The most beautiful singers in Australia. In general, Australian laws may not be followed, the main thing is to communicate this in small print

31 years old, model

One of the Victoria's Secret angels and ex-wife of actor A (38) is always in the center of everyone's attention. The girl leads a healthy lifestyle, professes Buddhism, and starts every morning with a 20-minute yoga class, meditation and relaxation. One of the richest models, according to Forbes version, also participates in many charity campaigns, supporting Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and Children International. Once in an interview, the model admitted that if she had not worked in the fashion world, she would have chosen a career as a nutritionist or psychologist, since helping people brings her pleasure.

Elle Macpherson

50 years old, model

Elle Macpherson proved that you can be great at any age. physical fitness and attract attention. No wonder she received the nickname “Body”! The model takes first place in the ranking of the most long legs– her legs are 10 centimeters longer than normal with a height of 183 cm. Elle is also well known for her record six appearances on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. In addition, she has her own line of lingerie - Elle Macpherson Intimates.

Holly Valance

31 years old, singer and actress

Holly is of English and Serbian descent. She gained international fame thanks to the hit Kiss Kiss, a cover version of a song by the Turkish artist Tarkan (42). And she especially fell in love with the public after her role in the popular Australian TV series Neighbors, where stars such as Kylie Minogue (46) and Jason Donovan (46) began their careers. A distant relative of the girl is actor Benny Hill (1924–1992): his cousin is the actress's grandfather.

47 years old, actress

After the international success of the Australian thriller "Dead Calm" she received an invitation to Hollywood, and "Days of Thunder" gave her a pass to the first echelon. Then there was an affair, marriage and divorce with Tom Cruise (52), the transformation of a blonde into a brunette, serious roles, the status of a diva and world star No. 1. Now the actress lives in the USA, but often visits her homeland and even married an Australian, country musician Keith Urban (47), who, however, also became a star in America long ago.

24 years old, actress

Another star of the long-running Australian series Neighbors, Robbie began her career in Hollywood with the not very successful series Pan American, but it was there that she attracted attention. And not only the audience, but also Martin Scorsese (72). As a result, Robbie ended up in the master’s new film, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” where she played the wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character (40).

Kylie Minogue

46 years old, singer

A major global pop star with Australian roots, Minogue also started out working in the TV series Neighbors. The peak of its popularity occurred in the second half of the 90s. After a long break and a battle with breast cancer, the singer returned to action and is busy recording new songs. Kylie has younger sister Danni (43), who also sings and is just as popular, although only within Australia and Britain.

Naomi Watts

46 years old, actress

Nicole Kidman's classmate and best friend, Naomi Watts, was not invited to Hollywood, but she went herself. The actress began her stellar career with David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (69), and consolidated it with the films 21 Grams and King Kong. As for her personal life, in the mid-2000s, Watts dated her fellow countryman Heath Ledger (1979–2008), and then married actor Liev Schreiber (47). They have two sons, and the entire family currently lives in New York.

Cate Blanchett

45 years old, actress

1998 turned out to be a turning point for the Australian theater actress: the historical drama “Elizabeth” brought Blanchett an Oscar nomination and world fame. Since then, she has not disappeared from view, almost always choosing exceptional projects. Today she has more than 40 films and 20 theatrical productions. After living in England for a long time, Kate and her family moved back to Australia in the early 2000s. The actress and her screenwriter husband Andrew Epton, 49, run the Sydney Theater Company and have four children: three sons and one adopted daughter.

Natalie Imbruglia

40 years old, singer

Since childhood, she trained professionally in ballet, and at the age of 13 she began singing. Following Kylie Minogue, the girl started in show business with a role in “Neighbours”. The daughter of an Australian woman of Anglo-Celtic origin and an Italian father, Imbruglia left her homeland at the age of 19 and became a pop artist in England.

Isabel Lucas

30 years old, actress

She was born to an Australian father and a Swiss mother. She made her film debut in 2003, starring in the Australian television series Home and Away. But fame came to her thanks to the films “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Warriors of Light.” The girl, with her talented acting and attractive appearance, instantly captivated film critics and deserved world recognition. You could also see her in the video for the song Give Me Love by British singer Ed (24).

Abbie Cornish

32 years old, actress

Abby has been a committed vegetarian since the age of 13, and in 2008 she was even named “Australia’s sexiest vegetarian.” She is widely known to audiences thanks to a number of works in film and television, in particular for her roles as Penny in comedy series“Life Support”, Fanny Bron in “Bright Star”, and received a number of awards for her role in the 2004 film “16 Years. Love. Reboot". The actress has recently also become a rapper, known under the pseudonym Dusk.

Emily Browning

26 years old, actress

At the age of 10, Emily played in the TV series Echo of Thunder. But she became famous after playing the role of a little girl in the thriller “Ghost Ship” and, of course, after participating in the film “Lemony Snicket: 33 Misfortunes” with Jim Carrey (53). The film received an Oscar, and Emily herself received an award from the Australian Film Institute. The actress loves to sing. She performed three songs especially for the film Sucker Punch.

