Alison Bell (actress)

Alison Bell
Bell at AACTA Awards, 2012
Born1978 (age 47–48)
Young, New South Wales Australia
EducationSt Clare's College, Canberra
Australian National University (2001)
Victorian College of the Arts (2004)
OccupationsActress & writer
Known forLaid
The Letdown
SpouseJohn Leary
Children1

Alison Bell is an Australian stage, film and television actress and writer.

Early life and education

Born in Young, New South Wales, Bell grew up in Grenfell where she attended St Joseph’s School. The family then moved to Canberra in 1984, where she went to Sacred Heart Primary School, before going on to study high school at St Clare's College, where she became School Captain.[1]

Bell studied drama while at school, with the intent of pursuing a career as an actor. However, after her graduation she enrolled at Australian National University (ANU), completing an Arts/Law degree in 2001.[1] While at university, she participated in several theatre productions and took a job as a researcher/editor for Butterworth's Publishing.[1] On completion of her studies, she auditioned for both the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), ultimately undertaking the acting course at VCA and graduating in 2004.[1][2]

Career

Bell has worked in television, documentary film and theatre.[3] In 2010, she starred in comedy drama series I Rock, as Jane, music journalist and ex-girlfriend of central character, Nash Taylor (played by Josh Mapleston).[4] She became known for her performance as Roo McVie on ABC TV series Laid, from 2011 to 2012, for which she was nominated for an AACTA Award.[5]

After appearing in several television guest roles, Bell played Liz Linton, mother of one of the protagonists in the 2016 drama miniseries Tomorrow When the War Began, an adaptation of the 1993 John Marsden novel of the same name.[6]

From 2017 to 2019, Bell starred in the acclaimed ABC TV series The Letdown, as Audrey, the main character. She also served as co-writer, co-creator, producer and director of the series.[7] She won the AACTA Award for Best Television Comedy Series for both seasons as well as Best Comedy Performer and Best Screenplay. Her role as Audrey also won her the AACTA Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy. Additionally, she earned a nomination for Best Director of a TV Comedy or Drama.[8][9]

Bell featured in 2021 four-part colonial drama miniseries New Gold Mountain for SBS, in the role of Clara, society wife of the Ballarat Commissioner (played by Rhys Muldoon).[10][9] She then starred as Claire in 2022 ABC TV mystery drama miniseries Significant Others, alongside Jacqueline McKenzie and Rachael Blake.[11]

Bell has also acted for the stage, including a noteworthy performance in Sydney Theatre Company's production of Doubt in 2006, for which she won a Helpmann Award.[12]

