Julia Zemiro(/zəmɪəroʊ/) (born 14 April 1967)[1]is a French-born Australian television presenter, radio host, actress, singer, writer and comedian. She is best known as the host of the music quiz and live performance showRocKwiz.Zemiro is a fluent French speaker and has acted in French.
Julia Zemiro | |
|---|---|
 Zemiro in 2019 | |
| Born | 14 April 1967 |
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Education | University of Sydney(BA) University of Melbourne(BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Known for | Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery |
| Relatives | Jane Zemiro(mother) |
Early life and education
editZemiro's mother,Jane,is a retired teacher and education academic (University of Sydney) originally fromQueensland.Her French father, Claude, was a retiredrestaurateur.[2][3]In 1970, when she was two and a half years old, Zemiro's family moved from her birthplace, France, to Australia.[4]
Zemiro attendedSydney Girls High Schooland theUniversity of Sydney,where she studied for aBachelor of Arts.She was accepted into theVictorian College of the Artsat theUniversity of Melbournein 1992. She graduated from VCA in 1994 with a Diploma of Dramatic Arts (Acting).
Acting
editAfter graduation, Zemiro found work touring with theBell Shakespeare Company.She has featured in short films includingThe ExtraandMuffled Love,winning theTropfestBest Actress award twice, in 1999 (forThe Extra)[5]and in 2001 (forMuffled Love).[6]She co-wrote, performed and directedBackpackersfor the 2000Melbourne International Comedy Festival.[7]
Zemiro appeared as "Bronya" inEurovision, the Musical(2003),Euromax 7 The Musical(2004) andEürobeat: Almost Eurovision(2006).
A long-timeTheatresportsveteran, Zemiro played at theBelvoir St Theatre,Sydney, for many years before her move to Melbourne. She performed withImpro Melbourne,starring in their annual season of Celebrity Theatresports and regularly appeared in their Melbourne International Comedy Festival hit, "Late Nite Impro". She was a core cast member of the improvised stage showSpontaneous Broadway.
In 2014, Zemiro played Roxane'sduennainEdmond Rostand's 1897 playCyrano de BergeracoppositeRichard Roxburgh's Cyrano with theSydney Theatre Company.[8]
Television
edit
Zemiro first appeared as atelevision presenteras the host ofWorld Telly 2,an international co-production. She previously appeared in the originalWorld Tellyas part of an improvised comedy group. TheWorld Tellyprogrammes were broadcast byABC'sAustralia Television,the ABC's original but now defunct venture intointernational satellite broadcasting.
During her time with the Bell Shakespeare Company, Zemiro became a regular panelist and debater forGood News Weekas well as a writer and performer for two seasons onTotally Full Frontalin which she played over 30 characters.
In 1999, she was cast as a feckless film extra in theAACTAnominated &Tropfestawarded shortThe Extra
Since 2005, she has hostedRocKwizonSBS,a music quiz show usually recorded atThe Espy.[9]
Subsequently, Zemiro has enjoyed a variety of performances on television. She appeared in an episode ofCNNNNas the host of "Animal Farm". She was a judge onLifeStyle Food'sGreat BBQ Challengein 2006 and 2007. In 2006, she appeared on the comedy showThe Wedgeas various characters.
In May/June 2006, Zemiro hosted the one-off SBS seriesSong for the Socceroos,a talent show in search of a theme song for the AustralianSocceroossoccer team for the2006 FIFA World Cup.The group Freedom of Thought won the competition with their song "Green and Gold (Song for the Socceroos)",which peaked at number 26 on the ARIA Charts.[10]
In 2007, Zemiro appeared in and wonAustralia's Brainiest TV Star.The same year, she was a contestant on Channel Seven'sIt Takes Two,paired withDave Gleeson;they were the fourth pair to be eliminated.
Zemiro has appeared in television commercials, including as a satiric French fashion expert called Fifi La Croix forTarget'sbreast cancercampaign. She appeared as a guest in the third episode ofTop Gear Australiaand in 2009 onADbc.She appeared as a frequent participant onThank God You're HereandTalkin' 'Bout Your Generation.[9]In 2011, she appeared in the final episode ofThe Bazura Project's Guide To Sinemaas a fake chat show host.
