Amy Mathews (born 29 March 1979) is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Armstrong in Australian soap opera Home and Away.
Early life Mathews was born in Melbourne, Victoria, but has spent most of her life in Sydney. She was offered a scholarship at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, which she completed. She then enrolled in and completed a full time acting course at Actors Centre Australia in Sydney, where she met fellow Home and Away actor Jon Sivewright, who plays Tony Holden, her husband on the show. Before landing her full time role on Home and Away, Mathews waited tables to pay the bills between acting jobs.
Career Mathews became involved with the Bell Shakespeare Company. She performed as part of the "Actors at Work" program, touring high schools in Australia and Singapore. Her passion for theatre, saw her feature in a 2003 production of Cigarettes and Chocolate and Other Hang Ups.Stephen Dunne (1 April 2003) Her other early theatre credits include Tracked, Push Up 1-3, Chicom, Orange Flower WaterJason Blake (29 March 2011) and Transparency.Lloyd Bradford Skye (13 September 2011)Chris Hook (24 August 2011)Suzanne MacKay (3 September 2011)
Mathews made her on-screen acting debut in 2001, when she had a guest appearance in the short-lived television series Head Start. Following this, she landed roles in several other television series including Always Greener, Blue Heelers, Love Bytes, All Saints and the British series Jeopardy.
Mathews then played the role of doctor and psychiatrist Rachel Armstrong on long-running soap opera Home and Away, from the first episode of the 2006 season until 2010 when she departed the show to pursue new projects. The role of Rachel won Mathews the Logie Award for Most Popular New Female Talent in 2007.
Following Home and Away, Mathews made guest appearances in Packed to the Rafters, Rescue: Special Ops and Crownies, the latter starring her former Home and Away co-stars Todd Lasance and Indiana Evans. In 2007, Mathews starred in the Australian film Gabriel.
In August 2023, Mathews joined the cast of the courtroom drama series, The Twelve for its second season, in the role of Sasha Price. Her most recently screen appearance was in a 2025 episode of NCIS: Sydney, once again opposite Todd Lasance.
Mathews' other theatre credits include Macbeth (2011–2012), The Taming of the Shrew (2011–2012), The Tempest (2012–2013), The Comedy of Errors (2012–2013) and Othello (2013) with Sport for Jove. She appeared in Richard III (2014) and The Anzac Project (2015) for the Ensemble Theatre. She also performed in Coma Land (2017), Toast (2017), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (2018/2020) and Water (2019) for Black Swan Theatre Company winning a Blue Room Award for Toast and a Performing Arts WA Award for Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. In 2024 and 2025, she has appeared in August: Osage County, for Black Swan.
Mathews has also starred in TV commercials. She has an interest in writing and directing, runs her own blog and studies surface design.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2007 Gabriel Maggie Feature film 2020 I Met a Girl Senior Constable Harrison Feature film 2026 Thrash Rachel Olsen Feature film
Television Year Title Role Notes 2001 Head Start Louise Season 1, 1 episode 2002 Always Greener T'ree Season 2, 1 episode 2003 All Saints Mary Cowper Season 6, 1 episode 2003 Jeopardy Constable Tucker Season 2, 2 episodes 2004 Love Bytes Mel Season 1, 4 episodes 2004 Blue Heelers Tahnya West Season 11, 1 episode 2005 All Saints Cassie Anderson Season 8, 1 episode 2006–2010 Home and Away Rachel Armstrong Seasons 19–23, 331 episodes 2010 Packed to the Rafters Erin Moore Season 3, 2 episodes 2011 Rescue: Special Ops Claire Newell Season 3, 2 episodes 2011 Crownies Vanessa Kenay Season 1, 1 episode 2014 A Place to Call Home Amy Polson Season 2, 7 episodes 2020 The Heights Rima Season 2, 1 episode 2023 The Claremont Murders Michelle Bowman Miniseries, 2 episodes 2024 The Twelve Sasha Price 8 episodes 2025 NCIS: Sydney Heather 1 episode
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 2003 Cigarettes and Chocolate and Other Hang Ups Gemma Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney 2003 Tracked Rose Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney 2005 Push Up 1-3 Sabine 2010 Chicom Grunt 3 New Theatre, Sydney with Brand Spanking New 2011 Orange Flower Water Cathy Calhoun Darlinghurst Theatre, SydneyJason Blake (29 March 2011) 2011 Transparency Jessica Seymour Centre, Sydney & Riverside Theatre ParramattaLloyd Bradford Skye (13 September 2011) 2011; 2012 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Bella Vista Farm, Everglades, Leura with Sport for Jove 2011; 2012 The Taming of the Shrew Vincentia Bella Vista Farm, Everglades, Leura, Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum with Sport for Jove 2012; 2013 The Tempest Alonsa Bella Vista Farm, Everglades, Leura with Sport for Jove 2012; 2013 The Comedy of Errors Adriana Bella Vista Farm, Everglades, Leura with Sport for Jove 2013 Othello Bianca / Duchess / Second Gentleman Seymour Centre, Sydney with Sport for Jove 2014 Richard III Anne Neville Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2015 The Anzac Project: Dear Mum and Dad / Light Begins to Fade Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2017 Coma Land Jinny Studio Underground, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Company 2017 Toast Alex Black Swan Theatre Company 2018; 2020 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Olive Leech Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth, Online with Black Swan Theatre Company 2019 Water Gemma / Nurse Studio Underground, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Company 2021 Bite the Hand Dale Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth with Last Great Hunt 2024; 2025 August: Osage County Ivy Weston Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Company
Awards Year Work Award Category Result 2007 Home and Away Logie Awards Logie Award for Most Popular New Female Talent 2017 Toast Blue Room Awards Best Performance 2018 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Performing Arts WA Awards Best Actor in a Mainstage Production (Female)
References
External links Official site
Amy Mathews Biography at RTÉ.ie