Famous New Zealander Actresses

Vote for Your Favourite New Zealander Actresses

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 1 
Anna Paquin
(Canadian-born New Zealand Actress and the Second Youngest Winner in Oscar History)
Anna Paquin
10
Birthdate: July 24, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada

Anna Paquin is a New Zealand-Canadian actress. She started her career as a child actress and became the second-youngest winner in the history of the Academy Awards when she won an Oscar at the age of 11 under the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance as Flora McGrath in Jane Campion's 1993 period drama film The Piano.

 2 
Lucy Lawless
(New Zealand Actress Best Known for Her Role as 'Xena' in the Television Series 'Xena: Warrior Princess')
Lucy Lawless
4
Birthdate: March 29, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand

Lucy Lawless is a New Zealand singer and actress best known for her portrayal of Xena in the popular TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She is also known for playing Lucretia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which earned her the 2010 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television. Lucy Lawless is also involved in charity work.

 3 
Thomasin McKenzie
(Actress)
Thomasin McKenzie
5
Birthdate: July 26, 2000
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand

Thomasin McKenzie is a New Zealand actress best known for playing Tom in the 2018 American film, Leave No Trace. Her performance earned her the National Board of Review Award under the Breakthrough Performance category. Thomasin McKenzie was also honored by the Seattle Film Critics Society with the Best Youth Performance award in 2019 for her performance in Jojo Rabbit.

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 4 
Rose McIver
(Actress)
Rose McIver
4
Birthdate: October 10, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Rose McIver, sister of actor Paul McIver, is best known as Summer Landsdown from Power Rangers RPM and as Liv Moore from iZombie. Fans also loved her in the Hercules TV movies, in films such as Blinder, and as Amber Moore in the A Christmas Prince franchise.
 5 
Melanie Lynskey
(New Zealand Actress Known for Playing Quirky, Soft-Spoken but Headstrong Characters)
Melanie Lynskey
4
Birthdate: May 16, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Plymouth, New Zealand

Melanie Lynskey is a New Zealand actress best known for her portrayal of Rose in the popular American sitcom Two and a Half Men. Over the years, she has won several prestigious awards such as a Critics' Choice Award, Hollywood Film Award, and Gracie Award.

 6 
Zoë Bell
(Stuntwoman and Actress)
Zoë Bell
4
Birthdate: November 17, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Zoë Bell is a New Zealand actress and stuntwoman. She is best known for her stunt work in films like Kill Bill and Xena: Warrior Princess where she doubled for Uma Thurman and Lucy Lawless respectively. Zoë Bell is the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as World Stunt Awards and Women in Film and Television New Zealand Award.

 7 
Rachel Hunter
(New Zealand Actress and Model)
Rachel Hunter
4
Birthdate: September 8, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand model and actress, Rachel Hunter, is best known as the host of the TV show Rachel Hunter's Tour of Beauty. Pretty and confident as a young girl, she began modeling as a teenager. She has worked with Cover Girl cosmetics and has been featured on several magazine covers, including Vogue, Elle, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and Playboy. 

 8 
Kerry Bishé
(Known for Her Role as ‘Donna Clark’ in the TV Series ‘Halt and Catch Fire’)
Kerry Bishé
3
Birthdate: May 1, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Zealand

Kerry Bishé is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Donna Clark in the period drama TV series, Halt and Catch Fire. After being born in New Zealand, Kerry Bishé moved to the United States, where she established herself in the entertainment industry, appearing in films like Argo, for which she received the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award.

 9 
Lesley-Ann Brandt
(Film actress)
Lesley-Ann Brandt
1
Birthdate: December 2, 1981
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cape Town, South Africa

South African-born New Zealand actor Lesley-Ann Brandt was first noticed for her performance as Naevia in the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. She later soared to fame as the Vertigo/DC Comics character Mazikeen in the hit Netflix series Lucifer. She has also appeared in a couple of music videos.

