Hannah Gadsby

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Hannah Gadsby
Hannah Gadsby and Jason Wing - Jam Project - crop.jpg
Gadsby in 2013
Born (1978-01-12) 12 January 1978 (age 44)[1]
Smithton, Tasmania, Australia
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • television
  • theatre
Alma materAustralian National University
Years active2006–present
Genres
Subject(s)
Spouse
Jenney Shamash
​
(m. 2021)​
WebsiteHannahGadsby.com.au

Hannah Gadsby (born 12 January 1978) is an Australian comedian, writer, and actress. She rose to prominence in her native Australia after winning the national final of the Raw Comedy competition for new comedians in 2006. In 2018, the release of Nanette on Netflix exposed her to an international audience. The special received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special and a Peabody Award.

Starting in 2019, she toured internationally with her show Douglas and the recorded special was released on Netflix in 2020.

Early life[edit]

Hannah Gadsby was born in Smithton, a small town on the remote north-west coast of Tasmania.[2] She was the youngest of five children.[3][4] She attended Smithton High School from 1990 to 1995. In year 12, she attended Launceston College, where she suffered a nervous breakdown.[5] She began third level studies at the University of Tasmania in Hobart but later transferred to the Australian National University,[5] where she earned a bachelor's degree in art history and curatorship in 2003.[6]

After her education, Gadsby worked in bookshops in Canberra and became a projectionist at an outdoor cinema in Darwin. She then spent two years picking vegetables and planting trees along the east coast of Australia. She became homeless, which she later attributed in part to her ADHD, and ill enough to require hospitalisation.[5]

Career[edit]

Stand-up comedy[edit]

On a visit to her sister in Adelaide in 2006, Gadsby entered Raw Comedy in 2006, progressing through the heats to win the national prize.[5] As the winner, she was sent to the So You Think You're Funny? competition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where she won second prize.[7]

Gadsby created the stand-up show she named Nanette partly as a response to the public debate which took place in Australia before the law was changed to allow same-sex marriage, and also after her diagnosis of ADHD and autism.[8] In 2018, Netflix released the film version of Nanette, which exposed her to international audiences.[9][10] On Rotten Tomatoes, Nanette received an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 49 critics.[11] Nanette explores topics such as homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, and gendered violence.[12] Elahe Izadi of The Washington Post states although Nanette is a comedy, Gadsby insists the audience recognize the dark truth of trauma and assault.[13] During the show, Gadsby publicized that she was quitting comedy because of how exhausting it was to perform.[14]

In March 2019, Gadsby previewed her new show, Douglas, in Adelaide,[15] before touring the U.S. and Australia, where many shows were sold out in advance.[16] In the show, she explores new personal revelations "with empathy, wit and some extremely relatable metaphor", and creates something "bigger than comedy" according to one reviewer of the preview show.[17] Gadsby says that she doesn't care what people call the show,[18] noting some critics said Nanette was "not comedy but a lecture".[19] In 2020 Gadsby's announced live show Douglas was released on Netflix.[20]

In July 2021, Gadsby started with her solo show Body of Work in several venues in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK.[21] Dates were also announced in the United States.[22]

TV roles[edit]

Gadsby co-wrote and co-starred in the Australian ABC TV show Adam Hills Tonight through three seasons from February 2011 to July 2013. She had regular segments called "On This Day" and "Hannah Has A Go" and also featured on the couch, contributing as host Adam Hills interviewed his guests.[23][24] She co-wrote (with Matthew Bate) and presented a three-part series on ABC, Hannah Gadsby's Oz, which aired in March 2014.[25] Produced by Closer Productions, this series set out to "debunk the myths of the Australian identity perpetuated by [its] national art".[26] From 2013 to 2016, she co-wrote 20 episodes of the television series Please Like Me with fellow comedian Josh Thomas. In it, she played Hannah, a fictional version of herself.[27]

Guest appearances[edit]

Gadsby's Australian and international television appearances include Rove Live (2009), Good News Week (2009),[28] Spicks and Specks (2010),[23] Agony Aunts (2012), QI (2018), The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2018, 2020), and TV3's game show, 7 Days.[29] She was a presenter at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018, presenting the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. Gadsby was also a guest on Conan O'Brien's podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend in 2019.[30]

