Jacquie Brennan is an Australian stage, television and film actress [2] Brennan has appeared in television, film, theatre and voice-over roles. Brennan is known for her roles in Bullpitt!,[3]The Hollowmen,[4] and her most known role in Australian award-winning TV Drama Wentworth as Officer Linda 'Smiles' Miles.
Brennan has also worked extensively in both the Queensland and Sydney theatre companies respectively, these credits include a self-written one woman show called 'Dangerous When Wet' as well and in the 60s spoof group The Harlettes during their Australian Tour. Jacquie's other theatre works include Are You Being Served? on the Australian Tour during its run in 2001, Room To Move, Camille, Rosy Apples Too Darn Hot, Macquarie, Beach Blanket Tempest, Silhouette and many more.[6][7]
Television career
Brennan is a well-known and sought-after voice over artist,[8][9] who has lent her voice to multiple voice over productions including working on SheZow, Kuu Kuu Harajuku,[10]Get Ace, Monster Beach's Television Movie, Australian-Canadian co-production Big Words, Small Stories,[11] and many more often voicing multiple characters in each series often over 5 voices during production.
In 2018, Brennan was rewarded for her efforts with a Voice Over Award or 'VoVo' for 'Most Emotionally Powerful Delivery' for the Peter MacCullum Cancer Centre ad 'Prevent, Detect, Act'.[12]
Brennan provided the voice audio narration for the book 'Blood River' in 2019 and in 2022 Brennan provided the narration for the audiobook 'Wake'. and in 2023 Brennan also provided narration for the audiobooks Ripper and Murder Townwritten by Shelley Burr.[13][14]
Brennan was announced in 2008 as part of the cast for ABC political comedy series The Hollowmen in the role of press secretary Mel.[15] Brennan appeared in both seasons of the show. Brennan said in an interview in 2023 "I remember making Rob Sitch laugh and I was thrilled.".[16]
In 2020, Brennan appeared in the Underbelly adaptation Informer 3838[17] where she played the real life Christine Hodson who was a victim of the Melbourne gangland killings, Christine's death during the height of the gangland war 'broke the code' because during a gang war it was an unwritten rule to always exclude the partners as you never went for them, Christine had no links to any underworld figures nor was she involved in any of Terence's dealings. Task Force Petra was introduced to investigate the murders, but was disbanded in 2011, the case however still remains open and unsolved and the $1 million reward for information still stands to this day. While filming for one scene was so intense Brennan's body 'went into shock' after the take was completed.[18]
Wentworth
Brennan joined the cast of Wentworth in 2012 when the series had first went into production and was originally only contracted to the show for 8 days,[19] she came into set reading alongside other cast for roles but was told to read for a 'small role' by the series set up director Kevin Carlin who explained it was only set to be a small role but he knew that Jacquie wanted to be involved in the series, that 'small role' ended up being the role of Officer Linda Miles. Brennan has since then revealed she originally auditioned for Liz Birdsworth.[20]
Brennan in attendance at Wentworth Con 2023
Brennan played prison officer Linda 'Smiles' Miles,[21] her first appearance was in season 1 episode 2 and had been part of the supporting cast for the shows entire run.[22] In season 7 Linda was promoted to acting deputy governor and Jacquie would reprise the role of Linda Miles during the filming for the final 20 episodes of the series, where Linda would be riddled with PTSD after the events of the siege. Brennan was in every season of Wentworth appearing in a total of 99 episodes of the series. Brennan did an extensive interview for her time on Wentworth in 2021 with LadyPartsTV.[20]
Brennan has since revealed in an interview with David Knox of TV Tonight that following season one of Wentworth a running-gag developed as Linda was given so little to do in the first season Linda just mostly 'opened doors' and gave 'excellent reactions' during certain scenes as the head writer for the series Timothy Hobart had taken notice and just "kept writing" for the character of Linda Miles, developing her character along the way. Brennan had said she came up with Linda's backstory and how the character of Linda became an officer. Linda's backstory was that she had lost everything gambling including her house, her former job and her marriage, Linda became an officer to be 'well paid'.[19]
Brennan would appear alongside several Wentworth cast members at a Screen Star Event in London and Birmingham in mid-2022 [23] and she would also appear alongside several cast members at Wentworth Con Melbourne in 2022, after withdrawing from the con's New Jersey event due to illness.[24] Brennan would appear for a second event this time in the US [25] and the UK in 2023 for Screen Star Events 15th Year alongside co-star Tammy MacIntosh and Colette Mann.[26][27]
Post Wentworth
On 9 November 2022, it was announced that Brennan had been cast in a two-part telemovie to air on the Nine Network in 2023 about the late Australian cricketer Shane Warne, which Shane would be played by Alex Williams.[28] Entitled Warnie, Brennan was cast to play Shane's mother Brigitte Warne. The decision to produce the miniseries about Warne after his death was heavily criticised by Warne's daughter Brooke who described it as "beyond disrespectful".[29] The trailer for the telemovie also attracted negative commentary across social media when it was first shown on 31 May 2023 during the NRL State of Origin halftime break.[29] The telemovie aired in two parts airing on June 25–26, 2023. The telemovie garnered mostly scathing negative reviews from the public, press and the Warne family alike. Shane's ex-wife Simone had slammed the telemovie calling it 'unkind' and 'mean spirited'.[30][28][31][32][33]
Brennan provided the voice over work for Channel 7 Police Operations series PoliceStrike Force.
In 2023 Brennan appeared in SBS drama Safe Home in the role of Nicole, and in season 4 of Paramount+ series Five Bedrooms reprising the role of Denise Schaap from season 1.
Personal life
Brennan is married to actor Ian Bliss, the two met in 1999 on the set of theatre play Silhouette.[34] Brennan in 2021 spoke with 9Honey's 'How We Met' video series and explained in detail how she met Ian and how he would drive Jacquie to rehearsal and bring her coffee, and how the two began a close bond during that time. Brennan and Bliss married in 2001 and have two children together.[35]
^"Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^ abKnox, David (9 November 2022). "Alex Williams to star as Shane Warne in Nine drama". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 June 2023. The cast also features Anthony Hayes and Marny Kennedy, supported by a stellar cast including Jacquie Brennan, Jeremy Stanford...
