Australian actress

For her filmography, refer to http//www.imdb.com

As submitted by wdawes

Meighan Desmond was born in Kaitaia, New Zealand, September 27, 1976. Height: 5' 4"

Meighan Desmond is a talented Kiwi actress best known to American audiences as Discord, the villainous (but often hilarious) goddess from Hercules and Xena.

Meighan left her hometown of Kaitaia at age 16, moving to Auckland to become an actress. She studied at the South Seas Film and Television School, where her tutor was David Coddington. Her first major role came on the popular New Zealand series, Shortland Street. In a recurring role from 1994 to 1996, Meighan played Lulu Chatfield, a troubled teenager. Shortland Street also featured actress Angela Dotchin, who is Meighan's best friend. The two would go on to work together in episodes of Hercules and Young Hercules.

A woman of many talents, Meighan is skilled with accents, can speak Japanese, and is adept at many sports including horseback riding and rollerblading. She also loves to travel. By her 19th birthday she had already made several trips to Hawaii, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Mexico. After her last appearance on Shortland Street, she spent some time living in Los Angeles as well.

Meighan was first seen as Discord in the 1997 Xena episode, "The Deliverer," but she actually orignated the role in the original Young Hercules pilot film, which was later released on video and DVD. She went on to play the goddess in many episodes of Hercules, Xena, and in the subsequent Young Hercules series. In 2000, Discord made her seemingly final appearance, complete with spectacular death scene, in the Xena episode, "Motherhood." Meighan enjoyed her character's finale, saying "It was great fun to film. It's not every day you get to have your head cut off by Xena!"

Whether or not Discord manages to recover from her decapitaiton, Meighan's fans look forward to seeing her future work.

Source: http://meighandesmond.net/bio.htm

As submitted by wdawes

Melanie Lynskey was born on May 16, 1977 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Reportedly a very good student and an avid reader, she discovered her love for acting early on, and took part in various school plays before screenwriter Fran Walsh, partner of director Peter Jackson, discovered her in1993 while desperately looking for the right person to play the role of Pauline Parker in the movie Heavenly Creatures. The two found Melanie to be perfect for the role, and her performance proved them right. Heavenly Creatures opened in New Zealand in October 1994 to fantastic reviews, and shortly after around the world, where the film was just as well received and nominated for an Academy Award for best screenplay.

Melanie went back to school and then studied English Literature at The Victoria University in Wellington. Other than a short cameo appearance in Peter Jackson's "The Frighteners" in 1996, she did not work on any movie project until she got an offer from writer/director Mark Tapio Kines (who found her through the internet) to play one of the leads in his feature film debut "Foreign Correspondents".

While shooting "Foreign Correspondents" in the summer of 1997, she got the role of Drew Barrymore's "nice" stepsister in the 1998 movie version of the Cinderella tale, "Ever After", which was shot in France. Next was "The Cherry Orchard", a film version of Anton Chekhov's play by the same name, which was completed in June 1998.

Meanwhile, Ever After was released, did very well, and Hollywood was finally noticing her. So, she soon started to work on the teenage comedy "Detroit Rock City" about four guys trying to get into a Kiss concert. While the film itself wasn't a big hit at the boxoffice, it was a change for Melanie to play the love interest in a Hollywood production, proving ignorant producers wrong who, in the past years, told her she wasn't "cute enough" for a role of this kind.

Her next project was a supporting role in the indpendent satire "But I'm a Cheerleader", which was very well received at festivals. This was followed by a role in another big Hollywood picture, the Jerry Bruckheimer produced "Coyote Ugly".

More recently, Melanie has completed "Snakeskin", a film shot in her native New Zealand. The film has not yet been released but she is very proud of it, calling it the best script she read since Heavenly Creatures. Also due out in 2001 is "Shooters", a dark british crime drama shot in London in 1999. Early next year, Melanie can be seen in ABC's mini series "Rose Red", written by Stephen King. She is currently working on "Abandon", screenwriter Stephen Gaghan's ("Traffic") directorial debut.