35 years old, actress

Australian Rose Byrne is one of the best dramatic actresses of our time. She is equally good at roles in melodramas and thrillers. Its highlight is its unpredictability. The actress's creative portfolio includes more than 40 roles. Many people know her thanks to the films “Troy”, “Whiplash”, “Escape from Vegas”, “Adam”, “City of Ghosts”, “The Omen” and many others. Rose and Marie Antoinette director Sofia Coppola (43), in which the actress starred, played the same role in Star Wars: Dormé, the heroine's maid (33). Sofia - in the first episode ("Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace"), Rose - in the second ("Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones").

Indiana Evans

24 years old, actress

In 2003, Evans made her acting debut - she played the role of Millie Roberts in the television series All Saints. The actress's popularity came from her role as Bella Hartley from the television series H2O: Just Add Water. She names (42) Cate Blanchett as her favorite actresses and sources of inspiration. Indiana is an anti-bullying ambassador for the Dolly Bullying Campaign.

Isla Fisher

39 years old, actress

Ayla was born in Muscat (Oman) to Scottish parents. Soon the whole family, which included four more children besides her, moved to Perth (Australia). There, at the age of 9, Ayla began appearing in television advertisements. In 2002, playing the role of Mary Jane in the film Scooby-Doo, the actress attracted the attention of film critics, and the girl’s career began to rapidly gain momentum. By the way, the actress’s husband - American comedian Sacha Baron Cohen (43), known for his eccentric behavior and shocking antics.

Gemma Ward

27 years old, model

One of the richest supermodels in the world. Her career began almost by accident: a scout from the Vivien’s Model Management agency noticed 15-year-old Gemma at the casting of the local TV show “Searching for a Supermodel,” where she came to support her friends, and offered her a job. The girl initially refused the offer, but then she finally accepted it. At the age of 16, she already became the youngest model to be included in the top list of American Vogue. Gemma took part in shows of such famous fashion houses as Prada, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Gucci, Chanel, Valentino, Alexander McQueen and many others. The model currently lives in New York with her husband and two-headed daughter.

Phoebe Tonkin

25 years old, actress and model

The viewer is familiar with her as Cleo in the series “H2O: Just Add Water”, Faye Chamberlain in “The Secret Circle” and Hayley in “The Originals”. On the set of the series “H2O: Just Add Water,” she met Claire Holt (26), her best friend, with whom she later worked together in “The Vampire Diaries” and is now starring in the series “The Originals.” As for her personal life, Phoebe has been dating actor Paul Wesley (32), a colleague in the series “The Vampire Diaries,” since 2013.

Jennifer Hawkins

31 years old, model and TV presenter

The girl is better known as the winner of the Miss Universe 2004 contest and the host of the reality show Australia's Next Top Model (season 8). After winning the Miss Universe contest, the model found herself in unpleasant situation: During a fashion show in an Australian shopping center, she tripped over the hem of her dress, resulting in her being scantily clad in front of an astonished audience. Jennifer later apologized multiple times for the incident.

Abbey Lee Kershaw

27 years old, model

According to the model, she had an ideal childhood: she studied at a prestigious multinational school, relaxing on city beaches. At one of them, just 100 meters from the house, she was noticed by a Chic agency scout. The girl's modeling career began to develop rapidly after winning the Australian Cover Girl Model Search competition in 2004, after which she moved to Sydney. Abby has collaborated with brands such as D&G, CK Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Gap, See by Chloe, and is also the muse of Gucci designer Frida Giannini (42), who has signed a contract with Abby for several seasons in a row.

Teresa Palmer

29 years old, actress

An offer to star in the independent Australian drama “2:37” changed the girl’s life forever. Later, Teresa was able to realize herself in Hollywood. The actress is known for such films as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “I am Number Four”, “Bedtime Stories”, “The Warmth of Our Bodies” and many others. Fearless student Becky Barnes, brave "number six", charming Violet Nottingham and cocky Julie - all this is Teresa Palmer. The actress, who conquered Hollywood with her amazing acting skills and appearance, has been happily married for many years and has become a wonderful mother.

Sherry-Lee Biggs

24 years old, model

The girl was born in South Africa, and when she was 12 years old, her family emigrated to Australia. In her youth she studied dance and ballet, but at the age of 16 she decided to become a model. In 2011, she won the Miss Universe Australia competition, and already at the Miss Universe 2011 world competition she entered the top ten finalists.

Alice Taylor

28 years old, model

Today, Alice Taylor is one of the most beautiful and successful Australian models. By the way, Alice began her career at a fairly mature age for a model - 19 years old. However, this did not stop her from becoming successful. Taylor has collaborated with brands such as Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Emanuel Ungaro, Moschino, and Lanvin. She graced Vogue, Elle and other publications. And now Alice lives in New York.

Sarah Murdoch

42 years old, model and TV presenter

The girl is now best known as the host of the Australian modeling competition Next Top Model. By the way, Sarah is the daughter-in-law of Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (84), owner of media, film companies and publishing houses in the USA, Australia, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Before her marriage, popular fashion model Sarah O'Hara was the face of Wonderbra, a company specializing in the production of bras.

Lisa Seiffert

32 years old, model

Having barely reached her 16th birthday, the girl appeared on the cover of Australian Vogue, followed by photo shoots for Elle and Harper's Bazaar. In 2001, Lisa played the singer's girlfriend (41) in two of his videos - The Road To Mandalay and Eternity. In 2003 -th she became a model for the cult Pirelli calendar, and in the summer of 2009 she was the girl of the month in French Playboy. She advocates for the conservation of the wild forests of the Amazonian lowlands and supports the World Wildlife Fund, trying to spend all her free time from filming with family and friends.

