Shareena Clanton Explained

Shareena Clanton
Birth Place:Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Alma Mater:Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:2009-present
Known For:

Shareena Clanton is an Australian film, television and theatre actress. She is known for her role as Doreen Anderson in the television drama series Wentworth (2013–2017).

Early life and education

Clanton was born in Perth, Western Australia. She is of Wangkatha, Yamatji, Noongar, and Gidja descent through her mother and Cherokee, Blackfoot and African-American descent through her father.[1]

She first did an Aboriginal Theatre course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), before being accepted into the full-time Acting course at WAAPA, from which she graduated in 2010.

Career

In 2009, before graduating from WAAPA, Clanton had her feature film debut playing Leah in the comedy Stone Bros., before being a main cast member in the TV series Ben Elton Live from Planet Earth in 2011.

In theatre, she starred in a main stage performance for the first time in the production of Alan Ayckbourn's My Wonderful Day at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney in 2011. This was followed by playing Adrianna in a season of The Comedy of Errors and Ariel in The Tempest with the Shakespeare WA.

Clanton has starred in multiple television series, including Redfern Now (1 episode, 2012) and Wentworth (2013–2017), where she was the youngest member of the main cast.[2]

In 2021 Clanton was announced to appear as Sheila Canning 2 in the soap opera Neighbours.[3] Prior to her first on-screen appearance on the show, Clanton made public her displeasure about working on the show due to racism. According to Clanton, an unnamed cast member taunted her about her ethnicities twice and was not only defended by another cast member, but Clanton's rebuke of the actor resulted in Clanton being told she made the other cast members "uncomfortable".[4] In the weeks that followed, Fremantle Australia began an investigation into these allegations,[5] and at the same time, former cast members Sharon Johal, Meyne Wyatt, Remy Hii, Menik Gooneratne, and Sachin Joab also came forward with allegations of racism.[6] The investigation into the racism scandal was concluded in late 2021, but the findings were not made public.[7]

She appeared as Valerie in seven episodes of Joe vs. Carole in 2022.[8] Also in 2022, Clanton voiced the character of Deb in the animated series Childish Deano.[9]

In 2023, she plays Ruby, a ranger who becomes the main character's friend, in the award-winning miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart on Amazon Prime Video.[10]

In 2024, Clanton appeared in the second season of The Twelve on Fox.[11] was named as part of the cast for Stan series Invisible Boys.[12]

Other activities

In February 2018 Clanton appeared on an episode of the ABC Television show Q+A, where she said Indigenous voices deserved a place in parliament.[13]

Recognition and awards

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009Stone Bros.Leah
2010On a BreakDonnaShort film
2015Last Cab to DarwinSally
2017Mrs McCutcheonAngeShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2011Prisoner 1Episode: "Break Out"
2012Redfern NowLillyEpisode: "Family"
2013–2017WentworthDoreen AndersonMain role (53 episodes)
2013Miss Fisher's Murder MysteriesLenaEpisode: "Murder Most Scandalous"
2016Ash vs Evil DeadDeputy PollyEpisode: "Confinement"
2016–2018Nowhere Boys: Two Moons RisingSonia JarraSupporting role
2017True Story with Hamish & AndyNurseEpisode: "Sammie"
Aussie RangersRegina
2018The CryLorna JonesMain role[14]
2019RosehavenSuzanne2 episodes
GlitchElena TriggsEpisode: "First Times"
2021 NeighboursSheila Canning 2Guest role
FiresAunt Rose2 episodes
2022Joe vs. CaroleValerie 7 episodes
Childish DeanoDebTV series: 2 episodes [15]
2023 The Lost Flowers of Alice HartRubyTV series: 3 episodes
2024The Twelve Kora GardnerTV series, season 2
Last Days of the Space AgeDjinda
2025Invisible BoysTBATBA

