- Anna Skellern
Anna Skellern (born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an actress best known as the first female member of
The Chaser 's television programmeCNNNN . [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1317154/ Anna Skellern] at the Internet Movie Database, retrieved 19 June 2008.]Early years
Skellern attended the University of Sydney, where she was a prominent student activist. [ [http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2007/11/12/Big_Brother_Chaser_love_twist "Big Brother, The Whitlams and The Chaser caught up on one girl"] , LIVENEWS.com.au, 12 November 2007, retrieved 1 December 2007.] In the first season of The Chaser's CNNNN, an Australian television show satirising American news channels
CNN andFox News , she played her namesake Anna Skellern, a no-nonsense war correspondent noted for the frequent loss of her cameramen and dubbed 'the perfumed abbatoir'. [Program Summary, [http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200512/programs/CO0203H006D1122005T235000.htm CNNNN - The Chaser NoNstop News Network] atAustralian Broadcasting Corporation , retrieved 19 June 2008.] In 2004, CNNNN shared theLogie Award for 'Most Outstanding Comedy' with "Kath & Kim ".Personal life
In 2007, Skellern was at the centre of a public spat between two of her former boyfriends,
Tim Freedman , singer and songwriter of the indie rock band "The Whitlams ", and "Chaser" host Chris Taylor. On 7 October 2007, Freedman posted a message on the band's official website, citing a parody of him which was written by Taylor, and had aired on the 3 October 2007 episode of "The Chaser's War on Everything ". [ [http://www.thewhitlams.com/NEWS/default.asp?Mode=SINGLE&NewsID=68 I Love The Chaser] ,The Whitlams , 7 October 2007, retrieved 1 December 2007.] The song was performed by fellow ChaserAndrew Hansen , and the lyrics implied that Freedman was obsessed with theSydney suburb of Newtown, and that he continually referred to the area of Newtown in his own songs. In his message, Freedman alluded that the lyrics were indeed written by Taylor, and that the parody had been motivated by jealousy over Skellern. [ [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=304362 "Tim Freedman hits back at Chaser"] ,NineMSN , 10 October 2007, retrieved 1 December 2007.] Taylor denied this, and said that the song had nothing to do with Skellern. "He [Freedman] was speculating that the song was written out of some sort of jealous rage or payback which isn't the case at all," he said. "My relationship with Anna didn't end badly... we're still good friends and see each other quite a bit." [ [http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22558157-5012985,00.html "Whitlams' Chaser love twist"] ,News.com.au , 9 October 2007, retrieved 1 December 2007.]She is currently dating her Vegemite Tales and
Sapphire and Steel co-starBlair McDonough . [ [http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2007/11/12/Big_Brother_Chaser_love_twist "Big Brother, The Whitlams and The Chaser caught up on one girl"] , LIVENEWS.com.au, 12 November 2007, retrieved 1 December 2007.]Recent Work
In July 2007 Skellern graduated from the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, whose includeOrlando Bloom ,Daniel Craig ,Joseph Fiennes ,Ewan McGregor ,Marina Sirtis andHayley Atwell . [ [http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/acting/people/3rd_year_students_2006_7/anna_skellern.html Anna Skellern] ,Guildhall School of Music and Drama website, retrieved 4 June 2008.] In that month she made her professional stage debut in the successful West End productionThe Vegemite Tales , playing the role of Maddie. [ [http://thevegemitetales.seatwaveblogs.com/2007/06/cast_biographies.php Cast Biographies] , [http://thevegemitetales.seatwaveblogs.com The Vegemite Tales] , 26 June 2007, retrieved 4 June 2008.]Skellern was recently cast as the new Sapphire in the radio show
Sapphire and Steel fromBig Finish - beginning with "Second Sight".. [ [http://www.dwscifi.com/reviews/1989-sapphire-steel-second-sight Sapphire & Steel - Second Sight] , 26 May 2008, retrieved 4 June 2008.]Skellern is currently filming for the sequel to
Neil Marshall 's critically acclaimed horror film "The Descent ". "The Descent 2 " is due to be released in 2009. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073105/ The Descent 2] at the Internet Movie Database, retrieved 19 June 2008.] The script sees a survivor from "The Descent" forced back into the system of caves she battled her way out of in the first film, in a bid to locate the rest of her group. [ [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia6869a0c961def15336f9ba13ee984e9 "Celador exploring 'Descent' sequel"] , "Hollywood Reporter ", 1 May 2008, retrieved 19 June 2008.] Skellern plays one of the members of the new search team that accompanies the survivor back into the caves. [ Alan Jones, [http://www.fangoria.com/fearful_feature.php?id=6750 "The Darker Depths of THE DESCENT 2"] , " Fangoria - America's Horror Magazine", 1 May 2008, retrieved 19 June 2008.]References
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