Sophie Monk

35 years old, singer and actress

The ex-member of the girl pop group Bardot began solo career, releasing the album Calendar Girl. After a not very successful start to her musical career in her homeland, Sophie went to America to conquer Hollywood, but as an actress. The list of roles she has played is not too bright yet. This is basically short episodes in films such as “Movie Date” and “Click: Remote Control for Life.” If Sophie has not had any luck with major roles so far, then in the girl’s personal life everything is much better. The list of her celebrity boyfriends is simply amazing. She met with such famous personalities as Jason Statham (47), Jude Law (42), Benji Madden (36), Alex Vaggo (28).

Rene Iris

23 years old, model

Renee started her modeling career at 15 years old. And in 2012 she won the Miss Universe Australia competition, beating 35 other candidates from around the country. But at Miss Universe 2012, the girl took only fourth place.

Nikki Whelan

33 years old, model and actress

Nikki became famous through her participation in a number of television shows, and since 2004 she has also acted in films. Her most popular role is in the Australian TV series Neighbors. After a year of work in this project, she set off to conquer Hollywood, but her first attempt to take root in American cinema was unsuccessful. Fortune smiled on her only in 2009. First, the role in “Melrose Place”, then in the TV series “Scrubs”. Gradually, directors began to invite the actress to larger roles. Today Nikki has worked in the series “The Chosen One,” “Workaholics,” the films “The Power of Belief,” “Celibate Week” and many others.

Adelaide Kane

24 years old, actress

The girl, like most Australian actresses, began her career with the TV series Neighbors. Adelaide became known to a wide range of viewers thanks to her roles in the series “Reign” and “Teen Wolf”, as well as her role in the film “The Purge”.

Bella Heathcote

27 years old, actress

After graduating from the Korowa Anglican Girls School, she entered the correspondence course at Holy Trinity College London, majoring in Speech and Drama. She then received a BA in Contemporary Art from Dickinson University (USA) in 2006. His acting debut took place in 2007 in the film “Servants.” In 2009, Bella also starred in the cult soap opera Neighbors. But greatest fame the girl received thanks to the role of Michelle Weiss in the film “Time”, as well as Victoria Winters in the film “Dark Shadows” by Tim Burton (56).

Jessica Hart

28 years old, model

Jessica Hart has long been a top model. There are several stories about her debut. The first says that at the age of 15, Jessica was noticed in a shopping center. According to another version, Jessica won a beauty contest, where her relatives forced her to go. Subsequently, the model worked with such brands as Victoria's Secret, Rag & Bone, Pour La Victoire, Guess and Moschino. She appeared many times on the covers of Vogue, Elle, Sports Illustrated, Fashion Quarterly, Madison Magazine and Shape.

Artists Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Sie Furler, Cody Simpson, Jessica Mauboy, Havana Brown, Gotye, Tina Arena, Peter Andre and Helen Reddy, pop group The Mixtures, synth-pop group Cut Copy, jazz guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, rock and roll pioneer Johnny O'Keefe, pop/folk band The Seekers, rock bands Men At Work, The EasyBeats, Air Supply, Crowded House, AC/DC, INXS, Little River Band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Midnight Oil, Silverchair, Youth Group and Pendulum, pop-rock duo Savage Garden, representatives of alternative music The John Butler trio, Wolfmother, Tame Impala and The Vines.

History of Australian music

Aboriginal music of Australia

Main article: Aboriginal music of Australia

A characteristic feature of the music of the Australian aborigines is the connection between the content of the song and its modal structure, which differs for hunting, ritual, love and corroboree. Varying the timbre of singing during dancing is achieved by clapping the hands, on the stomach or hips.

As musical instruments Aboriginal people use simple drums; a plank on a rope that makes a buzzing sound when rotated, a nose flute (in Northern Australia). Stones are used as percussion; pieces of wood or boomerangs; animal skins stretched between the knees or on a wooden resonator base. To amplify the sound of the voice, a didgeridoo is used - a pipe made of bamboo or a hollow piece of wood.

Colonial music

At the end of the 18th century, the first European colonists appeared in Australia, with whom they began to penetrate the continent. European music. The basis musical culture The settlers were English and partly Irish folk songs and works created in their likeness. The first professional performances: instrumental and choral concerts date back to 1830. The Sydney Philharmonic Society was founded in 1833. The first opera performance took place in Sydney in 1834.

In 1847, the first national opera “Don John of Austria” by composer A. Nathan was staged. In the 1850s, a company led by conductor L. H. Lavenue organized productions of Italian operas in various cities in Australia. The second half of the 19th century was also marked by numerous tours of opera, ballet and operetta troupes to Sydney. In 1880, the first Australian chamber ensemble appeared, the Zerbini Quartet. In 1906, the first symphony orchestra was founded under the direction of A. Zelman.

In 1836, violinist W. Wallace and organist F. Dean opened Australia's first music schools. In 1883, a music college opened in Adelaide, which later became a conservatoire. She also grew up at the conservatory music school in Melbourne, opened in the 1900s. Sydney Conservatorium of Music Sydney Conservatorium of Music ) was founded in 1914, and in 1925 an opera school opened there.

