Megan Kate Gale (born 7 August 1975) is an Australian model and actress.[1] Born in Perth, Western Australia, Gale won a model contest when she was 18 in her home town. In 1999 she was cast in a series of commercials for the Italian branch of telecommunications company Vodafone. This led to wide exposure in both Italy and her homeland Australia, and she appeared in those advertising until 2006. Gale has also appeared in Italian movies and television shows, and as an actress, Gale played Fatma in Russell Crowe's The Water Diviner (2014) and Valkyrie in George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
Megan Gale | |
|---|---|
 Megan Gale at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival | |
| Born | Megan Kate Gale 7 August 1975 Parmelia, Western Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Model, actress |
| Years active | 1993−present |
| Partner(s) | Shaun Hampson (2011–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 182 cm (5 ft 11 3/4 in) |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Green |
| Agency | Chic Celebrity Management, Atelier Management |
In 2005 Gale became the national ambassador for "Kids Help Line" and in 2009 she was appointed the first official "National Ambassador" for "The Red Cross".
Early life
editBorn in Parmelia, Western Australia, Gale's father is English and her mother is part Maori.[2] She is the youngest of three children with two older brothers.[3][4]
Career
editModelling
editGale won a modelling competition in Perth at 18.[4] After several years of modelling, Gale rose to fame when in 1999 was cast to appear in a series of advertisements for an Italian telecommunication company, Omnitel (now Vodafone Italy); she appeared in the company's advertising until 2006.[5] She was also retained by the Australian Tourist Commission in 2003 as 'their face of Australia in Italy'.[4] Gale has graced the covers of Australian Marie Claire, Grazia, Gioia, Italian and Australian GQ, Italian Maxim, Australian InStyle and featured in editorials for Australian Cosmopolitan and Vogue Italia.[6][7][8]
Gale has modeled for Italian fashion houses including Gianfranco Ferré, Genny, Gai Mattiolo and runway work for Mariella Burani and Angelo Marani at Milan Fashion Week.[9] Gale also favours many Australian designers, such as Colette Dinnigan, Kirrily Johnston, Lisa Ho, Willow and Alex Perry.[4] In 2006, she was the fashion commentator for the Australian television awards, the Logies.[4]
In January 2008, Gale announced her retirement from runway modelling after 15 years and walked the catwalk for the last time just weeks later at a David Jones winter collection launch in Sydney. Her final outfit was the Wonder Woman outfit she was to wear in the still-shelved film Justice League of America.[10][11] In March 2011, Gale returned to the runway and closed Alex Perry's 2011 Melbourne Fashion Festival show.[12]
August 2011 marked Gale's 10th anniversary with department store David Jones, the longest held fashion contract in Australia. That same month, Gale became an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, joining Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani. Gale appeared in a L'Oréal shampoo commercial in Australia, New Zealand and Italy.
Acting
editMegan Gale has appeared in the Italian movies Vacanze di Natale 2000,[13] Body Guards[14] as herself in both movies, and in Stregati dalla luna (Bewitched by the Moon in Italian) as "Vivianna".[15] She also had a cameo part in the 2005 movie Stealth where she played Dr. Orbit's secretary.[15] In January 2008, it was announced that she had been offered the part of Wonder Woman in the upcoming George Miller movie version of Justice League of America, before the project was put on hold and eventually cancelled.[5][16] In August 2009, Gale completed filming a role in her first Australian feature film, the romantic comedy I Love You Too,[1][5] where she played Italian supermodel "Francesca Moretti".[16] Gale also appeared in 2014 Russell Crowe's drama film The Water Diviner in the role of Fatma, and in 2015 Miller's post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road in the role of the Valkyrie.[17]
Swimwear range
editIn 2010, Gale launched a swimwear label, "Isola". The line is carried at department stores, including "David Jones".[18]
Television
editIn 2005, Gale became a guest reporter for Nine Network travel show Getaway from October 2005 to June 2006.[19] She also worked with Mike Munro as co-host of the nine-episode Australian documentary TV show What a Year, which first aired on the Nine Network on 2 October 2006.[19] Gale also appeared briefly on Australia's Next Top Model, Cycle 4 in episode 4. She also appeared in cycle 6 (2010), in which the girls of that cycle were featured in Isola's first fashion show.
Gale also became the National Ambassador for Kids Help Line in February 2005.[20] In 2009, she was appointed the first official National Ambassador for The Red Cross.[21]
In early 2011 Gale became the new host of Project Runway Australia where she would also serve as judge and executive producer of the design-based reality show.[22] The new season premiered on 4 July 2011 on Arena TV. In 2016, Gale became a permanent judge on Australia's Next Top Model.[23]
Personal life
editIn January 2011, Gale began a relationship with Carlton (and later Richmond) footballer Shaun Hampson. On 20 July 2017, the couple announced their engagement. They have two children, a son and a daughter.[24][25]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Vacanze di Natale 2000 | Herself |
| 2000 | Body Guards | Herself |
| 2001 | Stregati dalla luna | Viviana / Luna |
| 2005 | Stealth | Dr. Orbit's secretary |
| 2010 | I Love You Too | Francesca Moretti |
| 2014 | The Water Diviner | Fatma |
| 2015 | Mad Max: Fury Road | Valkyrie |
| 2022 | Three Thousand Years of Longing | Hürrem |
References
edit- ^ a b Kleinig, Xanthe (27 April 2010). "Megan Gale on love, life and first movie". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ "Gale force". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 August 2009.
- ^ Hayes, Liz (9 November 2003). "Gale Force". Nine MSN. Archived from the original on 20 December 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Sanderson, Lisa-Anne. "The Smiling Model: Megan Gale". Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ a b c Chenery, Susan (17 August 2009). "Gale Force". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ Otto, Miranda (30 May 2011). "Jen Hawkins and Megan Gale: Ladies in Red for Marie Claire". PopSugar. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Pregnant Megan Gale poses semi-naked for cover of Marie Claire magazine". news.com.au. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Megan Gale - InStyle Magazine". Megan Gale official website. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ Alexander, Hilary (28 September 2004). "Italian excesses and Megan Gale wow the pack". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ Molocco, Jen (13 February 2008). "Megan Gale's final catwalk". NEWS.com.au. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
- ^ "Megan enjoys her 'me' time away from the world". The Daily Telegraph. 2 August 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ Cheeseman, Natalie (22 March 2011). "Gale Force At Alex Perry". daily goss. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Vacanze di Natale 2000 (1999)". IMDb. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ "Bodyguards – Guardie del corpo (2000)". IMDb. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Megan Gale (I)". IMDb. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ a b Weaving, Peter (28 April 2010). "Gale Force". Melbourne Weekly. p. 10.
- ^ Edwards-Brown, Isabel (31 January 2013). "Taking five with Megan Gale". Vogue Australia. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Megan Gale launches her Isola swimwear label in Vaucluse". daily telegraph. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2015.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Megan Gale (I)". IMDb. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ "Megan Gale, the new Ambassador of Kids Help Line" (PDF). February 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 25 February 2007.
- ^ Parker, Judith (July 2009). "President's Message". United Nations Association of Australia (W.A. Division). Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ POPSUGAR Celebrity AU. "Megan Gale to Replace Kristy Hinze as Host of Project Runway Australia". POPSUGAR Celebrity Australia.
- ^ Ebony Bowden (24 February 2016). "Megan Gale joins Australia's Next Top Model after death of Charlotte Dawson". Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "Megan Gale has a new bloke, AFL Carlton player - Shaun Hampson". NewsComAu. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
- ^ "Megan Gale names newborn". The Age. Fairfax Media. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.