Denise Roberts, is an Australian actress, director, and founder of film and television acting school Screenwise in Sydney. She is known for her roles on TV in 1980s/90s medical drama G.P. and 2009 series Packed to the Rafters.
Early life and education Roberts became passionate about screen acting as a young child, but as screen acting schools did not exist at the time, she attended theatre school instead. Her mentor was Hayes Gordon, with whom she studied under for three years at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre, graduating in 2005.
In her later career, Roberts studied script editing (1996) and producing (1998) at Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), followed by directing (2003) at Metro Screen.
Career Roberts has worked in theatre, film and television since 1980. She came to fame playing Julie Winters in the ABC TV medical drama G.P. for seven years, from 1989 to 1996. Her portrayal earned her nominations at the Logie Awards, the People's Choice Awards and the AACTA Awards, including an AACTA win for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama. During her tenure on G.P., she also taught film and television for Hayes Gordon, at his Ensemble Studios.
Roberts was the creator and Associate Producer of the ABC's 1995 drama miniseries, Correlli, which gave Hugh Jackman his big Australian break. She also featured in two episodes.
In 1998, Roberts starred in Road to Nhill, which saw her nominated for a Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Supporting Actress award. The same year, the 10-minute, 16mm short thriller Stairwell (1998), which Roberts directed, was screened at the LA International Short Film Festival.
From 2001 to 2003, Roberts played town matriarch Isabelle Turnbull in Always Greener and had a starring role as university registrar Jessica Andrews in Roberts 7's HeadLand from 2005 to 2006. She played the role of Helen Jones in 2007 television film Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback, a retelling of the real-life Peter Falconio case. That same year, she starred as Aunty Barbara in mockumentary feature film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance.
From 2009, Roberts played the recurring guest role of Bonnie Bright, the Scottish psychic sandwich lady in Channel 7's Packed to the Rafters, and again in 2012. She also played Faye in the feature film Subdivision, which premiered in August 2009. The following year, she played the regular role of Inspector Diane Pappas in the Nine Network police drama Cops L.A.C..
In 2013, Roberts featured in psychological thriller Nerve, alongside Gary Sweet, who played her character's husband. In 2014, she starred in television film Schapelle, playing Schapelle's mother Rosleigh Rose Corby, which saw her nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well and a Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress in a Television Drama.
Further accolades followed with Best Supporting Actress nominations for Roberts' roles in 2015 film Nerve at the International World Film Festival, and 2016 thriller Concealed at the Sydney Indie Film Festival.
From 2020 to 2022, Roberts played the ongoing role of Bev Boyce in web series Grey Nomads.
Roberts' television guest credits are numerous, and have included A Country Practice, Sons and Daughters, Home and Away, Rafferty's Rules, E Street, Correlli, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, Wildside, Pizza, All Saints, Underbelly: Razor, The Moodys, Wonderland, Five Bedrooms and God's Favorite Idiot – the latter opposite American actress Melissa McCarthy. Her other film credits include Going Sane (1987), The Dish (2000) and Opal Dream (2006).
Roberts' theatre performances include starring roles in the one-woman theatre shows Late Nite Catechism and Shirley Valentine. Further stage credits include The Vagina Monologues and Lovers at Versailles, the latter of which earned her a Chief Glugs Award at the 2004 Glugs Theatrical Awards Excellence Behind the Scenes. She also starred in Charitable Intent, which earned her a Sydney Theatre Critics Award nomination in 2006.
Roberts has also directed numerous theatre productions, including Lovers at Versailles at the Playhouse (Sydney Opera House) as well as Fully Committed, Educating Rita and The Oldest Profession all for Ensemble Theatre.
Teaching Roberts is the founder and principal director of Screenwise, a Sydney-based film and television school for actors, established in 2000.
