To the many fans of her books, podcasts, make-up range and comedy, Tanya Hennessy is the best thing since sliced bread.
Her new pun-heavy and carb-loaded (in name only) make-up range was released last week and is selling out nationwide, she has a new movie out on Stan, and her latest children's book Pink Santa is about to become a best-seller. But the icing on the cake? Hollywood studio executives have expressed interest in making an animated feature film based on the book.
Breakfast at Hennessy's
Her third make-up collaboration with Models Prefer Cosmetics, sold at Priceline Pharmacy, is called Breakfast at Hennessy's and is themed around bread, breakfast, carbs and other humorous pop culture references.
When Weekender calls Hennessy excitedly shares the news that her range had "already sold out" at Priceline Pharmacy's Green Hills store, near Maitland.
She's eating something as she speaks. I hear a spoon hit the side of a bowl and ask if it's cereal.
"No ... I don't know what you mean. Damn it, yes, it's Nutri-Grain," she says, laughing.
"I love that Green Hills store, it's my favourite Priceline. My make-up always sells so well there. And we've sold about 80 per cent of the Get Bready palette alone since yesterday, nationally. That palette is just a banger.
"I don't know how I did it - OK, I did it with significant help, but still."
Hennessy channelled Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's to promote her tongue-in-cheek range.
Her first make-up palette was called How Good is Bread? and it sold out in 24 hours.
"That was the best seller, and this time we've bought back a mini version of that palette with shades such as Unsupportive Bra and Lower Back Pain," she says.
There's also a lip gloss and balm called Wham Bam Thank You Jam. A lip scrub called I Don't Want No Scrubs. The Long Black & Sexy mascara. A make-up brush called Sorry I Was Latte, I Didn't Want To Come. A blush palette called Muffin Top.
It's very Hennessy.
The author, comedian, television personality, broadcaster, actor, podcaster, content creator and Priceline Ambassador was originally approached by MP Cosmetics to create her own range because she has no airs and graces.
As I wrote in 2020, "Hennessy is both a bumbling mess and a force to be reckoned with, and it is this duality that has struck a chord with her many fans. Not only is she hilarious, intelligent, insightful, talented, inspiring, empathetic and honest, she is also real. We can relate to her, warts and all."
She's self-deprecating, witty and fun. She's one of us.
"This is my third make-up line with Priceline and I think the reason it continues to happen is that it's really relatable and real - something for normal people," she says.
"It works, it's consistent, you can wear it to work, you can travel with it, it's durable, it's long lasting and it's made by someone who actually gives a shit.
"The make-up industry can be so serious, glamorous and unobtainable ... people don't want that, they want honesty and transparency and they want it to work. It's as simple as that."
Pink Santa
Originally from Lake Macquarie and a student at both Eleebana Public School and Hunter School of the Performing Arts, Hennessy started out as a radio announcer with Southern Cross Austereo at NXFM Newcastle in 2012 and found fame sharing comedy skits on social media.
When we last spoke she was about to release a children's picture book, Pink Santa. It's now her second-best-seller behind Drum Roll Please, It's Stevie Louise.
Last year she wrote a play based on Stevie Louise. It premiered at Maitland's Upstage Youth Theatre with the help of Ann Croger, who was Hennessy's drama teacher at Hunter School of the Performing Arts.
"It's really crazy because when I wrote Pink Santa, it was just because I thought 'Wouldn't it be funny if Santa's suit wasn't washed until the day of Christmas, and Rudolph washed it on a hot setting and put a pink sock in there and the suit turned pink?' Like, how funny would that be?," she says.
"Pink Santa is almost a best seller, which is 10,000 copies, and she's just under 8500 now. So she's selling really well and my publishers love it - they've given me permission to write another two picture books, so that's good."
The story has a joyous and inclusive Christmas message and it caught the attention of studio executives at DreamWorks. In April Hennessy had a meeting with them in Los Angeles about Pink Santa, at their invitation.
DreamWorks is the studio responsible for the likes of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Boss Baby, The Croods, How To Train Your Dragon, Trolls and Madagascar.
Animation royalty.
"They were interested in running it as an animated feature-length film, saying they thought it was an excellent idea," she says.
"Now, I thought it was funny but I didn't think it was feature film worthy, so it was the weirdest and longest meeting of my life. It went for three hours.
