# Tina Bursill

Tina Bursill (born 24 July 1951) is an Australian actress. She played Louise Carter on the television series Skyways (1979–1981) and Sonia Stevens on Prisoner (1983–1984). She played Meryl Knight in the Nine Network drama series Doctor Doctor. Bursill won the AFI (AACTA) Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1987 film Jilted.

## Early life

Tina Bursill was born on 24 July 1951 in Sydney. Initially, she intended to pursue a career in anthropology, however, she set her sights on becoming an actress. She studied drama at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and graduated in 1971.

## Career
### Theatre

Bursill started her career in musicals and stand-up comedy, before being cast in more serious roles in theatre.
Most recently, she was in a production of Cinderella in 2022.

### Television

Bursill made her television debut in 1973, appearing in the lead role of short-lived comedy series The People Next Door as Meg Penrose. She was a regular character in daily soap opera The Unisexers which was launched in February 1975 on the Nine Network, however the program's low ratings led to its cancellation and removal from broadcast after only three weeks. What followed was a number of guest appearances on Australian television series, before receiving the role of Louise Carter in the Seven Network drama series Skyways, for which she appeared from 1979 to 1981. During this period, she also had a recurring role on police drama series, King's Men between 1976 and 1980.
In 1983, Bursill was cast in the role of Sonia Stevens on Network Ten's cult classic prison drama series Prisoner (Prisoner: Cell Block H), in which she was introduced in the fifth season as a devious vice queen imprisoned for heroin trafficking. She remained in the series until 1984. Her role as Sonia Stevens is one she is most recognised for. After departing the series, Bursill appeared in several recurring roles; in A Country Practice as Bianca Forbes-Hamilton (1981) and Cecily Day (1985), Hey Dad..! as Det. Sgt. Anne Burke (1987), and Heartbreak High (1997) as Hilary Scheppers (the mother of characters Ryan and Anita). She had previously appeared in Heartbreak High the year before as TV news reporter, Trish Ferro.
Bursill is also known for her recurring roles on the Seven Network soap opera Home and Away during the fourth season (1991) and fourteenth season (2001) as Lois Crawford and Stella Patterson respectively. Bursill most recently appeared in the recurring role of Kathy Carpenter in Neighbours during the thirtieth season in 2014.
In 2023 Bursill appeared in the Australian television series One Night. Bursill also appeared in Foxtel/Binge Drama Strife. Bursill was named to return for the second season.

