Ursula Yovich is an Aboriginal Australian actress and singer. She is known for numerous stage appearances, for co-writing and appearing in the rock musical Barbara and the Camp Dogs (2017), and several film and TV appearances.
Yovich was born and grew up in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Her father, Slobodan Jović, was a Serbian immigrant who anglicised his name to Stan Yovich. Her mother is an Aboriginal woman from north-west Arnhem Land near the Blyth River, with the closest community being Maningrida.[1]
Yovich has appeared in more than 20 theatre and musical theatre productions, including Capricornia, Mother Courage and her Children, The Sapphires, Natural Life, Nailed, The Sunshine Club, Jerry Springer the Opera, Nathaniel Storm, and The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom.[2][3][4][5]
She co-wrote the libretto and songs for rock musical Barbara and the Camp Dogs with Alana Valentine, and appeared in the show alongside Elaine Crombie.[6][7]
Her film credits include Jindabyne, Australia and Goldstone.[8][9] Television credits include Redfern Now, series 2 of the crime drama series Mystery Road, and the comedy series Preppers.
She was the subject of an episode of the SBS documentary series Blaktrax.[10]
In 2002, at the Tudawali Awards, Yovich was the recipient of the inaugural Bob Maza Memorial Award from the Australian Film Commission, which recognised emerging acting talent and support professional development for Indigenous actors.[11][12]
In 2016 she was awarded the Sidney Myer individual award as a recognition of her outstanding body of work in theatre.[citation needed] She also received the Balnaves Foundation's Indigenous playwrights award later in the same year.[13]
Yovich has won three Helpmann Awards: for Best Female Actor in a Play in 2007 for her performance in Capricornia[14] and for Best Female Actor in a Musical and Best Original Score in 2019 for Barbara and the Camp Dogs.[15]
The 2021 Ensemble Theatre Sandra Bates Director's Award was awarded to Yovich.[16]
In 2019 Yovich was nominated for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting for her original rock musical comedy, Barbara and the Camp Dogs, co-written with playwright Alana Valentine.[17] The play had its premiere performance at Belvoir St. Theatre in Sydney in 2017, and in the 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards, Yovich was nominated for Best New Australian Work, Best Original Score and Best Female Actor. The work also received a Music Theatre AWGIE nomination.[18]
She has also been nominated multiple times for lead and supporting roles in plays and musicals, and as Best Cabaret Performer in 2010 for Magpie Blues.[citation needed]
As of 2009[update] Yovich was married to Stewart O'Connell, a lawyer, and the couple has one daughter.[19]