Neighbours set in 2018 as a director, after the series producer Jason Herbison asked her to do her director's attachment with the show.[1] Buchanan also appears in the 2018 horror film Boar, alongside John Jarratt, Ernie Dingo, Steve Bisley and Roger Ward.[1]

Personal life

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Buchanan has been married to Brett Smith since 2008.[5] She has a son, Tane (born 1998), from a previous relationship.[6] In August 2009, it was announced that Buchanan was expecting her second child, due in early 2010. The pregnancy was achieved with IVF treatment.[7] Buchanan gave birth to a son, Rémy, via caesarean section.[6]

In March 2010, Buchanan supported Sarah Monahan, a co-star on the Hey Dad..! television show, over allegations that fellow star Robert Hughes had engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour on the set of the show.[8] Buchanan claimed she had approached the show's producer about the alleged assaults but that he instructed her to keep quiet.[9] She testified at Hughes' 2014 trial that she only heard allegations about his inappropriate behaviour and never saw it for herself.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1978 Newsfront Child Feature film
1979 My Brilliant Career Mary Anne Feature film
1981 Doctors & Nurses Jane Gilmour Feature film
1981 Run Rebecca, Run Rebecca Feature film
1982 The Mystery at Castle House Kate Feature film
1983 Platypus Cove Jenny Nelson Feature film
1984 Run Chrissie Run! Cathy Feature film
1987 Shame Lizzie Curtis Feature film
2004 Swimming to the Boy Mum Film Short
2005 Forced Entry Julie Film Short
2005 Push Susan Film Short
2006 End of Town Mother Film Short
2013 Patrick Patrick's Mother Feature film
2017 Boar Debbie Feature film
2021 The Possessed Carissa Feature film
2022 Girl at the Window Christina Ellis Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1978 A Good Thing Going Cathy Harris TV movie
1980; 1982 Secret Valley Simone TV series, 15 episodes
1982 Runaway Island Jemma McLeod TV movie / TV pilot
1983; 1984 Carson's Law Rose Gunn TV series, 2 episodes
1983 High Country Debbie Lomax TV movie
1984 Carson's Law Melanie Creswell TV series, 2 episodes
1984 A Country Practice Sharon Barnes TV series, 2 episodes
1984-85 Runaway Island Jemma McLeod TV series, 8 episodes
1985 The Flying Doctors Lucy Daniels TV miniseries, 3 episodes
1985-1986 Sons and Daughters Donna Jackson/Palmer TV series, 22 episodes
1987 Willing and Abel Guest role TV series, 1 episode
1987-1994 Hey Dad...! Debbie Kelly TV series, 167 episodes
1989 The Bert Newton Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
1991 A Country Practice Sara Kennedy TV series, 2 episodes
1991 The Main Event Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 G.P. Mickey Davis TV series, 1 episode
1993 R.F.D.S. aka 'The Flying Doctors' Rebecca Owens TV series, 13 episodes
1994 English at Work Herself TV series
1995-98 Pacific Drive Laura Harris TV series, 389 episodes
1998 All Saints Mitchie Bell TV series, 1 episode
1999 Water Rats Jenny Spiro TV series, 1 episode
2000; 2003 Blue Heelers Nurse Angie Cohen TV series, 2 episodes
2003 Stingers Cathy Pearson TV series, 1 episode
2006 McLeod's Daughters Amy Tanaka TV series, 1 episode
2007 Where Are They Now? Herself with Hey Dad...! cast TV series, 1 episode
2008-10; 2020 Neighbours Samantha Fitzgerald TV series, 91 episodes
2008 9am with David & Kim Guest TV series, 1 episode
2010; 2011 A Current Affair Herself with Hey Dad...! cast TV series, 1 episode
2014 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
2014 Upper Middle Bogan Kirby TV series, 1 episode
2018 Boar: Bloopers Herself Video
2018 Boar: Director Chris Sun Herself Video
2018 Boar: Cast Interviews Herself Video

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Eeles, Matthew (24 May 2018). "Interview: Simone Buchanan". Cinema Australia. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  2. ^ Duck, Siobhan (26 October 2014). "Sister act grabs another chapter". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via Gale.
  3. ^ a b Duck, Siobhan (26 October 2014). "Aussie TV's dirty little secret". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via Gale.
  4. ^ "Simone Buchanan sticking to her guns in sex row". Herald Sun. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  5. ^ "My adoption Dream" Archived 12 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine CareForKidsBali.com (Retrieved: 31 August 2009)
  6. ^ a b "Meet Simone Buchanan's Little Miracle". New Idea. 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  7. ^ "Simone Buchanan's IVF battle: Pregnant at 41!" NewIdea.com.au, 24 August 2009 (Retrieved: 31 August 2009)
  8. ^ Hornery, Andrew; Geesche Jacobson (27 March 2010). "Hey Dad star to see police over sex claims". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
  9. ^ "Hey Dad! co-star 'threatened' over sex abuse claims". The Age. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  10. ^ Dale, Amy (13 March 2014). "Hey Dad! star Simone Buchanan heard allegations about Robert Hughes but never saw anything". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 13 March 2014.
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