Jessica Napier is a New Zealand-born actress based in Australia. She has appeared in a number of feature films, including Love Serenade, Blackrock, Cut, City Loop, Angst, The Illustrated Family Doctor and Ghost Rider, and is well known for her role of Becky Howard in the Australian TV drama series McLeod's Daughters.
Jessica Napier | |
|---|---|
 Napier in 2012 | |
| Born | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse |
David Adler (m. 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Marshall Napier |
| Relatives | James Napier Robertson (cousin) |
Early life
editNapier was born in Wellington, New Zealand. Her father, actor Marshall Napier, relocated the family to Australia when she was a child.[2]
Career
editNapier had her first acting role at age 9, when she played her father's daughter on the long-running Australian TV series Police Rescue. A year later she reappeared in another episode, when her father nominated her to fill in for a role when the girl who was booked for the job refused as the character was required to be submerged in a swamp.[citation needed]
It was not until Napier was 15 that she decided to be an actress. On her first serious audition she won the lead role of Edwina on Echo Point. Her first feature film was in Shirley Barrett's award-winning Love Serenade (with Miranda Otto), followed by the critically acclaimed Blackrock, where her character's brother was played by Heath Ledger in his first prominent film role.
Small parts in a string of other popular Australian TV shows, including Water Rats and Murder Call, followed; she played the role of Gerry Davis in the highly acclaimed Wildside, alongside Aaron Pedersen, Rachel Blake and Tony Martin.
Napier then appeared in Stingers (with Peter Phelps) and City Loop before landing the lead role of Raffy in Mushroom Pictures' film Cut. The cult Australian slasher film was her first lead in a feature. The cast included Molly Ringwald, Kylie Minogue and Stephen Curry.
She then starred in Angst and appeared in the made-for-TV film Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story.
Already a household name in Australia, Napier then played Becky Howard on the Australian TV drama McLeod's Daughters from 2000 to 2003. Her father played Harry Ryan on the same series.[2]
She then starred in the tele-movie The Alice. Following its success it went on as a series with Napier reprising her role in the tele-drama.
In 2009, Napier guest starred in both the popular third season of TV series Sea Patrol and the new Rescue: Special Ops.
The thriller Savages Crossing was released in 2010 and saw Napier star in an ensemble cast of other Australian favourites including John Jarratt, Craig McLachlan, Sacha Horler and Chris Haywood.
In 2010 the Nine Network announced that they would be continuing with their successful Underbelly franchise by producing three separate stand-alone crime telemovies which would be known as The Underbelly Files. Napier was cast as the lead actress in the second of these telemovies, titled Underbelly Files: Infiltration, opposite Sullivan Stapleton. Infiltration follows Victorian police officer Colin McClaren's investigation into the local Calabrian mafia in which he infiltrates their group. It also stars Valentino del Toro, Henry Nixon, Tottie Goldsmith, Buddy Dannoun and Glenda Linscott. In 2021 Napier appeared in a small role in Moon Rock For Monday,[3] an AACTA-nominated feature film directed by Kurt Martin.[4]
Personal life
editNapier married husband David Adler on 28 November 2009.[5] They live in Sydney together with their children Emily and Oliver.[6]
Napier is a vegetarian, and supports various animal rights foundations.[2] She has also supported the use of Taronga Zoo in Sydney for retired circus elephants.[7]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Love Serenade | Deborah 'Debbie' | Feature film |
| 1997 | Blackrock | Rachel Ackland | Feature film |
| 1998 | War Story | Princess | Short film |
