# Leah Vandenberg

Leah Vandenberg is a New Zealand-born Australian theatre, television, and film actress. She has appeared in many well-known Australian productions, including the award-winning Netflix series The Letdown and SBS drama The Hunting. She received an ASTRA nomination for "Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor-Female" in the comedy series Stupid, Stupid Man. She is a presenter on the long-running ABC television program Play School, a role she maintains today.

## Early life and education

Vandenberg was born in New Zealand to a Sri Lankan father, who had grown up in Fiji, and an Australian mother of Irish and Scottish heritage. She studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1993.

## Career

On stage, Vandenberg has performed in Grace (Melbourne Theatre Company), Criminology (Arena Theatre Company), The Country (B Sharp @ Belvoir Street), The Perfumed Garden, The Taming of the Shrew, A Clockwork Orange, and Love and Understanding.
She received a 2007 ASTRA nomination of "Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female" for her role as Anne in Stupid Stupid Man (series 1 and 2).
Vandenberg joined the filming of Netflix series Wellmania in the role of Dr Singh, appeared in ABC drama Savage River (TV series) and was later announced as part of the cast in Foxtel/Binge drama High Country.

## Filmography

Vandenberg has appeared in a wide range of genres in TV series as well as a few feature films, including:

### Television appearances

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995– 1999 | Blue Heelers | Helene Lee | TV series; 2 episodes |
| 1996 | G.P. | Dr. Yasmin Richards | TV series; 12 episodes |
| 1998 | Never Tell Me Never | Physiotherapist | TV movie |
| 1998– 1999 | Wildside | Samira Nassar | TV series; 7 episodes |
| 2000– | Play School | Herself | TV series; 250+ episodes |
| 2000 | The Games | Leah | TV series; 1 episode |
| 2000– 2003 | Grass Roots | Meera | TV series; 4 episodes |
| 2002 | Short Cuts | Psychologist | TV series; 1 episode |
| 2002 | BootLeg | Wendy | TV mini-series; 4 episodes |
| 2002– 2003 | MDA | Dr. Jane Bowen | TV series; 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Kath & Kim | Shop girl | TV series; 1 episode |
| 2004 | The Brush-Off | Claire Sutton | TV movie |
| 2006– 2008 | Stupid, Stupid Man | Anne Cassidy | TV series; 16 episodes |
| 2008 | East of Everything | Lara | TV series; 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Family Footsteps | Narrator | TV series; 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Snake Tales | Miranda Sailendra | TV series; 13 episodes |
| 2010 | Sleuth 101 | Annie/Jessica | TV series; 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Tangle | Elle Rosenthal | TV series; 2 episodes |
| 2016 | The Wrong Girl | Meredith | TV series; 8 episodes |
| 2017, 2019 | The Letdown | Martha | TV series; 13 episodes |
| 2019 | The Hunting | Ravneet | TV mini-series; 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Savage River | Deborah Cochrane | TV mini-series; 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Wellmania | Dr. Singh | TV mini-series; 7 episodes |
| 2024 | High Country | Tammy Samson | TV Series; 7 episodes |
| 2025 | Good Cop / Bad Cop | Skye | 1 episode |

### Film appearances

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2023 | Inside | Jenny |
| 2022 | Here Out West | Ashmita |
| 2005 | JewBoy | Sarita |
| 1999 | Strange Planet | Sarah |
| 1999 | Erskineville Kings | Lanny |