# Rachel Friend

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{{Short description|Australian actress and journalist (born 1970)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Rachel Friend
| image        =
| caption      = 
| occupation   = Actress, journalist, communications consultant
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1970|1|8|df=y}}
| birth_place  = Australia
| death_date   = 
| death_place  = 
| years_active = 1985–present
| spouse       = {{marriage|[Craig McLachlan](/source/Craig_McLachlan)|1993|1994}}<br />{{marriage|[Stuart MacGill](/source/Stuart_MacGill)|2000|2013}}
| children     = 2 
}}

'''Rachel Amanda Friend''' (born 8 January 1970) is an Australian actress and journalist.

==Early life==
Friend was born on 8 January 1970. She has an older brother and a younger sister.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=21 August 1988|title=Meet the new breed heart-throbs|magazine=[Sunday Mail TV Plus](/source/Sunday_Mail_(Adelaide))|page=5}}</ref> She completed her [HSC](/source/Higher_School_Certificate_(Victoria)) at [Sacré Cœur School](/source/Sacr%C3%A9_C%C5%93ur_School), in [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne)'s eastern suburbs, and deferred a commerce course at [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne).

==Career==
Friend began her screen career with roles in ''[Zoo Family](/source/Zoo_Family)'', ''[Prime Time](/source/Prime_Time_(Australian_TV_series))'' and ''[The Bartons](/source/The_Bartons)''. She also starred in the 1986 family adventure film ''[Frog Dreaming](/source/Frog_Dreaming)''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Devlyn|first=Darren|date=2 July 1988|title=A Friend & neighbor|magazine=[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)|page=25}}</ref>

Friend joined the cast of the [soap opera](/source/soap_opera) ''[Neighbours](/source/Neighbours)'' in 1988, when she was eighteen.<ref name="NewNeighbour">{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Rachel+Friend+and+Neighbours&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news880625_0183_0393|title=Your New Neighbour|date=25 June 1988|work=[The Sun-Herald](/source/The_Sun-Herald)|publisher=[Fairfax Media](/source/Fairfax_Media)|page=51|accessdate=6 June 2011}}</ref> Friend chose to postpone her university degree to join the show as [Bronwyn Davies](/source/Bronwyn_Davies).<ref name="NewNeighbour"/> Friend quit ''[Neighbours](/source/Neighbours)'' in 1990.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/TV--Radio/Role-of-honour/2005/03/13/1110649050747.html|title=Role of honour|last=Idato|first=Michael|date=14 March 2005|work=[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)|publisher=[Fairfax Media](/source/Fairfax_Media)|accessdate=6 June 2011}}</ref> That same year saw her win the [Logie Award](/source/Logie_Award) for [Most Popular Actress](/source/Logie_Award_for_Most_Popular_Actress).<ref>{{cite web|title=1990 TV Week Logie Awards|url=http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=732945&showcomments=true|work=[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)|publisher=tvweek.ninemsn.com.au|accessdate=6 June 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324005436/http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=732945&showcomments=true|archivedate=24 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Lewis|first=Rachel|date=2019-10-09|title=The Cast of Neighbours: Where Are They Now?|url=https://www.pensandpatron.com/lifestyle/neighbours-then-and-now-fb/|access-date=2020-09-01|website=Pens & Patron|language=en}}</ref>

After leaving ''Neighbours'', Friend starred as Annette in the telemovie ''[Mission Top Secret](/source/Mission_Top_Secret)'', alongside [Beth Buchanan](/source/Beth_Buchanan).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Brown|first=David|date=5 May 1990|title=Rachel goes rustic!|magazine=[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)|pages=4–5}}</ref> Other roles include ''[Golden Fiddles](/source/Golden_Fiddles)'' (1991), and a brief appearance in ''[Round The Twist](/source/Round_The_Twist)'' as a mermaid.

Friend then moved into TV journalism.<ref name="Holder"/> In 1991, she became a reporter for ''[Midday with Ray Martin](/source/Midday_(Australian_TV_program))''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cooney|first=Jenny|date=27 April 1991|title=Rachel faces up to life on the road... It's a jungle out there!|magazine=[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)|page=2}}</ref> She was a reporter for ''[A Current Affair](/source/A_Current_Affair_(Australian_TV_program))'' for seven years, until her departure in 2001.<ref name="Holder">{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A103600118/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=40172793|title=Sydney Confidential|last=Holder|first=Peter|last2=Casamento|first2=Jo|date=7 February 2001|work=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph_(Sydney))|page=28|access-date=15 September 2025|via=[Gale](/source/Gale_(publisher))|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Friend co-hosted the [Seven Network](/source/Seven_Network) show ''[Saturday Kitchen](/source/Saturday_Kitchen)'' with her husband [Stuart MacGill](/source/Stuart_MacGill).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/wined-dined-bowled-over-by-macgill-20071206-ge6gia.html?page=fullpage|title=Wined, dined, bowled over by MacGill|last=Schwartz|first=Larry|date=6 December 2007|work=[The Age](/source/The_Age)|access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref>

In 2003, Friend established her own PR agency, Media Friendly.<ref name="Domjen"/> In July 2007, she produced and presented the Seven Network parenting show, ''Mums and Bubs''. In 2009, Friend began hosting a television show on the Seven Network called ''[New Idea TV](/source/New_Idea)'' alongside Barbara Northwood, [Tom Williams](/source/Tom_Williams_(presenter)) and a variety of other presenters. {{citation needed|date=March 2015}}{{Update|section|date=December 2017}}

