Leah Purcell, Actor, Director, Singer, Teacher
Leah Purcell is an Indigenous actress, singer/songwriter and film maker who has successfully made her mark on stage as well as the big screen. Purcell grew up in the small rural town of Murgon in south–west Queensland and is the youngest of 6 siblings. Her career took off in 1996, when she moved to Sydney and became a presenter on a music video show which aired on Galaxy pay TV (and later foxtel).
She later received critical acclaim for her work as an actress on the ABC hit Police Rescue. In 1997 she was nominated for an AFI award for Best Actress in a TV drama for her outstanding work in Fallen Angels. She then went on to co-write and star in an autobiographical play called Box the Pony, which gained great reviews and sell out crowds. The published version of the play won the Queensland and NSW Premier’s Literacy Award for best play. Leah’s performance in the play was also recognised with her being nominated at the Sir Robert Helpman Awards for best female actor.
In 2002 Leah wrote, directed and starred in the documentary film called Black Chicks Talking. The documentary involved 9 Aboriginal women talking about their lives as modern, successful Indigenous Australians. Their stories were inspirational to many young women, particularly as they explored the ways they are making their mark on the world in their respective professions.
Purcell has starred in Australian theatre productions and feature films such as Lantana, The Proposition and Jindabyne alongside the likes of Geoffrey Rush and Anthony La Paglia.
While very proud of her Aboriginal heritage, Leah Purcell is not about to be type cast as a purely Aboriginal actor. She has recently taken on the role of National Security Advisor, Condoleeza Rice in David Hare’s play Stuff Happens.
Biography written by Alice Costello.