Retro Radio: Filipina Australian actress Charlotte Nicdao on life before Mythic Quest

Retro Radio: As SBS celebrates 50 years of broadcasting, we look back at some of the interviews from the SBS Filipino archives. We take you to our 2006 interview with Charlotte Nicdao before her TV career began.

---

Key Points

• Filipina-Australian actress first performed when she was nine years old with her friends in a playground. Their pop group 'Chocolate'.
• Charlotte Nicdao wrote all the music and lyrics to the songs they performed.
• She starred in several Australian TV shows before her lead role as 'Poppy' in the US series Mythic Quest.
• Charlotte is one of two daughters of Filipino-Australian actor Alfred Nicdao.

The Nicdao Family. Growing up Charlotte's parents, Alfred and Louise, surrounded their home with music. Louise would play the piano while Alfred would strum the guitar with his Jingle Songbook Credit: with permission from Alfred Nicdao

When I was three years old, my dad gave me a tape recorder, and I just sat there for ages, taping songs about random things. Ever since, I have never stopped singing. The first song I ever wrote about was about if I were a snail

Charlotte Nicdao on how she discovered her love for singing

Charlotte Nicdao recently wrote and directed 'Asian Male, 60s, LEAD' with his father Alfred Nicdao in the lead role. It screened in the recently concluded 2025 St Kilda Film Festival. Credit: with permission from Alfred Nicdao

📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino

🔊 On Air – Tune in to SBS Filipino on radio stations across Australia and website live stream, and TV Channel 302 from 10 AM to 11 AM AEST daily.

📲 Catch up episodes and stories – Visit sbs.com.au/filipino

or stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube Podcasts, and SBS Audio app.

📣 Follow Us on Social Media – Stay updated by following us on Facebook and Instagram.