==Personal life==
In 1993, Friend married Australian actor-singer [Craig McLachlan](/source/Craig_McLachlan) whom she had met on the set of ''Neighbours''.<ref name="Diary">{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Rachel+Friend+and+Neighbours&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news001018_0022_4973|title=The Diary|last=Sharp|first=Annette|date=15 October 2000|work=[The Sun-Herald](/source/The_Sun-Herald)|publisher=[Fairfax Media](/source/Fairfax_Media)|page=26|accessdate=6 June 2011}}</ref> They divorced the following year.<ref name="Diary"/> McLachlan's hit song "Amanda" was about Friend, which is her middle name.

Friend married Australian cricketer [Stuart MacGill](/source/Stuart_MacGill) in Melbourne in October 2000,<ref name="Holder"/> after meeting in 1999 when she interviewed him for ''[A Current Affair](/source/A_Current_Affair_(Australian_TV_program))''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/rachel-friend-divorce/ | title=Rachel Friend confirms a split from former cricketer Stuart MacGill | date=31 August 2014 }}</ref> They have two children together – a son born in 2003 and a daughter born in 2006. The pair separated and subsequently divorced in 2013.<ref name="Domjen">{{cite news|url=https://dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/stuart-macgill-and-rachel-friend-pull-up-stumps-after-14-years-of-marriage-but-stay-mates/news-story/55ff353051e463901aecec8bc12c1eca|title=MacGill and Friend pull up stumps|last=Domjen|first=Briana|date=30 August 2014|work=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph_(Sydney))|access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{|class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes 
|-
| 1985
| ''[Zoo Family](/source/Zoo_Family)''
| Susie's friend
| Episode: "The Good, The Bad and Martin"
|-
| rowspan="2"|1986
| ''[Frog Dreaming](/source/Frog_Dreaming)''
| Wendy
| aka ''The Quest'' (US) and ''The Go Kids'' (UK)
|-
| ''[Prime Time](/source/Prime_Time_(Australian_TV_series))''
|
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[The Bartons](/source/C%2Fo_The_Bartons)''
| Miranda
| Episode: "Bartons on the Beach"
|-
| 1988–1990
| ''[Neighbours](/source/Neighbours)'' 
| [Bronwyn Davies](/source/Bronwyn_Davies)
| Series regular 
|-
| 
| ''[Round The Twist](/source/Round_The_Twist)''
| Mermaid
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1991
| ''[Golden Fiddles](/source/Golden_Fiddles)''
| Kitty Balfour
| Miniseries
|-
| ''[Midday](/source/Midday_(Australian_TV_program))''
| Reporter
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[Mission Top Secret](/source/Mission_Top_Secret)''
| Annette
| TV movie / pilot
|-
| 1993
| ''[London Tonight](/source/ITV_News_London)''
| Reporter
|
|-
| 1996
| ''Wild Life''
| Presenter
| Also writer
|-
| 1999
| ''[A Current Affair](/source/A_Current_Affair_(Australian_TV_program))''
| Reporter
|
|-
|
| ''Saturday Kitchen''
| Co-host (with husband [Stuart MacGill](/source/Stuart_MacGill))
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[A Current Affair](/source/A_Current_Affair_(Australian_TV_program))''
| Reporter
| Episode: "Vaccination: A Stab in the Dark?"
|-
| 2005 
| ''Under the Grandstand'' 
| Guest
| Episode: #1.4
|-
| 2007
| ''Mums and Bubs''
| Presenter
| Also producer
|-
| 2009 
| ''[New Idea TV](/source/New_Idea)'' 
| Host
|
|-
| 2018
| ''The Go Kids: Looking Back on [Frog Dreaming](/source/Frog_Dreaming)''
| Self
| TV special (short)
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Association
! width=280"|Category
! Work
! Result
! {{Abbr|Ref|References}}
|-
| 1989
| rowspan="3"|[Logie Awards](/source/Logie_Awards)
| [Most Popular New Talent](/source/Logie_Award_for_Most_Popular_New_Talent)
| rowspan="2"| ''Neighbours''
| {{Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite magazine|date=18 March 1989|title=Logies '89 Nominations|magazine=[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)|page=13}}</ref>
|-
| 1990 
| [Most Popular Actress](/source/Logie_Award_for_Most_Popular_Actress) 
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87024532/five-top-logie-awards-go-to-two-soap/|title=Five top Logie awards go to two soap operas|last=Oliver|first=Robin|date=10 March 1990|work=[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)|access-date=11 October 2025|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}{{free access}}</ref>
|-
| 1992
| Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Miniseries
| ''Golden Fiddles''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite magazine|date=7 March 1992|title=Logies '92 Nominations|magazine=[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)|page=12}}</ref>
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.mediafriendly.com.au MediaFriendly website]
*{{IMDb name|id=0295547|name=Rachel Friend}}

{{Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actress on Australian Television}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friend, Rachel}}
Category:1970 births
Category:Australian film actresses
Category:Australian soap opera actresses
Category:Living people
Category:Logie Award winners
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rachel Friend](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Friend) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Friend?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.