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, 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.

In 2011 Shane 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. Shane also finished filming BEACONSFIELD, a telemovie for Channel 9 based on the 2006 Tasmanian mining disaster. In the same year Shane appeared in international action blockbuster, THE BOURNE LEGACY, opposite Jeremy Renner and Edward Norton.

In 2012 he appeared in the telemovie series JACK IRISH alongside Guy Pearce, and with John Waters in another ABC telemovie THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB, a thrilling, 19th century period piece set and shot in Melbourne. He has recently finished filming TIME OF OUR LIVES, the ABC’s new 13-part drama series with Claudia Karvan, Justine Clarke, William McInnes and Stephen Curry and is currently filming THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN BAKE OFF as co-host with Anna Gare for Ch9.