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NEW SHOWS JUST ANNOUNCED
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About Carmen
Carmen was born in Marsaxlokk, Malta in 1946, and honestly, she still looks like she moisturises with holy water!
She moved to Australia at 16, where she met Joey at a dinner dance. He cut in while she was dancing with another man and declared, “Joey and Carmen go together like birds of a feather ta!” She shot back, “How you know I love birds?” And that was that. They went on to build a big, loud, beautiful family: two kids, six grandkids, and two great‑grandkids.
Carmen loves life, her family, pastizzi, cleaning, bingo, and making people laugh. Her life motto? “You might as well laugh and have some fun, because one day we’re all going in the ground ta!”
Carmen is the creation of Australian actress Deborah Barrese, whose training in Melbourne and Los Angeles led to roles in TV, film, commercials, and children’s animation. With a love for character work and accents, Deborah brings Carmen to life with heart and humour.
Born and raised in Melbourne with strong Maltese roots, Deborah grew up surrounded by the culture, traditions, and hilarious personalities of her Maltese family. Summers in Malta and years of impersonating her grandparents planted the seeds for Carmen long before she existed.
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