Jillian O’Dowd’s Industry Bio
ACTOR-VOICE ARTIST-DIRECTOR-PRODUCER-MANAGER-SINGER-DRUMMER-WRITER-COACH
New Zealand born, Australian Citizen, Jillian O’Dowd, is a graduate of Australia’s prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and has over thirty years professional experience in stage, music theatre, cabaret, rock'n'roll, film and television. Read more...
LATEST NEWS:
Jillian starred in a comedy 'planking' commercial for Internet provider Superloop through production company Hooves.
Jilly's voice features in the NZ Seniors Funeral Insurance commercials in 2024 for Eardrum Sydney recorded at Squeak R Clean.
Jillian performed on drums and vocals in the Burradise Bash Music Festival promo day on Easter Sunday 2024 to a large appreciative audience, alongside her partner/singer-songwriter Baxter Stone for their duo 'Chocolate Dogs'.
Jillian played the role of the Grand Dame Marya at The Eternity Playhouse in electro pop opera Natasha & Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 for Darlinghurst Theatre Co. in Sydney 2023 - awarded 4 stars in time out. She received excellent reviews. Jilly performed the role of Marya and drummed the score as her when not on stage.
Jilly has formed an alliance WithinBeyond with artist Greer Taylor - 'to invite curiosity, reconnecting humanity to nature and the heart of ourselves'. They were awarded the CASP CREATE NSW grant to develop the storyboard for their short film coevolution written/designed by Greer Taylor, conceptualised/directed by Jilly with filmmaker Harry Kielly. The storyboard was presented end of March 2023 to the funding body and public in Kiama. It was very well received.
Future plans to apply for preprod and production funding to bring it to fruition.
Greer and Jillian are developing the presentation of Greer's work remembering - a tale of grief and joy- told in 8 musical movements. Baxter Stone is composing the music to accompany this tale of Mother Earth with invited guests, with a vision towards a 'concept album' in 2026.
WithinBeyond presented a multi media immersion 'happening' - veiling; grief and delight November 19 2022, which launched Greer Taylor's poetry book of that title, featuring their short film for a long time. It had a live cast on stage, sound, film, photography, original music and movement. It celebrated a full house and was well received with books sold out on the night.
They have plans in 2024 to launch Veiling on line to a wider audience.
Jilly produced, performed in and directed a music clip Back Into The Zone featuring the music of singer-songwriter Baxter Stone. avail on you tube. They had a sold out concert at Stella Studioz March 2023-Sweet Beats n Blues 5 event. The duo launched their EP 'Reel to Real' to a sold out live audience September 2022. Jilly continues to sing and play drums.
Jilly starred in Ghosting The Party for The Griffin Theatre Co. Sydney playing the lead role of Dorothy. Australian Theatre Live digitally recorded this for their site in 2022. Sydney Morning Herald awarded the Australian black comedy premiere by Melissa Bubnic 4.5 stars. Jilly and her co stars Belinda Giblin and Amy Hack received very favourable reviews.
Jilly is the part time Director of Education and industry consultant for CST (Centre Stage Theatrics) in South Coast NSW. She conducted performance workshops for the cast members of Disneys 'Moana Jnr Musical '. She has consulted and taken a rehearsal for Heathers The Musical and Chicago. Jilly was the vocal music director on Shrek April 2023 at The Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre.
Jilly played the comic kiwi role of Teresa on Arena Media's new web series Five Minute Call, directed by Ainslie Clouston, starring and written by Helen Dallimore and Simon Burke, in June 2021. It has plans for release in 2024.
Jilly starred as the 'voice of reason' for main character Ruby Tuesday and created the live vocal soundscape/songs to a new Australian play Safety Nets written by Sarah Butler, supported by Shark Island and The ARTSLAB Kangaroo Valley. It performed February 2022 at The ARTSLAB and March 2022 at The Adelaide Fringe Fest in the historic Bakehouse Theatre. The show is is co-produced/directed by Sarah and Jilly. It was awarded 5 stars in The Adelaide Advertiser.
Jillian provided additional voice and accent coaching on 'The Twins' for The Adelaide Fringe Festival March 2021 for Shark Island Kangaroo Valley, starring Greg Fleet and Ian Darling.
Jilly recorded drums /vocals for the band 'The Chocolate Dogs' latest album Back Into The Zone 2020.
Jillian co-produced and played the Narrator, Mrs Grose, Miles and his Uncle in Jeffrey Hatchers 'The Turn of the Screw' ( adapted from Henry James' Novella) for The Arts Lab in association with Shark Island Institute under the direction of Sarah Butler. It was very well received in March 2020.
Jillian plays Constable Janine in Victoria MacIntyre's Australian feature film 'The Flood' which had National release in 2020. The flood received an AACTA nomination. Jilly also coached the kids/adults on set in the 'Gungabbie Choir' scene, coordinated the extras and cast bit players for the shoot in March 2019.
Private tuition for teenagers, children and adults in acting for film, theatre, audition technique, performance poetry, singing and drums continues from her home and on line via Skype/Zoom.
Jilly's band 'The Chocolate Dogs' played the main stage for 'The Shoalhaven River Festival' Oct 26 2019. They supported 'Psuedo Echo' in 2017.
Rabobank NZ recorded Jilly's Kiwi voice for their on line training at I & G Studios in Sydney 2019.
Jilly has a credit on The Sydney Film Festival doco film 'The Final Quarter' as part of the Shark Island Production team, 2019. It's directed by Ian Darling.
Jilly performed with The Sydney Acacia String Quartet in a 1950's style radio play of Nick Enright's 'The Maitland and Morpeth String Quartet' for The Kangaroo Valley Arts Festival 2019. She narrated the epic comic poem to the live audience which culminated in her rousing rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus.
Jilly appeared in a comic scene with Richard Roxburgh, Episode 3 Series 5 of RAKE in 2018.
Jillian is the comic lead in the RAA 'Storm' commercial. Check it out on You Tube and commercial networks in South Australia. She also featured as the lead mum role in the Ikea spring commercial on national networks and you tube.
Jilly is the voice artist at Trackdown Digital located at Fox Studios Sydney on the animation Nate is Late. on Channel 9GO, France One and German networks. She plays Nate's Mum, Violet, Melanie Hydra the Warrior Mermaid, Mrs Rainfort and many more characters.
Her Voice features as the Narrator/Bluebird/Big Brown Bear/Mother Deer in the 2018 Easter/Christmas specials of SLR Productions Guess How Much I Love You for ABC Kids TV, cinema release, throughout Series Two and on overseas networks.
Jillian wrote/ directed/performed/produced Baxter Stone & The Chocolate Dogs music clip for their track 'Fear Of Falling' from their album 'Barking Up The Wrong Tree' September 15 2018. It's stars Roy Billing (Underbelly/Jack Irish Fame) and has accomplished director of photography Samuel Vines at the helm. (The Easybeats Story 'Friday On My Mind' fame). Please check it out on the music page links and on you tube.
Jillian has created the "Four C's Hub" for the Kangaroo Valley Primary School and ran the workshops Letters of Gratitude, The Art of Giving and Think Happy Be Happy Dream Happy, Dream Big, Safe, Visualise, Manifest and Abundance for years K-6. She's in research for her associated education manual.