Tutors at the school have included industry names such as Nicholas Hope, Terry Serio, Katherine Hicks, Gary Sweet, Susie Porter, Rachael Blake, Roxane Wilson, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Claire van der Boom, Felix Williamson, Maya Stange, Philip Quast, Peter Mochrie, Martin Dingle-Wall, Teo Gebert, Rhondda Findleton, Felicity Price, Alexandra Davies and director/producer Peter Andrikidis.
Successful actors who were former students include Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Todd Lasance, Samantha Noble, Andy Whitfield and Tabrett Bethell.
Awards Year Title Award Category Result Ref. 1991 G.P. Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress on Australian Television 1993 People's Choice Awards Most Popular Actress in a Television Drama series G.P. (episode: "Alone") Australian Film Institute Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama 1994 G.P. Variety Club Television Drama Awards Best Actress in a Television Drama People's Choice Awards Most Popular Actress in a Television Drama Series Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress on Australian Television 1998 Road to Nhill Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Supporting Actress 2004 Lovers at Versailles Chief Glugs Award Excellence Behind the Scenes 2006 Charitable Intent Sydney Theatre Critics Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role 2015 Nerve International World Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Schapelle AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress in a Television Drama 2016 Concealed Sydney Indie Film Festival Best Supporting Actress
Film
As actor Year Title Role Notes 1985 The Boy Who Had Everything Rita Feature film 1986 For Love Alone Mrs. Ashley Feature film 1987 Going Sane Mrs. Chubb Feature film 1997 Road to Nhill Gwen Feature film 2000 The Dish Bronwyn Feature film 2003 Kangaroo Jack Tansy Feature film2006 Opal Dream Vera Dunkley Feature film One Last Shot Waitress Short film2007 Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance Barbara Feature film (mockumentary) Boys Own Story Aunt Eileen Short film2009 Subdivision Faye Feature film Benefit Mother Short film2010 Dying Ice Elder Short film Anyone You Want Jenny 2012 Leech Betty Short film 2013 Nerve Sally Livingston Feature film 2014 The Half Dead The See-er Post-production 2015 Spirit of the Game Sister Bingham Feature film 2017 Concealed Irene Feature film Shadow Wars The See-er Post-production Juvenescence Headmistress Audrey Hammersmith Post-production
As producer / director / writer Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1998 Stairwell Director / Producer Short film 2005 So Darn Hot! Producer Short film 2006 Well Baked Producer Short film 2008 Under a Red Moon Associate Producer Feature film 2009 The Mad Chase Producer Short film 2010 The Rose Producer Short film 2012 Contamination Director Short film 2013 Good Neighbours Director Short film 2015 After Party Executive Producer Short film 2016 Shadowbox Producer Short film Our Father Producer Short film No Good Deed Producer Short film In the Stars Producer Short film Anything for Family Producer Short film An Honest Way Producer Short film A Gathering Producer Short film 2025 Love Shack Producer Short film Pet World: Team Building Producer Short film Echo Writer / Director/ Producer Short film
Television
