Kate Kendall is a British-born Australian actress and director. She played Angie Piper in the long-running Nine Network Australian drama Stingers from 1998 to 2004. Kendall has appeared in television series The Librarians (2007), Rush (2010) and Conspiracy 365. She joined the cast of television soap opera Neighbours in 2013 as Lauren Turner. After leaving the role in 2017, Kendall became a director, and later producer, on the serial.
Early life and education Kendall was born in England and moved to Australia with her family when she was six months old. Her father, David Kendall, was prominent in the Pram Factory and La Mama Theatres in Melbourne, and, after moving to Adelaide, with the State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA) in the 1980s. In Adelaide, he also headed the new acting course at the Centre for Performing Arts (CPA) (now the Adelaide College of the Arts) in 1987.
Kate studied at the CPA in Adelaide.
Career Stage On the stage, Kendall played Rebecca in Solstice for STCSA in Adelaide, Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cinderella in Into the Woods in Melbourne Botanic Gardens.
In 2011 Kendall played the lead role of Diana in MTC’s production of Next to Normal and appeared in the Australian musical premiere of An Officer and a Gentleman.
She has performed in other stage productions at the Adelaide Festival Centre, the Carlton Courthouse and Budinski's Theatre in Melbourne. With the Aboriginal youth company, Jumpback Theatre, she has worked with female prisoners.
Screen Kendall had bit parts in television series Home and Away and Neighbours before scoring a guest role as Rosie Burgess in Blue Heelers in 1997. Her breakthrough television role was as Angie Piper in Stingers, a role she played for 192 episodes from 1998 to 2004.
Kendall played a minor role as Lisa in 2007 American miniseries The Starter Wife and the same year, appeared in three episodes of comedy series The Librarians, as Jacinta McSweeney. Kendall appeared on the Australian police drama Rush in 2010. She then played Emily Ormond in the twelve-part drama series Conspiracy 365, which was based on the book of the same name.
Kendall took over the role of Lauren Turner on Neighbours in 2013. As she was wrapping up the role of Lauren in 2017, she began directing small scenes. She has since directed numerous episodes of the series. In June 2020, it was announced that Kendall would become a producer. She covered for series producer Natalie Lynch, while she was on maternity leave. David Knox of TV Tonight believed Kendall was the show's first actor, director, producer.
Kendall directed the 2023 four-part series Heat, created by Jason Herbison. On 21 July 2025, it was announced that she would be a director for a new co-commission alongside Herbison, called Imposter.
Personal life Kendall married former Carlton Football Club AFL player Wayne Johnston and has a son and four stepchildren.
She enjoys horse-riding and is a fan of country music and cricket. She was a supporter of Greenpeace.
Filmography
Television
As actor Year Title Role Notes 1997 Blue Heelers Rosie Burgess 1 episode 1998–2004 Stingers Angie Piper 192 episodes 1999 Farscape Sergeant (uncredited) 1 episode 2000 On the Beach Jenny Albani TV movie2007 The Starter Wife Lisa 3 episodes The Librarians Jacinta McSweeney 3 episodes 2009 City Homicide Jacinta Hansard 1 episode2010 The Pacific Betty Leckie Miniseries, 1 episode Rush Nicolette 1 episode 2012Conspiracy 365 Emily Osmond 12 episodes 2013–2018; 2022 Neighbours Lauren Carpenter / Lauren Turner 523 episodes
As director / producer Year Title Role Notes 2017–2025Neighbours Mentor director 178 episodes 2019–2022 Producer 897 episodes 2019 Playing for Keeps Director 2 episodes 2023 Heat Director 4 episodes 2025 Imposter Director Miniseries, 4 episodes2026Home and AwayDirector4 episodes
Film
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1999 Dead End Fantasy couple 2007 St. George Short film2008 Belladonna Katherine Night Train Short film 2010 Matching Jack Registrar 2012 10 Terrorists Detective June Connor
As director Year Title Role Notes Six Months Director
Theatre
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. Into the Woods Cinderella Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Miss Julie Miss Julie As You Like It Rosalind Dust Chicago The Vagina Monologues 1994 King Golgrutha / Dust / The Garden of Earthly Delights Vision Warehouse, Adelaide 1995 Galax-Arena Playhouse, Adelaide 1996 Solstice Rebecca The Amphitheatre, Adelaide with STCSA Dark Heart Small Price Theatre, Adelaide 1997 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Australian Shakespeare Company The Secret Death of Salvador Dali Budinskis Theatre of Exile, Melbourne 2000 Art and Soul: Untitled Woman Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC 2005 Cheech, or, The Chrysler Guys Are in Town Stephanie Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Australian Shakespeare Company 2007 Homer's Iliad Stork Hotel, Melbourne The Lover Marguerite 2008 Kitten Kitten Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne 2010 Furious Mattress Else Richter/Meinhof-Opera Ulrike Meinhof Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne 2011 Next to Normal Diana Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 2012 An Officer and a Gentleman Lynette Pomeroy Sydney Lyric Theatre with The Gordon Frost Organisation 2013 Into the Woods The Baker’s Wife Gaybies Sumner Theatre, Melbourne with MTC for Midsumma Festival 2015 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Frankie Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne 2018 Homer’s Odyssey (Part 6: The Return of the King) Reader MPavilion, Melbourne with Stork Theatre
As director Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2010 Marcel & Albertine Director Alliance Francaise, Melbourne with Stork Theatre
Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 2004 Stingers Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series 2014 Neighbours Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2020 Neighbours Australian Directors' Guild Award Best Director of TV or SVOD Drama Serial
References
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