Contemporary Australian music

Classical music

Australia has six permanent symphony orchestras: Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, Tasmanian, South Australian and Western Australian - formed in the middle of the 20th century. In 1973, an opera house opened in Sydney, which became the hallmark of the city and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The National Council of Musical Associations was founded in 1932, and the Guild of Australian Composers in 1935. Every two years since 1960, an arts festival has been held in Adelaide.

Country

Australia has a long tradition of country music, which has a different style from American music. Australian country music is based on folklore traditions Ireland, England, Scotland and other nations. Examples of this include songs late XIX century Botany Bay and "Waltzing with Matilda"; the latter was in contention to become the Australian anthem in 1977. They show strong influences from Celtic ballads and a bit of American country music. Country songs written exclusively on Australian motives have a special name - “bush music”. But from the 1930s, the Australian country scene began to be heavily influenced by Western countries. This direction gave birth to the country's most successful performer in terms of the number of records sold - Slim Dusty. Currently, country crossovers are gaining the most popularity. The influence of country music is felt in the work of such artists as Nick Cave and The John Butler trio. Famous country music songs are Click Go The Shears(“Click the scissors”, folk), Lights on the Hill("Fires on the Hill", 1973), I Honestly Love You ("To be honest, I love you", 1974) and Not Pretty Enough(“Not Beautiful Enough”, 2002).

Pop music

Rock music

In mid-1956, the first rock and roll single was released in Australia. Rock Around the Clock, which became the best-selling in the country in history music industry. Since the 1950s, Australia has hosted tours by many popular acts from the US, including Bill Haley & His Comets, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. In those same years, the career of the Australian genre representative Johnny O'Keefe began.

In 1964, the first generation of performers was replaced by groups inspired by the work of The Beatles. The main impetus for this movement was given by the Australian tour of the famous British group. Among the most popular are the Bee Gees, Jethro Tull and singer Normie Rowe, voted Australia's most popular vocalist. At the same time, New Zealand performers appeared on the Australian stage.

Around the 1970s, another change of generations and styles occurred. One of the important factors that influenced the development of Australian rock was a dispute between copyright holders and commercial radio stations, as a result of which new works by Western performers stopped being broadcast. They were replaced by local groups who not only covered foreign songs, but were also able to develop their own special sound. Among them were AC/DC, Radio Birdman, and among the soloists - Reddy, Helen. Nick Cave entered the post-punk scene as a member of the band The Boys Next Door.

In the 1980s, Australian rock gained independence. New groups that emerged during this time were TISM, Men at Work, Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. In the 1990s, Australian groups AC/DC, INXS, The Bad Seeds, and Midnight Oil, which appeared at different times, enjoyed worldwide success.

Alternative rock

Popular bands playing in this genre are Angelspit, Cut Copy, The Presets, Miami Horror, Bag Raiders, The Potbelleez, Art vs. Science, Empire of the Sun and Pnau. The Presets won the ARIA Music Award in 2009, indicating widespread public interest in this type of creativity. The first album of the group Pnau, Sambanova, came out in 1999, when Australians thought the genre electronic music dies, but since then the group has successfully toured the US and Europe, proving that the genre is being revived.

Among Australian DJs world fame conquered

1. Russell Crowe

The central figure in Australia's invasion of Hollywood is actually from New Zealand. He got into the “star factory” largely thanks to Sharon Stone, who promoted him to Sam Raimi’s western “The Quick and the Dead.” Five years were enough to turn into the “major” actor that absolutely everyone needed, capable with a tired look curb the most utter pathos. Sometimes it seems that he acts exclusively in films counting on the most important Oscar.

Crowe will receive his first nomination for his supporting role in Michael Mann's The Insider. The next year, the actor earned an Oscar for Gladiator, but his best role, in Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind, was ignored by academics. Then it was time to give out the prize to Denzel Washington, and Crowe completely inappropriately outplayed everyone (and himself from Gladiator) with A Beautiful Mind. For another five years, Crowe produces works of the highest standard, until a persistent fatigue settles in his eyes. One might suspect that he caught the harmful virus from Ridley Scott, who in the 2000s appointed Russell as his favorite actor (five films - from Gladiator to Robin Hood). 49-year-old Crowe now looks tired and crushed by his own importance as a master who - it's a fact - is even on Australian Post stamps. Veteran Ridley looks fresher.

2. Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett's father Robert was an American naval officer originally from Texas. He met Kate's mother when his ship arrived in the port of Melbourne. At the end of his service, he married Kate's mother and remained to live in Australia, where Kate, as well as her brother and sister, were born in the suburbs of Melbourne. At the age of forty, he died of a heart attack. For Kate, who was ten years old at the time, his death left a lasting impression. As the actress admitted in an interview, at that moment her childhood ended. Kate first appeared on stage as a child - she took part in several school plays. Then I entered college, which I left to go travel. In Egypt, Kate starred in a film about boxing. It was with participation in the crowd that her brilliant acting career began. To date, Kate has produced more than 40 films and 20 theatrical productions. Her role in the film “Elizabeth” brought her worldwide fame, and Galadriel from “The Lord of the Rings” only strengthened this success. One of her latest works became the role of Jasmine in film of the same name Woody Allen, which brought her a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a BAFTA Award. After living in England for a long time, Kate and her family moved back to Australia in the early 2000s. She and her husband have run the Sydney Theater Company since 2008. It’s interesting that Kate, who never wanted to live in the USA, considers herself an American. “I was born and raised in Australia and have never lived in America, but nevertheless, I feel like an American, like anyone else who consumes American culture and politics. Only without the right to vote,” the actress admitted in an interview with Vogue. “Growing up, my father’s Texan heritage was a novelty to everyone, because Australia is a country where everyone knows each other. Now I see the same thing in my children. Two of them were born in England. And when we returned to Australia, they turned out to be “foreigners”. It seems to me that when you have a father or mother from another country, the boundaries of your world inevitably expand.”

