Leah Vandenberg is a New Zealand-born Australian theatre, television, and film actress. She has appeared in many well-known Australian productions, including the award-winning Netflix series The Letdown and SBS drama The Hunting. She received an ASTRA nomination for "Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor-Female" in the comedy series Stupid, Stupid Man. She is a presenter on the long-running ABC television program Play School, a role she maintains today.
Early life and education Vandenberg was born in New Zealand to a Sri Lankan father, who had grown up in Fiji, and an Australian mother of Irish and Scottish heritage. She studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1993.
Career Vandenberg has been a long serving host of Australian Children's television series Play School, in 2021 Vandenberg performed and wrote an episode of the series featuring Punjabi music.
On stage, Vandenberg has performed in Grace (Melbourne Theatre Company), Criminology (Arena Theatre Company), The Country (B Sharp @ Belvoir Street), The Perfumed Garden, The Taming of the Shrew, A Clockwork Orange, and Love and Understanding.
She received a 2007 ASTRA nomination of "Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female" for her role as Anne in Stupid Stupid Man (series 1 and 2).
Vandenberg joined the filming of Netflix series Wellmania in the role of Dr Singh, appeared in ABC drama Savage River (TV series) and was later announced as part of the cast in Foxtel/Binge drama High Country.
In September 2025, Vandenberg was announced in the cast for the 2025 season of Queensland Theatre's Back To Bilo.
Other activities In 2021, Vandenberg was involved in a special project with the Biloela family where she would teach them in an online playgroup called Tree House Cubby.
Filmography Vandenberg has appeared in a wide range of genres in TV series as well as a few feature films, including:*
Television appearances + Year Title Role Notes 1995–1999 Blue Heelers Helene Lee TV series; 2 episodes 1996 G.P. Dr. Yasmin Richards TV series; 12 episodes 1998 Never Tell Me Never Physiotherapist TV movie 1998–1999 Wildside Samira Nassar TV series; 7 episodes 2000– Play School Herself TV series; 250+ episodes 2000 The Games Leah TV series; 1 episode 2000–2003 Grass Roots Meera TV series; 4 episodes 2002 Short Cuts Psychologist TV series; 1 episode BootLeg Wendy TV mini-series; 4 episodes 2002–2003 MDA Dr. Jane Bowen TV series; 2 episodes 2003 Kath & Kim Shop girl TV series; 1 episode 2004 The Brush-Off Claire Sutton TV movie 2006–2008 Stupid, Stupid Man Anne Cassidy TV series; 16 episodes 2008 East of Everything Lara TV series; 3 episodes Family Footsteps Narrator TV series; 4 episodes 2009 Snake Tales Miranda Sailendra TV series; 13 episodes 2010 Sleuth 101 Annie/Jessica TV series; 2 episodes Tangle Elle Rosenthal TV series; 2 episodes 2016 The Wrong Girl Meredith TV series; 8 episodes 2017, 2019 The Letdown Martha TV series; 13 episodes 2019 The Hunting Ravneet TV mini-series; 4 episodes2021Big Words, Small StoriesDavey's MumTV series: 60 episodes2022 Savage River Deborah Cochrane TV mini-series; 6 episodes 2023 Wellmania Dr. Singh TV mini-series; 7 episodes 2024-presentHigh CountryTammy SamsonTV Series; 8 episodes 2025Good Cop / Bad CopSkye1 episode
Film appearances +YearTitleRoleNotesRefTBAWritten in the StarsAunty PreethiFilm2023InsideJennyFilm2022Here Out WestAshmita2005JewBoySarita1999Strange PlanetSarahErskineville KingsLanny
References
External links Leah Vandenberg on Instagram
Leah Vandenberg at LMCM