Marieke Josephine Hardy is an Australian writer, radio and television presenter, television producer and screenwriter, and former television actress.
Early life and education Hardy is the granddaughter of Frank Hardy, author of Power Without Glory,Tuohy, Wendy: Standing her ground, The Age, 6 June 2005. and the grandniece of comedian and radio and television presenter Mary Hardy. Her parents Alan and Galia Hardy were writers, producers and editors on several Australian television series including The Sullivans and All the Rivers Run.Sullivan, Jayne: Why Marieke's the natural choice for our first m-book, The Age, 7 October 2009.
Hardy was raised in the Melbourne suburbs of Hawthorn East and Richmond.
Hardy was educated at Carey Baptist Grammar School and Swinburne Senior Secondary College in Melbourne.
She was a passionate supporter of the Fitzroy Football Club until their disbandment from the AFL competition in 1996.
Career Radio Hardy co-hosted Melbourne's 3RRR radio show Best of the Brat on Tuesday nights from April 1996 to December 2007, under the pseudonym Holly C. The show was known as "the most immature show on Australian radio".Undercover.com.au: Triple R Best of the Brat To Finish, Undercover, 5 December 2007. Almost immediately following her departure from RRR, in January 2008 she began co-hosting the breakfast show on Triple J, the ABC's youth radio station, with Robbie Buck and Lindsay "The Doctor" McDougall.Javes, Sue: Triple J wakes up, The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 December 2007. In December 2009, Hardy announced she was leaving Triple J to concentrate on her writing career.Hooley Dooley, It's a Triple J Exodus, Mess + Noise, 3 December 2009. On 23 September 2024, it was announced that Hardy had joined former breakfast radio host Jo Stanley alongside several others for the launch of the Broad Radio radio platform, as Broad Radio had been in podcast form since 2020, Hardy had been a co-host previously.
Television Working in the entertainment industry from a young age as an actress, Hardy appeared in such television programs as The Henderson Kids II, All Together Now, Neighbours, A Country Practice and various television commercials before pursuing a career as a scriptwriter.
In 2005, Hardy co-wrote and produced a 22-episode drama series for the Seven Network called Last Man Standing, starring Rodger Corser, Travis McMahon and Matt Passmore. The series struggled to gain ratings for its prime-time slotEnker, Debi: Where are the viewers?, The Age, 23 July 2005.Warneke, Ross: Ratings, The Age, 14 June 2005. and was cancelled after one series.
Hardy was a regular panellist (or book club member) on the ABC1 literary review show, First Tuesday Book Club.Regular Panelist: Marieke Hardy, First Tuesday Book Club (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
From 2008, Hardy wrote 11 episodes of Packed to the Rafters, starting with the third episode of the first season. She wrote episodes for every season up to the fourth.
After leaving Triple J in 2010, Hardy returned to television writing, working on the Comedy Channel advertising industry sitcom 30 Seconds.
In 2011, with Kirsty Fisher, she co-created and co-wrote six-part TV series Laid for the ABC.Kalina, Paul: Getting Laid and loving it: Marieke is back in action, The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 February 2011.
In 2021, it was announced that Hardy was part of the writing team for the new version of Heartbreak High. She also served as a writer on ABC series Barons.
In 2024, it was announced that Hardy was part of the writing team for Stan series Sunny Nights.
Newspaper columnist and blog Hardy penned a blog called Reasons You Will Hate Me under the pseudonym "Ms Fits"Murray, Elicia: If the name Fits..., The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 April 2008. which won a Bloggie award for Best Australia/New Zealand blog in 2008.Blogger cracks Hardy in the land of big hats, The Age, 9 April 2008.
She wrote commentary columns for The Age newspaper's "Green Guide" TV section ("Back Chat") and "Life & Style" ("formally A2") section, as well as contributing to Frankie magazine. She resigned from the "Green Guide" in November 2009 due to other writing commitments.Hardy, Marieke: A fond farewell, Green Guide, 17 December 2009.
Books Hardy signed a two-book deal with publishers Allen & Unwin, and the first of those books, You'll Be Sorry When I'm Dead, was published in 2011. She began working on the second, a novel, in 2012.You'll Be Sorry When I'm Dead, Allen & Unwin, 2011.