### Film

Bursill made her feature film debut in 1975 when she was cast in The Great Macarthy, a sports comedy with John Jarratt and Barry Humphries. Her second film role came in 1984, when she appeared in Melvin, Son of Alvin, a sequel to the 1973 comedy, Alvin Purple. In 1987, she starred in Jilted, which earned her an Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Further film credits include Afraid to Dance, Spider and Rose, Billy's Holiday, The Goddess of 1967, Son of the Mask, Three Blind Mice, Random 8, and Wish You Were Here.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1973 | Solomon | | TV film |
| 1975 | The Great Macarthy | Miss Deevil | Feature film |
| 1978 | A Good Thing Going | Jeanette | TV film |
| 1984 | Melvin, Son of Alvin | Reporter Dee Tanner | Feature film |
| 1985 | Robbery | Suzy | TV film |
| 1986 | The Three Musketeers | Voice | Animated TV film |
| 1986 | A Single Life | Billie Russell | TV film |
| 1987 | Jilted | Paula | Feature film |
| 1989 | Afraid to Dance | Driving Woman | Feature film |
| 1992 | The Distant Home | Dr. Rosen | TV film |
| 1994 | Spider and Rose | Sister Abbott | Feature film |
| 1995 | Billy's Holiday | Louise | Feature film |
| 1998 | Entertaining Angels | | Short film |
| 1998 | Never Tell Me Never | Virginia | TV film |
| 1998 | Aftershocks | Kerri Ingram | TV film |
| 2000 | The Goddess of 1967 | Esther | Feature film |
| 2000 | Cheek to Cheek | Julie | Short film |
| 2001 | Saturn's Return | Sheila | TV film |
| 2002 | Heroes' Mountain | Margy Donald | TV film |
| 2003 | Courts mais GAY: Tome 5 | Sheila (Segment "Saturn's Return" | Feature film |
| 2003 | BlackJack | Carmen | TV film |
| 2004 | Small Claims | Rhonda | TV film |
| 2005 | Son of the Mask | Network Executive | Feature film |
| 2006 | Shuffle | Denise | Short film |
| 2007 | One of the Lucky Ones | Additional Voice (voice) | Short film |
| 2007 | Pleasance | Biddy | Short film |
| 2008 | Three Blind Mice | Candy | Feature film |
| 2011 | Random 8 | Filmmaker & Narrator | Short film |
| 2012 | Wish You Were Here | Margie McKinney | Feature film |
| 2013 | Bloody Henry | Jane | Short film |
| 2014 | Jack Irish: Dead Point | Pat | TV film |
| 2015 | Going Down | | Short film |
| 2018 | The Flip Side | Iris | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1973 | The People Next Door | Regular role: Meg Penrose | TV series, 20 episodes |
| 1974 | Silent Number | Guest role: Annette | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | A Touch of Reverence | | TV miniseries |
| 1975 | The Unisexers | Regular role: Felicity | TV series, 16 episodes |
| 1975 | Matlock Police | Guest role: Jennifer Craig | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Dave Allen Show in Australia | Regular: Various characters | TV series |
| 1976 | Alvin Purple | Guest role: Bernice | TV series, 1 episode 9: "The Rhythm Method" |
| 1976 | King's Men | Regular role: Policewoman Jaybee Giddings | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1976 | The Emigrants | Guest role: Nurse Watson | TV series, episode 3: "13,000 Miles Away" |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Guest role: Mother | TV series, episode 12: "Dangerous Weapon" |
| 1979 | The Oracle | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979–1980 | Skyways | Regular role: Louise Carter | TV series, 136 episodes |
| 1981, 1986 | A Country Practice | Guest role: Bianca Forbes-Hamilton | TV series, episodes 13 & 14: "Alternatives" |
| 1981 | Holiday Island | Guest role: Elizabeth | TV series, 1 episode 27: "Never Too Old" |
| 1982 | Winner Take All | Lead role: Liz Bell | TV miniseries, 10 episodes |
| 1983–1984 | Prisoner | Regular role: Sonia Stevens | TV series, 54 episodes |
| 1984 | Special Squad | Guest role: Meredith | TV series, episode 25: "The Bribe" |
| 1985 | The Fast Lane | Guest role: Felicity | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981–1986 | A Country Practice | Recurring role: Cecily Day | TV series, 14 episodes |
| 1987 | Australian Traineeship System | Herself | Documentary |
| 1987 | Willing and Abel | Recurring role: Margaret Hill | TV series |
| 1987 | Hey Dad...! | Recurring role: Det. Sgt. Anne Burke | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1987–1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Recurring role: Erica Jamison | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1989 | In Melbourne Today | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | This Man... This Woman | Support role: Liz Maddocks | ABC TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Jackaroo | Lead role: Martha Logan | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1990 | The Flying Doctors | Guest role: Billie Sorensen | TV series, episode 15: "Billie and Pete" |
| 1991 | G.P. | Guest roles: Caroline Lalor | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1991, 2002 | Home and Away | Recurring roles: Stella Patterson / Lois Crawford | TV series, 31 episodes |
| 1992 | Bony | Guest role: Peta | TV series, episode 6: "Surf, Sun... and Murder" |
| 1992 | EEO Free For All Forum | Narrator | Documentary |
| 1993 | Cluedo | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Mother and Son | Guest role: Carmen | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Under The Skin | Julie | TV series, 1 episode 9: "Long Way Round" |
| 1994 | The Ferals | Guest role: White Ant (voice) | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | G.P. | Guest role: Adele Meyer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Over the Hill | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996–1997 | Heartbreak High | Regular role: Hilary Scheppers / Trish | TV series, 37 episodes |
| 1996 | Pacific Drive | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Heartbreak High | Recurring role: Trish Ferra | TV series |
| 1998 | Murder Call | Guest role: Lori Magnus | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1999 | All Saints | Guest role: Robyn Simms | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2000 | Farscape | Recurring role: Empress Novia | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2001–2002 | BackBerner | Guest role: Jennie Turk | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001 | Corridors of Power | Guest role: Petra | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001–02 | BackBerner | Guest roles: Jennie / Naomi Kennedy | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2002 | MDA | Guest role: Dr. Ruth McIntyre | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | Grass Roots | Guest role: Ariadne Totos | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | Always Greener | Recurring role: Lucy Buckingham | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2003 | White Collar Blue | Guest role: Carole | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2004 | Out There | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2005 | Blue Water High | Guest role: Katrina | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2005 | Dramatically Black | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008 | All Saints | Guest roles: Helen Fahey / Margaret Evans | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Offspring | Recurring role: Marilyn | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Crownies | Guest role Magistrate Ellen Hansby | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2012 | Rake | Guest role: Miriam | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2012 | A Moody Christmas | Regular role: Maree Moody | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | The Time of Our Lives | Recurring role: Lenore | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2014 | The Moodys | Regular role: Maree Moody | TV series, 8 episodes |
| 2014, 2016 | Neighbours | Recurring role: Kathy Carpenter | TV series, 21 episodes |
| 2016–2021 | Doctor Doctor | Regular role: Meryl Knight | TV series, 48 episodes |
| 2017 | Drop Dead Weird | Guest role: Tweedy Lady | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Harrow | Guest role: Alice Hobson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | Wentworth | Recurring role: Eve Wilder | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Frayed | Guest role: Cathy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2023–present | Ten Pound Poms | Recurring role: Mrs. Walker | TV series, 8 episodes |
| 2023 | One Night | Recurring role: Helen | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2023–present | Strife | Regular role: Ginny | TV series, 6 episodes |

