Former Greens leader Bob Brown was brought up to be a doctor, but after moving to Tasmania in the 1970s, he became a convert to preserving the beauty of the natural habitat.
He's a comedy superstar, serious actor, proud cross-dresser and would-be politician. Eddie Izzard tells Jane Hutcheon what drives his eclectic existence - and shows how make-up maketh the man.
Peter Carey is one of Australia's most successful authors with a string of bestsellers and two Booker Prizes to his name. Though he's lived in New York for 25 years, Australia is never far from his mind - or his writing.
He's a modern-day Willie Wonka who has roamed the world in pursuit of the perfect cacao bean. Willie Harcourt-Cooze produces hundreds of tonnes of artisan chocolate a year, and it's recently arrived in Australia.
From US Navy medic to transgender showgirl to Hollywood actress and consultant, Calpernia Addams has never shied away from crashing through life's many barriers.
Alan Rickman is famed for his versatility, playing romantic leads, comedy characters and arch villains in the course of his 40-year acting career. He has now directed a second film, A Little Chaos, set in 17th century France.
It's been almost 60 years since Edna Everage first stepped on to a stage - and she still constantly surprises her creator, the Australian cultural icon Barry Humphries.
Justin Townes Earle is a singer-songwriter from Nashville whose battle with drug addiction began at the age of 10. The son of country-rock icon Steve Earle, Justin is now drug-free, married and enjoying growing acclaim for his music.
As a shy child with learning difficulties, Cosentino turned to a book of magic to teach himself to read. Now the master illusionist from Melbourne has audiences in his thrall and holds the coveted title of International Magician of the Year.
Chris Buck is the Oscar-winning director of Frozen, the highest-grossing animated film of all time. He tells Jane Hutcheon how he realised his boyhood dream - and how the recent death of his son has kept him grounded.
From the grinding poverty of Mao's China to global celebrity in the ballet world, Li Cunxin - the man now known as Mao's Last Dancer - shares his remarkable story with Jane Hutcheon.
The Australian Sex Party's Leader Fiona Patten fought for years to enter politics and finally became a member of the Victorian Parliament. She talks about the cornerstones of the party; sex, drugs and voluntary euthanasia.
Bestselling author John Marsden has sold millions of his teen fiction books, and has now turned his skills to adult literature. But he says his real achievements stem from life as a school principal and stepfather to six boys.
David Gonski talks about his life, from his arrival in Australia as a migrant, to the review of school funding for the Federal Government in 2011 which produced the catch-phrase 'I Give a Gonski'.
Matt Nable speaks with Jane Hutcheon about how bipolar disorder, diagnosed several years ago, affected his life, but also helped him create a stellar career.
Harry Triguboff is one of only three Australians whose personal wealth tops $10 billion. But what does the property developer known as "High Rise Harry" consider a dollar well spent? He lets Jane Hutcheon in on the secret.
The comedian Jean Kittson uses humour to tackle some of life's toughest topics. From death and palliative care to the heated matter of menopause, nothing is off limits.
Rick Springfield has carved out a stellar career as a singer, actor and writer since leaving Australia for the US 40 years ago. But, he tells Jane Hutcheon, no amount of fame or wealth can heal a troubled mind.
Wil Anderson is one of Australia's most sought-after stand-up comics and TV hosts. And though he battles with painful osteoarthritis, he refuses to let a pair of "dicky hips" slow him down.
In the first of three stories from Alice Springs, Jane Hutcheon meets Chris 'Brolga' Barns at his kangaroo sanctuary, and learns how a two-metre tall tour guide became "mum" to hundreds of orphaned joeys.
In the second of three stories from Alice Springs, Cherisse Buzzacott tells Jane Hutcheon how she defied the stereotypes of indigenous youth to pursue her dream and become a midwife.
In the final part of The Road to Alice, Shon Klose is a musician and advocate for intersex people. She uses her own experience of trauma to help indigenous children in remote communities in Australia's Red Centre.
Professor Paul Dolan is one of the world's leading thinkers on the subject of happiness. The British economist has advised governments on measuring the wellbeing of nations and says designing a happier life is within everyone's reach.
Gillian Mears is an award-winning author who is confined to a wheelchair by advanced multiple sclerosis. And while she refuses to surrender to the disease, Mears admits it has led to a drastic change of heart on the subject of voluntary euthanasia.
The acclaimed actor Hugo Weaving has played pivotal roles in some of the world's most successful blockbusters. But in his latest part, as a cross-dressing policeman in The Dressmaker, he returns to the place he holds most dear - the Australian film industry.
John Edward is an American psychic, author and TV personality who says scepticism around his ability to "cross over" won't quash his calling to keep the living and their dead loved ones connected.
Magda Szubanski is one of Australia's best-loved comedy performers, yet her life has held complex challenges. She tells Jane Hutcheon how the discovery of her father's dark wartime secret caused her to question her identity.
Cheryl Strayed is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough.
Sir Antony James Beevor, FRSL is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works on the Second World War and the Spanish Civil War.
Chris Hadfield is a former astronaut whose reflections from space - and weightless rendition of David Bowie's Space Oddity - made him an internet sensation.