As actor Year Title Role Notes 1981 Bellamy Bev Episode: "Bet Your Life" 1984 A Halo for Athuan Maizy TV film 1985 A Country Practice Patient / Kristine Cox 3 episodes: "Walk Tall: Parts 1 & 2", "Work Experience: Part 2" 1986 Hector's Bunyip Gladys Glum TV film1986–1987Sons and Daughters Kidnapper Episode: "1.799" Monica Episode: "1.972"1987 Two Friends Jessie TV film Rafferty's Rules Mrs. Bridges Episode: "Kids"1988; 1989Home and Away Woman Customer Season 1, episode 51 Nola Dibble Season 2, episode 258 1989 Fields of Fire III Mrs. Anderson Miniseries1989; 1990E Street Myra Season 1, episode 2-3 Myra Episode: "The Reverend & the Doctor?" 1989–1996 G.P. Julie Winters 317 episodes 1992 Sinbad the Sailor Voice Animated TV film 1995 Correlli Helen Buckley 2 episodes: "Solitary", "Lock-Down" 1996The Man from Snowy River (aka Snowy River: The McGregor Saga) Mary Kelly Episode: "The Grand Opening"1998; 2005All Saints Janice McGregor Episode: "A Little Magic" Margaret Episode: "Funny Games" 1999 Wildside Sheryl Cunningham Episode: "2.19"2000; 2003Grass Roots Evelyn Savage Episode: "The Whole Year" Christina Episode: "Investigation"2001 Water Rats Meredith Dillon Episode: "The Thin Edge" Pizza Jackie / Mum Stanko 2 episodes: "Politically Incorrect Pizza", "Girlfriend Pizza"2001; 2002BackBerner Beryl Todd Episode: "3.4" Various Episode: "1.134" 2001–2003 Always Greener Isabelle Turnbull 50 episodes 2004 Home and Away Valerie Squires Season 17, 8 episodes 2005–2006 Headland Jessica Andrews 26 episodes 2007 Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback Helen Jones TV film 2009 East West 101 Janet Miller Episode: "Men of Conscience"2009; 2012Packed to the RaftersBonnie Bright 3 episodes: "Having It All", "Look Into My Eyes", "Putting the House in Order" Episode: "Sign of the Times" 2010 Cops L.A.C. Detective Inspector Diane Pappas 13 episodes2011 Underbelly: Razor Alice Twiss Miniseries, episode: "Jerusalem Revisited" Blood Brothers Sue O'Farrell TV film 2012 Mrs Biggs Annie Pitcher 2 episodes: "1.3", "1.4"2013 Cliffy Molly TV film Wonderland Episode: "The Exes" 2014 Schapelle Rosleigh Rose TV film
As producer Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1994 Correlli Concept Creator / Associate Producer Miniseries
Theatre Source:
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1983 The Bear Mrs Popov Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1984 A Kind of Alaska Deborah 1985 When in Rome Margaret 1986 The Shadow Box Maggie 1987 Once a Catholic Mother Thomas Aquinas 1988 Talk of the Devil Mrs Maguire 1990 A Night with Robinson Crusoe Julie Ensemble Studios, Sydney for Festival of Sydney 1992 The Slab Boys Sadie Crossroads Theatre, Sydney with O'Punksky's Theatre Company for Festival of Sydney Man of the Moment Sharon York Theatre, Sydney with Ensemble Theatre 1993 The Seahorse Gertrude Ensemble Studios, Sydney with Sydney Festival 1994 The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Sadie Adelaide Festival with STC 1999–2000 Shirley Valentine Shirley Valentine Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Bridge Theatre, Sydney with STC / Blue Sky Ent Late Nite Catechism Sister Bridge Theatre, Sydney, IMB Theatre, Wollongong, Courtyard Studio, Canberra, North Adelaide Community Centre with Adrian Bohm Presents 2000 Girls' Night Out Aunty Ivy Star City Showroom, Sydney with Jacobsen Entertainment 2001–2003 The Vagina Monologues Various roles Ensemble Studios, Sydney, Valhalla Cinema, Sydney, Acton Street Theatre, Canberra with Adrian Bohm Presents 2005 Shirley Valentine Shirley Valentine Civic Theatre, Newcastle with Rock City Productions 2006 Charitable Intent Amanda Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
As director Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1996 Veronica's Room Director Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1997 RIP Ripper Director Rat Bag Theatre Company, Sydney Educating Rita Director Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1999 Beautiful Thing Director 2000 Wit Associate Director 2001 The Oldest Profession Director 2002–2003 Fully Committed Director Ensemble Studios, Sydney, Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne 2004 Lovers at Versailles Director Sydney Opera House 2005 Shirley Valentine Director Civic Theatre, Newcastle with Rock City Productions 2007 The Getaway Director Newtown Theatre, Sydney with Screenwise for Short+Sweet
Radio