Other work Hardy started a left-wing political apparel brand with designer Sara-Jane Chase called Polichicks in 2003.Marieke Hardy, scriptwriter, The Age, 14 May 2003.
As of October 2008, Hardy became a committed veganYouTube: Marieke Hardy recommends Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook , First Tuesday Book Club (ABC1), April 2009.Hardy, Marieke (14 May 2010), Animal-free crackers in my soup, Fairfax Media, archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2012Dunn, Emily (30 August 2011), Marieke Hardy, Fairfax Media, archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012McDonald, Alyssa (14 February 2012), Writer, Rebel, Misfit, Fairfax Media, archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012 after completing a one-week challenge set by her Triple J co-presenter Lindsay McDougall.
Since 2010, Hardy and writer Michaela McGuire have co-hosted the popular international literary public event "Women of Letters", in which five or six women read letters they have written on a set theme.Puvanenthiran, Bhakthi. "Michaela McGuire, Marieke Hardy take Women of Letters to the world", The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 26 April 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
In October 2010, an article on the Liberal Party politician Christopher Pyne written by Hardy on the ABC The Drum blog site was withdrawn on the grounds that it "failed to meet the standards for argument and well-thought opinion". A public apology was issued to Pyne by The Drum editor "for both the attack and for its deeply personal nature".Editor's note: The Pyne experiments, The Drum (abc.net.au), 1 October 2010.
In August 2017, it was announced that Hardy would join the annual Melbourne Writers Festival as the event's Artistic Director. She resigned from her three-year contract, with effect December 2019.
Filmography
Film appearances +YearTitleRoleNotesRef1988Two Brothers RunningSchool Child1997True Love and ChaosOut of it Woman1998DenialMichelleShort
Television appearances + Year Title Role Notes Ref.2010 Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation Herself / Contestant Episode: #2.5 2002 Short Cuts Josephine Coxon 2 episodes 1998 Thunderstone Sophie 1 episode 1998 Stingers Lara Kelly "Jelly Babies" (#1.9) Raw FM Lucina "Raw'n'Sore" (#1.8) 1995–2003 Neighbours Rhonda Brumby 5 episodes 1994 A Country Practice Yesterday Hubble "Over The Edge" (#1.23) 1993 The Late Show Passer-by in "Kelvin, Son of Melvin, Son of Alvin" Uncredited (#2.17) 1993-94 R.F.D.S Zoe Solomon 13 episodes 1987 The Henderson Kids II Sally Marshall 24 episodes
Production credits +YearTitleRoleNotesRef1992All Together NowWriter1 episode1996Ocean GirlScript assistant14 episodes1999ThunderstoneWriter3 episodes2000Blue HeelersWriter1 episode2001Horace and TinaWriter1 episodeSomething in the AirWriter4 episodesWild KatWriter2 episodesMcLeod's DaughtersWriter"Playing to Win" (#1.16)2002Short CutsSeries writer22 episodes1995–2003NeighboursWriter37 episodes2002-03Always GreenerWriter4 episodes2003The Sleepover ClubWriterVarious episodes2005Last Man StandingSeries writer and producer22 episodes2007Marx and VenusWriterUnknown episodes2010SpiritedWriter"Cats in the Cradle" (#1.6)2011–2012LaidCo-creator, series writer and co-producer12 episodes2013Mr & Mrs MurderWriter"En Vogue" (#1.3)2008–2011Packed to the RaftersSeries writer15 episodes2013-15WonderlandWriter5 episodes2016Family LawWriter2 episodes2017HogesWriter 1 episodeSeven Types of Ambiguity Writer1 episode2016-18Nowhere BoysWriter5 episodes2017Growing Up GracefullyScript editor6 episodes2021Metro SexualConsultant6 episodesRosehavenScript Producer8 episodes2022BaronsWriter1 episode2023Erotic StoriesWriter1 episode ("Come As You Are")Paper DollsWriter1 episode2022-24Heartbreak HighWriter2 episodes2024Laid Writer / Producer8 episodes (US Remake)2025Sunny NightsWriter2025
Bibliography Children's fiction Short Cuts, Angus & Robertson, 2002
Humour You'll be Sorry When I'm Dead, Allen & Unwin, 2011
Play No Pay? No Way!, Sydney Theatre Company, 2020 Losing Face, Melbourne Theatre Company, 2025
References
External links
Marieke Hardy columns on The Drum (ABC)