BIOGRAPHY

Shane Jacobson is a one of Australia’s favourite personalities, an award-winning actor and presenter who has worked with some of the biggest names in the world for more than 25 years.

Shane began his career on the stage at the tender age of 10 in amateur theatre, performing throughout Australia and overseas. His comedy career began with regular musical theatre and stand-up gigs, and his talent for characterisation and witty quips saw him playing to huge corporate functions impersonating business icons and luminaries.

In 1999 Shane and his character ‘Sergio’ regularly appeared on Melbourne’s popular Gold FM radio station. His focus eventually moved towards acting and he became prominent in music videos, short films and TV commercials. At the same time, Shane worked for all major Australian TV networks as a regular audience ‘warm-up’ performer.

In 2006 Shane starred as Kenny Smyth in a film he co-wrote with his brother, also the film’s director, Clayton Jacobson.

KENNY won the hearts of Australians, with the movie grossing nearly $8 million at the local box office – it was the highest grossing Australian film in three years and went on to become the highest selling Australian DVD since the inception of DVD in Australia.

For his role as Kenny Smyth, Shane won the AFI Award for Best Lead Actor, the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role and in 2007 the Film Ink Magazine Awards for Best New Comer and Australian Star of the Year Award at the Australian International Movie Convention. Shane and Clayton shared the 2006 IF Awards for both Best Feature Film and Best Script and the 2006 Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Kenny continued to charm audiences the following year in KENNY’S WORLD, a television series created and directed by Clayton Jacobson for Channel Ten.

Shane’s film and television credits include NEWCASTLE, directed by Dan Castle, CACTUS, directed by Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan and also starring Bryan Brown, CHARLIE & BOOTS, directed by Dean Murphy and also starring Paul Hogan, MORDY KOOTS, a digital comedy series created and directed by Clayton Jacobson, SURVIVING GEORGIA, directed by Sandra Sciberras and Kate Whitbread and also starring Pia Miranda, Holly Valance, Caroline O’Connor and Spencer McLaren and the animated feature SANTA’S APPRENTICE, appearing as the voice of Santa, alongside Magda Szubanski, Delta Goodrem and Max Cullen.

On stage, Shane performed the Melbourne and Sydney season of the 2008 revival of classic musical GUYS AND DOLLS. Shane won a Helpmann Award – Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role playing the character of ‘Nicely Nicely’ alongside Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake, Marina Prior, Garry McDonald and Magda Szubanski.

In 2010 Shane performed in the 12 week sell-out season of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE for the MTC, which also starred Geoffrey Rush, Robyn Nevin and Rhonda Burchmore, completed filming with Channel Nine as the host of WHEN I GROW UP, appeared in THE APPRENTICE, a short film for the Untitled feature, also starring Anton Yelchin (Terminator Salvation, Star Trek) and produced by Charles B. Wessler and hit producer Peter Farrelly (Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary), starred as one of the co-hosts of TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA for Channel Nine and hosted the 2010 Samsung Australian Film Institute Awards.

So far in 2011 Shane has filmed another series of TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA and performed in a series of explosive live shows, sharing the stage with UK Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May, in TOP GEAR LIVE AUSTRALIA. He successfully lost 20 kilos in 5 months as the JENNY CRAIG Australian ambassador on the Jen4Men Program and filmed BEACONSFIELD, a telemovie for Channel 9 based on the 2006 mining disaster where he played Brant Webb, starring opposite Lachy Hulme as Todd Russell. He is currently filming JACK IRISH for the ABC with Guy Pearce and will once again share the stage with Jeremy Clarkson and James May for the much anticipated Perth season of TOP GEAR LIVE AUSTRALIA.