Leah Purcell is one of Australia’s leading actresses. Her performance alongside Anthony LaPaglia and Geoffrey Rush in Ray Lawrence’s “Lantana” brought her recognition when, jointly with the other female leads, she received the Independent Filmmaker Award for Best Actress, as well as a nomination for a Film Critics’ Circle of Australia Award. She followed this success with roles in the award-winning Somersault, and the 2005 AFI winner “The Proposition".

Prior to this she appeared in the short feature Lennie Cahill “Shoots Through” and “Somewhere in the Darkness”. Ms Purcell’s first regular television role was in the hit series “Police Rescue”, followed by an Australian Film Institute Best Actress nomination for her role in “Fallen Angels”.

She has had enormous success on stage, including with her triumphant, self-devised, one-woman show, “Box the Pony” which toured to London and the Edinburgh Festival. Most recently she gained great acclaim for her portrayal of Condoleeza Rice in David Hare’s play “Stuff Happens” in sellout seasons in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Filmography

• "Love My Way" (1 episode, 2007)
• Jindabyne (2006)
• The Proposition (2005)
• Somersault (2004)
• "Bad Cop, Bad Cop" (1 episode, 2002)
• "BeastMaster" (5 episodes, 2000-2001)
• Lantana (2001)
• "The Lost World" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Water Rats" (1 episode, 1998)
• Somewhere in the Darkness (1998)
• "Fallen Angels" (1997)
• "Police Rescue" (2 episodes, 1995-1996)

Awards

• Brisbane International Film Festival, Audience Award for "Black Chicks Talking", 2002
• IF Awards for "Lantana", 2001