Holly Brisley

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Holly Brisley bigraphy, stories - Film

Holly Brisley : biography

11 January 1978 –

Holly Brisley (born 11 January 1978 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia) is an Australian actress and television presenter. She began her career at the age of 15 on Agro’s Cartoon Connection (1995–97) and more recently portrayed Amanda Vale-Baker on Home And Away (2005–09). Her most successful film roles include Garage Days (2001) and The Crop (2002).

Early life

As Holly grew up, she excelled at speech and drama and joined the Paradise Performer’s Dance Academy, where she participated in various classes such as jazz, ballet and tap dancing, and also took part in eisteddfods, winning many awards.

Career

By the age of 13 she was on the books of the Studio Search Agency on the Gold Coast, with her first roles being the Australian telemovies The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? in 1993 and Official Denial in 1994.

It was not until Holly began her regular television career in 1995 on the Logie Award winning children’s program Agro’s Cartoon Connection that she began to receive recognition. She would later host The Looney Tunes Show in a more adult style, along with World’s Craziest Videos and various shows for Foxtel. Holly was ranked 5th (2000) and 29th (2001) in FHM’s Australia’s 100 Sexiest Women.

Brisley maintained her acting career throughout this period with some of her notable roles being in Garage Days, The Crop and Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure.

After various guest appearances and hosting gigs, Holly was featured in Dancing with the Stars in 2005, and then landed the permanent role of town vixen Amanda Vale on soap opera Home and Away, where she remained for two years. In February 2008, Holly briefly returned to Home and Away, reprising her role again in July 2009 and leaving in mid August 2009. Holly has said she would love to return to Home and Away.

Over the years, Holly has worked (at one stage or another) for most networks, including Channel 10 and Foxtel, but mostly she has worked for Channel 7 and 9.

In 2008, Holly voiced the title character in the ABC children’s series CJ the DJ which has screened in Australia from late 2009 to early 2010. Holly played the female lead Tara in the feature film Sinbad and the Minotaur (2011).

Personal life

Brisley’s family moved from Adelaide to the Gold Coast while she was still very young.

Holly became engaged to marketing executive Paul Ford in Venice in 2005 and they married on 11 February 2006 in Manly, Sydney. They exchanged vows in the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel, in the grounds of St Patrick’s and overlooking the ocean.

Holly gave birth to their son, Levi Harper Ford, at the Royal North Shore Private Hospital on 16 July 2009. On 20 July 2012 Holly gave birth to the couple second child, a daughter Willow Jade Ford.

Holly has Coeliac Disease, and appeared on the cover of "The Australian Coeliac" September 2005 edition.

In July 2010, Holly climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa for a charity trek, whereby she raised $50,000 for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, a worthy cause that helps sick children. She had a near death experience having contracted pulmonary edema caused by the high altitude but is in good health now.

Awards and nominations

On 1 June 2005, She received a Film Award for ‘Best Actress – Feature Film’ at the New York Film & Video Festival for her portrayal of "Geraldine" in the Australian film The Crop. The movie also won ‘Best International Feature’.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1993 The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? Tonya Smith
1994 Official Denial Dos
1999 Nowhere To Land Jenny
2001 Garage Days Scarlet
2002 The Crop Geraldine New York Independent Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Scooby-Doo Training Video Woman
2003 The Matrix Reloaded Woman in restaurant
Mermaids Young Betty
2004 Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure Heather Locklear
2006 Me or You Psychiatrist Short film
2007 Devil’s Gateway Samantha Davies
2008 The Fury Scarlet
2011 Sinbad and The Minotaur Tara
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1995–1997 Agro’s Cartoon Connection Host / Reporter
1996–1999 TVSN Presenter
1999–2001 Beastmaster Haisa / Kodd 2 episodes
2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Reporter
All Saints Janelle 1 episode
Introducing Hang Zhou Presenter BBC World
The Wright Stuff Guest Panellist Five Documentary
2001 It’s Your Go! Host
2002 The Looney Tunes Show Host
2003 White Collar Blue Amber
Pizza Louise
Big Brother: The Insider Panelist
2004 Escape With ET Reporter
2005 Dancing with the Stars Contestant Finished 3rd place
2005–2006 World’s Craziest Videos Host
2005–2009 Home and Away Amanda Vale-Baker 05-07 on contract, 08-09 guest star
2006 Get Nicked Host
Good as Gold: Our Brightest Stars Host
2009 The Spearman Experiment
Contributor
CJ the DJ CJ Voice role