Sara West is an Australian actress, director and screen writer. She began her career with roles in short films and television roles. Her 2015 role as Liza Minnelli in television series Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door earned her a Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Newcomer. In 2017, West played Lyndal in the film, Don't Tell and was nominated for an AACTA Award. In 2023, West joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours, playing Cara Varga-Murphy. West also writes and directs films and has won awards at the 2014 and 2018 South Australian Screen Awards.

Early life
West grew up in the Murray River area of South Australia. When West was at high school, her mother encouraged her to take drama classes. West studied at the Flinders Drama Centre at Flinders University, Adelaide. West later moved to Sydney to continue perusing further work. She and her university drama
teacher, Richard Back set up their own production company called Salvage Productions.

Career
West's first television role was Clarice Daley in the 2014 ABC1 television drama, ANZAC Girls. She then appeared in the Seven Network series Winter. Around this time, West began securing further work in theatre productions. In 2013, West directed the short film titled River Water. For her work on the film, West won the Best Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 2014 South Australian Screen Awards.

West developed her writing skills with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). She wrote the theatre play The Trolleys, and was the recipient of their 2014 Foundation Commission Award.  The Trolley debuted on stage at the ATYP Studio 1 in Sydney.

In 2015, West played the main role of Liza Minnelli in Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, a television drama mini-series that was broadcast on Seven Network. West recalled her shock when her agent got her an audition for the role. Prior to filming, West worked on mimicking Minelli's mannerisms, accent and her singing style. West stated that she really related to the role because they were both ambitious in their early careers. She was nominated for the 2016 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Newcomer for her role as Minnelli.

In 2017, West played the role of Lyndal in the film, Don't Tell. She was nominated for the 2017 AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Don't Tell.

In 2018, West wrote and directed the short films titled Mutt and Disco Dykes for the streaming service SBS on Demand. Disco Dykes was part of a collection of short films featuring LGBTIQ stories the broadcaster and the Government of New South Wales had commissioned and funded via their Emerging Filmmakers Fund. Mutt received four awards at the 2018 South Australian Screen Awards. West herself won the Best Directing award.

In 2023, West joined the cast of the Australian soap opera, Neighbours, playing the role of Cara Varga-Murphy who is in a same-sex relationship. West stated she was "honoured" to join the cast and hoped the inclusion of her character's family would "help better reflect the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community" that she proudly comes from.

Filmography

Film

Sources:

Television

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References

External links

Australian film actresses
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)