Awards

Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2006DoubtHelpmann AwardsBest Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayWon[12][9]
2007Green Room AwardsBest Female PerformerWon[13][9]
20082007 Body of work: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sleeping Beauty, The SookGreen Room AwardsBest Female PerformerWon[9]
2009BlackbirdHelpmann AwardsBest Female Actor in a PlayNominated[14][9]
Green Room AwardsBest Female ActorNominated[9]
2011LaidAACTA AwardsBest Performance in a Television ComedyNominated[5][9]
IF AwardsOut of the Box AwardNominated[9]
2012Festival de Television de Monte Carlo AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Comedy TV SeriesNominated[9]
Old ManSydney Theatre AwardsBest Supporting ActressNominated[9]
TribesGreen Room AwardsBest Female ActorNominated[15][9]
2013Hedda GablerHelpmann AwardsBest Female Actor in a PlayWon[16][17][9]
ConstellationsHelpmann AwardsBest Female Actor in a PlayNominated[17][9]
2016The LetdownAACTA AwardsBest Screenplay in TelevisionWon[9]
The LetdownAACTA AwardsBest Performance in a Television ComedyNominated[9]
2018The LetdownAACTA AwardsBest Television Comedy SeriesWon[9]
2019The LetdownAACTA AwardsBest Performance in a Television ComedyWon[8]
The LetdownAACTA AwardsBest Television Comedy SeriesWon[8]
2026Much Ado About NothingGreen Room AwardsOutstanding PerformanceNominated (result pending)[18]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Last Man Standing Gen 2 episodes
2009 Packed to the Rafters Susannah 2 episodes
Rush Anna 1 episode
2010 I Rock Jane Humphries 8 episodes
City Homicide Kellie Briggs 1 episode
2011 Offspring Louise 2 episodes
2011–2012 Laid Roo McVie 12 episodes
2012 Mrs Biggs Joan Walter Miniseries, 2 episodes
2013 Mr & Mrs Murder Holly Piper Miniseries, 1 episode
2014 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Adeline Campbell 1 episode
2015 House Husbands Fiona Coates 1 episode
2016 Comedy Showroom: The Letdown Audrey TV movie
Tomorrow When the War Began Liz Linton Miniseries, 6 episodes
Upper Middle Bogan Clara 1 episode
2017 The Leftovers Aggie 1 episode
2017–2019 The Letdown Audrey (main role)
Also Writer / Creator		 2 seasons, 13 episodes
2018 Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You Betsey Cox (uncredited) Miniseries, 1 episode
No Activity Leary 1 episode
2020 Amazing Stories Helen Harris Episode: "Dynoman and the Volt"
2021 New Gold Mountain Clara Wright Miniseries, 4 episodes
2022 Summer Love Hannah 1 episode
Significant Others Claire Miniseries, 6 episodes
2026 Deadloch Detective Wilson 2 episodes

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Bookstore Reunion Sarah Short film
2008 Wasting Away Alice Griggs Short film
2009 Further We Search Sue Feature film
2013 The Exchange Mother Short film
Purcell Purcell Purcell Purcell Short film
2014 Meeting Susan Jen Short film
2018 Joy Boy Lynn Short film

Theatre

Year Production Role Theatre Ref.
2005 King Lear Cordelia and the Fool Melbourne Theatre Company
2006 Doubt Sydney Theatre Company
2008 Blackbird Una Melbourne Theatre Company
2011 As You Like It Rosalind Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney [2]
2012 Tribes Sylvia Melbourne Theatre Company
2013 Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler State Theatre Company of South Australia
Constellations Marianne Melbourne Theatre Company
2015 Betrayal Emma Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia [19]
2017 Three Sisters Olga Sydney Theatre Company
2025 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Melbourne Theatre Company [20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Alison Bell – Class of 1995". St Clare’s College. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 "As You Like It" (PDF). Belvoir. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  3. ↑ Alison Bell Deprecated link archived 17 December 2012 at archive.today Wellington City Libraries, 2010. Retrieved: 28 January 2012
  4. ↑ "I Rock begins filming". IF Magazine. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 Power, Liza (27 January 2012). "Out There". The Age. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Tomorrow, When The War Began Press Release" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "'The Letdown' Star Alison Bell on Why a Sense of Humor is Crucial to Surviving Motherhood". Romper. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 "How to make great Aussie comedy with the ladies from THE LETDOWN". AACTA. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Alison Bell". lmcm.com.au. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Knox, David (10 October 2021). "New Gold Mountain". TV Tonight. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "'Significant Others' (Trailer)". Romper. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Past nominees and winners: 2006 | Theatre". Helpmann Awards. 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "Green Room Award Nominations Announced". australianstage.com.au. 21 February 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "Past nominees and winners: 2009 | Theatre". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "2012 Green Room Awards Nominations". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "2013 Helpmann Awards Winners". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Past nominees and winners: 2013 | Theatre". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Melbourne Theatre Company receives 27 Green Room Award Nominations". Melbourne Theatre Company. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  19. ↑ Knight, David (1 July 2015). "Actor Alison Bell discusses upcoming role in Pinter's 'Betrayal'". adelaidereview.com.au. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "Much Ado About Nothing". Melbourne Theatre Company. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
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