Julie Nihill (born 1957 in Melbourne) is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

actress, voice artist, narrator, producer and writer, best known for her 12-year role as Chris Riley on the police drama ''

Blue Heelers ''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian police drama series that was produced by Southern Star Group and ran for twelve years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, the series generally depicted th ...

'' (1994–2006).

Early life

Nihill was drawn to acting through her love of storytelling. She originally studied a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

(Biological Sciences) at

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora, Victoria, Bundoora. The university was established in 1 ...

, which she abandoned to pursue a career as an actress. She trained at

Trinity College London Trinity College London (TCL) is an examination board based in London, United Kingdom which offers graded and diploma qualifications across a range of disciplines in the performing arts and English language learning and teaching. Trinity Colleg ...

, studying an Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama, and an Associate Diploma in Effective Speaking.

Career

Nihill made her

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

debut in '' I Can Jump Puddles'' (1981) and her film debut in '' Careful, He Might Hear You'' (1983). This led to her first lead role in the ABC TV movie '' Every Move She Makes'' (for which she received a Penguin Award) and the miniseries ''

Bodyline Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their English cricket team in Australia in 1932–33, 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia. It was designed to combat the extraordinar ...

'', in which Nihill played Jessie Bradman, Sir Donald Bradman's wife. Nihill became a household face in 1994 when she was cast as

publican The (Latin ; Greek τελώνης ''telōnēs'') were public contractors in the Roman Republic and Empire. In their official capacity, they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw pub ...

and

local Councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a Municipality, muni ...

Chris Riley on the police drama ''

''. Nihill was one of only two actors (the other being John Wood) to star in the series for its entire run. Nihill played guest roles in television programs including '' Prisoner: Cell Block H, Sons and Daughters,

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...

Mother and Son ''Mother and Son'' is an Australian television sitcom that was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. ...

, House Husbands, The Leftovers, and Picnic at Hanging Rock''. She is also a theatre performer, having worked with Australian theatre companies such as the

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

, the

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

and the Tasmanian Theatre Company. She has performed numerous radio plays for the ABC, as well as commercial voice-over work and documentary narration. Nihill has also narrated a number of audiobooks.

Personal life

Nihill was married to actor Richard Moir, and they had two daughters, actress Lucy Moir and director Bonnie Moir. She runs an Australian production company called EarthStar Films. Nihill has a Graduate Diploma in Education from Mercy College, Melbourne and is registered with the Victorian Department of Education. She is also a Human Potential and Transformation Coach and Facilitator, a qualification she obtained in California.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards

https://shanahan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/NIHILL-Julie-050521.pdf

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nihill, Julie 1957 births Living people Australian television actresses Actresses from Melbourne