Kate Maree Mulvany (born 1977) is an Australian actress, playwright and screenwriter. She works in theatre, television and film, with roles in Hunters (2020–2023), The Great Gatsby (2013), Griff the Invisible (2010) and The Final Winter (2007). She has played lead roles with Australian theatre companies as well as appearing on television and in film.
She has won several awards, including the Philip Parsons Young Playwrights Award for The Seed in 2004 and the Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play for her role in Richard 3 in 2017.
Early life and education Kate Maree Mulvany was born in 1977 and grew up in Geraldton, Western Australia. Her father, Danny, had migrated to Australia as a "ten-pound Pom" from Nottingham in England. He was called up to fight in the Vietnam War when he was 22, despite not being an Australian citizen at that time, and developed PTSD from his experiences there. Her mother, Glenys, is a schoolteacher. She has a sister, Tegan, who is seven years younger than her.
Mulvany was diagnosed with a Wilms's tumor (renal cancer) at age two and spent much of her childhood in hospital. Her cancer may be linked to her father's exposure to Agent Orange (which was contaminated with dioxin) during his service in the Vietnam War, although this has not been proven. After having to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a radical nephrectomy, she was declared in remission. However, the treatment and cancer had affected her body as she grew, and caused infertility.
In 1994 she moved to Perth for university, accompanied by her family. She earned a double major degree in script writing and theatre, and was tutored by Elizabeth Jolley. In 1997, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Curtin University, and moved to Sydney in 1998.
Career Mulvany has played lead roles with Australian theatre companies as well as appearing on television and in film.
For Bell Shakespeare she played Cassius, Lady Macbeth, and was lauded for her performance as Richard III in which she revealed her real-life spinal disability. Her adaptation of Craig Silvey's novel Jasper Jones has been performed in Perth by Barking Gecko Theatre Company, in Sydney by Belvoir St Theatre, and in Melbourne by the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 2015 it was shortlisted for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.
In 2018, Mulvany adapted Ruth Park's The Harp in the South trilogy as a two-part play for Sydney Theatre Company. In 2019, she followed this with an adaptation of the Schiller play Mary Stuart - the first to be undertaken by a woman - again for Sydney Theatre Company. One review said, "Mulvany’s bold adaptation recentres the queens, shearing away nearly every male soliloquy and interaction held exclusively between men, of which there are an abundance in Schiller’s text", while others called it "dazzlingly different", and a "feminist" reimagining of a classic.
In April 2019, Deadline announced that Mulvany had been cast as a series regular in Amazon Prime Video's new 10-episode Nazi-hunting series Hunters, created by David Weil and produced by Jordan Peele. She played one of the Hunters, Sister Harriet.
In August 2023 Mulvany narrated the three-part ABC Television series Our Vietnam War.
Other activities Mulvany is an ambassador for MiVAC (Mines, Victims and Clearance), a landmine advocacy and support group.
Personal life Mulvany was partner to actor Mark Priestley, who died by suicide when she was 30 years old.
In 2015 she wed fellow actor Hamish Michael in New York.
Recognition and awards General 2017: Honorary doctorate from Curtin University for her services to the arts in Australia 2017: Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award 2020: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2020 Australia Day Honours, for service to the performing arts 2018: Named patron of the Hayman Theatre at Curtin, along with its theatre company and the Curtin Theatre Arts Program for a term of three years 2020: Mona Brand Award, worth $35,000, "presented to a woman who has a body of outstanding work which displays broad array and which has been widely performed or screened to critical acclaim"
As actor YearOrganisationAwardNominated workResult2025AACTA AwardsBest Supporting ActressBetter ManHow to Make Gravy2019Helpmann AwardsBest Female Actor in a PlayEvery Brilliant Thing2018Green Room AwardsBest Female PerformerRichard III2018AACTA AwardsBest Lead Actress in a Feature FilmThe Merger2017Helpmann AwardsBest Female Actor in a PlayRichard III2017Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Mainstage ProductionRichard III2015AACTA AwardsBest Lead Actress in a Feature FilmThe Little Death2014Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Actress in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage ProductionTartuffe2011Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Actress in a Leading Role in a Mainstage ProductionJulius Caesar2007Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Actress in a Lead RoleThe Seed1998Green Room AwardsBest Female PerformerKiller Joe
As writer YearOrganisationAwardNominated workResult2019David Williamson PrizeFor Excellence in Writing for Australian TheatreThe Harp in the South 2018Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Mainstage ProductionBest New Australian Work2018AWGIE AwardsBest Theatre: StageThe Rasputin Affair2017Helpmann AwardsBest PlayJasper JonesBest New Australian Work2015-2016Intersticia FoundationBell Shakespeare Writers' Fellowship2014Sydney Theatre CompanyPatrick White Playwrights Fellowship2013AWGIE AwardsBest Theatre: StageMedea2012Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Mainstage ProductionBest New Australian Work2007Sydney Theatre AwardsBest Independent ProductionThe SeedBest New Australian Work2004BelvoirPhilip Parsons Young Playwrights Award2004Sydney Theatre CompanyPatrick White Playwrights AwardThe Danger Age2002Naked Theatre CompanyWrite Now! Playwrighting CompetitionBlood & Bone
Filmography Film +YearTitleRoleNotes2024How to Make GravyStella2024Better ManJanet Williams2022ElvisMarion Keisker2018The MergerAngie Barlow2014The Little DeathEvie2013The TurningGail Lang2013The Great GatsbyMrs McKee2012Scratch VetShort2010ConnectionNatalieShort2010Griff the InvisibleCecila 2009Into My ArmsAnnaShort2007The Final WinterKate
Television +YearTitleRoleNotesRef2026My Brilliant CareerAugusta2023The Clearing Tasmin Latham6 episodes2020-23HuntersSister Harriet18 episodes2022The Twelve Kate Lawson10 episodes2021RFDSRhiannon Emerson3 episodes2019Lambs of GodFrankie Jones3 episodes2019Get Krack!nSkye1 episode2018Fighting SeasonCaptain Kim Nordenfelt6 episodes2016Secret CityRonnie6 episodes2015Miss Fisher's Murder MysteriesEva/Millie1 episode2010-15WinterLauren McIntrye4 episodes2011-12The Hamster WheelAdditional Cast8 episodes2011My PlaceMrs Owen3 episodes2011Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got AwayKate MarinerTV Movie2009Chasers War on Everything1 episode2007Chandon PicturesMaggie1 episode2007The Chaser Decides1 episode2000All SaintsHayley McMasters1 episode Writing +YearTitleRoleNotesRef2022Summer LoveWriter1 episode2019-20UprightWriter8 episodes2016-18Beat BugsWriter3 episodes2013ChicomWriterShort
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