Art-related tours and shows[edit]

Between 2009 and 2013, Gadsby presented comedy art tours in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victoria, with themes such as paintings of the Holy Virgin, Dadaism, Modernism, Impressionism and the nude in art. She has given talks on art and opened exhibitions.[31] Gadsby has written and presented two documentary specials for the Artscape program on ABC TV: Hannah Gadsby Goes Domestic (2010)[32] and The NGV Story (2011).[33] In 2015, she wrote and performed Hannah Gadsby: Arts Clown, a series for BBC Radio 4 based on her comedy art shows.[34]

Personal life[edit]

Gadsby is openly lesbian and often includes LGBTQ-related themes in her stand-up routines.[3][35]

Gadsby was diagnosed with ADHD and autism in 2017.[36][37] She refers to her autism in her 2019 show Douglas, aiming to help people understand neurodiversity as part of a normal variation of the human condition.[18][19]

In January 2021, Gadsby married producer Jenney Shamash.[38]

Gadsby is an active supporter of various charities. Organisations she has assisted include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Melbourne, Edmund Rice Camps of Victoria, and the Sacred Heart Mission.[39][40]

Awards[edit]

Tours[edit]

  • Hannah Wants A Wife (2012)[43]
  • Happiness is a Bedside Table (2013)[44]
  • Nanette (2017–2018)
  • Body of Work (2021–present)[45][22]

Filmography[edit]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2009–2010 The Librarians Carmel 2 episodes
2011 Warehouse Comedy Festival Self Episode: "Hannah Gadsby: Kiss Me Quick, I'm Full of Jubes"
2012 The Agony of... Self 6-part series Agony Aunts
2012–2013 Adam Hills Tonight Self Co-writer and presenter in 22 episodes
2013 Warehouse Comedy Festival Self Episode: "Hannah Gadsby: Mrs Chuckles"
2013 Underbelly Charlie 3 episodes
2014 Hannah Gadsby's Oz Host Documentary mini-series
Also writer
2014–2016 Please Like Me Hannah Also co-writer[27]
2015 Hannah Gadsby: Renaissance Woman Host Also writer and producer[46]
2018 Hannah Gadsby's Nakedy Nudes Host Documentary mini-series
Also writer

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2018 Hannah Gadsby: Nanette Self Comedy special
2020 Hannah Gadsby: Douglas Self Comedy special
2022 (anticipated) Hitpig[47][48] TBA Animated film

Bibliography[edit]

  • Gadsby, Hannah (2018). Ten Steps to Nanette. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-742-37403-1. OCLC 1014018703.