Self Appearances / Podcast / Video

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2011Ben Elton Live from Planet EarthSelf3 episodes
2016An Audience with the cast of WentworthSelfTV Special[16]
2018The Good Thief SelfPodcast 1 episode [17]
2019Smart ArtsSelfPodcast 1 episode[18]
2020MTC Audio Lab: The Age of Ignorance is OverSelfPodcast 1 episode[19]
2021AWAYE! SelfPodcast 1 episode [20]
Moorditj Mag PodcastSelfPodcast 1 episode[21]
7:30 Self1 episode

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Quinn . Karl . Neighbours racism claim: Indigenous actor Shareena Clanton says set was 'unsafe' . . 6 April 2021 . 11 October 2021.
  2. Web site: . Shareena Clanton . https://web.archive.org/web/20150702064252/http://wentworth.sohotv.com.au/cast/shareena-clanton/menu-id-145.html . 2 July 2015 .
  3. Web site: Lee . Jess . Neighbours to introduce a second Sheila Canning as Wentworth star appears on Ramsay Street . 11 October 2021 . Digital Spy. 29 March 2021 .
  4. News: Burke . Kelly . Neighbours actor allegedly removed from set after complaints of racism by Indigenous actor Shareena Clanton . . 7 April 2021 . 11 October 2021.
  5. News: Neighbours: Independent review launched over racism claims . 11 October 2021 . BBC News. 8 April 2021 .
  6. News: Om . Jason . More allegations of racism from former Neighbours actors . . 19 April 2021 . 11 October 2021.
  7. Web site: 2022-03-14 . Neighbours concludes racism investigation ahead of final episodes . 2022-07-02 . Digital Spy . en-GB.
  8. Web site: Slatter . Sean . September 8, 2021 . Strong Australian presence in NBCUniversal's 'Joe Exotic' series . November 3, 2021 . IF Magazine.
  9. Web site: Boland . Bray . 2022-11-07 . Nova 100's Deano Thomas releases Childish Deano animated series . 2023-01-11 . Radio Today . en-AU.
  10. Web site: Warrier . Vishnu . The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart cast list: Who stars in Prime Video's new miniseries? . Sportskeeda . 30 July 2023 . 7 August 2024.
  11. Web site: Slatter . Sean . Frances O'Connor to join Sam Neill in second season of 'The Twelve' as new cast unveiled . . 31 August 2023 . 7 August 2024.
  12. Web site: Rigden . Clare . 2024-03-12 . FIRST LOOK: What to expect from series filming in WA . 2024-03-13 . PerthNow . en.
  13. Web site: 2018-02-19 . Q&A: Shareena Clanton tears into government over Indigenous record . 2023-01-11 . The Guardian . en.
  14. Web site: Australian Television: The Cry: cast . 2023-01-11 . www.australiantelevision.net.
  15. Web site: Sullivan . Josie . 2022-12-12 . Childish Deano's Sugar Hits . 2023-01-11 . FilmInk . en-AU.
  16. Web site: 2016-04-27 . Airdate: An Audience with the cast of Wentworth TV Tonight . 2023-12-21 . en-AU.
  17. Web site: 2018-11-10 . Episode 5 - Shareena Clanton - The Good Thief (podcast) . 2023-12-21 . Listen Notes . en.
  18. Web site: 2019-10-23 . SmartArts - 24 October 2019 - SmartArts (podcast) . 2023-12-21 . Listen Notes . en.
  19. Web site: 2020-07-16 . Great Australian Speeches: Shareena Clanton's The Age of Ignorance is Over . 2023-12-21 . Listen Notes . en.
  20. Web site: 2021-04-10 . Yhonnie Scarce's Missile Park and Shareena Clanton on experiencing racism on set . 2023-12-21 . Listen Notes . en.
  21. Web site: 2021-04-07 . The Moorditj Mag Podcast: Ep #43 - Moorditj Mag Podcast . 2023-12-21 . Listen Notes . en.