Anh's Brush with Fame

Terri Irwin has raised her children through public grief after the death of her husband, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. She speaks to Anh Do who hopes to capture her dignity and her drive as she continues Steve's legacy in wildlife conservation.

Comedian, author & artist Anh Do paints prominent high-profile personalities, capturing not only their likeness, but their spirit. In this episode Anh paints peace campaigner and London bombing survivor Gill Hicks.

AFL Legend Adam Goodes shares the personal experiences that shaped his very public stand against racism in the final years of his career, and the emotional toll it took. How will Anh capture his strength and his purpose?

Popular broadcaster Carrie Bickmore joins Anh with stories from her life, sharing how she has dealt with personal tragedy and triumph in the public eye. Can Anh capture her warmth and spirit?

This week on Anh's Brush with Famethe subject is Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis.

Anh invites ground-breaking surgeon Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis to share his gruelling journey from Saddam's Iraq to an outback detention centre in Australia, and how he has gone on to make his name in revolutionary robotic prosthetics.

Munjed had a privileged upbringing in Baghdad, but always had a sense that he wanted to help the victims of war that he saw around him. Early in his medical career, he was confronted with a brutal ultimatum by members of Saddam's regime, and he made the snap decision to flea his homeland or else face dire consequences.

After a gruelling journey at the hands of unscrupulous people smugglers, his overcrowded boat was intercepted off Christmas Island, where Munjed would experience one moment of great kindness that taught him to take any available opportunity to help others. He was detained at Curtin Detention Centre in the Australian outback, where he was considered a trouble-maker for trying to improve conditions in the camp, before being granted release and refugee status one year later.

Working to have his Iraqi medical qualifications recognised, Munjed found a position at a rural Victorian hospital and devoted all his time to his dream of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon. He has been instrumental in developing robotic prosthetics and integrative surgery in the hope of improving quality of life for amputees.

Anh admires Munjed's self-belief and optimism and hopes to capture a sense of that in his portrait. Will Munjed like it?

The subject this week on Anh's Brush with Fameis renowned Aussie singer John Williamson.

True Blue icon John Williamson joins Anh to share his journey from farm to fame, as a prolific songwriter and performer with a passion for everything Australian. Anh wants to capture the wisdom and warmth of this quintessential Aussie bloke.

The eldest of five boys, John shares stories from his idyllic childhood in country Victoria where his musical family participated in any community event that called for entertainment. After a stint at private school in Melbourne, John returned to the ups and downs of farm life until one of his songs, Old Man Emu, gained national attention on a televised talent show and his career as a performer took off.

John shares the story of his most iconic song, True Blue, used at significant personal and public events around the country, perhaps most notably during Steve Irwin's memorial service. He talks about seeing the song as belonging to everybody, and the times he has had to stand up to protect it, not afraid to ruffle feathers when he comes up against issues he feels strongly about.

John shares the personal tribute to his brother Robin that he includes in every show and his advice to find what you want to do, be an individual and enjoy the journey.

While John performs his iconic song, Anh tries to capture the ‘true blue' warmth and wisdom of this Aussie icon – how will John react?

The subject this week on Anh's Brush with Fame is basketballer Lauren Jackson.

Superstar basketballer Lauren Jackson was born to play the game. She joins Anh to talk about the realities of life as an elite athlete with an international career. Anh hopes to capture her femininity and strong persona, both on and off the court.

The daughter of two national level basketballers, it was no surprise when Lauren displayed a talent for the game at a very young age. Despite struggling with homesickness when travelling for regional competitions, her move to the AIS in Canberra at just 15 was a positive experience, as she found herself a comfortable fit with the athletic community.

Drafted to Seattle as the WNBA number one draft pick, she played aggressively, determined to prove herself in the big league. Earning the title of MVP a record three times, Lauren explains how the gender pay gap in sport puts pressure on female athletes to play year round, without allowing sufficient recovery time for injury.

The subject this week on Anh's Brush with Fame is TV science guru Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki.

Dr. Karl has shared his passion for life and science with Australians for decades. He joins Anh to share the fascinating life story that led him to broadcasting while Anh endeavours to capture his natural curiosity and enthusiasm on canvas.

Karl's parents, both survivors of brutal Nazi concentration camps, met as refugees in Sweden before migrating with their infant son to Australia. After a stint in a migrant camp, the family settled in Wollongong, where Karl was singled out for his ethnicity. He describes his experience with ‘face blindness' and the tricks he has developed to recognize people in other ways.

Going through university young, Karl followed an unusual career path, including time as a taxi driver which brought both rewarding and horrifying experiences. He stumbled into broadcasting as an ‘expert' on the 1981 space shuttle launch, before being recruited to present his own show, ‘Great Moments In Science'.

In the season final of Anh's Brush with Fame the subject is the luminous Sigrid Thornton, seen most recently on Wentworth.

She discusses her body of work, including Seachange - but what about those revival rumours please?

Raised in a politically aware household, Sigrid's mother was involved in the movement to overturn rules that restricted women from public spaces and careers. She reflects on her gentle father's simple upbringing that led him into the army in pursuit of an education, and the unfortunate exposure to radiation that led to him suffering chronic pain in the final years of his life.

An unusual childhood, Sigrid was bullied for her Australian accent when the family relocated briefly to London. Returning to live in Brisbane, the whole family was arrested during an Anti-Vietnam war demonstration before her love of performing sparked a career that began in her early teens.

Meeting husband Tom when she was just 18, Sigrid juggled a successful screen career in Australia and the US with motherhood, reflecting that the dips in her career allowed her the opportunity to experience more time with her children. She describes Seachange as a joyful part of her life and reflects that she is happiest when the people around her are content.

Anh hopes to capture the light and dark that Sigrid brings to her on-screen characters, noting the pressure to get her familiar face right. Will Sigrid be happy with the result?