Source: http://www.melanie-lynskey.com/

As submitted by wdawes

One of New Zealand's best loved actresses, Miranda Harcourt’s acting ability was truly recognised when she toured New Zealand and overseas (Edinburgh, London, Denver and Hong Kong and Sydney) with the solo show Verbatim, by William Brandt.

She has appeared in a number of stage, film and television productions, including three series of Gloss, Marlin Bay, Typhon's People, City Life, the award-winning Ends Meat, and TV1's Telemovie Duggan.

Over recent years Miranda has appeared in TRUE a dramatic play written by her husband Stuart McKenzie; the Auckland Theatre Company's Skylight and Arcadia; Artspace's Portraits. During the 1998 New Zealand International Festival of the Arts’ she performed 'Flowers from my Mother's Garden' (written by Stuart and Miranda).

Miranda studied the use of Drama and Movement in Therapy at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She has worked at psychiatric institutions, prisons, schools and with the deaf and disabled, presenting workshops in drama and drama therapy throughout England and New Zealand; and currently Head of Acting at Toi Whakaari, The New Zealand Drama School.

Her first short film Voiceover won best short film at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards Miranda's widely varying experiences have allowed her a chance to view the world from a different perspective, and she enjoys offering that new perspective to others. Her skills enable her to relate to a wide range of audiences as a facilitator, interactive presenter or as a communicator to get your message across.

Source: http://www.celebspeakers.com/Templates/speaker_detail.cfm?Speaker_ID=78

As submitted by wdawes

Madeleine Samiis a 19 year old actress from New Zealand.

Madeleine Sami is an outstanding new talent who exploded into the Auckland theatre scene in "Legacy" at the Herald Theatre in 1997. The NZ Herald described her as "the powerhouse of the cast" and her vocal and physical power as "precisely focused, simultaneously playful and passionate".

In October 1998 Madeleine joined the core cast of Shortland Street playing Doctor Vani for six months.

She has just finished performing No.2 Toa Fraser second play in Auckland and Wellington. Receiving standing ovations and rave reviews. She won two awards at the Chapman trip theatre awards in Wellington.

Source: http://www.oninoz.com/Real.html

As submitted by wdawes

Michala was born in 1980 or 1981.

Source: http://www.100megspop2.com/dounho/Dakya/Aussie_act/Michala.htm

For more information, try: http//www.imdb.com

As submitted by wdawes

Marzena was born September 28, 1978 in Poland.

Polish born Marzena Godecki was a modern dance and ballet student in Melbourne, Australia when she was selected from over 500 young girls who auditioned for the role of Neri in OCEAN GIRL.

When she first tried out for the part Marzena recalls being taken to a local ocean pier in Melbourne and thrown into the cold waters to see if she was comfortable. She was, and after landing the lead role, Marzena was able to sharpen up her swimming skills and learn how to scuba dive at the OCEAN GIRL location, Port Douglas in Far North Queensland, Australia.

During the filming, she's been able to swim with dolphins and even with a pod of Minke whales that came up to the film crew's boat. Because much of OCEAN GIRL is filmed in the open water, Marzena is always under the close watch of a stunt and dive safety team who keep a watch out for curious sharks! Marzena's favourite food is Japanese (though she eats a lot of Indian because it's her Mum and Dad's favourite) and her favourite bands are Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots.

Marzena has taken most of 1996 off from OCEAN GIRL to complete her final year at secondary school concentrating on her favourite subjects - Maths and Science. She hopes to secure a place at University in Australia in Veterinary Science owing to her love of animals. However, acting will always come first and Marzena plans to put university on hold while she nurtures her acting career.

Now gracing television screens in 70 countries around the world, Marzena has accumulated quite a fan club. But despite the hundreds of fan letters she receives and the fact that she is often recognised in public, Marzena doesn't see herself as a star. "I didn't get into acting for fame and glory" she says, "but rather to be successful at what I do and to enjoy it".

