Michelle Brasier has been nominated for her role in Ghosts Australia. Photo: Giulia McGauran.
Kooringal High School graduate Michelle Brasier says her nomination for a 2026 Logie Award is proof that you don’t need to come from a big city or attend a private school to succeed in the entertainment industry.
The Wagga-raised actress, comedian, writer and singer has been recognised for her role of Lindy, a bubbly 1980s aerobics instructor whose ghostly power is manipulating electricity, earning a nomination for best actress in a comedy.
Based on the hit British sitcom, Ghosts Australia follows a young couple who inherit a crumbling country mansion that’s home to an eccentric collection of ghosts from different periods of history. The series has been praised for successfully adapting the beloved format for Australian audiences, with Ms Brasier’s performance helping make it one of the ABC’s standout comedy hits of the year.
Despite her success on the national stage, Ms Brasier says growing up in Wagga laid the foundations for her career.
She paid particular tribute to former drama teacher Peter Cox, saying she owed him 25 per cent of her income, while also thanking a long list of teachers, mentors and family members who helped her pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She also thanked those who didn’t believe in her, saying there’s “no drive like spite”.
Ahead of the Logie Awards, Ms Brasier spoke to Region about the nomination, her hometown and the people who helped (and didn’t help) shape her career.
What does a Logie nomination mean to you personally?
This means so much to me because I have always wanted to be an actress. I never even considered anything else, and it feels like proof that you can come from a smaller place and do big things. You don’t have to go to a private school in the city to make it, you know?
Did you ever imagine, growing up in Wagga, that you’d one day be nominated for a Logie?
No! I imagined that if I was lucky I might be a well-respected drama teacher who did a bit part on Home and Away once.
How did landing the role in Ghosts Australia change your career?
I am a huge fan of the UK original and grew up on those people’s comedy, so it was very full circle for me. The biggest thing has really been meeting the new seven loves of my life in the cast. You can tell we’re having fun on screen and I think that’s why audiences have loved the show so much.
I can’t wait to see how the UK public responds to us when we air soon on the BBC. I hope they love my friends as much as I do.
Michelle Brasier paid tribute to former teacher Peter Cox after her Logie nomination. Photo: Giulia McGauran.
What role did Kooringal High play in developing your love of performing?
Peter Cox deserves 25 per cent of my income. That man changed my life and I think of him often. He was world-class.
I am so proud that I have a public education behind me. Showbiz is full of people from expensive schools who have been handed everything, and they’re great people, but they can’t take a loss. They expect to win everything. Being an underdog makes you grateful, and being grateful makes you happier.
Is there anyone in Wagga you’d like to thank for helping your career succeed?
Well obviously Coxy, Heather and Dave Wall, Mark Grentell, who taught me how to be funny, Don Hillam, Leanne Nichol and of course my mum, who always believed in me and took me to singing and dancing.
Also Carissa Campbell for casting me in Legally Blonde, where I met my partner Tim and redirected my life. Alexandra Nugent. The people who didn’t believe in me too – there’s no drive like spite.
You can vote for Michelle Brasier to win the Logie [category 14] online via the TV Week website.