Together with3RRRradio personalitySam Pang,Zemiro has acted as a commentator for the SBS broadcast of theEurovision Song Contestsin2009inMoscow,Russia, in2010inOslo,Norway, in2011in Düsseldorf, Germany, in2012in Baku, Azerbaijan, in2013in Malmö, Sweden,[11]in2014in Copenhagen, Denmark,[12]in2015in Vienna, Austria,[13]and in 2016, in Stockholm, Sweden.
She appeared inConspiracy 365during 2012, a 12-part Australian drama series onFMCas Oriana De La Force.[9]
Zemiro appeared on BBC'sQIin November 2012, after appearing on stage withStephen FryandAlan Davieson QI Live (stage version of theQIshow) in Melbourne in December 2011.[9]She has subsequentlyappeared onQIin January 2013 and January 2016.
She took the French-speaking role of Isabelle in the 2013 ABC TV filmAn Accidental Soldier,a film directed byRachel Wardand set in France during World War I.[14]Her interview program,Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery,in which she interviewed five Australian comedians in five episodes, began onABC1on 18 September 2013.[15]
Zemiro could be seen on screens across Europe when she appeared on a video-clip insert to the tongue-in-cheek interval act of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen. She led a recorded plea to the EBU asking that Australia be allowed to join Eurovision, before being seen in a helicopter 'moving' Australia to its new position in the centre of Europe.
Zemiro hosted the 2014New Year's Evetelecast fromSydney HarbourwithToby Truslovefor ABC TV.[16]
In 2021 she appeared in a co-starring role in the comedy seriesFiskand hosted the live television specialAustralia's Biggest Singalong!withMiranda Tapsell.[17]
From August 2023, the new seriesGreat Australian Walks,hosted by Zemiro and featuring a variety of famous guests, aired onSBS Television.Each of the 10 episodes is devoted to exploring walks around Australia that are both historically significant and scenic. Guests on the first series included actressTasma Walton;former national rugby player, later politician,David Pocock;and musicianPete O'Doherty.[18][19]The second series of 10 episodes launched in August 2024, co-hosted bySusie YoussefandGina Chickowing to other commitments by Zemiro.[20][21]Zemiro covers theNorthern TerritoryandWestern Australia,while Youssef takes onVictoriaandSouth Australia,and ChickNew South WalesandTasmania.[22]
Political views and activities
editZemiro emceed the feministMarch 4 Justiceprotest rally outside Parliament House,Canberra,in March 2021.[23]In September 2021, Zemiro hosted the launch of the Independent climate activistKylea Tink's campaign against sitting Liberal Member for North SydneyTrent Zimmerman.[24][25]
On 3 September 2020, Zemiro posted in a tweet that former-LiberalPrime MinisterTony Abbottis "a dickhead that keeps on giving and why won’t he shut up."[26]During the 2021Delta Variantoutbreak ofCOVID-19,Zemiro called for Liberal PremierGladys Berejiklianto be replaced, because New South Wales experienced 390 cases of the contagious variant in a day.[27]Following Berejiklian's resignation in October, Zemiro declared her opposition toDominic Perrottetbecoming premier; she also posted a petition which said white men who are "openly religious" should not hold leadership positions.[28]
Zemiro's ABC programJulia Zemiro's Home Deliverycovers contemporary political and cultural issues through personal interviews with celebrities, artists, politicians, and political commentators such asDerryn Hinch,Jacqui Lambie,Germaine Greer,Barrie CassidyandGillian Triggs.Zemiro praised human rights commissioner Gillian Triggs as a formidable "social justice advocate [whose] investigation into Australia's human rights record [won] her a legion of friends and some very powerful enemies". The program defended Triggs against criticism of political bias.[29]
In February 2022, a New Year's Eve Tweet by Zemiro was queried in aSenate Estimateshearing in relation to the ABC's social media guidelines on impartiality and balance. Zemiro tweeted: "On this final day of 2021 I pledge to do whatever I can to vote this NSW state andFederal govtout I'm not sure what the alternatives will be But I WILL NOT reward @ScottMorrisonMP @Dom_Perrottet and their ilk with another 'go' at it. "ABC Managing DirectorDavid Andersonsaid "Ms Zemiro is not a journalist, so she's not reporting on politics at any particular point in time. She has a factual entertainment program and is espousing her own views."[30]
References
edit- ^"Julia Zemiro".eurovisionfamily.tv.Retrieved27 August2013.
