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Magda Szubanksi becomes the fifth woman in more than 40 years to enter Logies Hall of Fame

Magda Szubanksi becomes the fifth woman in more than 40 years to enter Logies Hall of Fame

Almost 40 years after she first appeared on our silver screens, Magda Szubanski will be inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame.
Szubanski will become the fifth woman to be awarded the honour, following Rebecca Gibney's induction last year.
Despite being born in England, Szubanski has won over the hearts of Australians by creating some of our most beloved characters.
The star has won seven Logies over her career and has twice been named the Most Popular Person on Television — in 2003 and 2004.
The induction also comes months after she revealed her diagnosis of stage 4 blood cancer.
In a video posted in May, the 64-year-old said she had been diagnosed with a "very rare, very aggressive, very serious lymphoma".
Szubanski got her start with boundary-pushing sketch shows including The D-Generation, Fast Forward, Full Frontal and Big Girl's Blouse.
However, it was the role of Sharon Strzelecki that would make her an unforgettable figure of Australian television.
Szubanski played the netball tragic Strzelecki in Kath and Kim from 2002 to 2007.
When asked in 2015 how she was able to create such an enduring character, Szubanski said a lot of Strzelecki came from her own "forlornness and that melancholy".
"Sharon has those bass notes within her character, and I think that's part of why she appeals to people," she told 7.30.
Of her most successful forays into the big screen, Szubanski would team up with Australia's director/producer George Miller for three of them.
First was 1995's Babe, followed by Happy Feet (2006) and Happy Feet Two (2011).
Despite Babe's Oscar success (it won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1996), Szubanski once described the set as "bizarre".
"It was like making a film in a zoo. It was the most bizarre experience," Szubanski said, reflecting on the children's film in 2020.
She also went on to call it a "really beautiful film in every way".
Other blockbusters included The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, Memoir of a Snail, The Golden Compass and musical Bran Nue Dae.
Beyond the screen, Szubanski became an influential figure for her LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
Her work during the Marriage Equality campaign even saw her appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2018.
Her award-winning memoir, Reckoning, also saw her tackle the story of her father's life as a Polish assassin.
Following her cancer reveal in May, Szubanski was met with an outpouring of love from Australia, including stars such as Rove McManus.
"Lots of love and support to you, beautiful one," the television personality posted at the time.
While most of the Logie Awards have some kind of public voting component, the annual Hall of Fame inductee is solely chosen by "a panel of independent industry experts".
Each broadcaster can submit four people or programs for Hall of Fame consideration.
The panel then assesses the submissions against the following criteria:
Once the panel makes their selection, it is up to the Logies' discretion if they want to announce the winner before the ceremony.
Other female Hall of Fame inductees include Rebecca Gibney, Mother and Son's Ruth Cracknell, Playschool's Noni Hazlehurst and presenter Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
The TV WEEK Logie Awards will be held on August 3, on Channel 7.
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