3. Mel Gibson

Contrary to the fairly well-established belief that Mel Gibson is from Australia, his origin has no direct relation to this country. In fact, the Gibson family moved to Australia from the USA only in 1968, when Mel was already 12 years old. Before this, his father was injured on the job, lost his job and sued his employer for $145,000. However, the future actor received his education in Australia. After graduating from school, he was going to become a journalist, but life decreed otherwise. Mel's sister, having once seen an advertisement in the newspaper about recruitment to a theater studio, decided to secretly send his details there with a photograph, and soon Mel received an invitation to audition. So Mel entered the National Institute theatrical arts in Sydney. Gibson played his first role as a student in the film “Summer City.” Well, the second part of the film “Mad Max” became Mel’s ticket to Hollywood, after which he was noticed and invited to act in Hollywood. Today he is known throughout the world as talented actor, director, screenwriter, producer and father of eight children.

4. Hugh Jackman

In 1999, Hugh Jackman was named Australia's best actor, although it is difficult to call him a native Australian: Hugh's parents were British emigrants who came to the “green continent” in search of better life. Hugh was the youngest of the Jackmans' five children. When he was eight years old, his mother abandoned the family. The father soon married again, and his new wife replaced little Hugh and his older brothers and sisters' mother. They spent a lot of time together and often went hiking throughout Australia. After leaving school, Hugh entered the Sydney University of Technology to study journalism, but did not go to work in his specialty, but enrolled in theater courses. As an aspiring actor, he refused to participate in the extremely popular Australian series Neighbors, preferring to study at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. And, as we see, he was right. Hugh Jackman was noticed and invited to the series “Corelli”, where he played a prisoner. Hugh's career took off. The actor gained worldwide fame for his role as Wolverine in the film “X-Men.” Today, Hugh has an Amy Award, a Golden Globe, an Oscar nomination and dozens of well-played roles, including a cattle driver in the film Australia, about which the actor joked: “I’m an Australian who went to Australia to play an Australian in a film called Australia." Hugh Jackman currently lives in Hollywood. He is happily married, has two children and has no intention of moving to Australia. According to the actor, it is difficult to awaken the aggression he needs to film films there.

5. Heath Ledger

Before marrying Schreiber, Naomi briefly dated Heath Ledger, who, coincidentally, was her fellow countryman. Heath (named after a character in Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights) was born in Perth, Western Australia. His parents divorced when he was ten, and Heath remained with his mother, but continued to maintain a good relationship with his father. As a child, Heath was interested in two things: hockey and theater, but at the age of 15 he made final choice in favor of the second. After graduating from school, Heath moved to Sydney, where he received his first film role. Having quickly become famous in Australia, he moved to Hollywood. Having starred in the film “10 Things I Hate About You” and becoming an idol of teenage girls, Heath decided to refuse such offers in the future, expecting a serious role. And she followed. In 2000, Ledger, beating out two hundred applicants, received the role of the son of a rebel hero in the film The Patriot. Thanks to the film's great success, he gained worldwide fame, becoming one of Hollywood's leading young actors. In 2005, four films with his participation were released, one of which, “Brokeback Mountain,” was awarded three Oscar awards, four Golden Globe awards, and also received the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival. Heath himself was nominated for the Best Actor of the Year award at the Oscars, as well as many other film awards. But most famous role the actor is the villain and main enemy Batman - "Joker" in the film " Dark Knight" Heath did not finish his work in the film “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” - on January 22, 2008, he was found dead in his New York apartment in Manhattan. Heath Ledger became the second actor in history to receive an Oscar posthumously.

6. Nicole Kidman

Hugh Jackman's partner in the film "Australia" was his fellow countrywoman Nicole Kidman - the first Australian actress to receive an Oscar for best female role. "I come from fairyland, in which kangaroos live not in a zoo, but wherever they want,” says Nicole Kidman. Her great-grandparents moved to Australia from Ireland in pursuit of happiness. “Their family started a generation of proud Irish Australians, like myself,” says Kidman, who was not born in Australia. The future star was born in Honolulu, the administrative center of the state of Hawaii. The girl's family returned to Australia when Nicole was already 4 years old. She started studying ballet and then joined the Australian Youth Theatre. Already at the age of 17, Kidman knew that she would be an actress. She actively played in the theater and starred in TV series. They even began to recognize her on the streets. But then her mother became seriously ill, and the girl temporarily abandoned her favorite activity and devoted herself entirely to caring for the patient. Fortunately, mom recovered and Nicole continued acting career. The series “Bangkok Hilton”, in which the actress starred, became famous outside of Australia. Nicole was noticed and invited to star in the film “Dead Calm,” which became her ticket to Hollywood. This is how fame and success came to her. Then there was an unsuccessful marriage with Tom Cruise, which ended in divorce, which Kidman took very hard. She healed her broken heart with work. Today the star is doing well: world fame, children and a loving husband. Also, by the way, Australian. Nicole Kidman now lives in the USA, but visits her homeland quite often and is even an honorary representative of a children's hospital in Sydney.