- ^Quinn, Karl (19 March 2006)."Smells like team spirit".The Age.Fairfax Media.Retrieved7 March2011.
- ^Quinn, Karl (7 December 2006)."The year of living famously".The Age.Fairfax Media.Retrieved28 October2009.
- ^"Julia Zemiro's Fear for Australia".news.au.17 April 2011.Retrieved6 March2014.
- ^"21/2/99: Tropfest 99 Winners".cinefile.au. 21 February 1999. Archived fromthe originalon 31 December 2012.Retrieved14 November2012.
- ^Dust for Eyes (28 February 2001)."Tropfest 2001".efilmcritic.Retrieved14 November2012.
- ^"Women Talking Cents"(PDF).cheapskates. 12 November 2005. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 April 2013.Retrieved14 November2012.
- ^"Cast update – STC'sCyrano de Bergerac",Sydney Theatre Company,26 August 2014
- ^abcdQuinn, Karl (3 December 2011)."Lunch with... Julia Zemiro".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.Retrieved14 November2012.
- ^Ryan, Gavin (2011).Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010(PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 108.
- ^Knox, David (23 September 2010)."SBS: Summer / Autumn".TV Tonight.Retrieved15 November2012.
- ^"About the Hosts".SBS.Archived fromthe originalon 23 March 2014.Retrieved23 March2014.
- ^Knox, David (14 November 2014)."SBS 2015: TV Highlights".tvtonight.au.TV Tonight.Retrieved14 November2014.
- ^An Accidental SoldieratIMDb
- ^"Julia Zemiro's Home delivery".ABC1.Retrieved26 September2013.
- ^"Julia Zemiro thanked God when the ABC's 2014 New Year's Eve telecast was over".The Sydney Morning Herald.1 January 2015.Retrieved6 January2015.
- ^"Australia's Biggest Singalong! - Production credits".Programs.Retrieved1 August2021.
- ^"Julia Zemiro's Great Australian Walks premieres August 10".Mint Pictures.10 March 2023.Retrieved14 September2024.
- ^"Great Australian Walks With Julia Zemiro".Walkers Journal.2 August 2023.Retrieved14 September2024.
- ^"Julia Zemiro, Gina Chick & Susie Youssef".Walkers Journal.6 August 2024.Retrieved14 September2024.
- ^Woolford, Lisa (15 August 2024)."Susie Youssef walks the talk in her latest TV role".InReview.Retrieved14 September2024.
- ^Vukelich, Desanka (20 August 2024)."'Great Australian Walks' returns, reminding us how easy it is to feel connected ".SBS What's On.Retrieved14 September2024.
- ^" 'A tidal wave' of tears and rage sweeps the nation as tens of thousands rally",The Sydney Morning Herald,March 15, 2021
- ^"Paul Fletcher likely to face independent challenge in blue-ribbon seat of Bradfield"The Guardian,23 September 2021
- ^"Meet the Liberal Party’s latest problem: a climate-driven independent",The Age,18 September 2012
- ^Zemiro, Julia [@julia_zemiro](3 September 2020)."@robdelaney Thank you Rob. Abbott is a dickhead that keeps on giving and why won't he shut up"(Tweet).Archivedfrom the original on 5 October 2021.Retrieved17 October2021– viaTwitter.
- ^Zemiro, Julia [@julia_zemiro](12 August 2021)."390 cases. Someone anyone needs to step in and replace @GladysB and @BradHazzard. Stop normalising and toning down an increasing EMERGENCY. #auspol"(Tweet).Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2021.Retrieved17 October2021– viaTwitter.
- ^Zemiro, Julia [@julia_zemiro](4 October 2021)."I have signed this to voice my deep concerns around Perrottet as possible NSW Premier. It needn't be a done deal. Petition · Diversity please – Not Perrottet for NSW leadership · https://t.co/qFPZ4IdJAt https://t.co/T5oynVoDZQ"(Tweet).Archivedfrom the original on 12 October 2021.Retrieved17 October2021– viaTwitter.
- ^Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery – Season 7: Gillian Triggs;abc.net.au
- ^"Senate estimates: ABC grilled over Julia Zemiro’s anti-Coalition tweet",news.au,15 February 2022
External links
edit
- Julia ZemiroatIMDb
- "Macbethreview "(Zemiro as Lady Macbeth) by Daniel Ziffer,The Age(20 July 2004)