Marzena acknowledges that playing the character of NERI has certainly rubbed off. "I'm more environmentally aware than ever before - especially towards the oceans" she says "when filming underwater for OCEAN GIRL 3 I was sickened to see litter on the Great Barrier Reef - one of the Earth's natural wonders. I do my best to help the environment and, as we all know, every little bit counts".

Source: http://www.noreo.com/OceanGirl/biographye.html#Marzena

As submitted by wdawes

If there's one thing Megan Dorman loves it's a challenge and that's exactly why she was over the moon when she learnt she'd got the role of Katherine Ingram in Head Start. "Katherine is a complex character unlike any other characters I have had to play before", says Megan, a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology, class of '99. Katherine is a highly-strung and frustrated pianist who is dominated by her mother, who makes her feel overpowered and timid. "I'm enjoying getting under her skin. She's complicated and involved", says Megan.

Born in New Zealand, Megan's family moved to Bundaberg in Queensland where she grew up amongst the cane fields. During her teen years she moved to the Sunshine Coast and it was there she developed a passion for the sea and decided she wanted to become a marine biologist. Fate played a part when Megan went to see a play during Year 12. "I saw that play and decided I really wanted to be an actress", she says.

If all continues to go well for Megan she says she'd like to branch into film work. "My dream is film. "Australian films would be fantastic", she says. "I absolutely love film. TV is a real challenge and you have to be on the ball all the time and that's really good but film is definitely it for me". Proving she's a good girl to know, Megan is outstanding in unarmed stage combat and wields a rapier and dagger with great skill. She's also into playing the keyboard, singing, horse riding and kicking the soccer ball around.

Source: http://www.ricforster.com/headstart/actors/megan_dorman.htm

As submitted by wdawes

Daughter of Australian actor Barry Otto and graduate of the prestigious NIDA theatrical school (which spawned such down-under luminaries as Mel Gibson and Judy Davis}, Miranda Otto's role as Eowyn in the Lord Of the Rings trilogy has the four time AFA nominated actress excited and overwhelmed. Likening the experience to being in The Wizard of Oz, Otto speculates that the trilogy will withstand the test of time, endearing it's self to generations to come as a timeless fantasy.

Gaining critical recognition for roles in such films as The Girl Who Came Late (1991) and Gillian Anderson's Last Days of Chez Nous, Otto made her feature debut in Emma's War (1986). Otto's portrayal of a daughter who is blind to the crippling tolls that World War II has taken on her fragile mother lead the actress to roles in many critically acclaimed but little-seen films. After a decade of powerful roles in Australian films, Otto gained Hollywood recognition in the late '90s with roles in Terence Malick's The Thin Red Line (1998) and as the mysterious neighbor in Robert Zemeckis' supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath (2000). In addition to her appearance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Otto's other 2001 films include Human Nature, scripted by Charlie Kaufman (eing John Malkovich).

Source: http://www.blockbuster.com/bb/person/details/0,4487,BIO-P+54440,00.html

As submitted by wdawes

Australian actress best known for her role in Spellbinders.

Source: http://www.imdb.com

As submitteed by wdawes

Megan Jennifer Connolly was born on April 9, 1974 and died September 6, 2001.

After making her film debut in "The Crossing", Megan has been one of the leading soap stars in Australia. After her role in Paradise Beach ended in 1994, she co-hosted the morning kids show "The Zone" for a year. In late 1995 she hosted the Foxtel's fitness show "Body Corp" for cable television, before moving on to become a V-Jay for Foxtel's music channel V until early 1997. During this time she starred in the stage show Resurrected!. In mid-1997 she returned to soaps, first with a role in Home & Away and then Breakers.

Source: http://www.imdb.com

As submitted by wdawes

Mary Coustas was born on 16 September 1964, in Melbourne, Victoria.

Was part of the SBS drama project, “Bondi Banquet” screened in 2000.

Is reviving her comic character Effie in another SBS project called Just Quietly.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/taping/5692/wherearetheynow/wherearetheynow.html

Filmography available at: http://www.imdb.com

As submitted by wdawes