Hélène Joy (born 21 October 1978) is an Australian actress, who is best known for her work in television series Durham County and Murdoch Mysteries.
Biography Joy was born and raised in Perth, Australia. She began acting in Kewdale Senior High School in Perth. She subsequently toured Europe with a youth theatre company. She spent a year as a theatre major at Curtin University before winning a place at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth where she obtained an acting diploma. She won the academy's Leslie Anderson Award for Best Performer.
Career
Television and film She had minor roles in Australian television series such as: Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (1996), Water Rats (1996–97), Big Sky (1997), and Stingers (1999). After three years, at the urging of her then boyfriend, she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Greg Quill, "Hélène Joy: Successful – and ignored", Toronto Star, 10 January 2009.
After arriving in Vancouver, Joy found work on shows such as First Wave (2000), The Outer Limits (2001), The Chris Isaak Show (2002), and The Twilight Zone (2002). In 2003, she landed the lead role of Judy Surgick in the short-lived CBC TV sitcom An American in Canada (2003–04) which was a 2003 Gemini Award nominee for Best Ensemble Performance Comedy Series/Program. In 2005 she appeared in the feature film Desolation Sound.
While still in Vancouver, Joy began landing roles in Toronto, including a supporting role in the TV movie The Murdoch Mysteries:Under the Dragon’s Tail (2004). After moving to Toronto, she played recurring roles in TV series such as This Is Wonderland (2005–06) and ReGenesis (2006). She then starred in Durham County between 2007 and 2010, and appeared as Doc in the primetime soap opera MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives (2008).
In Christmas 2007, Joy appeared in the fantastical musical film version of the Nutcracker ballet, The Secret of the Nutcracker starring opposite Brian Cox for the CBC. Joy starred in An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving with Jacqueline Bisset for Hallmark in 2008.
Joy has made guest appearances on Heartland, Rookie Blue (2011), Republic of Doyle (2012) and The L.A. Complex (2012) among other programs.
Although she played a different character in Under the Dragon's Tail, the third made-for-television film about William Murdoch and his unique ways of doing detective work, the book's author, Maureen Jennings, was so impressed with Joy's acting ability that she successfully pressed the TV show's producers to select her for the role of Dr. Julia Ogden. As a result, Joy was hired for the part and has played this continuing character in the period detective drama Murdoch Mysteries since 2008.
Theatre Joy's theatrical career began in Australia with roles in the Shakespeare Program at the Bell Shakespeare Company. She then played a number of roles at the Melbourne Theatre Company: Ophelia in Hamlet, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. She made her Canadian theatrical debut in 2012 in Australian playwright Andrew Bovell's Speaking in Tongues at The Company Theatre in Toronto.
Voice acting She supplied the voice of Sunnyside and Shelly in The Eggs (2004), Gabby and Polly in Faireez (2005), Patsy and Mrs. Berton in The Secret World of Og (2006), Opal in Pearlie (2009), and Vice Principal Victoria in Detentionaire (2012).
Awards and nominations In 2006, Joy was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for her work in the TV movie The Murdoch Mysteries: Under the Dragon’s Tail as well as being nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series for ReGenesis."The '06 nominees: Who will march up to the podium?" at Playback: Canada's Broadcast and Production Journal (2 Oct, 2006) Retrieved from In 2011, and again in 2012, she was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her work in Murdoch Mysteries by the Monte-Carlo TV Festival Awards.
She won a Leo Award in 2005 for Best Lead Performance by an Actress in a Feature Length Drama for her role in Desolation Sound.
She won the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2008 for her role in Durham County."Durham dominates, Murdoch misses at Geminis" by Marise Strauss at playbackonline.ca
Personal life Joy left Australia and followed her boyfriend to his native Vancouver. She has been a vegan and enjoys travelling all over the world during her time off. Joy trained and is licensed as a real estate agent in Australia, and she has subsequently taken up property development.
In late December 2021, Joy gave birth to a daughter, Harrison Joy.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1997 The BeneficiaryHelen DesareéShort film2005Desolation SoundLaurel ElliottFeedYoung Phillip's Mother2011At the Bottom of the HillAliceShort film2012100 MusiciansDJ Collingwood (voice)2016Sadie's Last Days on EarthHope Mitchell2021Woman in CarAnne
Television Year Title Role Notes1996 The Man from Snowy RiverAgnes Windsor"The Claimant"G.P.Sasha Smith"Sleeping Beauty"1996–1997Water RatsLucy White / Gina Downie"The Shaft" & "Sex Games"1997Big SkyKate Vernon"Simple Twist of Fate"FableShelleyTV film1998Blue HeelersMarina Armstrong"Little Monsters"Never Tell Me NeverNancyTV film1999StingersAnna De Groot"Lunatic Fringe: Parts 1 & 2"2000Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeMary RileyTV filmFirst WaveDr. Victoria Kelly"Comes a Horseman"2001 The Outer LimitsDr. Louisa Kennedy"In the Blood"Night VisionsLinda"Hate Puppet"2002 The Chris Isaak ShowDr. Darcy"The Hidden Mommy" The Twilight ZoneLinda"Mr. Motivation"2002–2003An American in CanadaJudy SurgickMain role2003AndromedaAlien Queen"Vault of the Heavens"2004Puppets Who KillHazel"Dan and the Necrophiliac"2004-2005 The EggsSunnyside / ShellyMain role2005FaireezGabby / Polly The CollectorConstance"The Ripper"Million Dollar MurderGraceTV filmBeautiful PeopleMiss Patel"Dark, Room, Chemicals"Murdoch MysteriesMaud Pedlow"Under the Dragon's Tail"2005–2006This Is WonderlandErica Taft"3.2" & "3.12"2006ReGenesisAudrey Graves"China", "Escape Mutant" & "The Cocktail" The Secret World of OgPatsy / Mrs. Berton2007Secret of the NutcrackerMomTV film2007–2010Durham CountyAudrey SweeneyMain role2008MVPDocAn Old Fashioned ThanksgivingMary BassettTV film2008–2025Murdoch MysteriesDr. Julia OgdenMain role; seasons 1–182009–2010PearlieOpalRecurring role2010 A Heartland ChristmasJoanna HawkeTV film2011Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost PharaohsDr. Julia OgdenRookie BlueGiselle Armstrong"God's Good Grace"2012DetentionaireVice Principal Victoria (voice)Main roleConnor's Mother"Other Side of the Doctor"Republic of DoyleTamara"Rusted Steele"Murdoch Mysteries: The Murdoch EffectDr. Julia OgdenTV Film2013Murdoch Mysteries: Nightmare on Queen Street2014-2015HeartlandJoanna Hawke"The Pike River Cull" & "The Heart of a River"2017Air Farce Canada 150Ronnie the Friend Gun GirlGuest
References
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