# Melita Jurisic

Melita Jurisic is an Australian actress.
Jurisic was born in Croatia and migrated to Australia with her family at age five. She began her career as part of the Lighthouse Company (Playhouse) in Adelaide.

## Career
### Screen, stage and music

Jurisic's screen roles include a lead (as Dr. Eva) in the ABC TV series Something in the Air, playing the title character in the 1987 film The Tale of Ruby Rose, the 1986 TV movie Hunger, Croatian film Transatlantik in 1998, 1997's The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Mad Max: Fury Road Bordertown and The Petrov Affair. She is also known for her role as Dr. Magda in the television series The Flying Doctors.
Her stage roles are numerous, and include Macbeth with the Sydney Theatre Company in 2014, I Am A Miracle at the Malthouse in 2015 and Three Sisters at the Sydney Opera House in 2001. Internationally she appeared in a number of Barrie Kosky's productions at Schauspielhaus Wien in Vienna, Austria, including Medea.
Jurisic is also the singer and songwriter of Viennese band Metalycée. Their first album "It Is Not" was voted one of the ten best Austrian albums of the decade.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1986 | Hunger | Ileana Radulesco | TV movie |
| 1986 | Twelfth Night | Part Guest | Feature film |
| 1987 | The Tale of Ruby Rose | Ruby Rose | Feature film |
| 1991 | A Woman's Tale | Judy (voice) | Feature film |
| 1991 | Get Real | Ms.Perkins | Short film |
| 1993 | Dead Water | Sally Lucena | Short film |
| 1994 | 45 Dollars an Hour | Helen | Short film |
| 1995 | Fishing | Torturer | Short film |
| 1995 | One Such Night | Cleo | Short film |
| 1997 | The Sound of One Hand Clapping | Maria Buloh | Feature film |
| 1998 | I, Eugenia | Annie Birkett | Short film |
| 1998 | Transatlantik | Zorka | Feature film (Croatia) |
| 2003 | Einstein's Wife | Mileva Einstein (voice) | TV movie |
| 2011 | Kotlovina | Mimi | Feature film (Croatia) |
| 2012 | Dead Europe | Maria | Feature film |
| 2015 | Mad Max: Fury Road | The Vuvalini | Feature film |
| 2018 | Murer – Anatomy of a Trial | Rosa Segev | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles | Violet | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1986 | The Fast Lane | Maria | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Pokerface | Lou | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1986 | Land of Hope | Kathleen Quinn | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | The Flying Doctors | Dr Magda | TV series, 15 episodes |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Adrianna Leeuwen | TV miniseries, 10 episodes |
| 1996 | Mercury | Mrs Sumic | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Petrov Affair | Nina Morozova | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2000–02 | Something in the Air | Dr Eva Petrovska | TV series, 148 episodes |
| 2001 | Blue Heelers | Paula Stanford | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008 | Kosovo | Narrator | |
| 2010 | Mother Teresa - Saint of Darkness | Mother Teresa (voice) | |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| | Lovers | Mag | Actors Theatre |
| | Don Juan | Charlotte | Actors Theatre |
| | Jack the Ripper | Polly | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | Only an Orphan Girl | Femme Fatale | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | The Roundsman | Policewoman | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | Gigi | Gigi | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | Fat King Melon | Princess Caraway | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | The Adventures of a Bear Called Paddington | Judy Brown | Tour with Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | Images | Emily Brontë | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| | Schweik in the Second World War | Anna | Actors Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1979 | Once a Catholic | Mary | Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1982 | Mother Courage and Her Children | Kattrin | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1982 | Silver Lining | Yanova | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1982 | The Prince of Homburg | Princess Natalia | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1982 | Royal Show | Rebecca / IIvory / Faustine / Mrs Macpherson / Horsewoman | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1982–83 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hermia | Playhouse, Adelaide, Keith Michell Theatre with STCSA |
| 1983 | Twelfth Night | Lady-In-Waiting / various | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1983 | Blood Wedding | The Bride | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1983–84 | Netherwood | Police Woman / Rhonda | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, Seymour Centre |
| 1983 | The Marriage of Figaro | Fanchette | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1983 | Pal Joey | Linda English | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1983 | The Blind Giant Is Dancing | Janice Lang / Robin | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1983 | Sunrise | Eva | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1984 | The Women of March the First | Gesia | Nimrod Downstairs Theatre |
