- Jessica Napier
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Jessica Napier Born 13 April 1979
Wellington, New ZealandOccupation Actress Years active 1993–present Jessica Napier (born 4 April 1979) is a New Zealand born actress. She has been working consistently in Australian film and television for the past 15 years. She has appeared in a number of feature films, including Love Serenade, Blackrock, Cut, City Loop, Angst, The Illustrated Family Doctor and Ghost Rider and is well known for her ongoing role of Becky Howard in the Australian TV drama series McLeod's Daughters.
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Early life
Jessica was born in Wellington, New Zealand, the daughter of New Zealand actor Marshall Napier. At age 9, her family relocated to Sydney, Australia for her father's acting career.[citation needed] She attended Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and has an older brother, Reuben, who is a singer.[citation needed]
Career
Jessica had her first taste for acting at age 9 when she played her father's daughter on the long running Australian TV series Police Rescue. A year later she reappeared in another episode when Marshall nominated Jessica to fill in for a role when the girl who was originally booked to do the job refused because the character was required to be submerged in a swamp.[citation needed]
It was not until Jessica was 15, that she decided to be an actress. On her first serious audition she won the lead role of Edwina on Echo Point. Her first feature film was in Shirley Barrett's award winning Love Serenade (with Miranda Otto), followed by the critically acclaimed Blackrock, where her character's brother was played by Heath Ledger in his film debut.
Small parts in a string of other popular Australian TV shows including Water Rats and Murder Call followed, she played the role of Gerry Davis in the highly acclaimed Wildside, alongside Aaron Pedersen, Rachel Blake and Tony Martin.The improvisational-style series also launched the career of Abbie Cornish.
Napier then appeared in Stingers (with Peter Phelps) and City Loop before landing the lead role of Raffy in Mushroom Pictures' film CUT. The cult Australian slasher film was her first lead in a feature film and also saw Molly Ringwald, Kylie Minogue and Stephen Curry.
She then starred in Angst and appeared in the made for TV film Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story.
Already a household name in Australia, Napier then played the Becky Howard on the Australian TV drama McLeod's Daughters from 2000-2003. Her father played Harry Ryan on the same series.[1]
Napier then starred in the tele-movie The Alice. Following its success it went on as a series with Jessica reprising her role in the tele-drama.
In 2009, Napier guest starred in both the popular third season of TV series Sea Patrol and the new Rescue: Special Ops.
The thriller Savages Crossing was released in 2010 and saw Jessica star in an ensemble cast of other Australian favourites including John Jarratt, Craig McLachlan, Sacha Horler and Chris Haywood.
In 2010 the Nine Network announced that they would be continuing with their successful "Underbelly" franchise by producing three separate stand-alone crime telemovies which would be known as The Underbelly Files. Jessica was cast as the lead actress in the second of these telemovies titled Infiltration opposite Sullivan Stapleton. Infiltration follows Victorian police officer Colin McClaren's investigation into the local Calabrian mafia in which he infiltrates their group and also stars Valentino del Toro, Henry Nixon, Tottie Goldsmith, Buddy Dannoun and Glenda Liscott.
Personal life
Jessica married David Adler in late 2009.
Both Jessica and Marshall are vegetarians and support various animal rights foundations.[1] She has also supported the use of Taronga Zoo in Sydney for retired circus elephants.[2] She and her father won $64,000 on Australia's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for a South Australian animal rights group in 2002.[citation needed]
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 Love Serenade Deborah 'Debbie' 1997 Blackrock Rachel 1998 War Story Princess Short film 2000 Cut Raffy Carruthers 2000 City Loop Sophie 2000 Twitch Jane Short film 2000 Angst Jade 2001 Jet Set 2002 Sweet Dreams 2002 New Skin Lyra 2002 Stuffed Bunny German Girlfriend Short film 2004 Post Jessica Short film 2005 The Illustrated Family Doctor Christine 2006 Safety in Numbers Jen 2007 Ghost Riders Broken Spoke Waitress 2007 Don't Panic Kimberly Short film 2009 Savages Crossing Kate Television Year Title Role Notes 1991 Police Rescue Tracey
ThereseEpisode: "L.P.G."
Episode: "One for Dad"1995 Echo Point Edwina Amadio TV series 1996 Twisted Tales Michelle Episode: "Night of the Monster" 1996 Police Rescue Zoe Episode: "The Only Constant" 1997 Water Rats Vanessa Episode: "The Witness" 1997 Murder Call Brodie Cochrane Episode: "Who Killed Cock Robin?" 1997-1999 Wildside Gerry Davis 60 episodes 1998 Stingers Kaye Kelso 5 episodes 2000 The Lost World Gladice Episode: "London Calling" 2001 Head Start Amy Episode: "Making Music" 2001 Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story Klammie TV movie 2001-2003 McLeod's Daughters Becky Howard 70 episodes 2004 The Alice Jess Daily TV movie 2005-2006 The Alice Jess Daily 22 episodes 2007 Chandon Pictures Annabelle Episode: "Private Dick" 2007 All Saints Pam Elton Episode: "Life's Little Miracles" 2009 All Saints Elyse Leine Episode: "Out of Control 2" 2009 Sea Patrol Simone Robsen 5 episodes 2009 Rescue: Special Ops Nicole 4 episodes 2010 Cops LAC Natalie Episode: "Illegal Dumping" 2011 Underbelly Files: Infiltration Jude Gleeson / Narrator TV movie References
- ^ a b Fiona Rae (3 October 2002). "Passing muster at McLeod's Daughters". New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=2997209. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ "Actress against elephant imports". Television New Zealand. Australian Associated Press. 16 January 2006. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/649824. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
External links
Categories:- 1979 births
- New Zealand emigrants to Australia
- Australian television actors
- Living people
- New Zealand television actors
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