7. Guy Pearce

If Russell Crowe's parents brought him to Australia from New Zealand, and Mel Gibson from America, then Pierce came there from England, where he spent the first three years of his life. In his youth, he was successful in bodybuilding, but fell in love with acting, which first led him to national fame as a TV star from the forge of local talent - the soap opera Neighbors, and then to the cult road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. After such turns, Pierce is unexpectedly called to play the main role in “Los Angeles Confidential,” where he and his fellow countryman Crowe are dressed in forties costumes. Guy Pearce only needs a few years for Hollywood to recognize him as a dedicated actor, ready for any experiments. In The Time Machine they are trying to make him a mainstream star with a wide range of action, but his acting talent works better in the environment of compact projects with exposed nerves, like Memento, The Cannibal or The Proposal.

In Hollywood, his charisma is greatly simplified, offering mainly images of antagonists who grind their teeth at the main characters, and often at the whole world. The outlet is television, to which Pierce successfully returned in Todd Haynes' miniseries Mildred Pierce, and his native Australian cinema.

8. Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving was born on April 4, 1960 in Nigeria to Wallace and Anna. He spent his childhood in South Africa and then moved to England as a teenager. There he attended the Queen Elizabeth Hospital private school, better known as QEH School in Bristol. Weaving arrived in Australia in 1976.
Weaving's first major role was in the television series Bodyline in 1984, as English captain Douglas Jargine.
Weaving starred in the 1988 Australian film The Dirtwater Dynasty and later in the 1989 film Bangkok Hilton. In 1991, he received an award from the Australian Film Institute for best actor for his performance in low-budget films. He also played Sir John in the 1993 comedy Yahoo Serious episode "Reckless Kelly", a lampoon of famous Australian criminal Ned Kelly. However, Weaving first gained fame overseas for his role in the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). In 1998, he won the Best Actor award at the Montreal Film Festival for his performance in The Interview. Weaving also played Poseidon in the miniseries adaptation of The Odyssey. Voiced by animated film"The Magic Pudding".

His role as the mysterious Agent Smith in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix brought him worldwide fame and made him a recognizable face around the world. Weaving reprized his role as Smith in the 2003 Matrix sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He consolidated his success by starring as the elf Elrond in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of John Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Weaving played leading roles in the films “Everything Goes” (2004) and “V for Vendetta” (2005), in last picture he played V. This role was originally intended for James Purefoy, but he four weeks refused the role during filming.

10. Chris and Liam Hemsworth

The Hemsworths are the most famous Aussie brothers in cinema today. There are three of them in total: Luke, Chris and Liam. The elder Luke is less known to viewers, since he films mainly in his homeland and is in no hurry to make a career in Hollywood. But his younger brothers were much luckier. Having moved to the USA in 2009, they quickly received roles that made them famous throughout the world. Chris became Thor from The Avengers, and Liam became Gale from The Hunger Games. Currently, both brothers live in Los Angeles and are in no hurry to return home. At the same time, Liam is an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation. "I had best parents, whatever they can be,” says the actor. “They worked in the field of child protection and always gave me support. The world is a pretty scary place for children and it's important that home is always a safe place for them." When asked if he considers himself a hero to children, he replied: “I don’t know if I’m a hero to children, but I would like to be one. I would like to be a good example."

11. Naomi Watts

Nicole Kidman's best friend, Naomi Watts, is also of Australian origin. Naomi, like Kidman, was not born in Australia. The girl was born in Great Britain. When she was four years old, her parents divorced. Three years later, Naomi's dad died, and her mother traveled halfway across the country in search of a better life. And I decided to settle in Sydney. Naomi was already 14 years old by that time. Fond of theater since childhood, the girl demanded that her mother arrange for her to study at an acting school. After graduating, Naomi began going to various auditions, but this was not particularly successful. She was given a small role in the film “Only for Love,” but that was all. Disillusioned with the profession, Naomi decided to try her hand at something else. For six years she worked first as a model, then as a journalist, and then realized that cinema was her calling. And she continued going to auditions. Fate rewarded her for her perseverance - they started filming her. An offer from Hollywood soon followed. Watts packed her suitcase and left for Los Angeles. After several passing roles, Watts was noticed by David Lynch himself, who invited the girl to play the role in the film Mulholland Drive, for which she received her first major awards. It was a success that remains with Naomi to this day. Today Naomi is a Hollywood star of the first magnitude. She lives in New York with her husband, actor Lev Schreiber. They are raising two sons.

12. Eric Bana

The progressive film community took notice of the actor (born Eric Banadinovich) after Andrew Dominik's powerful debut, Inside View. The director was looking for a leading actor for a long time and, having already admitted his own powerlessness, he heard the advice of Mark “Chopper” Reed (the film is about him, an Australian criminal) to pay attention to the actor from the television sketch show. It turned out to be Bana, who clung to the image with all his teeth and played, without any allowance for his youth, an outstanding and so far his best role.

