Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack (born 26 December 1970) is a New Zealand stage[1] and screen actress.[2] She was one of the original cast members of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her role as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in Legend of the Seeker. Other works include the 2009 film, Separation City, and the Australian series Rake.[3] She also portrayed notorious Sydney underworld figure Kate Leigh in Underbelly: Razor, Doctor Rory Finch in Jack Irish and Bea Smith in the Foxtel prison drama Wentworth, in which she starred for four years before leaving the show in 2016.[4]
Danielle Cormack | |
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![]() Cormack in 2011 | |
Born | |
Nationality | New Zealand |
Occupation(s) | Actor Costume designer Stage actor |
Years active | 1987–present |
Known for | Wentworth, Rake, Xena: Warrior Princess |
Height | 5′ 6″ |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress ASTRA Awards for Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor (Female) |
Personal life
Cormack has two children: Te Ahi Ka with fellow actor Pana Hema Taylor, born 19 March 2010 and Ethan (born in 1996), from a previous relationship.[5] In an interview with LOTL Magazine, Cormack mentioned that she has had long-term relationships with both men and women, and indicated that she prefers to avoid applying labels to patterns of sexuality.[6]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Snap | Felicity | Short film |
1993 | A Game with No Rules | Vera Smith | Short film |
1994 | The Last Tattoo | Molly | |
1997 | Topless Women Talk About Their Lives | Liz | |
1998 | Via Satellite | Chrissy / Carol | |
1999 | Siam Sunset | Grace | |
1999 | Channelling Baby | Bunnie | |
2000 | The Price of Milk | Lucinda | |
2004 | Without a Paddle | Toni | |
2004 | Stringer | Butcher | |
2004 | Together | Rose | Short film |
2005 | The Pool | Jane | Short film |
2005 | River Queen | Viola | |
2006 | Mirage | Various | Short film |
2006 | Cross My Heart | Krystal | Short film |
2006 | Perfect Creature | Margaret Sparrow | |
2008 | A Song of Good | Rachel Cradle | |
2009 | Separation City | Pam Nicholson |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987–89 | Gloss | Tania Veitch | Main role |
1992–93 | Shortland Street | Alison Raynor | Main role |
1994 | High Tide | Meghan Kelly | Episode: "Sitting Ducks" |
1995 | High Tide | Jill McMillan | Episode: "Dead Heat" |
1995 | The Call Up | Stacey | Television film |
1995 | Overnight | Kelly | Television film |
1995–01 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Ephiny | Recurring role (8 episodes) |
1997 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Lady Marie DeValle | Episode: "Les Contemptibles" |
1997–99 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Ephiny | Episodes: "Prodigal Sister", "Sky High" |
2000 | Jack of All Trades | Katherine | Episode: "A Horse of a Different Color" |
2000 | Cleopatra 2525 | Raina | Episodes: "Mind Games", "Trial and Error", "Out of Body" |
2000 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Samsara | Episode: "Lifeblood" |
2004 | Maiden Voyage | Lynn Fabrizio | Television film |
2006 | Maddigan's Quest | Maddie | Main role (13 episodes) |
2007 | Rude Awakenings | Dimity Rush | Main role (11 episodes) |
2008 | City Homicide | Shirley Steadman | Episode: "Taniwha" |
2008 | The Strip | Amy | Episodes: "1.11", "1.12", "1.13" |
2008–10 | Legend of the Seeker | Shota | Recurring role (6 episodes) |
2009 | Buzzy Bee and Friends | Elle-Gator (voice) | Recurring role (14 episodes) |
2009 | The Cult | Cynthia Ross | Main role (13 episodes) |
2010 | Forever New Zealand | Catherine | Television film |
2010–16 | Rake | Scarlet Meagher | Main role (32 episodes) |
2011 | East West 101 | Angela Travis | Episodes: "Jerusalem", "Behold a Pale Horse", "Revelation" |
2011 | Underbelly: Razor | Kate Leigh | Main role (13 episodes) |
2012 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Anna Ross | Episode: "Queen of the Flowers" |
2012 | Buzzy Bee and Friends | Elle-Gator (voice) | Episodes: "2.1", "Memories", "Oscar's Ups and Downs" |
2013–16 | Wentworth | Bea Smith | Main role (46 episodes) |
2016 | Deep Water | Brenda MacIntosh | 4 part miniseries on SBS[7] |
2016 | Stake Out | Davina | "Hijacking Hijinks" |
2018 | Patricia Moore | Marnie | TV series |
2018 | Jack Irish | Rory Finch | "2.2" |
2018 | Secret City | Karen Koutoufides | Main role |
2019 | Fresh Eggs | Lulu | TV series |
2019 | My Life Is Murder | Nikki Malone / Nicole Buttera | TV series, episode: "The Locked Room" |
2022 | The Secrets She Keeps[8] | Vicky Michaelson | Season 2 (6 episodes) |
2023 | Year Of | Lucinda | |
2023 | Erotic Stories[9] | In production |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | East | Sylv | Mercury Theatre, Auckland |
1994 | East | Sylv | Zurich Arts Festival - Lucerne, Switzerland |
1996 | Spare Prick | Lucinda | Basement Theatre, Auckland |
1996 | Return of the Summer Street Seven | Lucinda | Basement Theatre, Auckland |
