# Tara Morice

Tara Morice (born 23 June 1964) is an Australian actress, singer and dancer.

## Background

Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Morice also lived in Sydney, Alice Springs and Adelaide as a child. She is a fifth-generation Australian and is of English, Irish, Scottish, Latvian, French and Jewish ancestry. She appeared in a short film for the Tasmanian Film Corporation in 1980, The ABC of Unions. She made her stage debut at Australia's oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal in Hobart in The Diary of Anne Frank, aged 16. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Australian History and English from the Australian National University and graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1987.

## Career

She has worked extensively on stage in Australia, including productions for the Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare Company, Griffin Theatre Company, Belvoir Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Queensland Theatre Company, Malthouse and the Ensemble.
Tara played Fran in Strictly Ballroom when it premiered as a stage play in 1988, and she was a member of Baz Luhrmann's 'Six Years Old' Company.
For her work in musical theatre, she has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Fat Swan at the 2012 Helpmann Awards and a Victorian Green Room Award for The Venetian Twins.
Her first film appearance was as Fran in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom (directed by Baz Luhrmann), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and an Australian Film Institute award. Morice also appeared on the film's soundtrack, singing a duet of Time After Time with Mark Williams.
Morice has also appeared in the feature films Metal Skin, Hotel Sorrento, Hildegarde, Moulin Rouge!, Candy, Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance, Oranges and Sunshine, Dance Academy: The Movie and Peter Rabbit 2. Her many short films include the Oscar nominated Miracle Fish.
Her television work includes roles in Answered by Fire, After the Deluge, Salem's Lot and McLeod's Daughters. Morice had a starring role in the series of three Dogwoman telemovies with Magda Szubanski in 2000. She also plays Miss Raine in Series 1, 2 and 3 of Dance Academy for ABC/ZDF.
She wrote and directed the documentary My Biggest Fan, about her correspondence and friendship with an American great-grandmother, Mildred Levine, who wrote to her after seeing Strictly Ballroom. The film premiered at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, and was broadcast on the SBS network in Australia in 2008.
She re-recorded Time After Time for Baz Luhrmann's album Something for Everybody and sang on the Strictly Ballroom, Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance and My Biggest Fan soundtracks.
Tara played Shell in the premiere of the Australian musical The Deb at the Rebel Theatre in Sydney 2022. She then appeared in the feature film version directed by Rebel Wilson, the World Premiere of which was held at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
In 2024 Morice was named in the cast for Stan Australia feature film Nugget is Dead. Morice was also named in the extended cast for ABC series Return to Paradise.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Strictly Ballroom | Fran | Feature film |
| 1994 | Metal Skin | Savina | Feature film |
| 1995 | Hotel Sorrento | Pippa Moynihan | Feature film |
| 1997 | Square One | Margot | Feature film |
| 2000 | Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking | Pauline O'Halloran | TV film |
| 2000 | Dogwoman: A Grrrl's Best Friend | Pauline O'Halloran | TV film |
| 2001 | Dogwoman: The Legend of Dogwoman | Pauline O'Halloran | TV film |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Prostitute | Feature film |
| 2001 | My Husband, My Killer | Margaret Inkster | TV film |
| 2001 | Hildegarde | Kim Powell | |
| 2003 | After the Deluge | Dianne | TV film |
| 2004 | Loot | Karen Doakes | TV film |
| 2005 | Second Chance | Edwinda | TV film |
| 2006 | Candy | Aunt Katherine | Feature film |
| 2007 | Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance | Marianne | Mockumentary film |
| 2007 | September | Jennifer Hamilton | Feature film |
| 2008 | Close Distance | Rivka | Short film |
| 2009 | Miracle Fish | Mum | Short film |
| 2010 | Oranges and Sunshine | Pauline | Feature film |
| 2013 | 101 Cupcakes | Agnes Harvey | Short film |
| 2014 | Smithston | Mrs. Smithston | Short film |
| 2017 | Dance Academy: The Movie | Lucinda Raine | Feature film |
| 2021 | Peter Rabbit 2 | Officiant | Feature film |
| 2021 | The Butter Scene | | Short film |
| 2022 | The Home Team | Glenrose Rose | Short film |
| 2023 | Carmen | Marie | Feature film |
| 2024 | Nugget is Dead | Josephine | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Police Rescue | Jenny | TV series, episode: "Mates" |
| 1997 | Big Sky | Linda | TV series, episode: "Blind Spot" |
| 1998 | Water Rats | Anne Milner | TV series, episode: "Diminished Responsibility" |
| 1998 | A Difficult Woman | Susan Taylor | TV miniseries |
| 1999 | Wildside | Rachel Duncan | TV series, episode: "2.11" |
| 2000 | Something in the Air | Candy Rogers | TV series |
| 2000-03 | Grass Roots | Julie Dunkley | TV series |
| 2004 | Salem's Lot | Joyce Petrie | TV miniseries |
| 2005 | Blue Heelers | Melanie Anderson | TV series |
| 2005 | McLeod's Daughters | Michelle Hall-Smith | TV series, episodes: "Out of Time", "Betwixt and Between" |
