Janet King star Marta Dusseldorp steps into the Logies spotlight

ONE take is all it took for Janet King star Marta Dusseldorp to clinch the crucial scene in the season two finale. The leading lady is also nominated for an award at tonight’s Logies.

Marta Dusseldorp as the titular character on ABC drama series Janet King. Picture: Supplied

SHE’S playing down her chances at tonight’s Logie awards, but fans of Marta Dusseldorp will be left in little doubt of the leading lady’s talents after the finale of the ABC legal thriller, Janet King this week (8.30pm, Thursday).

In the most heart-stopping, gut-wrenching scene I have watched this year, Dusseldorp’s character finally confronts the killer of her murdered wife — at the heart of this season’s storyline about gun crime — facing off against the assassin still hell bent on exacting revenge on the Royal Commissioner and her family.

And an audience warning (without spoiling the ending): that revenge will test the mettle of even the most hardened viewer.

The performances are even more remarkable when you consider the scene was essentially captured in one take, as Dusseldorp revealed to Insider.

The opportunity to unleash, at the end of such a long and tense season, added to the authenticity of the climactic moment.

“I’d been through all this stuff for months, been kept away from my kids and well, that mother instinct is vicious.”

She added: “The whole way through the season I played up to the fact I wanted to meet the murderer. I didn’t care about my own safety. I cared about my children’s safety but there was a running scene last week where she went out without [police] protection, almost baiting the murderer to walk up and face her.”

Whether the ABC will green light a third season is yet to be confirmed, but Dusseldorp would return in a heartbeat, she said.

The in-demand actor is currently filming a new season of Foxtel’s popular drama, A Place To Call Home but has had little relief after the emotional rollercoaster that was Janet King, she said.

Last season, Dusseldorp’s Place character Sarah Adams buried her husband, Rene — played by her real-life husband Ben Winspear, an experience which remains unexpectedly raw, she said.

“I filmed a scene [last week] where we were talking about Rene and this incredible loss came up for me. I hadn’t prepared for that. I thought it was a simple scene where I say one thing about him and I just felt this enormous grief.”

She is grateful to the show’s fans for her Logie nomination as best actress but scoffed: “I”m never going to win. [Her rivals] are these beautiful, amazing, multi-talented women but the fact that people vote is such a nice feeling.”

Silvia’s Table is a sit down with celebrity

MOVE over Annabel Crabb — Silvia Colloca has opened the door on what could prove to be the hottest food invite in town: a VIP seat on her new TV series, Silvia’s Table.

The eight-part ABC cooking show, which began filming in Sydney this week, will see three celebrities around her kitchen bench and dining table as the kitchen goddess cooks up a three-course menu in 30 minutes.

Each episode will be themed, sparking conversations between the cooking around issues like ‘family,’ ‘defiance’ and ‘courage’ — allowing audiences to digest new recipes and a little bit more about their favourite stars.

The guest list so far looks interesting and includes Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, author Kathy Lette, comic genius Magda Szubanski, former politician Amanda Vanstone, chef Matt Moran, actor Marta Dusseldorp and artist Ken Done.

No doubt Colloca’s layabout husband, Rake star Richard Roxburgh will pop up at some point; given he credits one of his greatest roles in life is as her recipe tester!

Mum Fi sets rules

MOTHER’S Day won’t be all beautiful bouquets and messages of love for House Rules mum, Fil — who steps up to the task of putting one of reality TV rivals in his place on tonight’s episode (7pm, Seven).

The Melbourne mum of two takes on this season’s early villain, former Navy commander Rob, who bullied his way through the first week of the Channel 7 competition — when Fil and her husband Joe turned over the keys to their three-bedroom home. When he tries to apply the same tactics in the renovation of SA couple, Brook and Michelle’s home, it’s left to Fil to set him straight and fight back on behalf of the rest of the group already off side with the Perth-based ex-military man.

Royal Start for our Pop Princess

SHE’S our pop princess, so it’s fitting local fans will be able to croon along to Kylie Minogue during her royal command performance at a special concert set to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday — to air within days of the live event, on Channel 7 (8.30pm, May 19).

The former Neighbours star, who received her OBE from a blushing Prince Charles in 2008, has proved a reliable choice for palace gigs in the past — performing at the open air concert for the Queen’s diamond jubilee four years ago.

Other TV favourites appearing on the bill — to be staged in the grounds of Windsor Castle — includes Downton Abbey’s Jim Carter; Wolf Hall star Damian Lewis; Martin Clunes (Doc Martin); and Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous.

Also set to make guest appearances are tenor Andre Boccelli, opera singer Katherine Jenkins, former X Factor judge and singer/songwriter James Blunt; and The Queen star Dame Helen Mirren, who is expected to help in narrating the story of the monarch’s life and times.

Lukas Stars on NZ Soap

IT’S been one-way traffic for many years now, but Aussie actor Lukas Whiting (pictured, above) has made the trans-Tasman trek in reverse — recently getting his start as Finn Connolly on New Zealand’s top-rating soap, Shortland Street. Whiting’s dad hails from Christchurch but his 20-year-old son was born in Australia, schooled largely in Canberra and is a recent graduate of The Actors Pulse in Sydney.

Love Match on Gilmore

HOT on the heels of Melissa McCarthy confirming she will make a return to Sleepy Hollow for Netflix’ reunion of Gilmore Girls, comes this Insta update by Aussie actor Tanc Sade who sent the show’s fans into meltdown this week after posting an onset reunion picture between on-screen couple, Rory and Logan, aka Alexis Biedel and Matt Czuchry. Teasing fans, Sade who plays Finn, wrote: “will they? won’t they? Hmmm.”

Mad about Wentworth

IF you thought the last season of Wentworth took the outstanding prison drama to new levels of intensity on Australian television, well buckle up for the show’s stunning return (8.30pm, Tues., SoHo). The tables have been turned on the Freak (played by Pamela Rabe, pictured top centre) who is, as expected, crazy good as the jail governess-turned-inmate. The cast also welcomes former Offspring favourite, Kate Jenkinson.