Australian entertainer Jeanne Little OAM (1938–2020) was known for her over-the-top personality and flamboyant outfits, greeting everyone with her catchphrase 'Daaahling'. Born in Sydney, the youngest of seven children to a single mother, Little started making her own clothes as a child. At the age of 36 and eight months pregnant with daughter Katie, she was photographed in her elephant-print maternity dress for The Daily Mirror. Producers saw the image and invited her to appear on the Mike Walsh Show. Her guest spot quickly turned into a regular role, where she appeared in her own outrageous designs and showed her flair for comedy. She won a Gold Logie just two years after her first appearance and was soon the highest paid woman on Australian television. In 1985 she continued on its successor Midday with Ray Martin and was later a regular panellist on Beauty and the Beast until the mid-2000s. She also had a successful career in musical theatre and toured for years with her one-woman show Marlene: A tribute to Dietrich. Little died in 2020 after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
Robin Sellick photographed Little in her Paddington home in 1994 for Who Weekly magazine. In this boisterous close-up Sellick has captured her vivacious personality and energy. Like Little, this photo stands out in a crowd.
Purchased 2021
© Robin Sellick
The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the
Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a
Reproduction request. For further information please contact
NPG Copyright.