"One of them had read a bunch of my other writing and he said 'You should come and write for us' and I was like 'Well, I don't have a Visa, to start with'. I'm looking at potentially going over to do some writing but, as much as I love writing, I do like performing, so it's a bit of a toss up.
"The writers' strike delayed things but the meetings are continuing to see whether or not they want to option it.
"If they wanted to buy it I'd be stoked, because that's crazy."
Jones Family Christmas
The movie she acted in is a comedy called Jones Family Christmas. It's a Stan Original and it premiered the morning of our chat. Hennessy had yet to watch it. The film stars Heather Mitchell, Ella Scott Lynch, Max McKenna, Neil Melville and Nicholas Denton.
"I've probably got about 15 lines. My character is called Fanny and she wears leggings and Christmas earrings and she's in a book club but she can't read," Hennessy says.
"It was so fun to do. I still can't believe I'm in a movie!
"Hopefully I can do some more acting, and hopefully the movie is good so someone will just pay me to be an actor so I don't have to work as hard."
She's still working on a script for a television show, which she remains tight-lipped about. It's been a three-year work in progress.
"It can take five years just to get a pilot up, so I'm not worried," she says.
"I am just so passionate about it, and kind of obsessed with it. I'm seeing it through."
I ask her about the photos she keeps posting on her social media, seemingly in New York, where she is wearing gaudy '80s attire and big hair. She laughs and says "Oh that's Tracy".
"Tracy's a crazy character and my favourite thing. She's so stupid," Hennessy says, laughing.
"Someone said the other day 'You're so relaxed as Tracy' and I said 'Yeah because Tracy doesn't have the problems that Tanya does. Tanya's always anxious and Tracy doesn't have anxiety. Tracy will say what she wants whereas Tanya has to be a bit guarded. Tracy doesn't have endometriosis, but Tanya does.
"It's joyful to play someone like that. It's an escape, a 100 per cent escape."
Hennessy is still undergoing IVF treatment and says: "It's neverending, it really is. I'll go for another round in January. Ugh."
A 'Newcastle gal'
Hennessy says the media landscape has changed so much since her radio years that she is constantly upskilling. In August she told Weekender: "I love being multi-disciplinary. It's like my secret weapon, because not everyone can do it."
"I can't be unemployed. I'd just run around in a circle if I wasn't employed. Also you never know when opportunities aren't going to happen so I just go for it," she explains.
"When I grew up all I wanted to do was be on TV and now TV is not what it was. I worked in radio for 10 years and there's barely any radio jobs any more. You have to keep upskilling, especially in the arts, in this day and age."
She still finds any excuse to visit Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and dreams of buying a home in Valentine. Her mother still lives in Belmont and she'll be here for Christmas.
"Valentine is my dream area to live. Any time I look for a house, that's where I'm looking," she says.
"I'm really only working so that I can live in Valentine. But it's all so expensive now - why didn't I buy a house 15 years ago? We're also thinking of getting married in Newy."
Hennessy is scheduled to speak at next week's Lake Macquarie Women in Business Network end-of-year lunch at Brownsugar Restaurant, Warners Bay, with Timberlina.
"I'm really excited about, to be honest with you," she says.
"Every time I get to do a gig in Newcastle, I just love it. I want to share the things that I've learnt with people, like 'Hey here's a cheat sheet, because I went through it the hard way'.
"It hits different, speaking in my home town. I want to give more. For example, I used to play in the park outside the Warners Bay Theatre and then to be in there speaking is a really cool turn of events. It's not something I thought would happen.
"We've got such good talent in Newy, it's so under-rated."
Hennessy is an ardent supporter of Australian fashion label Romance Was Born, whose creations she proudly wears at any opportunity. One of the designers is East Maitland-raised Luke Sale.
"Oh, I talk to them all the time. I almost exclusively wear Romance Was Born now," she says.
"I got my hair dyed the other week and I did it in Newcastle. I always want to promote Newcastle.
"I feel like Romance Was Born suits me. I said to them the other day 'Sometimes I feel like this stuff has been designed for me' and they were, like, 'It wasn't. We're inspired by everything'. And I was like 'OK, thanks, hurtful, cheers' [laughs].
"I would love to do a fun range with them, maybe I should pitch it to them. All glitter, all sequins."
She has a childlike wonder for shiny things?
"Yes, that's me," she replies. "I like that. A childlike wonder. And the older I get the more intense my desire for shiny will get, I'm sure."