After this, there was a painless move to Hollywood. There, Bana immediately found himself on the casting platform where big studios and big directors graze. Ridley Scott, Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg, Wolfgang Peterson, Curtis Hanson, J. J. Abrams, Judd Apatow, Joe Wright. There are two factors to take into account. Firstly, the actor has virtually no gaps between working with masters (that is, he mostly films for them). On the other hand, for any of these directors - with the exception of Abrams and Spielberg - films with Bana were not creative luck. It’s a paradox, but it’s hard to blame Ban for the inability to choose projects, but rather for bad luck and some kind of lack of charisma, which the actor disciplinedly sacrifices to the material. A glitch in karma apparently occurred on Ang Lee’s ill-fated “Hulk.” Bana has great appearance - Tom Cruise plus Russell Crowe. Beautiful women look great against such a background. Directors love to use this (“The Other Boleyn Girl,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” even “Hannah: The Ultimate Weapon”). In the role of beautiful furniture, Bana is pleasing to the eye and quickly forgotten, and images remain in the memory where, even if you recognize the actor, it is with great difficulty - the same Chopper or the villain Nero in “ Star Trek" Bana needs a breakthrough, like what happened to his Munich colleague Daniel Craig after being invited to play Bond. It is not yet possible to draw a lucky ticket; you have to rely on your own strength.

13. Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska was born in the capital of Australia, Canberra, into a family of Polish immigrants. From the age of eight the girl studied in ballet studio and dreamed of seeing myself on big stage, but at the age of fifteen I became interested in cinema. “When I decided to become an actress, I was 15 years old, I heard that you need to have an agent to act in films and on television,” Mia recalls. – In general, in an Internet search engine I typed “acting agencies in Sydney.” I especially liked one of them, I literally forced the employees to take me as a client and start trying it.” Soon the girl received an invitation to play in the Australian drama Murder in the Suburbs. Then the girl played in several more Australian films, and in 2008 she received an invitation to star in American films. Mia’s first role on the American continent was the role in the TV series “Treatment”. “I got a call from Los Angeles, then I received the script by email and read it,” Mia says. “Then I contacted my agent in Sydney and he organized the audition. The film was sent to Los Angeles to the series' executive producer, Rodrigo Garcia. And within a week I was in America.” After the film "The Challenge", Tim Burton noticed her, who decided that Mia was the ideal Alice. The director cast her in the film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland. After the film was released, Mia woke up famous. Today at track record Mia has more than twenty roles, and her popularity is only growing. But she doesn't feel like a star. “Brother Kai and sister Jess don’t let me become arrogant, they keep me in a black body. And in general, we are all very friendly,” says Mia.

14. Emily Browning

The career of Emily Browning, who is always one year older than Mia, also began in Australia. At the age of ten, she played in the TV series “Echo of Thunder.” Emily became known to a wide audience after her role as a little girl in the thriller “Ghost Ship” and, of course, after participating in the film “Lemony Snicket: 33 Misfortunes” with Jim Carrey. The film received an Oscar, and Emily herself received an award from the Australian Film Institute. And then there was a lull in the actress’s career - she didn’t act for three years, until finally, in 2009, she got a role in the horror film “The Uninvited,” which received rather low reviews from critics and average box office receipts. In 2010, director Zack Snyder offered the actress a role in his new project Sucker Punch. The film premiered on March 24, 2011. It was followed by the scandalous “Sleeping Beauty” and the film “The Host” - an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. Despite several passable roles, Emily does not allow the viewer to forget about herself - most recently Paul W. Anderson's disaster film Pompeii was released, where the girl played the main female role.

15. Geoffrey Rush

Outstanding character actor who broke through to Olympus thanks to great role pianist with mental disorder David Helfgott in the biographical film "Shine." Rush appeared out of nowhere (more precisely, from the theatrical environment) and greedily, without skipping a year, began to amaze critics and audiences with his theater-honed acting technique. He does this without any hint of conversation with eternity, masterfully performing the proposed work - be it a blockbuster series worth a couple of billions, or a supporting role in historical paintings, where it’s easy to get lost in the folds of costumes, or minor central roles like the recent “ Best offer", what is remarkable, first of all, is Rush.

Such people do not fall out of the picture due to external factors or the wrong choice of roles, only of their own free will. Rush films exactly as much and exactly as an actor of enormous talent, to whom fame came late, should work - greedily and accurately. He is one of the few who has won a major acting triplet - film Oscar, television Emmy and theater Tony. And he is also on Australian stamps - with Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett.

Means “entrance to the lakes” - at this place an extensive network of rivers and lakes flows into the ocean, creating ideal conditions for fishing.

Indeed, at the pier in Lakes Entrance there were many fishing trawlers, which immediately sold fresh fish and shrimp. Almost all vacationers in this place in Victoria could see a boat; many hotels have corners with tables for cutting fish.

Well, where there are fish, there are pelicans.

And the fishermen, accordingly...

In general, apart from fish and a couple of beaches, there is nothing special to see in Lakes Entrance, except for the private maritime museum Griffiths Sea Shell Museum, where you could find just tons various types shells, preserved and dried fish and other sea creatures.

Not far from Lakes Entrance are the Buchan Caves.

Well, after visiting the caves, it was nice to have a glass of local beer at the Bullant Brewery.

