australian television information archive

Cameron Attard as Roger Thesaurus

Roger Thesaurus has to think twice every time Dusting announces he's the best thing that's ever happened to him. Thesaurus' mouth organ collection is rapidly diminishing, his tropical fish are dying and Dusting claims he won Thesaurus' dog in a bet. Millicent also claims she's the best thing that's ever happened to Thesaurus. However the more she forces him to square dance and comb his hair in a certain way — the more he begins to wonder. Roger's mother manages most of the parenting as his father has a thankless bureaucratic job that means he often works late shifts or stays back at the office. Roger is often reluctantly called on to provide companionship for his lonely mother. Her needy hugs and hair ruffling is magnified in his mind as her desperation increases and the silent feuds between his parents become entrenched.

Cameron Attard stars as Thesaurus in his first television role. The twelve year old lives in Sydney and began acting classes when he was eight years old.

Raymond Mirams as Ernest Dusting

If true friends are the ones who always wait at the school gate for you (whether you want them to or not), let you sit on their bench for free and always remember your name, then Dusting is Thesaurus' true friend. And when it comes down to it, Thesaurus is Dusting's only friend. There are about eight people in Dusting's sprawling family, but it is hard to tell. The household is messy, raucous and it's everyone for themselves at meal and bath times. There is still romance in the air between Dusting's parents. Most evening's they ignore the rabble enough to put on a favourite country record and dance around the lounge room, dreaming of their next trip to Tamworth. Dusting appreciates there is safety in numbers and keeps his head down as much as he can.

This is hard as he shares his bedroom with two older brothers, and their hand painted dividing line down the middle of the floor cuts him off from the door and the window. Eleven-year-old Raymond Mirams has been acting with Geelong's Music Box Theatre Company since 1995. Raymond has appeared in guest roles on Blue Heelers and Halifax fp.

Seychelle Sketchley-Brown as Millicent

Millicent is Thesaurus' loyal friend. Unlike Dusting, she is popular, capable and wants the best for Thesaurus — as she has learnt from the best. Her mother is a feminist so Millicent knows that women can be strong but they need to take action to change the world into a better place — and for her that world would be a much better place without Dusting getting in her way. Bossy, sometimes overbearing and always dominating Millicent was born in the same hospital on the same day as Thesaurus and is sure their souls are bound together by birth.

Seychelle stars in Worst Best Friends as Millicent. This is the eleven-year-old's first major television role.

Joshua Jay as Max

Max is a sixty-five year old man stuffed into an eleven-year-old's body and the worry is starting to show on his face. Train crashes, nuclear bombs, tropical storms, injuries and diseases are just a few of Max's daily anxieties. Max believes he has had every illness known to humans — twice — and knows the pathology in great detail. He believes this knowledge is necessary because of his genetic misfortune. Both his parents forbearers have died young — from cancer, heart attacks, brain tumours — and his mum and dad are so determined to beat it that they've turned into health nuts who make a living flogging miracle supplements of the month. Max is so obsessive about eating all the right health tablets and vitamins that he barely has room for lunch.

Joshua Jay comes from a family with a background in the Performing Arts. His television credits to date include Blue Heelers, Neighbours and three episodes of All Saints, for which he received an AFI nomination for Best Young Performer in 2001. Joshua also appeared in the Australian feature film The Bank.

Lee Cormie as Gilbert

Gilbert prefers collecting stick insects and experimenting with beetles, than the company of humans… that is until Avril shares her lunch with him. Because both parents are scientifically minded boffins like their son, Gilbert doesn't lead a normal home life. Instead of making school lunches and buying new shoes for their son, Gilbert often finds himself at a loss, hungry or barefoot without the faintest idea how to change it. That's what he loves about Avril. She's so practical, so prepared. She thinks of everything and always knows what's going on with everyone else. From the moment he forgot his lunch on that first school excursion and she shared her peanut butter and jam sandwiches with him, he found her incredibly romantic. She always has spare food, spare money, tissues, band-aids… she is ready for anything. Gilbert doesn't mind that Avril is constantly rude to him because he's no use in her social master plan — but when she is miserable and her so-called friends have deserted her, Gilbert will be there to pick her up like a broken butterfly and sticky-tape her wings back together.

Lee Cormie has appeared in the television series Blue Heelers as well as a number of television commercials.

Rebecca Hetherington as Avril

Avril's heart desire is to be Millicent and she lives in her shadow to study her as closely as possible. If ever Millicent is taken by aliens and disappears, Avril would be able to step into her shoes and be Millicent in an instant — except Avril would be able to do better cartwheels of course. The only person who seems to care about Avril is Gilbert — maybe he isn't that stupid after all?

Eleven-year-old Rebecca Hetherington plays the role of Avril. Rebecca most recently performed in the Opera Australia production La Boheme at the State Theatre and is a member of the Johnny Young Talent School.

Jessica Jacobs as Molly

A couple of years younger than the others, Molly is Millicent's little sister. Most of the time Molly is happy to do what Millicent says, but is protected by her own dreamy world of strange rituals and fixations. Molly's world revolves around her pets, and she's had a few — rabbits, guinea pigs, gold fish, turtles, and budgies. Sadly, Molly has lost a few, if not all of them. Molly's backyard has become a pet cemetery with elaborate shrines and headstones made from cardboard boxes and towers of bricks — all painted with poorly spelled poetic tributes to the departed. Molly decorates each one daily with filched flowers and remembers all the birthdays and anniversaries of each animal's death. Her reputation as an animal lover has been tarnished by the life expectancy of her pets.

Jessie Jacobs appears as Molly in her first television role.

After Worst Best Friends, Jessica would go on to star in the TV series The Saddle Club, Fergus McPhail and Holly's Heroes. Tragically, Jessica was killed in a train accident in 2008. She was only 17 years old.

Jan Friedl as Miss Hodgson

Jan Friedl is the class teacher, Miss Hodgson in Worst Best Friends.

Jan has worked extensively in all areas of the performing arts and has been resident at major Australian theatre companies including Melbourne Theatre Company, South Australian Theatre Company and Playbox.

Jan is also an accomplished singer and has appeared in numerous opera and musical theatre productions for Victorian State Opera, singing works by a range of 20th Century composers.

Andrew S. Gilbert as Mr Thesaurus

Andrew S. Gilbert is a well-known face on Australian television, appearing in Worst Best Friends as Roger's father, Mr Thesaurus.

Andrew has appeared in countless television programs including the successful ACTF Production Round the Twist, Home and Away, Police Rescue, and Bodyline.

Andrew's film credits include Idiot Box, The Dish, Mullet, and Rabbit Proof Fence.

Christen O'Leary as Mrs Thesaurus

Established theatre performer Christen O'Leary plays Roger's mother, Mrs Thesaurus. Christen has won two Green Room Awards for her role in Company (2000) and A Little Night Music (1997); and was nominated for another for her role in The Eskimo in 2000.

Christen also appeared in the CoxKnight television series SeaChange.