Gemma Bird Matheson

Gemma Bird Matheson is an AWGIE and AACTA nominated writer and actor of South African and Papua New Guinean heritage. She was one of the 2023 Talent Gateway recipients, an initiative run by Screen Australia and Australians in Film.

Her original series 50 SHADES OF BLACK (GIRL) received Screen Australia Development funding in 2019 and was one of ten projects selected for the SBS & Screen Australia “Digital Originals” Initiative in the same year. She later sold the series as a broadcast version to a streamer.

Gemma wrote an episode of THE PM’S DAUGHTER which aired in early 2022 on the ABC and returned to write for Series 2. Gemma has also written an episode of ABC Kids’ show MIKKI VS THE WORLD in which she was nominated for an Australian Writers’ Guild Award.

Gemma created, wrote, executive produced and starred in the 6 x 5-12min ABC series THE HOUSEMATE alongside Alexandra Keddie, which aired on ABC iView in 2018. THE HOUSEMATE was commissioned by ABC and Screen Australia after the pilot acquired over 270k views on Facebook. Most recently, she co-created, wrote, produced and starred in the 6 x 6min series ME & HER(pes), funded by Screen Australia and Wear It Purple. The series premiered at the Mardi Gras Film Festival in 2023, was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Online Series, and clocked over a million views in its first week on YouTube channel, OML.

As an actor Gemma was a finalist for the 2018 Heath Ledger Scholarship and starred in AACTA and International Emmy Nominated ABC series CONTENT which also won a Rose D’Or. Gemma’s television acting credits include PIECES OF HER (Netflix/Made Up Stories), PAPER DOLLS (Paramount+/Helium), NEIGHBOURS (Fremantle), THE PM’S DAUGHTER (ABC/Fremantle Media), WINNERS AND LOSERS (Channel Seven), TRIP FOR BISCUITS (ABCMe), CHILDHOOD’S END (SyFy) and BERTRAM POPPINGSTOCK: PROBLEM SOLVER (ABC3).