We were already in Canberra in 2008, stopping for a couple of days on our way to Sydney. Then we saw that there are many places in the city that can be visited in a few days.

Before leaving Canberra we visited the Australian Parliament building. There were several police officers at the entrance who let visitors through a frame, like at airports. After walking through the halls and offices, visiting the green roof, we moved on...

Consulting group the Economist Intelligence Unit has published its list of the world's best cities, with Melbourne topping it for the second year in a row.

The top ten cities look like this:

Great Ocean Road

We took a trip to the Great Ocean Road last December and just added everything from that trip yesterday.

You can drive the entire road in one day if you leave early in the morning, don’t stop everywhere, and return directly along the highway. To take our time with sightseeing, we stayed for a couple of nights right in the center of the road, in the town of Port Campbell (Summer's Rest Units).

On the first day it was cloudy, so we had to wear jackets, but on the second day the sun came out and it became much more fun.

A few attractions we visited:

Despite s18(1) of the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), I agree and acknowledge that any message Vodafone sends me will not contain an unsubscribe facility. I understand that I can, at any time, opt out of receiving marketing material by contacting Vodafone Customer Care.

In general, Australian laws may not be followed, the main thing is to report it small print.

She received the surname Macpherson from her stepfather Neil Macpherson.

Thanks to her ideal body proportions (90-61-89), at the age of 18, Elle signed her first contract with the famous modeling agency Click Model Management.

In 1985, Elle decided to marry photographer and creative director of Elle magazine Gilles Bensimon, who was 20 years older than Macpherson. Thanks to her marriage, Elle appeared in every issue of Elle magazine for six years.

In 1986, Elle made the cover of Time magazine. By that time, she had already been on the covers of magazines such as Cosmopolitan, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Playboy. Elle also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times during her career.

In 1989, MacPherson and Bensimon divorced, and along with her husband, Elle lost her largest employer, Elle magazine. This period in the girl’s career and life is difficult, but Elle pulls herself together and decides to move on.

Elle Macpherson in the movie "On the Edge"

In 1990, the first film starring famous model- "Alice", directed by Woody Allen. Then she plays in several films: “Sirens” (with Hugh Grant), “Batman and Robin” (with George Clooney), “On the Edge” (with Anthony Hopkins) and others.

Also in 1990, Macpherson launched her lingerie line, Elle Macpherson Intimates, which is sold exclusively in Australia.

In 1995, together with her supermodel friends, Elle opened the Fashion Café restaurant chain, which did not become profitable and was closed in 1998.

In 1999, Elle Macpherson starred in five episodes of the popular TV series Friends.

In 2003, Elle was engaged to French financier Arpad Busson, with whom she had two sons, Flynn in 1998 and Cy in 2003.

In 2005, the couple broke up, and today Elle and her children live in London.

Smile!

I read in the local newspaper today about what to do when traveling, and I saw this advice:

Smile. Always smile.

It"ll get you places you wouldn"t believe. From persuading Parisian waiters to speak English to figuring out where the hell you"re supposed to be sitting on that train, a little smile and a good attitude will get you help in no time. NB: There"s an exception to this rule – it "s called Russia. (They"ll think you"re mad.)

Translation:

Smile! Always smile.

This will open up so many new opportunities for you that you never dreamed of. For example, a waiter from Paris suddenly speaks English, or you finally find that fucking seat on the train - just smile a little and act accordingly.

One exception to this rule is Russia. They'll think you're crazy.

Famous Australian singer Darren Hayes celebrates his birthday today, May 8th. The performer managed to gain popularity not only in his native Australia, but throughout the world. Performing as part of the Savage Garden group, he gained fame that he could only dream of. In the first year of the group's existence, it received 10 ARIA Awards (analogous to the Brit Awards and Grammy).

Darren Hayes is a talented musician who writes quality music not only for himself, but also for many popular artists. On the birthday of the idol of the late 90s and early 2000s, I would like to remember his most popular compositions.

1. “I want you” (1996) is the first song of the Savage Garden duo, which, after two weeks of broadcasts, blew up all the charts. An ARIA Award was received and the single was certified platinum and a mega hit in Australia. New music of the new generation was unlike anything else.

2. “To the Moon and Back” (1996) - the Savage Garden group’s hit is still loved; this composition has become a kind of calling card for the performers, took 1st place in the charts, and sold about 135,000 copies of the single.

3. “Truly Madly Deeply” (1997) – third world presentation groups. The song stayed in first place on the world charts for 8 weeks, and on the Billboard chart it stayed in first place for three weeks!

4. “Animal song” (1999) - the composition became the soundtrack to the film “The Other Sister”. After the break, Savage Garden started to create again. They created this composition together, being on different continents. Darren was already living in America at the time, while his bandmate Daniel was still living in Australia. As soon as it appeared, the song reached number three in the charts in Australia and was in the top twenty in the United States. The single's producer, Walter Afanasyeff, received a Grammy Award as best producer year.

5. “Insatiable” (2002) - Darren Hayes's first solo composition after the band broke up. The single was again produced by Walter Afanasieff. The singer was seen renewed, and the fans were delighted, as were the world charts.

6. “Strange relationship” (2002) - the singer’s special manner of performance once again showed fans how soulful he can be in his songs. Savage Garden fans have now turned their attention to Darren. The bright single reached heights in Australia, Russia and Europe. It was at the top of the US charts.