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://www.centralnews.com.au/@breaking-news/2019/01/11/395481/todays-birthday-121-hannah-gadsby[dead link]
  2. ^ "Hannah Gadsby: Movies, TV, and Bio". Amazon.
  3. ^ a b Low, Lenny Ann (12 February 2011). "The great Gadsby". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  4. ^ Mickel, Andrew (10 November 2011). "Hannah Gadsby interview: I talk about my shows like they're ships". Such Small Portions. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e Wright, Tony (30 June 2017). "Why Hannah Gadsby is retiring from comedy after 'Nanette'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Graduate search". Australian National University. 12 November 2014.
  7. ^ Hannah Gadsby, SYTYF, 2006 on YouTube
  8. ^ "Hannah Gadsby BA '03". Australian National University. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  9. ^ Zinoman, Jason (19 March 2018). "Introducing a Major New Voice in Comedy (Who Also Attacks Comedy)". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Logan, Brian (19 August 2017). "Hannah Gadsby review – electrifying farewell to standup". The Guardian.
  11. ^ "Hannah Gadsby: Nanette". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ Krefting, Rebecca (2019). "Hannah Gadsby Stands Down: Feminist Comedy Studies". JCMS: Journal of Cinema & Media Studies. 58 (3): 165–170. doi:10.1353/cj.2019.0032. S2CID 194345696.
  13. ^ Izadi, Elahe. "Analysis | Why Hannah Gadsby's Netflix special 'Nanette' is so remarkable". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  14. ^ Bendix, Trish (5 August 2019). "Hannah Gadsby Has More to Say". Time Magazine. Benxid, Trish (25 July 2019). "Hannah Gadsby's New Show 'Douglas' Takes a Hammer to the Patriarchy—Again". Time Magazine.
  15. ^ Marsh, Walter (7 February 2019). "Hannah Gadsby to preview new live show 'Douglas' in Adelaide". Adelaide Review. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  16. ^ "Hannah Gadsby:Douglas". Hannah Gadsby. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  17. ^ Marsh, Walter (25 March 2019). "Review: Hannah Gadsby's Douglas". Adelaide Review. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  18. ^ a b Peard, Anne-Marie (29 March 2019). "Hannah Gadsby: Douglas review". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  19. ^ a b Valentish, Jenny (29 March 2019). "Hannah Gadsby: Douglas review – comedian brings laughs but retains edge in Nanette follow-up". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  20. ^ "Netflix Orders Hannah Gadsby's New Stand-up Special 'Douglas'" (Press release). Netflix. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  21. ^ Carmody, Broede (10 May 2021). "New Body of Work: Hannah Gadsby announces live show". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  22. ^ a b "Hannah Gadsby: Body of Work | Kennedy Center".
  23. ^ a b "Adam Hills Tonight". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013.
  24. ^ "Adam Hills calls it quits from ABC series Adam Hills Tonight". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  25. ^ "Hannah Gadsby's OZ". ABC iview. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  26. ^ "Hannah Gadsby's Oz". Closer Productions. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  27. ^ a b Ryzik, Melena (24 July 2018). "The Comedy-Destroying, Soul-Affirming Art of Hannah Gadsby". The New York Times.
  28. ^ Good News Week 2009.10.26 – S07E32 on YouTube
  29. ^ "Famous Faces – Hannah Gadsby". Smithton High School. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  30. ^ "Hannah Gadsby". Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. Episode 29. Earwolf. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  31. ^ Northover, Kylie (20 March 2013). "Reclining nudes get stand-up treatment". The Age.
  32. ^ "Artscape – Hannah Gadsby Goes Domestic". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012.
  33. ^ "Hannah Gadsby: The NGV Story". Screen Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  34. ^ "Hannah Gadsby: Arts Clown". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  35. ^ "Hannah Gadsby: Comedy Festival Review". TVNZ. 10 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  36. ^ Nussbaum, Emily (15 June 2018). "The Comedian Hannah Gadsby Goes Big Time, and Renounces Comedy" (Audio podcast interview). The New Yorker Radio Hour.
  37. ^ Devaney, Susan (17 July 2018). "Nanette's Hannah Gadsby reveals how autism diagnosis transformed her". Stylist. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  38. ^ "Hannah Gadsby (!!) Is Married (!!!!) So Please Meet Her Hot New Wife, Jenney". Pedestrian TV. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  39. ^ "In Stitches for Kids Charity Comedy". Jolly People. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  40. ^ "Chisholm & Gamon Support the Heart of St Kilda Concert". Archived from the original on 16 May 2013.
  41. ^ "Edinburgh Fringe Festival: Hannah Gadsby named joint winner of Comedy Award". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  42. ^ "Entertainment & Children's Winners Named". 18 April 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  43. ^ Kissane, Ash (1 March 2012). "An Interview With Hannah Gadsby". Moustache Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  44. ^ Marshall Macbeth, Suzannah (9 April 2013). "Hannah Gadsby in Happiness is a Bedside Table". Crikey. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  45. ^ "Hannah Gadsby – Body of Work: A joyful guide to blasting Netflix and messing with Christian bakers". TheGuardian.com. 10 December 2021.
  46. ^ "WATCH: Hannah Gadsby as the Renaissance Woman". Daily Review. 22 December 2015.
  47. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (22 October 2020). "'Hitpig': Peter Dinklage, Lilly Singh, Rainn Wilson, RuPaul, Hannah Gadsby & Dany Boon To Voice Animated Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  48. ^ "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Hitpig". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

External links[edit]

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