Danielle Cormack (born 26 December 1970 )is a New Zealand stage and screen actress. She was one of the original cast members of the long-running soap opera ''

Shortland Street ''Shortland Street'' is a New Zealand Prime time, prime-time soap opera centring on the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital. The show was first broadcast on TVNZ 2 on 25 May 1992 and is New Zealand's longest-running drama and soap opera, be ...

'', though she is also known for her role as the

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in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', Cynthia Ross in ''

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'', and Shota in '' Legend of the Seeker''. Other works include the 2009 film, '' Separation City'', and the Australian series ''

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Acting career

Danielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She portrayed notorious Sydney underworld figure Kate Leigh in '' Underbelly: Razor'', and doctor Rory Finch in '' Jack Irish''. From 2012 she starred as Bea Smith in the

Foxtel NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...

prison drama '' Wentworth,'' for four years, before leaving the show in 2016. The role of Bea Smith was originally played by Val Lehman. in ''Prisoner''. Cormack has since appeared regularly at Wentworth-related events in the US and the UK, and hosted the 2023 New Jersey Event. In 2022 Cormack narrated SBS documentary series ''Life on the Outside'', which showed what life is like for newly-released inmates of prison. In 2023 she appeared in '' Erotic Stories'' on SBS Television. In the same year, she was named as part of the cast for New Zealand

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series ''Madam.'' Cormack was also named in the cast for Stan Australia drama ''Year Of.'' She served as

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

for the short film ''Oi'' (2024). On 8 December 2024, Cormack was announced in the cast for series 3 of

legal drama ''The Twelve''. Cormack, alongside ''Wentworth'' cast member

Nicole da Silva Nicole da Silva is an Australian stage, film and television actress, best known for her roles as Stella Dagostino in the series '' Rush'' (2008–2011), and as Franky Doyle in the show ''Wentworth'' (2013–2018, 2019). She has made appearance ...

, started the production company Four One One, and together they produced their first play W''hose Afraid'' in 2022. Cormack and da Silva in 2023 directed the short film ''Why We Fight''. ''Why We Fight'' was nominated for an AACTA award for Short Film. On 17 April 2025, Cormack was named as part of the extended cast for series two of Return to Paradise.

Other activities

In 2018, Cormack while working alongside aid agency ChildFund, helped build a water tank that would supply villages in Uganda. Cormack went to provide humanitarian aid to children in Ukraine, after the

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in 2022. Cormack is an ambassador for SHINE for Kids.

Personal life

Cormack was in a relationship with Pana Hema Taylor from 2009 until 2013. She has two children: one with Taylor, and one from a previous relationship. In an interview with ''LOTL'' magazine in 2016, Cormack said that she had had long-term relationships with both men and women, and indicated that she prefers to avoid applying labels to patterns of sexuality. Cormack is an avid motorbike fan and often goes on motorbike rides to manage stress.

Filmography

Film

Television

Other appearances

Theatre

Awards

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cormack, Danielle 1970 births Living people Logie Award winners New Zealand film actresses New Zealand stage actresses New Zealand television actresses New Zealand soap opera actresses New Zealand bisexual actresses New Zealand bisexual women Actresses from Auckland 20th-century New Zealand actresses 21st-century New Zealand actresses New Zealand women theatre directors People educated at Selwyn College, Auckland 21st-century New Zealand LGBTQ people