 10 
Anna Hutchison
(Actress and Producer)
Anna Hutchison
4
Birthdate: February 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Best known for the New Zealand soap Shortland Street and the Australian series Underbelly, Anna Hutchison has also appeared in films such as Encounter. She was in the news for traveling with her 11-month-old daughter from Los Angeles to Auckland amid the COVID-19 pandemic to film A Love Yarn
 11 
Jane Campion
(Screenwriter, Film director, Actor)
Jane Campion
3
Birthdate: April 30, 1954
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand

In 1993, Jane Campion became the first female filmmaker to be honored with the Palme d'Or for her film The Piano, which also earned her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In 2022, Campion became the first woman to win Oscars for both screenwriting and directing when her film The Power of the Dog earned her the Best Director award.

 12 
Pamela Stephenson
(New Zealander Actress)
Pamela Stephenson
4
Birthdate: December 4, 1949
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand

Pamela Stephenson is a New Zealand-born writer, psychologist, and performer. Stephenson is best known as a comedienne who achieved immense popularity during the 1980s when she appeared in comedy films and shows like History of the World, Part I and Not the Nine O'Clock News. As a writer, Pamela Stephenson has been contributing to publications like Psychologies and The Guardian.  

 13 
Luciane Buchanan
(Actress)
Luciane Buchanan
1
Birthdate: July 18, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Zealand
 14 
Keisha Castle-Hughes
(New Zealand Actress)
Keisha Castle-Hughes
9
Birthdate: March 24, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Donnybrook, Australia

Australian-born New Zealand actor Keisha Castle-Hughes is best known for her performance as Paikea in Whale Rider, which earned her an Academy Award nomination at age 13, making her the youngest to achieve the feat back then. She also made waves as Obara Sand in Game of Thrones.

 15 
Anna-Louise Plowman
(Actress)
Anna-Louise Plowman
4
Birthdate: May 9, 1972
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Napier, New Zealand
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 16 
Danielle Cormack
(New Zealand Actress)
Danielle Cormack
4
Birthdate: December 26, 1970
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand

Best known for her role of Ephiny in Xena: Warrior Princess, New Zealand actor Danielle Cormack has also made her presence felt in theater, with plays such as Trainspotting, A Streetcar Named Desire, and East. She owns a production company and is also associated with initiatives such as Childfund.

 17 
Frankie Adams
(Actress)
Frankie Adams
4
Birthdate: January 3, 1994
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Savaiʻi, Samoa
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 18 
Rebecca Gibney
(Actor)
Rebecca Gibney
3
Birthdate: December 14, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Levin
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 19 
Michelle Ang
(Actress known for her work on Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462)
Michelle Ang
3
Birthdate: October 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 20 
Kerry Fox
(New Zealand Actress)
Kerry Fox
2
Birthdate: July 30, 1966
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
 21 
Emma Lahana
(Actor, Film actor)
Emma Lahana
2
Birthdate: June 27, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Auckland
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
 22 
Caren Pistorius
(Actress known for her role as Rose in the 2015 film Slow West)
Caren Pistorius
0
Birthdate: September 30, 1990
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rustenburg, South Africa
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 23 
Lisa Harrow
(Actor)
Lisa Harrow
2
Birthdate: August 25, 1943
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Auckland
 24 
Brooke Williams
(Actress)
Brooke Williams
2
Birthdate: January 3, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 25 
Ngaio Marsh
(New Zealand Mystery Writer and Theatre Director)
Ngaio Marsh
2
Birthdate: April 23, 1895
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Died: February 18, 1982

Ngaio Marsh was a New Zealand theatre director and crime writer. Counted among the Queens of Crime alongside other crime writers like Agatha Christie, Marsh is best remembered for her famous character, Roderick Alleyn. She received several prestigious awards and was made an inductee of the Detection Club in 1974. The Ngaio Marsh Award is presented annually in her memory.

