Alicia Maree Malone (born 4 September 1981) is an Australian author and television host for Turner Classic Movies.[2][3]
Alicia Malone | |
|---|---|
 Malone in 2017 | |
| Born | 4 September 1981[1] |
| Occupations |
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| Employer | Warner Bros. Discovery (2018–present) |
Biography
Early life
Alicia Malone was born in Canberra, Australia. When she was three years old, she watched The NeverEnding Story (1984) in a movie theater with her mother and sisters. During the film, the character Atreyu tries to save his beloved horse Artax, which made her very emotional. She remembered, "I started crying and yelling ... I made so much noise my mum had to take me out of the theater."[4]
While studying at Canberra Girls Grammar School, she started a film club, intending to convince her classmates to appreciate classic cinema. After graduating, she chose not to attend a university but instead moved to Sydney, intending to work in television. There, she applied and won a half scholarship to study television at a technical college.[5][6] Meanwhile, she worked at a Video Ezy video rental store, where she was hired on the spot, and advised unsuspecting customers which films they should rent.[7][8] After an acquaintance suggested her, she began working at the Channel Seven television station, which was broadcasting the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics at the time, as a teleprompter operator. She subsequently worked a variety of jobs in the control room.[9]
After six years, she responded to a job opening and was hired as a producer and editor for the Movie Network.[8] She hosted film-related television programs, including Movie Juice and Premiere. Through the help of a friend and supporter Renee Brack, Malone also hosted live red carpet events.[8]
Career
In 2010, Malone moved to Los Angeles, California, on an O visa, allowing her to only work in television.[10] One night, after channel-surfing on cable television, she wrote down a particular goal in mind to become a host for Turner Classic Movies. She practiced auditioning by recording the introductions made by Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz, writing out the scripts, and practice reading those scripts in front of a camera.[11] In 2014, she co-hosted the web series Profiles with Malone and Mantz, alongside Scott Mantz for AfterBuzz TV. There, Keven Undergaro, co-founder of Afterbuzz TV, held a private seminar with Malone, where she mentioned her dream goal. Undergaro knew Darcy Hettrich, the network's then-head of talent, and Malone later edited a video reel of herself discussing classic films. At the time, Turner Classic Movies was partnering with The Criterion Collection on FilmStruck, a film streaming service.[12][13] In 2015, she was hired to host video introductions for FilmStruck.[4] She also hosted The FilmStruck Podcast interviewing filmmakers and artists whose films were featured on the service.[14]
That same year, on December 20, she gave her first TEDx Talk titled #GirlsInFilm at TEDxSanJuanIsland. In this talk, she discussed the under representation of females in the Hollywood film industry.[15] On July 6, 2017, she gave her second seminar at TEDxBend titled Female Directors in Hollywood & Impact of Movies Made From 1 Perspective. There, she recounted the history of female film directors in Hollywood, and how women can empower other women so that more than one type of story can be told.[16]
Meanwhile, while reading the book Movie-Made America by Robert Sklar, Malone came across the fact that there were more opportunities for women during the early years of American cinema than there are now. Interested, she thoroughly researched the topic and interviewed prominent figures about the historical involvement and under representation of females in the film industry.[9] In 2017, she published her first book Backwards and in Heels. She followed up with her second book The Female Gaze in response to readers who asked how can they support women filmmakers in the industry.[17] She also hosted the Fandango web series Indie Movie Guide on YouTube.[18] In 2019, she began hosting the video series Reel Destinations for Focus Features, exploring the actual locations of their films.[19]
In 2017, Malone auditioned for a Turner Classic Movies hosting role; in 2018, she was hired as a full-time host.[11][20] She made her first official hosting appearance on 4 March 2018.[21] She has stated that before filming her introductions, she watches all the films, does research in order to understand the background behind the films, and know how to expertly read a teleprompter.[11] As of 2024, she hosts the afternoon lineup on Sundays and the primetime lineup on Tuesdays, and is the host of the TCM Imports programming block on late Sunday nights.[22][23]
In 2020, after relocating to Maine, Malone became a member on the board of directors for the Strand Theatre, a historic movie theatre in Rockland.[24]
Personal life
Malone lives in Maine, having relocated there from Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
Books
- Malone, Alicia (2017). Backwards and in Heels: The Past, Present And Future Of Women Working In Film. Coral Gables, Florida: Mango Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63353-618-0.[25]
- Malone, Alicia (2018). The Female Gaze: Essential Movies Made by Women. Coral Gables, Florida: Mango Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63353-837-5.[17]
- Malone, Alicia (2022). Girls on Film: Lessons From a Life of Watching Women in Movies. Coral Gables, Florida: Mango Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64250-656-3.[26]