Leah Purcell
| Leah Purcell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
14 August 1970 Murgon, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation | Actress, film director |
| Website |
www |
Leah Purcell (born 14 August 1970)[1] is an Indigenous Australian actress, director and writer. She is a Helpmann Award and AACTA Award winner.
Biography
Leah Purcell was born in Murgon, Queensland, the youngest of seven children of Aboriginal and white Australian descent.[2] Her father was a butcher and a boxing trainer.[3] After a difficult adolescence, looking after her sick mother who died while Leah was in her late teens, problems with alcohol and teenage motherhood, Purcell left Murgon and moved to Brisbane and became involved with community theatre.[2]
In 1996 she moved to Sydney to become presenter on a music video cable television station, RED Music Channel.[4] This was followed by roles in the ABC television series Police Rescue and Fallen Angels.[5][6] She co-wrote and acted in a play called Box the Pony, which played at Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre, the Sydney Opera House, the 1999 Edinburgh Festival and in 2000 at the Barbican Theatre in London.[7] She then wrote and directed the documentary Black Chicks Talking, which won a 2002 Inside Film award.[8] She appeared in the acclaimed Australian film Lantana and on stage in The Vagina Monologues.[9] She went on to appear in three 2004 films, Somersault, The Proposition and Jindabyne as well as playing the role of Condoleezza Rice in David Hare's play, Stuff Happens in Sydney and Melbourne.[10]
Filmography
Actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | G.P. | Lauren | Episode: "Long Time Coming" |
| 1997 | Police Rescue | Const. Tracey Davis | 9 |
| 1997 | Fallen Angels | Sharon Walker | 20 |
| 1998 | Water Rats | Sarah Lane | Episode: "Let the Dead" |
| 1999 | Somewhere in the Darkness | Lulu | |
| 2000-2001 | BeastMaster | The Black Apparition | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 2001 | Lost World, TheThe Lost World | Witch Doctor | Episode: "The Visitor" |
| 2001 | Lantana | Det. Claudia Wiss | |
| 2002 | Bad Cop, Bad Cop | Lorraine Simpson | Episode: "Suit Yourself" |
| 2004 | Somersault | Diane | |
| 2005 | Proposition, TheThe Proposition | Queenie | |
| 2006 | Jindabyne | Carmel | |
| 2007 | Love My Way | Caroline Syron | Episodes: "I'm the King of the Castle", "Together Apart", "Say What You Mean" |
| 2007 | Starter Wife, TheThe Starter Wife | Hannah Sprints | TV miniseries |
| 2008 | McLeod's Daughters | Terri Barker | Episode: "Dammed" |
| 2009 | Tomorrow | Laura | Short film |
| 2009 | My Place | Ellen | Episode: "2008 Laura" |
| 2012 | Redfern Now | Grace | Episode: "Family" |
| 2013–Present | Janet King | Heather O'Connor |
Other
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Black Chicks Talking | Director | Documentary |
| 2009 | Aunty Maggie and the Womba Wakgun | Director | Short film |
| 2009 | My Place | Writer | Episode: "2008 Laura" |
| 2012 | She Say | Director / Writer | Video short |
| 2012 | Redfern Now | Director | Episode: "Sweet Spot" |
| 2016 | The Secret Daughter | Director | Episode: "Flame Trees"[11] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Title | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama | Fallen Angels | Nominated |
| 2001 | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | Box the Pony | Nominated |
| 2006 | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | Stuff Happens | Nominated |
| 2008 | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | The Story of the Miracle at Cookie's Table | Won |
| 2013 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Redfern Now | Won |
| 2013 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actress | Redfern Now | Nominated |
| 2016 | AACTA Awards | Best Performance in a Television Comedy | Black Comedy | Pending |
References
- ↑ Hall, Louise (13 August 2006), "My top 5 – Leah Purcell", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 20 January 2010
- 1 2 Verghis, Sharon (17 August 2005), "Direct line to Washington", The Age, retrieved 20 January 2010
- ↑ Grasswill, Helen (17 June 2002). "Queen Leah". Australian Story. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ↑ "Artistic Director Bio: Leah Purcell". ACPA. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ↑ Keenan, Catherine (27 August 2002), "Blood sisters", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 21 January 2010
- ↑ "Upstaging". Message Stick. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 March 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ↑ "Leah Purcell: profile". Claxton Speakers. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ↑ "IF Award Winners". Inside Film Awards. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ↑ Keenan, Catherine (21 February 2003), "Monologues shift focus to the body beautiful — and battered", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 21 January 2010
- ↑ Verghis, Sharon (9 July 2005), "Channelling Condoleezza", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 21 January 2010
- ↑ Asciak, Libby (18 April 2016). "The secret is finally out: so excited to announce that I will be joining @jessicamauboy1 and the rest of the amazing cast in the new Channel Seven drama 'The Secret Daughter' playing the role of Rachel Rossi #thesecretdaughter #channel7 #comingsoon". Instagram. Retrieved 22 April 2016.