| 1985, 1987 | The Golden Age | Betsheb | Studio Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company, Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1985 | A Spring Song | Kerry Dennison | Studio Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1986 | If Winter Comes | Ilona | Church Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Contemporary Theatre Company |
| 1987 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Emilie | Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1988 | My Sister in This House | Isabelle | Seymour Centre |
| 1988 | Capricornia | Christobel / Opal / Rhonda | Belvoir Street Theatre, Parramatta Cultural Centre, Darwin Performing Arts Centre, Canberra Theatre, World Expo 88 Brisbane |
| 1989 | A Doll’s House | Nora | Ensemble Theatre |
| 1989 | Picnic with Fatima | Fatima | Universal Theatre, Melbourne with Wintercourt Productions |
| 1989 | Nice Girls | Lizzy | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Monash University, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1989 | Hedda Gabler | Thea Elvsted | Playhouse Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1990 | Danny and the Deep Blue Sea | Roberta | Universal Two, Melbourne with Wintercourt Productions & Biartisan Productions |
| 1991 | Mad Forest | Angel / Doctor / Student / Dog / Toma / Rodica / Bogdan's Old Aunt | Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1991 | Uncle Vanya | Sonya | Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1991 | Bali: Adat | Bijang | Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company for Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 1992 | Quartet | Marquise de Merteuil | Goethe Institut, Malthouse Theatre, University of Adelaide for Adelaide Festival with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1992 | The Crimson Island | Adelaide Karpovna / Betsy | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Royalty Theatre, Adelaide for Adelaide Festival |
| 1992 | The Idiot | Lebedev / Mrs Yepanchin / Mrs Ivolgin | Theatre Works, Melbourne |
| 1992 | Life is a Dream | Rosura | West Melbourne Gasworks with Anthill Theatre, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 1993 | Agamemnon: Dawn of the Darkness | Clytemnestra | IRAA Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1993 | Viva La Vida: Frida Kahlo | European Frida | West Melbourne Gasworks with Handspan Theatre |
| 1993 | Mother Courage and her Children | Kattrin | West Melbourne Gasworks with Anthill Theatre Company |
| 1993 | Faust | Gretchen / Helen of Troy | Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1993–94 | King Lear | Cordelia / Oswald | Malthouse Theatre, Tokyo Globe Theatre, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya, Japan, Seoul Arts Center, South Korea, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Canberra Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1994 | Woyzeck a Good Murder, A Real Murder | Marie | Malthouse Theatre with IRAA Theatre, Melbourne for Castlemaine Festival |
| 1994 | Big Hair in America | Wanda | Wal Cherry Play of the Year '94 |
| 1994 | Young Playwrights Festival | | Anthill Theatre Company with Melbourne Theatre Company for Next Wave Festival |
| 1994 | On the North Diversion Road | Woman | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company for Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 1995 | The Ham Funeral | | Budinskis Theatre of Exile, Melbourne |
| 1996 | The Blue Hour | Grandmother | Odeon Theatre, Adelaide with IRAA Theatre, Melbourne for Adelaide Festival |
| 1996 | A Cheery Soul | Maid / Young Mrs Lillie / Mrs Wakeman | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1996 | The Blue Hour | Grandmother | IRAA Theatre, Melbourne, Adelaide Festival |
| 1996 | Solitary Animals | Boyana | Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1997 | Intimate Letters | Kamila Stösslová / Narrator | Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne with Musica Viva |
| 1997 | Dock 39 | | Theatre Works, Melbourne |
| 1997 | Tartuffe | Elmire | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1998 | Mourning Becomes Electra | Lavinia | Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1998 | King Lear | Goneril | Playhouse, Canberra, Melbourne Athenaeum, Playhouse, QPAC Brisbane, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare |
| 1999 | Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee | Angelica / Anne / Christine / Woman | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1999 | The Dogs Play: And A Few Roos Loose in the Top Paddock | Ruby / Jenna | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1999 | The Lover / The Collection | Sarah / Stella | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1999 | The Language of the Gods | Eva de Ven | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 2001 | Medea | Medea | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria |
