Victoria Haralabidou () is a Greek Australian actress.
Early life and education Victoria Haralabidou was born in Saint Petersburg, Communist Russia. By the age of seven, she had learned how to operate a fire arm and how to protect herself if under attack. Her parents, a mechanical engineer and a doctor, left Russia "for a better life". Her Greek grandfather, before them, had left Trapezounda, forced to leave everything behind when he was 10 years old and joined the Antartiko in Greece.
When she was 15 years old, and in her third year of high school, Haralabidou's family moved to Athens, where she didn't know the language prior. She studied Economics, Cinematography, Theatre, and Translation in Russia and Greece. She completely her final year of drama school in 1998.
In 2005, Haralabidou moved to Sydney, Australia.
Career In 2002, Haralabidou appeared in a stage production of Curse of the Starving Class, by Sam Shepard.
Haralabidou's debut film role was in the 2004 Martin Scorsese feature Brides, alongside Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis playing the less role of mail-order bride, Niki. She secured the role during her final year of drama school in Athens, when the casting agents invited students to attend the general audition. Pantelis Voulgaris, the director, invited her back into the audition room. Filming, didn't begin until five years later. Haralabidou won a Best Actress Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival for her performance.
She appeared in 2008 Greek film With Heart and Soul. In 2008 and 2011, she featured in SBS drama series East West 101. In 2009, she then appeared in the films Blessed and Deep Soul and short film Apricot (2009), as well as children's series My Place. She also had a recurring role in long-running soap opera Home and Away in 2009 and 2011 and appeared in 2010 AFI nominated film The Lovesong of Iskra Prufrock.
Haralabidou was appointed as Writer in Residence at Sydney's Griffin Theatre from 2011 to 2012. The same year, she started the production company VHS Productions, focused on producing Australian work by culturally diverse female artists. Her first play One Scientific Mystery was selected for the 2012 National Play Festival and was staged at the Tap Gallery Theatre, starring Aaron Jeffery. That same year, she featured in the 2012 Australian drama film Thirst, directed by Robert Carter.
In 2013, Haralabidou wrote The Political Hearts of Children for Subtlenuance and undertook a Dramaturgy Intern with Playwriting Australia. Her play Play Project 949 was selected for development by Somersault Theatre Company and in 2014 she won a Patrick White Award. She also wrote the play GRLZ, based on her real-life story and inspired by the #WeAreAllPussyRiot movement. It received multiple development workshops from 2014, including the National Play Workshop.
In 2014, Haralabidou appeared in award-winning ABC series The Code. In 2016, she starred in crime drama miniseries Deep Water, drama thriller series Hyde & Seek and drama miniseries Barracuda, the latter seeing her nominated for a Logie Award for her performance. The following year, she appeared in HBO American supernatural series The Leftovers.
Haralabidou appeared in a stage production of Dear Elena, a contemporary Russian play by Lyudmila Razumovskaya, which she also translated, in 2017 at the Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Haralabidou appeared in 2019 feature film Hearts and Bones and in 2020, she starred in AACTA Award-winning short film I Want to Make a Film About Women in the lead role of Esfir Shub In 2021, she played the recurring role of Cath in ABC series Wakefield in 2021. and appeared in period film The Drover's Wife opposite Leah Purcell.
Haralabidou was cast as Lena in the 2022 TV series The Tourist, alongside Jamie Dornan, with the character also appearing in the second season in 2024. That same year, she appeared in season 2 of psychological thriller drama series The Secrets She Keeps. In 2023, she appeared in SBS drama series Erotic Stories and an episode of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
She played the leading role of Natalia in the 2023 New Zealand comedy drama film The Moon Is Upside Down. In 2024, she appeared in a recurring role in Exposure and was named as part of the cast for season 2 of Black Snow. playing the role of Nadja.
Haralabidou's other stage credits include Stuff Happens, Sami in Paradise for Belvoir and a successful Australian tour of Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced.
Personal life
Haralabidou is married to her Canberra-born husband, with whom she has a child.
Awards Year Work Award Category Result 2004 Brides Greek State Film Awards at TIFF Best Actress
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1996Inepoli2000Short 2004Brides Niki DoukaWon Greek State Film Awards at TIFF for Best Actress2009BlessedGinaDeep SoulGiannoulaApricotMarcel's AuntShort2010IskraShort2012ThirstMinna2015DeszczMagdaShort2016Here Is NowJessicaShortAdultElenaShort2020I Want to Make a Film About WomenEsfir ShubShort2021The Drover's WifeElpida Savva2024The Moon Is Upside DownNataliaMain role
Television Year Title Role Notes2000Kokkinos kyklosMary"To klouvi"2004Etsi xafnikaAnnaTV series2008All SaintsAshleigh Wellburn"The Hand You're Dealt"Lena Ivanova"1.9"East West 101Helena Tadic"Haunted by the Past"Vanessa NikitinTV film2009My PlaceMama"1978 Mike", "1968 Sofia", "1958 Michaelis"2009–2011Home and AwayJody WalkerRecurring role2011East West 101Saja"Behold a Pale Horse", "Revelation"2014–2016Alilah ParandeRecurring role2016Deep WaterAnna RexhajTV miniseriesHyde & SeekParisa Ruhani"1.6"BarracudaStephanie KellyTV miniseries2017Dr. Matti Bekker"3.4", "3.6", "3.8"2020Operation BuffaloMaria1 episode2021WakefieldCath7 episodesThe TailingsSharon6 episodesEdenDrysdale's Mother1 episodeBorn to SpyHarriett1 episode2022The Secrets She KeepsDetective Cash6 episodes2022–2024The TouristLena Pascall10 episodes2023The Lost Flowers of Alice HartJana 1 episodeErotic StoriesToni1 episodeZombie TherapyJacinta Brightface2 episodes2024ProsperSelene Karras1 episodeExposureVal4 episodes2025Black SnowNadja Jacobs Season 2
Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1998 SubUrbia Beebe Theatre-at-Colonus, Greece 2001 Dear Elena Lialia 2002 Curse of the Starving Class Emma 2005 Stuff Happens Various / Ensemble / Iraqi Exile Company B 2013 A Murder is Announced Mitzi Australian tour with Louise Withers & Associates One Scientific Mystery or Why Did the Aborigines Eat Captain Cook? Doosia Tap Gallery Theatre, Sydney with VHS Productions; also writer The Political Hearts of Children for Subtlenuance Writer Play Project 949 Writer Somersault Theatre Company 2014 GRLZ Writer 2017 Dear Elena Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies, Thessaloniki; also translator 2018 Sami in Paradise Maria Belvoir Theatre, Sydney
References
External links