Maria Moutsidis (), known professionally as Maria Mercedes, is a Greek-descended Australian television, film and stage actress, performer and singer. She is a

mezzo soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octa ...

Early life

Mercedes was born in Melbourne to parents George and Dionisia Moutsidis, a working class couple who emigrated via ship to Australia from Greece, seeking better prospects. Her father had been as aspiring actor in Greece. She attended Brunswick High School in Melbourne.

Career

Early career

Mercedes' performing career began in 1973 after winning singing contests on both ''

Young Talent Time ''Young Talent Time'' is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny You ...

'' and ''

New Faces ''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central. Original series: ...

''. After subsequently performing on ''

The Graham Kennedy Show ''The Graham Kennedy Show'' was an Australian variety and comedy tonight show which debuted on 19 September 1972 on the Nine Network. On 23 December 1969, host Graham Kennedy quit as host of '' In Melbourne Tonight'' (IMT) due to exhaustion an ...

'', she was persuaded to change her last name from 'Moutsidis' to the stage name of 'Mercedes', after

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * Kennedy (surname), including any of several people with that surname ** Kennedy family, a prominent American political family that includes: *** Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969), American businessman, investor, ...

struggled to pronounce her name. By the age of 16, she was singing around Australia, in concerts and variety shows. In 1981, she released a cover version of The Crystals' "

Then He Kissed Me "Then He Kissed Me" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. The song, produced by Spector, was initially released as a single on Philles Records (#115) in July 1963 by the Crystals. The lyrics are a narrative of a young ...

", which she performed live on ''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

'' and ''

Hey Hey It's Saturday ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' is a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...

''.

Stage

Mercedes has appeared in numerous musical stage productions, having played Luisa Contini in ''

Nine 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...

'',

Grizabella Grizabella the Glamour Cat is a main character in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''Cats''. Lonely and decrepit, Grizabella seeks acceptance from the other Jellicle cats but is initially ostracised. She sings the most famous song from the music ...

in ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'', Svetlana in ''

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

'', Mama Morton in ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'', Miss Sherman in '' Fame'', the Wife in ''Seriously – Pet Shop Boys Reinterpreted'', Power woman in '' Menopause The Musical'',

Madame Giry Madame Giry is a fictional character from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel '' The Phantom of the Opera''. She is a fairly intermediate character in the novel, although her role is much increased in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical. Madame Giry is ...

in Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to ''

Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title character of the novel and its adaptations Theatre * ''Phantom of t ...

'' – '' Love Never Dies'' and

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a prominent political family for multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination and won a F ...

in ''Greek Goddess''. From 1996 to 1997, Mercedes received critical acclaim starring as the alternate Norma Desmond in the original Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'' opposite

Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...

. She eventually took over the role, giving almost 100 performances. In 2004, Mercedes was the first woman in the world to play Frank N Furter in ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...

''. The performance was a charity show for "Variety", performed with the cast of ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...

''. She had previously toured Australia, playing the role of Magenta in a 1985 production. Together with Kiyomi Vella, Susie Ahern and

Ben Mingay Ben Mingay (born 1979) is an Australian actor and singer, perhaps best known for having played Buzz Graham in the series '' Packed to the Rafters'' and Rob Duffy in '' Wonderland''. He played the role of Billy in the stage version of ''Dirty Dan ...

, Mercedes performed in ''The Songs of James Bond'', a two-hour concert featuring twenty two songs from the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

films. In 2014 and 2015, Mercedes played

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

star

Maria Callas Maria Callas (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropoulos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised ...

in the Terrence McNally play ''

Master Class ''Master Class'' is a 1995 play by American playwright Terrence McNally, presented as a fictional master class by opera singer Maria Callas near the end of her life, in the 1970s. The play features incidental vocal music by Giuseppe Verdi, Giac ...

'' in Melbourne and at the

Hayes Theatre The Hayes Theatre is a 111-seat theatre specialising in music theatre and cabaret in Potts Point, Sydney, Australia. It is named after the Australian performer Nancye Hayes. Hayes Theatre Co was established at the former ''Darlinghurst Theatre' ...

in Sydney. In 2016, she joined the cast of the Greek-Australian migration play ''Taxithi'' by Helen Yotis Patterson, allowing her, for the first time in her theatrical career, to sing in Greek. In 2023, Mercedes took on the role of The Witch in a production of Stephen Sondheim's ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' with the

West Australian Opera West Australian Opera (WAO) is the principal opera company of Western Australia, and is a resident company at His Majesty's Theatre, Perth. The company formed in 1967 and works in close association with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. ...

Film and television

Mercedes' film roles include Nurse Panicale in 1978 cult thriller ''

Patrick Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint * Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...

'' and Tasia in 1998

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

independent film '' Head On'' (alongside

Alex Dimitriades Alex Dimitriades (; born 28 December 1973) is an Australian television, film and stage actor of Greek descent. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film '' The Heartbreak Kid'' and as Nick Poulos in ...

). She was in 2004 film ''

Dreams for Life A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...

'' playing the lead role of Ellen, a Greek woman hoping to make it as a dancer, much to the disapproval of her parents. She reprised her lauded stage role of

in a 2012 film version of ''Love Never Dies''. The following year, she appeared in the 2013 remake of ''

'', this time playing the role of the doctor. In 2018, she played Helen in 2018 film ''The Taverna''. Mercedes' television credits include two recurring roles as Irene Zervos and Yemmi Bakarta in cult series ''

Prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...

