Shari Sebbens - Director / Actor / Producer
Shari is a proud Bardi, Jabirr-Jabirr woman born and raised in Darwin. At 19 Shari was one of ten young artists chosen for “SPARK”, the Australia Council for the Arts first theatre mentorship program.
In 2006 she was accepted into Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where she completed the certificate 3 course in Aboriginal Theatre. At the end of the year she was accepted into NIDA, graduating in 2009.
Shari is a proud and passionate advocate for Indigenous theatre especially the development of new and contemporary works. In 2011 Shari was cast in her first film role of Kayin in The Sapphires.
The film is based on the hit stage-play of the same name. The Sapphires’ world premiere was at the 2012 Cannes International Film Festival and it has since screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival.
In 2012 Shari starred in the world premiere of La Boite/Griffin Theatre’s production of Rick Viede’s A Hoax; she played the role of Julia in Redfern Now for ABC, and one of the leads in the ABC series The Gods Of Wheat Street. In 2013 Shari was cast as Naomi in Warwick Thornton’s feature The Darkside.
In 2014 Shari played the roles of Jessie in the ABC series 8MMM Aboriginal Radio, Samus in the web-series Soul Mates and the lead role of Annuska in the feature film Teenage Kicks. Shari commenced 2015 playing Mae in Radiance for Belvoir St, directed by Leah Purcell.
Followed by the Sydney Theatre Production of The Battle of Waterloo directed by Sarah Goodes. She continued on stage in 2016 with Back to the Dojo for Belvoir Theatre and The Bleeding Tree for Griffin Theatre.
Also that year Shari appeared in Black Comedy and webseries This Is Desmondo Ray!.
In 2017, Shari returned to film with the role of Mother in Thor: Ragnarok opposite Idris Elba and Foxtel’s first feature Australia Day playing leading role of Sonya Mackenzie. She performed in the remount of The Bleeding Tree followed by Black is the New White, both at the STC and then to Queensland Theatre Co’s An Octoroon.
2018 saw Shari return to the screen with regular role of Leonie in Matchbox Pictures The Heights; comedy The Let Down 2; and Feature Top End Wedding. That year her theatre projects included, Black is the New White (STC) return and A Cherry Soul (STC).
In 2019 saw Shari performing in Our Town for the Black Swan Theatre Company and City of Gold for Griffin Theatre and QLD Theatre Co and returned to the small screen as Leonie in The Heights S2.
In 2020 she played a guest role of Eliza in Nine networks, Amazing Grace.
2021 work included Preppers for ABC. She appeared in Taika Waititi’s THOR: Love and Thunder for Marvel studios and played lead role of Sarah in Jon Bell’s short film The Moogai and again in the feature length version, which was selected for 2024 Sundance Film Festival, won the Audience Award at Sydney Film Festival, and won the CineFest Oz Film Prize Award.
Shari was seen as Greta in Amazon Prime video’s The Office(Australia). She is also features in Stan’s series Thou Shalt Not Steal as Tracy.
Shari is the recipient of the Graham Kennedy Logie Award for Outstanding New Talent (2012).Since graduation from NIDA Shari has been involved in numerous script developments for Playwriting Australia. I
n 2016 Shari joined the Magpie Pictures creatives in a writing workshop for development of NITV’s Grace Beside Me television series.
Following this, she was accepted as one of Screen Australia’s supported director attachments on Thor: Ragnarok alongside renown film maker/actor/director Taika Waititi.
In 2018 she commenced the creative development of Keelen Mailman’s The Power of Bones project. In 2019 Shari was named Sydney Theatre Company’s new Richard Wherrett Fellow, a prestigious career pathway opportunity for emerging and developing directors. 2020 saw Shari mark her directorial debut with Superheroes for Griffin Theatre.
She went on to direct Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner (Darlinghurst Theatre Co), The Seven Stages of Grieving (STC). As STC resident Artist (2021-24 she directed City of Gold, A Raisin in the Sun and Fences which she won Best Direction of a Mainstage Production at Sydney Theatre Awards (2023).
She also Co-directed Is God Is (MTC & STC) and Blaque Show Girls (Griffin theatre). Shari’s voice over work includes four seasons of Little J & Big Cuz animation and numerous audio books.
