Families stranded overseas but celebrities welcome

Despite thousands of Aussies struggling to get back into the country, Australia has seen an influx of celebrities enjoying our pandemic paradise.

Natalie Portman with her husband, Benjamin Millepied, watch the South Sydney Rabbitohs play an NRL match in Sydney. Picture: Getty Images

Australia has been awash with international celebrities during the Covid-19 pandemic while thousands of citizens struggle to get back into the country because of quarantine and international travel restrictions.

British big mouth Katie Hopkins, Meghan Markle’s estranged brother Thomas Markle Jr, and trans activist and governor of California hopeful, Caitlyn Jenner, are among the latest in a wave of stars to have been granted Australian visas, while many families are unable to be reunited and individuals have their visa applications bounced.

Far-right commentator Hopkins, who had her visa cancelled and was deported last week for boasting about breaching hotel quarantine conditions, Jenner and Markle Jr. are in Australia to take part in the Channel 7 reality show Big Brother VIP.

But they are just the tip of the celebrity iceberg.

Zac Efron and his brother, Dylan, at Kangaroo Island.

Australia has already played host to Matt Damon, who filmed the Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder, and Zac Efron, who filmed his Netflix series Down To Earth here with his brother Dylan, as well as the film Gold.

Entourage star Adrian Grenier was in Melbourne to film the series Clickbait for Netflix and Sons of Anarchy pin-up Charlie Hunnam caused much excitement when spotted enjoying the city while working on the Apple TV+ series Shantaram.

Meanwhile, the US series Come Dance With Me, which was filmed at the Docklands Studios, saw US dance and music identities Jenna Dewan, Philip Lawrence, Tricia Miranda, and Dexter Mayfield, in Melbourne earlier this year.

Irish action star Liam Neeson also had a stint in Melbourne late last year while he shot the movie Backlight.

Chris Hemsworth and director Taika Waititi at an NRL game. Picture: Jonathan Ng

British actor Katherine Parkinson is in Melbourne working on the TV series Spreadsheet for the Paramount+ streaming service.

Oscar winner Natalie Portman joined Damon, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Chris Pratt and director Taika Waititi in Sydney for Thor: Love and Thunder.

Portman’s husband, Benjamin Millepied, has been busy while in Australia. He directed the film Carmen, which was based in New South Wales, and featured Irish actor Paul Mescal and Byron Bay-based siren Elsa Pataky.

Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton spent time in Sydney earlier this year to film the feature Three Thousand Years of Longing.

A second Marvel film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, saw the likes of rapper and actor Awkwafina, Bond star Michelle Yeoh, Simu Liu, Tony Leung and Florian Munteanu spend time in Sydney while the superhero film was shot mid last year.

British actor Idris Elba in Bondi Junction. Picture: Toby Zerna

Melissa McCarthy with Roos ruckmen Braydon Preuss (L) and Majak Daw in Melbourne. Picture: Hamish Blair

Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen joined director Ron Howard in Queensland earlier this year for Thirteen Lives, the film based on the Thai caves rescue mission in 2018.

Nicole Kidman brought international names, including Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans, to Byron Bay to film the TV adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel Nine Perfect Strangers for the streaming service Hulu. The show was shot in Byron Bay late last year.

Fifty Shades of Grey heart-throb Jamie Dornan turned heads when he arrived in South Australia in March to film the streaming series The Tourist.

Singer Rita Ora ventured to Sydney to film The Voice for Channel 7 alongside jetsetting US-based Aussie Keith Urban, while US actor and theatre star Neil Patrick Harris arrived in Sydney to film Australia’s Got Talent with UK singer and dancer Alesha Dixon. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled before the pair got out of quarantine.

UK businessman Lord Alan Sugar spent a couple of months in Australia to film Celebrity Apprentice.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fischer at lunch in Sydney. Picture: Damian Shaw

Christian Bale in Sydney. Picture: Damian Shaw

Oscar winner Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, became the celebrity faces of the Covid pandemic when they tested positive to the virus in March last year while in Queensland for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley.

Sam Rockwell, who won an Academy Award for his role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and his wife, Leslie Bibb, were in Australia last year while Bibb filmed the Netflix production God’s Favourite Idiot in Lismore in New South Wales.

The Joe Exotic series is filming in Brisbane with John Cameron Mitchell, Kate McKinnon, Dennis Quaid and Kyle MacLachlan among the cast.

Queensland has also been announced as the location for the film Ticket To Paradise, which is expected to film later this year, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts.

And later this year expect to see an influx of motley overseas characters around Murwillumbah in New South Wales when they arrive to take part in the British and German versions of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.

Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam in Melbourne.

Matt Damon shopping in Brisbane. Picture: Annette Dew

Daniel Hartwich and Sonja Zietlow host the German version and Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly host the UK version.

International stars are generally assumed to have been granted travel exemptions to travel to, and work in Australia, as they are working on projects that contribute to Australia’s economic recovery.

Many of those productions have received funding from the federal government’s Location Incentive Scheme.

“Stimulating the Australian economy is an important part of post COVID-19 recovery, which is why the ABF (Australian Border Force) is committed to keeping the economy moving as much as possible through trade and travel, while at the same time ensuring our borders remain strong and protected from the transmission of COVID-19,” an ABF spokesperson said.

Adrian Grenier at Darling Cafe in South Yarra.

“Film and production work is considered in the critical skills exemption category based on economic benefit brought to Australia.

“These exemptions are approved once support has been provided by the relevant state or territory government that there is significant economic benefit to Australia.

“Generally, the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) Entertainment Activities stream allows someone to come to Australia to work in the entertainment industry on film, television or live productions as a performer, production or support staff.”

It is unknown how many Temporary Activity visas have been issued since March last year.

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