### Other appearances

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1976 | Celebrity Squares | Contestant | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | Blankety Blanks | Contestant | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Have A Go | Judge | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1991 | Tonight Live With Steve Vizard | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1991 | The Main Event | Contestant | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | The World Tonight | Guest ("Beauty and the Beast' segment) | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Monday to Friday | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | This Is Your Life | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2000 | The Morning Shift | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008 | Susie | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Talkin' Bout Your Generation | Contestant | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021; 2022 | Studio 10 | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | Wentworth Unlocked | Guest (Eve Wilder) | TV special |
| 2021 | Hot Off The Press | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | Teal Talk | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1971 | Theatre In Education | | |
| 1971 | Hippolytus | | University of NSW Old Tote Theatre |
| 1971 | Lady Windemere's Fan | Lady Windemere | NIDA Theatre |
| 1972 | Grease | Marty | Metro Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1972 | Great Banana Split | | Twelfth Night Theatre |
| 1972-73 | Godspell | | Richbroke Theatre |
| 1974 | Scandals of '74 | | Macleay Theatre, Sydney |
| 1975 | The Jockey Club Stakes | | Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide & Princess Theatre Melbourne |
| 1976 | The Ripper Show | | |
| 1977 | Son of Naked Vicar | | The Speakeasy, Kensington |
| 1977 | The Big Bang Show | | The Speakeasy, Kensington |
| 1977 | Mothers and Fathers | | University of NSW Parade Theatre |
| 1977-78, 1983 | Beyond Mozambique | Rita | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1978 | 2001 - A Postcode | | |
| 1981 | Catch a Rising Star | | Melbourne Theatre Restaurant |
| 1982 | Zastrozzi | Matilda | Seymour Centre |
| 1985 | Tomfoolery | | Seymour Centre for Festival of Sydney |
| 1986; 1990 | Rough Crossing | Natasha Navratilova | Playhouse Adelaide, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse Canberra |
| 1988 | Manning Clark's History of Australia – The Musical | Elizabeth Macarthur, St Peter, Caroline Chisholm, Kate Kelly, Lady Carrington. | Princess Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1989 | Top Silk | Jane Fredericks | Seymour Centre, Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Playhouse Adelaide |
| 1992 | On Golden Pond | Chelsea Thayer | Marian Street Theatre |
| 1992 | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Ensemble Theatre |
| 1993 | The Sugar Mother | Cecilia Page | Bridge Theatre, Coniston & Sydney Opera House |
| 1994 | Don't Dress for Dinner | Susanne | Regal Theatre, Perth, Canberra Theatre, Newcastle Civic Theatre |
| 1998 | Blinded by the Sun | Ghislane | Sydney Opera House |
| 1999 | 23 Blooms on My Great Grandmother's Rosebush | Sarah | Iland Robinson Productions |
| 2001 | Up for Grabs | Dawn Grey | Sydney Opera House, IMB Theatre, Wollongong, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Playhouse Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne, Newcastle Civic Theatre |
| 2003 | Purgatory Down Under | | Sydney Opera House |
| 2004 | The Vagina Monologues | | University of Sydney |
| 2005 | Flatfoot | Cleostrata | Australian national tour |
| 2006 | Double Act | Alexandra | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Laycock Street Theatre, Peninsula Performance Centre, Manning Entertainment Centre, Sir Henry Parkes School of Art |
| 2007 | ALP Arts Election Launch | | Riverside Theatres Parramatta |
| 2008 | Small Metal Objects | Carolyn | International tour (USA, Europe & Asia) |
| 2010 | The Swimming Club | Laura | Southbank Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse Perth, Geelong Westfield Shopping Centre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| | Vita & Virginia | Vita | Actors Forum |
| | Maralinga | Various | Alphaville |
| 2015 | Boys Will Be Boys | Arthur | Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2017 | Me and My Girl | The Duchess of Dene | Hayes Theatre Co |
| 2018 | The Feather in the Web | Various | Stables Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2022 | Love Letters | Melissa Gardner | Ensemble Theatre |
| 2022 | Cinderella | Madame (Stepmother) | Sydney Lyric Theatre, Regent Theatre, Melbourne with Opera Australia |
| 2024 | The Children | | Dunstan Playhouse with STCSA |

## Awards & nominations

| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
| 1987 | Jilted | Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Won |
| 2012 | A Moody Christmas | Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won |
| 2001 | Up for Grabs | Mo Award for Best Female Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| 2017 | Doctor Doctor | AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| 2018 | Doctor Doctor | AACTA Award for Best Actress | Nominated |