The shock reason why Kath & Kim star Gina Riley left the spotlight at the height of her fame
The shocking reason why Kath & Kim star Gina Riley left fame at the height of her career has been revealed.
The Australian comedian, 63, told Nine in a interview resurfaced that she made the conscious decision to step out of the spotlight so she could live a normal life.
“As I get older, I really don’t want to be a public person, which sounds ridiculous with what I do. I’m completely boring in everyday life,” Gina began.
Gina added that she and her Kath & Kim co-star Jane Turner, 64, were never comfortable with fame because they felt they didn’t fit that lifestyle.
‘We are more like observers. We are not people who fit in very well.’
The Melbourne-born performer worked consistently in film and television from 1983 until 2007, when the hit sitcom she created with Turner ended after four seasons.
The shocking reason why Kath & Kim star Gina Riley (right) left fame at the height of her career has been revealed. Pictured with co-star Jane Turner
Since then, Gina has made only occasional media appearances, including reprising her role as Kim Day in the 2012 film Kath and Kimderella.
Gina is now focusing on her family life and spending her time with her husband, TV producer Rick McKenna.
Kath & Kim, which ran on ABC and Channel Seven from 2002 to 2007, also starred Jane Turner, Glenn Robbins, Magda Szubanski and Peter Rowsthorn.
The sitcom produced two spin-off films: Da Kath & Kim Code (2005) and Kath and Kimderella (2012).
The series was known for its hilarious cameos from world-famous stars, including Shane Warne, Kylie Minogue and Michael Bublé.
In September 2018, Magda and Jane discussed the possibility of a reboot, but admitted it would need to be modernized to reflect current trends and culture.
“Never say never,” said Magda TV week.
Jane, who co-created the series with Gina, added: “It would be very different now.”
The Australian comedian, 63, told Nine in a resurfaced interview that she made the conscious decision to walk away from the spotlight so she could live a normal life.
Gina said she and her Kath & Kim co-star Jane Turner, 64, were never comfortable with fame because they felt they didn’t fit that lifestyle
“There are always fun new trends and things that Kath and Kim can put their spin on, which would be fun to do.”
Kath & Kim has recently seen a resurgence in popularity after being made available on the streaming service Netflix.
Magda Szubanski later changed her tune, saying in 2022 that a reboot would almost certainly never happen.
‘I think it should be taken off the table. It has such a special place in people’s memories,” the comedian told The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
“If we were to do a live show, which was a ‘best of’ or something like that, that’s different.
“But to actually make a whole new series, I don’t think you’ll ever be able to capture that magic again.”
Last year, the iconic Australian comedy found a new audience in the US thanks to its grassroots presentersr web series, I enjoy watching.
Hosted by drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya, each half-hour episode of the show is entirely devoted to discussing various shows streaming on Netflix.
Both Trixie and Katya have never seen Kath & Kim, but Trixie believed that some of the show’s unique language might be familiar to American LGBTQI+ people.
“As a gay American, you may know that there are parts of this that make you think, ‘I’ve heard people say that, but I never knew where it came from.’
Within minutes of their deep dive, both hosts were instant converts to Kath & Kim fans.