 26 
Jessica Lee Rose
(Actress who starred in the Youtube series Lonelygirl15 from 2006 to 2008 and appeared in the series Sorority Forever)
Jessica Lee Rose
0
Birthdate: April 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Salisbury, Maryland, United States
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 27 
Alexia Barlier
(Actress)
Alexia Barlier
2
Birthdate: December 21, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 28 
Rena Owen
(Actor, Nurse)
Rena Owen
2
Birthdate: July 22, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bay of Islands
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 29 
Sara Wiseman
(Putita, Film actor)
Sara Wiseman
2
Birthdate: May 27, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Auckland
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 30 
Dianna Fuemana
(New Zealand Pacific Writer, Director and Performer)
Dianna Fuemana
2
Birthdate: 1973 AD
Birthplace: New Zealand

New Zealand actor Dianna Fuemana was 16 when she quit school and got married. She later got divorced before she began dating Australian actor Jay Ryan. The mother of three is known for plays such as Frangipani Perfume and Mapaki and has written and directed a few short films, too.

 31 
Robyn Malcolm
(Actress)
Robyn Malcolm
2
Birthdate: March 15, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ashburton, New Zealand
 32 
Lisa Chappell
(Actor, Singer)
Lisa Chappell
2
Birthdate: October 18, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Auckland
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 33 
Antonia Prebble
(Best known for her role as Loretta West in the series Outrageous Fortune)
Antonia Prebble
3
Birthdate: June 6, 1984
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 34 
Emily Barclay
(New Zealand AFI award winning actress)
Emily Barclay
0
Birthdate: October 24, 1984
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Plymouth, Devon, England
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 35 
Sally Martin
(Actor)
Sally Martin
2
Birthdate: May 14, 1985
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wellington
 36 
Michala Banas
(Actress notable for her appearances in episodes of Round the Twist and Something in the Air)
Michala Banas
0
Birthdate: November 14, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 37 
Anouska Hempel
(She is a noted figure in London society)
Anouska Hempel
2
Birthdate: December 13, 1941
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
 38 
Michelle Langstone
(Actor, Film actor)
Michelle Langstone
2
Birthdate: January 30, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Zealand
 39 
Urzila Carlson
(Comedian who has appeared on the television shows Have You Been Paying Attention and 7 Days)
Urzila Carlson
0
Birthdate: February 15, 1976
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 40 
Marama Corlett
(Actress)
Marama Corlett
2
Birthdate: May 3, 1991
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Malta
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
 41 
Nyree Dawn Porter
(Actor)
Nyree Dawn Porter
2
Birthdate: January 22, 1936
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Napier
Died: April 10, 2001
 42 
Nathalie Boltt
(Director, actor and writer known for Riverdale and District 9)
Nathalie Boltt
0
Birthdate: July 19, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: South Africa
 43 
Madeleine Sami
(Actress known for having co-written, co-directed, and starred in the 2018 Netflix film The Breaker Upperers)
Madeleine Sami
0
Birthdate: May 10, 1980
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 44 
Olivia Tennet
(Actor)
Olivia Tennet
1
Birthdate: January 4, 1991
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Auckland
 45 
Kimberley Crossman
(Actress best known for her role as Sophie McKay on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street)
Kimberley Crossman
1
Birthdate: May 24, 1990
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 46 
Anna Jullienne
(Actress known for her role as Nurse Maia Jeffries in the television series Shortland Street (2004-2012))
Anna Jullienne
0
Birthdate: November 7, 1982
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New Zealand
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 47 
Stephanie Paul
(Actress)
Stephanie Paul
1
Birthplace: New Zealand
 48 
Elena Stejko
(New Zealand Actress and Theatre Director)
Elena Stejko
0
Birthplace: Ukraine
 49 
Sabby Jey
(Actress, Model)
Sabby Jey
0
Birthdate: November 17, 1993
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand

Sri Lankan-origin New Zealand model/actor soared to fame as an influencer after becoming hugely popular on Instagram and then starred in Tamil films such as Karthikeyanum Kaanamal Pona Kadhaliyum. She now owns a social-media strategy company named Sabby Jey Social Limited. She has campaigned against colorism, too.

 50 
Lena Cruz
(New Zealand Actress Best Known for Her Role as Sofia Martinez in the TV Series 'Shortland Street')
Lena Cruz
0
Birthplace: Philippines