1997 | Arcadia | Chloe Coverly | Auckland Theatre Company |
1999 | Trainspotting | Various | New Zealand Tour |
2001 | The Blue Room | Alison / Various | Auckland Theatre Company |
2001 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Stella | Auckland Theatre Company |
2002 | The Bellbird | Flo | Auckland Theatre Company |
2003 | The Shape of Things | Evelyn | Auckland Theatre Company |
2003 | The Vagina Monologues | Various | New Zealand Tour |
2004 | Skin Tight | Elizabeth | New Zealand Tour |
2004 | Caligula | Caesonia | Auckland Theatre Company |
2004 | Sex with Strangers | Robyn | Herald Theatre, Auckland |
2005 | Sex with Strangers | Prostitute | Herald Theatre, Auckland |
2005 | A Clockwork Orange | Various | Silo Theatre, Auckland |
2006 | The Case of Katherine Mansfield | Katherine Mansfield | Herald Theatre, Auckland |
2007 | The Case of Katherine Mansfield | Katherine Mansfield | Downstage Theatre, Wellington |
2008 | The Hypocrite | Dorine | Melbourne Theatre Company |
2008 | Rock 'n' Roll | Lenka | Melbourne Theatre Company & Sydney Theatre Company |
2010 | Christ Almighty | Three Wise Men | The Basement Theatre, Auckland |
2011 | Yellow Moon | Hollie | B Sharp |
2012 | Top Girls | Marlene | Silo Theatre |
2014 | Rupert | Anna Murdoch | Theatre Royal, Sydney |
2015 | Boys Will Be Boys | Astrid Wentworth | Sydney Theatre Company |
2016 | Straight | Steph | Kings Cross Theatre |
2018 | The Misanthrope | Alceste | Bell Shakespeare, with Griffin Theatre[10] |
2018 | Hedda | Hedda | Queensland Theatre Company[11] |
2020 | Every Brilliant Thing | (Director) | Silo Theatre, Auckland[12] |
2022 | Whose Afraid | Cast | Belvoir St |
2023 | Blessed Union [13] | Cast | Belvoir St |
Awards
Year | Award | Category | Production | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | New Zealand Film and TV Awards | Best Actress | Topless Women Talk About Their Lives | Won |
1999 | Channelling Baby | Nominated | ||
2000 | The Price of Milk | Nominated | ||
Fantasporto International Film Festival | Siam Sunset | Won | ||
2005 | Drifting Cloud International Film Festival | Best Performance | Together | Won |
2006 | TV Guide Best on the Box People's Choice Awards | Best Actress | Maddigan's Quest | Nominated |
48 Hour Film Festival | Best Manic Performance | Mirage | Won | |
Richmond Road Short Film Festival | Best Performance Female | Together | Won | |
2009 | Aotearoa Film & Television Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film | Separation City | Nominated |
2010 | Qantas Television Awards | Best Performance by Actress in General Television | The Cult | Won |
2011 | Equity Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | Rake | Won |
2012 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actress | Underbelly: Razor & East West 101 | Nominated |
2014 | Outstanding Actress | Wentworth | Nominated | |
Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Drama Series | Nominated | ||
Most Outstanding Actress | Nominated | |||
2015 | ASTRA Award | Most Outstanding Female Actor | Won | |
AACTA Award | Wentworth | Best Lead Actress in a Drama | Nominated | |
Logie Award | Most Outstanding Actress | Wentworth | Won | |
Most Outstanding Drama Series | Wentworth | Won | ||
2016 | AACTA Award | Best Actress in a Drama | Wentworth | Nominated |
Logie Award | Most Outstanding Drama Series | Wentworth | Nominated | |
2017 | Most Outstanding Actress | Wentworth | Pending | |
Most Outstanding Drama Series | Wentworth | Pending |
References
- "Danielle Cormack - Actor Profile & Biography". Johnson & Laird. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- "Danielle Cormack". IMDb. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- NZ On Screen biography with permission via Creative Commons
- "TV WEEK". TV WEEK. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- "Danielle Cormack: Love without barriers". NZ Woman's Weekly. 7 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- Franich, Sanya. "Danielle Cormack And The Remarkable Lightness Of Bea". LOTL Magazine. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- "Three-way drama battle looming". TV Tonight. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- "Australian Television: The Secrets She Keeps: Episode guide: Series 2".
- "Production begins on Erotic Stories for SBS | TV Tonight".
- "The Misanthrope". Sydney Opera House. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "Hedda". Queensland Theatre Company. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- Sills, Ethan (16 November 2020). "Theatre review: Every Brilliant Thing, Silo Theatre". NZ Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- "Belvoir on Instagram: "❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍💟💙🤎🖤 Happy Mardi Gras from the BLESSED UNION fam & all the staff here at Belvoir! However you choose to celebrate it, we hope you have a fabulous night!"".
External links

- Danielle Cormack at IMDb
- Danielle Cormack on Twitter
- Danielle Cormack on Instagram