Renowned stage and screen performer Camilla Ah Kin, known for Here Come the Habibs and Holding the Man, has died following a long battle with illness. She was 58.
The Media Entertainment and Arts and Arts Alliance (MEAA) confirmed the news on its social media channels yesterday afternoon, noting that the “director, teacher, mentor, panellist, policy innovator and a highly-skilled actor” was “much admired by her peers”.
An acting graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Ah Kin went on to complete a post-graduate Masters by Research with the Centre for Performance Studies at the University of Sydney, achieving a High Distinction for her research.
After appearing in episodes of Halifax F.P, Blue Heelers, and Murder Call in the late 90s, she joined the main cast of Going Home, an SBS drama set in a nightly inter-urban commuter train that aired from 2000 to 2001.
Following a recurring role in All Saints, as well as smaller roles in Stupid Stupid Man and Rake, Ah Kin made her feature film debut alongside Ryan Corr and Sarah Snook in 2015 romantic drama Holding the Man.
A year later, she hit the screens as matriach Mariam Habib in Nine sitcom Here Come the Habibs, earning praise for her dry delivery. Her recent credits include Thomas Wilson-White’s The Greenhouse, and ABC miniseries Wakefield.
Ah Kin’s stage career has been equally diverse, featuring performances with the Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Belvoir St, Griffin Theatre, WA State Theatre Company, Sport For Jove and Darlinghurst Theatre Company, among others.
She is also known for her activism within the performing arts community, serving as NSW Branch committee member for the MEAA, a long-term Equity delegate to Federal Council and NPC member, an NSW Equity organiser, and a member of the MEAA board.
Last month, she was awarded an MEAA Gold Honour Badge, with the organisation’s Equity Foundation commending her for bringing “integrity, rigour, and incisive intelligence” across three decades of membership.
“At any meeting, it was Camilla’s nod of approval you wanted when airing an opinion; it was her strategic idea that cut through; it was her well tempered, passionate advocacy that inspired comrades to better decisions,” the foundation said.
“With kindness and tough love, she held her Equity family accountable.”