| 2006 | Answered by Fire | Helen Waldman | TV miniseries |
| 2010 | Home and Away | Joanna Scott | TV series |
| 2010-13 | Dance Academy | Miss Raine | TV series |
| 2013 | The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting | Special Guest | TV series, episodes: "1.4", "1.5" |
| 2013 | Whitlam: The Power and the Passion | Margaret Whitlam (Voice) | TV miniseries, episode: "Part 2" |
| 2015 | Winter | Judith Johansson | TV series |
| 2016 | Rake | Pauline | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2023 | Ten Pound Poms | Ward Sister Mulligan | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2023 | While the Men are Away | Enid | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2024 | Return to Paradise | Helen Haddon | TV series, 1 episode |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | The Diary of Anne Frank | Anne Frank | Theatre Royal, Hobart |
| 1985 | The Cherry Orchard | | NIDA Theatre |
| 1986 | Thark | | NIDA Theatre |
| 1986 | The Winter’s Tale | Emilia / Dorcas | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1987 | Under a Weeping Sky | | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1987 | The Big Shiny Frock Show | | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 1987 | A Journey Through Peer Gynt | | NIDA Parade Theatre, Canberra Theatre |
| 1988 | 1841 | | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA for Adelaide Festival, Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1988 | Haircut | | Wharf Studio Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1988 | Strictly Ballroom | Fran | Wharf Studio Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1988 | Angels | | Wharf Studio Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1989 | After Dinner | | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 1990 | The Venetian Twins | Columbina | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane & University of Sydney with Queensland Theatre Company, Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company Nominated for a Green Room Award for Female Actor in a Featured Role (Music Theatre) |
| 1990 | The Development Site | | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1990 | Rome Tremble - Crumbs from a Feast of Callas | Maria Callas | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1991 | Mongrels | Lydia | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 1992 | Richard III | Lady Anne | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Melbourne Athenaeum, Canberra Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Bell Shakespeare |
| 1992 | The Merchant of Venice | Portia | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Melbourne Athenaeum, Canberra Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Bell Shakespeare |
| 1992 | Hamlet | Voltemand / 2nd Player | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Melbourne Athenaeum, Canberra Theatre with Bell Shakespeare |
| 1995 | The Moonwalkers | Gina | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 1997 | Mortimer's Miscellany | | Sydney Festival |
| 1996 | Wolf Lullaby | Angela | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 1998 | Love for Love | Mrs Foresight | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1999 | Secret Bridesmaids' Business | Angela | Malthouse Theatre with Company Playbox Theatre Company, Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2000 | Sweet Road | Jo | SBW Independent Theatre, Sydney with Ensemble Theatre |
| 2001 | The Laramie Project | Zackie Salmon / Reggie Flutey / Trish Stegar, Kelli Simpkins / Sherry Aenonson / Kerry Drake & others | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2001 | Morning Sacrifice | Gwyn | Wharf Theatre, with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2002 | Spinning into Butter | Dean Sarah Daniels | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2002 | Love Letters | Melissa Gardner | NIDA Parade Theatre |
| 2009 | Abigail's Party | Angela | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2010 | Animals Out of Paper | Illana Andrews | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2011 | Fat Swan | Mother | Arts Centre Melbourne, Seymour Centre Nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2011 | An Officer and a Gentleman | Esther | Sydney Lyric Theatre with Gordon Frost Organisation |
| 2014 | Once in Royal David's City | Teacher / Crowd / Chorus | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2016 | Good People | Margaret | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2018 | The Harp in the South | Miss Sheily / Sister Beatrix / Alf / Flo / Shirley / Mrs X / Mrs Kilroy | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2018 | Good Cook. Friendly. Clean. | Sandra | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2018 | A Cheery Soul | Mrs Lilie / Second Girl / Soprano Voice | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2020 | Dance Nation | Sofia | Scott Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA for Adelaide Festival, Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2021 | Claudel | Madame Claudel | Tinderbox Productions |
| 2021 | The Museum of Modern Love: Open Rehearsal and Reading | Lydia | Seymour Centre, Sydney |
| 2022 | The Museum of Modern Love | Lydia | Seymour Centre, Sydney for Sydney Festival |
| 2022 | The Deb | Shell | The Rebel Theatre, Sydney |
| 2022 | The Tenant of Wildfell Hall | Rachel / Mrs Markham / Aunt | Roslyn Packer Theatre |