'' and also appeared as Detective Ayoub in its reimagining '' Wentworth''. She appeared in a recurring capacity as Shirley Maclaine in soap opera '' E Street'' in 1993, and then featured in two TV movies – 1995's '' Cody: The Wrong Stuff'' and 1996's ''Whipping Boy''. Mercedes played recurring roles in long-running soap opera ''

'', firstly from 2004 to 2005 as

Lucia Cammeniti ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the show in 2004, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the shows ex ...

, then in 2007 as

Estelle Petrides ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985 and airs on digital channel 10 Peach. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show in 2022, by order of first appearance. All ch ...

. That same year, she starred as Dora Mavros in SBS miniseries ''

Kick A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of ...

''. Mercedes had guest roles in several police procedural series ''

Division 4 ''Division 4'' is an Australian television police drama series broadcast by the Nine Network and created by Crawford Productions airing between 1969 and 1975 for 301 episodes. Synopsis The series was one of the first to follow up on the enor ...

'', ''

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

'', '' Bluey'' and ''

Cop Shop ''Cop Shop'' is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes. Synopsis The show revolved arou ...

''. She guested in drama ''

Patrol Boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval ship, naval vessel generally designed for Coastal defence and fortification, coastal defence, Border control, border security, or law ...

'', police series '' Special Squad'', sci-fi series '' Thunderstone'', detective mystery ''

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' is an Australian detective television series. It was first broadcast on ABC on 24 February 2012. It is based on author Kerry Greenwood's historical mystery novels, and it was created by Deb Cox and Fiona Ea ...

'' and its spin-off ''

Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries ''Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries'' (also stylised as ''Ms Fisher's MODern Murder Mysteries'') is an Australian television drama series which began screening on the Seven Network on 21 February 2019. The series is a spin-off of the drama se ...

'' and comedy drama ''

House Husbands ''House Husbands'' is an Australian television comedy drama. The show debuted on the Nine Network on 2 September 2012. Set in Melbourne, ''House Husbands'' stars Firass Dirani, Gyton Grantley, Rhys Muldoon and Gary Sweet as four fathers who ...

''. Mercedes also had guest roles in the ''

Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * U ...

'' spin-off '' Fat Tony & Co.'' (based on the true story of criminal Tony Mokbel's capture in Greece), comedy web miniseries ''

Footballer Wants a Wife ''Footballer Wants a Wife'' is a six-part comedy web miniseries which parodies reality TV dating shows and sends up footballer stereotypes. Production The series was created by Ben Nicholas. It was funded through Screen Australia's Multi Plat ...

'', sci-fi mystery-drama ''

Bloom Bloom or blooming may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Bloom, one or more flowers on a flowering plant * Algal bloom, a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system * Jellyfish bloom, a collective n ...

'' and drama-thriller '' The Tourist'' (along side Irish actor

Jamie Dornan James Peter Maxwell Dornan (; born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model, and musician from Northern Ireland. The recipient of two Irish Film and Television Awards, he has been nominated for a BAFTA Television Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 202 ...

and an international cast). Mercedes has also performed as a singer on numerous variety shows including ''

'', ''

In Melbourne Tonight ''In Melbourne Tonight'', also known as ''IMT'', was a highly popular nightly Logie award-winning Australian variety show, variety television show produced at GTV-9 Melbourne from 6 May 1957 to 1970. Overview Graham Kennedy was the show's mai ...

'', ''

The Don Lane Show ''The Don Lane Show'' was an Australian television talk show which aired twice a week on the Nine Network from 1975 to 1983. The show was created by Don Lane who co-hosted it with Bert Newton. Channel Nine was reluctant to cast Bert Newton, w ...

'', '' Good Morning Australia'', ''

The Midday Show ''Midday'' (commonly referred to as ''The Midday Show'') is an Australian award-winning daytime television program, based on the variety format that aired on the Nine Network on 11 February 1985 until 27 November 1998. The show aired, like its ...

'', ''

Bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...

'', ''

The Mike Walsh Show ''The Mike Walsh Show'' was an Australian variety daytime television series. Hosted by Mike Walsh. History An early version of ''The Mike Walsh Show'' was a Thursday night variety show broadcast on HSV-7, Melbourne, from August 14, 1969. It w ...

'', ''

'' and ''

Greeks on the Roof ''Greeks on the Roof'' was a short-lived Australian television talk show and variety show that ran for 11 episodes on the Seven Network from 1 April to 1 July 2003. It was hosted by the actress/comedian Mary Coustas in character as Effie, a sec ...

''. She continues to perform in concerts and at events, and also mentors emerging performance artists. She cites her musical influences as being

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...

and

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

Personal life

Mercedes has been open about having been sexually abused at the hands of a Hawthorn-based Greek doctor in Melbourne, before the age of 21, leading to her suffering from panic attacks and chronic anxiety. In total, 48 women came forward to accuse the since retired doctor of similar incidents occurring between 1978 and 2004. The case was brought before court, before ultimately being dropped due to the doctor being deemed 'unfit to face trial' due to cognitive impairment. He handed in his licence and retired in 2017.

Filmography

Film

Television

Other appearances

Theatre

Awards

References

External links

* * Website: https://mariamercades.com.au *Album Recording 2024 https://mariamercedes.hearnow.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Mercedes, Maria Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Australian people of Greek descent Australian film actresses Australian musical theatre actresses Australian soap opera actresses 20th-century Australian actresses 21st-century Australian actresses