Shantae Barnes-Cowan is a rising Australian actress best known for her roles in the ABC series Black B*tch and Operation Buffalo. She’ll be playing the lead role of Shanika, an Aboriginal Australian hunter battling a colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert, in the upcoming AMC’s eight-part vampire fantasy series Firebite.
Continue reading to know more about the rising Australian actress.
She Hails from Whyalla
Shantae Barnes-Cowan, born in the year 2003, is an Adnyamathanha woman from Whyalla, South Australia. She lives with her foster parents – Jeanette and Steve Cowan. She has altogether ten siblings – three sisters and seven brothers.
It was the support of her ‘two big families’ that helped her successfully juggle her busy 2021 schedule during her last year of schooling. The 18-year-old actress received a certificate to recognise reaching the end of Year 12 at a ceremony at Government House on December 6, 2021.
She Made Her Acting Debut in 2019
Shantae made her screen debut in 2019 in ABC’s political drama Total Control, where she worked alongside Deborah Mailman and Harry Richardson. She then hit the big time, being cast in the ABC drama Black B*tch. She also appeared in the espionage thriller Fallout and the comedy-drama series Operation Buffalo.
She’ll be Seen in Multiple Upcoming Projects
The year 2022 will be remarkable for the budding Adnyamathanha actress. Shantae will next be seen leading the cast of Nyul Nyul and Yawuru writer/director Jub Clerc’s debut feature Sweet As. She’ll play the role of a 16-year-old Indigenous girl, Murra.
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Shantae will also appear in the upcoming post-apocalyptic zombie film, Wyrmwood: Apocalypse. The movie is set to hit the cinemas on February 10, 2022.
Shantae has also starred in the upcoming AMC’s eight-part fantasy series Firebite, which will premiere on 16 December. She plays the lead role of Shanika, an Aboriginal Australian hunter battling a colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert.
She is the Recipient of the DHS Aboriginal Achievement Award
On May 21, 2021, Shantae won the DHS Aboriginal Achievement Award at the 2021 Seven News Young Achiever Awards, presented by DHS Chief Executive Lois Boswell.
The teen actress has a vast list of accomplishments, including serving as an Indigenous Literacy Foundation Ambassador for South Australia and promoting the significance of literacy to Aboriginal children in Melbourne with fellow students. She was also a guest speaker at the opening of NUNGA Screen and at DreamBIG Children’s Festival in May.
She is an Athlete
Furthermore, Shantae was named NAIDOC Female Sports Person of the Year. She has played basketball and netball at the state level. She even acted in a coaching capacity to support other local sportspeople.