| 2001 | Three Sisters | Olga | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2001 | This Hospital is My Country | Elena | DeckChair Theatre, Perth |
| 2002 | Dafke!! (Part 1 of Jewtopia-Trilogie) | Girl with Broken Neck | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria for Vienna Festival |
| 2002 | Macbeth | Macbeth | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria |
| 2003 | 1975: A Populist Opera | Paula Risic | North Melbourne Town Hall with Melbourne Workers Theatre |
| 2003 | Falling Petals | Sarah Godden / Mrs. Woods / Gayle / Marg / Mrs. Lawrence | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 2003–04 | The Lost Breath (aka Der verlorene Atem (Part 2 of Jewtopia-Trilogie) | The Other Woman | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Melbourne Athenaeum with Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 2004 | Kasimir + Karoline | Erna | Perchtoldsdorf Summer Festival, Austria |
| 2003, 2007 | Poppea | Poppea | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Berliner Ensemble 2004, Edinburgh Festival |
| 2004 | Wiener Lächelin | Widow | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Komische Oper Berlin |
| 2005 | Das Schloss (Part 3 of Jewtopia-Trilogie) | Blaubart | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria |
| 2005 | The Tales of Hoffmann (aka Hoffmanns Erzählungen) | Spalanzani / Shlemihl | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg |
| 2006 | Interpretationache 06 | | Graz Literature Festival, Austria |
| 2006 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | 11 roles | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria / Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg |
| 2006 | 1975 - A Love Story | Paula | Brisbane |
| 2007 | The Ubu-Complex | Alfred Jarry | Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria |
| 2007 | The Family Table III | Self | Vienna Festival, Austria |
| 2007 | Nach Der Zeit Im Takt Sehen | Woman | Off Limits Festival, Germany, WUK Vienna |
| 2007 | Rettet Die Mäuse (aka Save the Mice) | Mel Ostermayer | Tanzquartier Vienna, Austria |
| 2007 | Middentity | Mel | Nitra Festival, Slovakia |
| 2008 | The Women of Troy | Cassandra / Andromache / Helen of Troy | Wharf Theatre, Malthouse Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2009 | Purimspil | | Linz, Austria |
| 2009 | Das Tortenstück | Franz Fuchs | Donaufestival, Krems Austria |
| 2009–10 | Unerhoert | Conductor | Jeunesse, Linz, Vienna, Innsbruck, Austria |
| 2009 | Alma | Alma Mahler | Vienna, Austria |
| 2009–10 | In the Jungle of Cities (aka Im Dickicht Der Stadte) | Mae Garga | Landestheater, Linz, Austria |
| 2011 | Mater Dolorosa (aka Our Lady of Sorrows) | Mel | Progetto Semiserio, Vienna, Austria |
| 2011 | Lysistrata | Lampito | Perchtoldsdorf Summer Festival, Austria |
| 2013 | Slobodija Odysseia, Mon Amour | Penelope | Marseille, France |
| 2014 | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2014 | Night on Bald Mountain | Mrs. Sword | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2015 | Suddenly Last Summer | Miss Foxhill | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2015 | The Wizard of Oz | Scarecrow | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2015 | I Am a Miracle | Johannes / Woman / Angel | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2016 | Yes Move. No Move (Moved?) | | Manchester UK, Ljubljana Slovenia, Prague Czech Republic, Sibiu Romania with BeSpectACTive! |
| 2017 | John | Genevieve Marduk | Arts Centre Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 2017 | Three Sisters | Anfisus | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2018 | The House of Bernarda Alba | Bernadette | Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 2019 | Arbus and West | Mae West | Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 2019 | Titus Andronicus | Tamora | Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
| 1987 | The Tale of Ruby Rose | Venice Film Festival | International Critics Prize for Best Actress | Won |
| 1989 | A Doll’s House | Inaugural Cladan Award | Most Significant Contribution to Sydney Theatre | Won |
| 1989 | Picnic with Fatima | Green Room Awards | for Best Actress | Nominated |
| 1990 | Danny and the Deep Blue Sea | Green Room Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| 1991 | Bali Adat | Green Room Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Won |
| 1992 | Mother Courage | Green Room Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated} |
| 1998 | King Lear | Green Room Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2008 | Women of Troy | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actress | Nominated} |
| 2015 | Night on Bald Mountain | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor | Won |
| 2016 | I Am a Miracle | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor | Won |
| 2017 | John | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor | Nominated |
| 2017 | John | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |