Alison Bruce

Alison Bruce (born 1962) is a New Zealand television and film actress, who starred in 1999 feature Magik and Rose. She also appeared in teen series Being Eve, Xena: Warrior Princess and had a recurring role as Young Hercules as Simula.

For the Australian field hockey player, see Alison Bruce (field hockey).

Alison Bruce
Born1962 (age 57–58)
Tanzania
OccupationActress
Years active1986 - present

Life and career

Bruce was born in Tanzania to a Scottish father and an English mother. Her family moved to New Zealand when she was around eight.[1] After training at Auckland's Theatre Corporate in the early 1980s, she began a busy acting career with stage roles that include starring in Hamlet (as Ophelia) and Cyrano de Bergerac (as Roxane).

Bruce made her screen debut in 1984 teleplay The Minders. Since then she has acted in more than 30 screen roles, including sizeable parts in two feature films: 1990 chase comedy User Friendly, in which her character steals a keenly-sought dog statue from a crazed former boss; and 2001 feature Magik and Rose, which Bruce later described as a turning point in terms of the type of roles she is offered.[2] The comedy-drama saw Bruce playing Magik, a fortune-teller who arrives in a Kiwi town in a house-truck, seeking the daughter she gave up for adoption many years before.

Bruce also acted in based-on-a-true-story feature The World's Fastest Indian (as a doctor) and short film Mon Desir, which was selected to play in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.

Television

Bruce's television roles include the eccentric mother of Eve, the main character in award-winning series Being Eve, and the hospital personal assistant who falls pregnant in Mercy Peak. The latter part would win Bruce two consecutive New Zealand television awards for best supporting actor. She also had a number of small roles on the Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys franchise, including playing an Amazon Queen (Queen Melosa). Bruce enjoyed the chance to take part in fight scenes, and "do all this stuff you normally don't get to do in television".[3]

More recently she played estranged mother to a family of gods in television series The Almighty Johnsons, and worked with New Zealand director Jane Campion on 2012 series Top of the Lake.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1990 User Friendly Augusta
1990 An Angel at My Table Dora
1991 The End of the Golden Weather Auntie Kass
1991 Old Scores Ngaire Morgan
1991 Mon Desir Short
1992 Alex Female Journo
1999 Willy Nilly Carol Short
2001 Magik and Rose Magik
2003 Sylvia Elizabeth
2004 Spooked Sheila Miller
2004 As Dreams Are Made On Ruth Short
2005 The World's Fastest Indian Doctor
2005 Us Woman Short
2006 Perfect Creature TV Presenter
2007 The Tattooist Charge Nurse
2012 Dotty Carol Short
2017 The Pact Sandra Short
2018 Sail Away Margaret Short, completed

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Heroes Glenda "2.2"
1987 Adventurer Sovay Banks "Sovay, Parts 1 & 2"
1990 Shark in the Park Christina Long "Fall from Grace"
1990 Star Runner TV film
1993 The Rainbow Warrior Leslie Holbrook TV film
1994 Coverstory Karen Parker TV film
1995 Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Postera "Gladiator"
1995 Xena: Warrior Princess Queen Melosa "Hooves and Harlots"
1998 City Life Katherine Dwyer "1.15", "1.24"
1998 Shortland Street Danni Brown / Lindsay Maguire TV series
1998 The Chosen Denise TV film
1998–99 Young Hercules Simula Recurring role
1999 Xena: Warrior Princess Talia "Animal Attraction"
2000 Xena: Warrior Princess Kahina "Legacy"
2001–02 Mercy Peak Louise Duval Main role
2001–02 Being Eve Vivienne Baxter Main role
2006 Maddigan's Quest Witch-Finder "Witch-Finder"
2007 Reckless Behavior: Caught on Tape Grace Leister TV film
2009 Life's a Riot Nell Edmonds TV film
2010 Legend of the Seeker Sister Verna Recurring role
2010 This Is Not My Life Jude Recurring role
2010 Avalon High Coach Miganov TV film
2011–12 The Almighty Johnsons Agnetha Recurring role
2013 Top of the Lake Anne-Marie Recurring role
2014 The Kick Sheryll Donald TV film
2016 Hillary Phyllis Rose TV series
2016 Dirty Laundry Delia TV series

Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2000 New Zealand Film and TV Awards Best Actress Magik and Rose Nominated
2002 New Zealand Film and TV Awards Best Supporting Actress Mercy Peak Won
2005 Gemini Awards Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Segment ZeD, "Pumpkin Boats" Nominated
2006 New Zealand Screen Awards Best Performance in a Short Film Us Won
2010 New Zealand Film and TV Awards Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film Life's a Riot Nominated
gollark: Anyway, just run it in a sandbox, like the ones we definitely didn't backdoor.
gollark: We do have those.
gollark: Are you asking for an orbital mind transfer laser or something?
gollark: (unary minus does not exist)
gollark: Run my good* and unbad* program!

References
  1. "Alison Bruce". NZOnScreen.com. December 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  2. "Alison Bruce: on Being Eve, Hercules and Agnetha". NZOnScreen.com. February 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  3. "An Interview with Alison Bruce". Whoosh.org. May 1998. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
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