| 2000 | Cut | Raffy Caruthers | Feature film |
| 2000 | City Loop (aka Bored Olives) | Sophie | Feature film |
| 2000 | Twitch | Jane | Short film |
| 2000 | Angst | Jade | Feature film |
| 2001 | Jet Set | Louise | |
| 2002 | New Skin | Lyra | |
| 2002 | Stuffed Bunny | German Girlfriend | Short film |
| 2002 | Sweet Dreams | Short film | |
| 2004 | Post | Jessica | Short film |
| 2005 | The Illustrated Family Doctor | Christine | Feature film |
| 2006 | Safety in Numbers | Jen | Feature film |
| 2007 | Ghost Rider | Broken Spoke Waitress | Feature film |
| 2007 | Don't Panic | Kimberly | Short film |
| 2011 | Savages Crossing | Kate | Feature film |
| 2012 | The Letter | Sophia | Short film |
| 2020 | Moon Rock For Monday | Nurse Roz | Feature film |
| 2023 | Transfusion | Doctor Williams | Feature film |
| TBA | Day of Carnage | Jane | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Police Rescue | Therese / Tracey | TV series, season 1, 2 episodes: "L.P.G.", "One for Dad" |
| 1995 | Echo Point | Edwina Amadio | TV series, 130 episodes |
| 1996 | Police Rescue | Zoe | TV series, season 5, episode 9: "The Only Constant" |
| 1996 | Twisted Tales | Michelle | TV series, season 1, episode 9: "Night of the Monster" |
| 1997 | Water Rats | Vanessa | TV series, season 2, episode 25: "The Witness" |
| 1997 | Murder Call | Brodie Cochrane | TV series, season 1, episode 5: "Who Killed Cock Robin?" |
| 1997–98 | Wildside | Gerry Davis | TV series, 40 episodes |
| 1998 | Stingers | Constable Kaye Kelso (Emily Shaw) | TV series, season 1, 5 episodes |
| 2000 | The Lost World | Gladys | TV series, season 2, episode 7: "London Calling" |
| 2001 | Head Start | Amy | TV miniseries, episode 5: "Making Music" |
| 2001 | Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story | Klammie | TV film |
| 2001–03 | McLeod's Daughters | Becky Howard | TV series, 70 episodes |
| 2004 | The Alice | Jess Daily | TV film |
| 2005–06 | The Alice | Jess Daily | TV series, 22 episodes |
| 2007 | Chandon Pictures | Annabelle | TV series, season 1, episode 5: "Private Dick" |
| 2007 | All Saints | Pam Elton | TV series, season 10, episode 10: "Life's Little Miracles" |
| 2009 | All Saints | Elyse Leine | TV series, season 12, episode 23: "Out of Control 2" |
| 2009 | Sea Patrol | Simone Robsen | TV series, season 3, 5 episodes |
| 2009 | Rescue: Special Ops | Nicole | TV series, season 1, 4 episodes |
| 2010 | Cops L.A.C. | Natalie | TV series, season 1, episode 11: "Illegal Dumping" |
| 2011 | Underbelly Files: Infiltration | Jude Gleeson / Narrator | TV film |
| 2014 | Janet King | Caroline Martin | TV series, season 1, 3 episodes: "A Song of Experience", "Lurking Doubt", "Overtime" |
| 2018 | Bite Club | Pia | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Harrow | Jade Freeman | TV series, season 3, episode 9: "Quam Innocentum Damnari" |
| 2023 | C*A*U*G*H*T | Tania Towers | TV series, season 1, episode 5: "The Greatest Show, Man" |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Love Letters | Melissa Gardner | NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney |
References
edit- ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/B5bEIycnecU/?igsh=MWllamh0M3g2emQ2Mg==
- ^ a b c Fiona Rae (3 October 2002). "Passing muster at McLeod's Daughters". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ Kornits, Dov (4 November 2019). "Moon Rock for Monday Hits the Road". Film Ink.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (31 October 2021). "'High Ground' and 'Nitram' Lead Australia's AACTA Awards Nominations". Variety.
- ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/B5bEIycnecU/?igsh=MWllamh0M3g2emQ2Mg==
- ^ https://www.newidea.com.au/celebrity/australian-celebrities/jessica-napier-marshall-napier-tributes/
- ^ "Actress against elephant imports". Television New Zealand. Australian Associated Press. 16 January 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
- ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/410787