| Sarah Monahan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 April 1977 Sydney |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, child actor |
| Spouse | Matt Morris |
| Website | |
| http://www.sarahmonahan.com/ | |
Sarah Monahan (born 12 April 1977 in Sydney) is an Australian actress. Best known for her role as Jenny on Hey Dad..!, she has also appeared in Sons and Daughters and Home and Away.[1]
Monahan got her start in the industry from her fashion designer father. She was the in-house model for his children's clothing line, and later, went on to appear in over 100 television and print ads.[1]
She auditioned for the role of Jenny in Hey Dad..! when she was six, even though the producers were looking for a younger actress: her small stature at the time, combined with her ability to read the script, helped her to impress the judges and win the role.[2] After filming the pilot she spent a short time on the Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters,[3] playing the role of Cassie Hunt in 24 episodes that first aired in early 1986. She returned to filming on Hey Dad..! that year, and stayed with the show for six years, departing in 1993 one year before the show concluded. She became the primary income earner for her family when her father died just before Hey Dad...! debuted.[4]
Sarah Monahan returned to Australian television for a short time as Heather in another long running Australian soap opera, Home and Away, in 1995;[5] and once again alongside fellow Hey Dad..! actress, Simone Buchanan in Pacific Drive, performing in a non-speaking role.[6] However, her career was to move in other directions, and she worked more behind the scenes, as well as working in a variety of jobs within the hospitality industry.
More recently, she founded ShrimpTank Productions, which works in social media and search engine optimisation, along with Going Down, a planned travel and diving web series.[1]
In March 2010 she claimed in an interview with Woman's Day magazine,[7] and later on current affairs television program A Current Affair,[8] that she was sexually abused on the set of Hey Dad...! sometime between 1987 to 1994, by Robert Hughes, the actor who played her on-screen father. Hughes strongly denied the allegations and has engaged defamation lawyers.[9] It was reported that detectives had begun interviewing former members of the cast and crew of Hey Dad..!, although police have declined to confirm a complaint has been received.[10][11]
In March, 2011, Sarah Monahan, in an interview aired on A Current Affair, expressed her concerns that charges may not be laid against Hughes. As a result, she revealed that she intended to initiate legal actions against Hughes and television executives who, she claimed, were aware of Hughes' alleged actions and failed to take action.[12]
After her allegations in the media, Braveheart, a sexual assault advocacy group, asked Monahan to become an Ambassador.[13] Monahan is currently living in the US with her American husband, Matt Morris, whom she met in Brisbane, Australia.[1]