Katerina Kotsonis is an Australian television and stage actress, known for her roles as Mrs Papasavas in Short Cuts and Patricia Pappas in Neighbours.
Early life Kotsonis was born in Melbourne. She studied at La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne. In her early years, Katerina was part of the renowned performance art group Primary Source.
Career Kotsonis has appeared in numerous television shows across her career. In 1992, she had a recurring role as Julia in comedy series Acropolis Now, opposite Nick Giannopoulos.
In 2000 same year, Kotsonis made a guest appearance as Sophie Andrikidis in Blue Heelers, a role she briefly reprised in both 2001 and 2002. Also in 2002, Kotsonis played the ongoing role of Mrs Papasavas in children's series Short Cuts.
In 2012, Kotsonis landed a guest role as Patricia Pappas in long-running soap opera Neighbours, resuming the role in a recurring capacity in 2014. The following year, she made her first appearance of several in prison drama Wentworth. She played the guest roles of both Officer Brenda Murphy and Nurse Collins in the series, between 2015 and 2020. In 2016, Kotsonis had a starring role in comedy web series Little Acorns, alongside Rachel Griffiths.
Kotsonis' most recent small screen credit is the 2026 web series Become the One, in which she plays the role of Maria.
Kotsonis has also made guest appearances in The Games, Wildside, The Secret Life of Us, Very Small Business, Bed of Roses, The Ex-PM and miniseries and Seven Types of Ambiguity.
Kotsonis' first film role was as Ariadne in 1998 independent drama Head On, opposite Alex Dimitriades. She later played the role of Angela in 2011 film Surviving Georgia, alongside Pia Miranda and Holly Valance. She has also appeared in numerous short films.
Additionally, Kotsonis has performed on stage in theatre productions including Cruel and Tender and Born Yesterday (both for Melbourne Theatre Company), The White Rose (for Midsumma Festival) and Forty Lounge Café (for La Mama). In 2022, she appeared in the play Security and in 2024 she played the title role in the musical Eftihia, for La Mama.
Together with actor Jim Koutsoukos, Kotsonis founded the Greek Australian Short Film Festival (GASFF) in Melbourne in 2010.
Filmography
Television YearTitleRoleNotesRef 1991 Embassy Rani 1 episode 1992 Acropolis Now Julia 5 episodes 1998 The Games Kaetrina 1 episode 1999 Wildside Clara Jasek 1 episode 2000–2002Blue Heelers Sophie Andrikidis 4 episodes 2001 The Secret Life of Us Mrs. Konstantinidis 1 episode 2002 Short Cuts Mrs Papasavas 7 episodes MDA Sue Sharp 1 episode 2011 Bed of Roses Magistrate 1 episode 2012–2014 Neighbours Patricia Pappas 6 episodes 2015–2020 Wentworth Officer Brenda Murphy / Nurse Collins 8 episodes 2016 Little Acorns Katerina Web series, 3 episodes 2017 The Ex-PM Magistrate 1 episode Seven Types of Ambiguity Hamide Miniseries, 1 episode 2026 Become the One Maria Web series, 4 episodes
Film YearTitleRoleNotesRef 1998 Head On Ariadne 2002 Magda Short 2009 Thicker Than Water Short2010 Word of Mouth Olga Short Where the Heart Is Short Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos Katerina Uncredited2011 Joey Toy Store Attendant Short A Slap in the Face Short Surviving Georgia Angela 2012 Satisfy Mother Short Catch Perfect Carlotta Short 2022 Home Truths Helen Short 2025 End Pointe Fran Short
Stage YearTitleRoleNotesRef. 1988 Somewhere in Here are Henry and Louisa Organ Factory, Melbourne The White Rose 1989 The Heartbreak Kid Melbourne Athenaeum 1990 Happiness Tanya La Mama, Melbourne 1991 Pericles Daughter of Antiochus / Fisherwoman / Servant / Marina Theatre Works, Melbourne 1998 The Forty Lounge Café La Mama, Melbourne 1999 Born Yesterday Helen Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 2002 Paradise La Mama, Melbourne 2005 Cruel and Tender Physiotherapist Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC 2009 Cafe Rebetika! Katerina Arts Centre Melbourne 2010 All About My Mother Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 2016 The Honey Bees Kerrie Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Melbourne Play for Australia Fairfax Studio, Melbourne 2022 Security Naz Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne with Darebin Arts 2024 Eftihia – Life Has Two Doors Eftihia Papagiannopoulou La Mama, Melbourne 2025 These Other Things Special guest Capitol Theatre, Melbourne Undated Betrayal La Mama, Melbourne Undated The Last Proxy Australian tour Undated Punuyiota Writers Festival Undated AIMA Universal Theatre, Melbourne Undated The Magic Bow QLD tour
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