Marg Downey
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Marg Downey (born 1959) is an Australian comedian.
Downey first rose to prominence in sketch comedy program The D-Generation on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in the late 1980s. She subsequently appeared in the later sketch comedy series with other members of The D-Generation, such as Fast Forward, Full Frontal and Something Stupid. In these, she was famous for her portrayal of a news anchor, as a stern SBS presenter, and for her spot-on impression of current affairs host Jana Wendt.When Downey sent-up Jana Wendt, Downey did many memorable ACA spoof sketches including,
- Interview with Rubbery Figures of Bob Hawke. (with Keating looking behind.)
- Roy Orbison (Ernie Dingo) Interview.
- Conversation with Treasury Official (Peter Moon) about Consumption Tax
- Interview with Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen about alleged corruption.
She also played many other different characters, including
- Clancy (Skippy)
- News Anchor, Jo Beth Jo (Eyeball, Witness News)and Faith Hope (Eyeball Temporary News).
- 99 (Get Smart)
- Jeannie (I Dream Of Jeannie)
- Patricia Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
- Carol (Mr Ed)
- Endora (Bewitched)
- Lily Munster (The Munsters)
Downey's television appearances are often in the role of an authority figure or a professional woman, often with a slightly eccentric personality, such as the relationship-counsellor she has played in comedy series Kath & Kim.
In 2005, she was cast as a regular player in Seven's live comedy sketch show Let Loose Live. The show was cancelled after just two episodes due to low ratings.
In 2006 she starred in the sketch show, alongside Magda Szubanski, titled "Magda's Funny Bits". In this show, she played Janelle on her own morning show called, "Mornings With Janelle," which was taken from the same original show in which both stars starred in on Fast Forward. "Mornings with Janelle" was intended to be a show that showed infomercials that turned out, in the beginning on Fast Forward, to focus solely on bodily products in the strangest ways possible. Then on Magda's Funny Bits, it focussed not only on bodily products, it showed small, humorous, home videos.