Lisa Chappell facts for kids

Lisa Irene Chappell (born October 18, 1968) is a talented actress and musician from New Zealand. She is famous for playing Chelsea Redfern in the TV show Gloss (1987–1990). She also played Claire McLeod in McLeod's Daughters (2001–2003). Her role in McLeod's Daughters earned her two Logie Awards. These awards were for Most Popular New Female Talent and Most Popular Actress.

Lisa Chappell is one of New Zealand's top theatre performers. She started acting on stage in 1991. Her first play was The Merchant of Venice. Since then, she has been in many plays, including Chicago, Hamlet, Design for Living, and The Thirty-Nine Steps. She even started her own theatre company. Through her company, she has acted in, produced, and written modern plays.

Besides her success on stage, Lisa Chappell has also appeared in several films. These include Desperate Remedies (1993), Jack Brown Genius (1996), and Coffin Rock (2009). She has also had many TV roles. Some of these are City Life (1996–1998) and The Cult (2009). For The Cult, she won a Qantas Film and Television Award. More recently, she played Michelle Beaufort in the soap opera Shortland Street (2020–2022).

Early Life and Education

Lisa Chappell was born in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand. She grew up in a place called Mairangi Bay. She has two older siblings, a brother named Mark and a sister named Catherine.

In the 1980s, Lisa studied acting. She went to Rangitoto College. There, she took drama classes and performed in school musicals. She also took singing and dancing lessons.

Acting Career

Television Roles

Lisa Chappell got her first big acting chance in the late 1980s. She was a student at the time. While at a Fringe Festival in Christchurch, she was offered an audition for a new TV drama called Gloss. She got the part and made her TV debut in 1987. She played Chelsea Redfern in the TV2 series, which ran for three seasons until 1990.

After Gloss, she had a short role in the police show Shark in the Park. She also had guest roles in other shows. These included the soap opera Shortland Street, Mysterious Island, and several roles in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. In 1996, she began a regular role in the TV2 soap opera City Life, playing Bronwyn Kellett.

In 1998, Lisa Chappell moved to Australia. She completed an acting program at the Actors Centre Australia in Sydney. After graduating in 2000, she auditioned for the role of Claire McLeod in the rural drama series McLeod's Daughters. She successfully got the role. For this show, Lisa learned how to ride a horse and shear sheep. She also decided to become a vegetarian. She was on the show for three seasons, from 2001 to 2003. Her character was written off the show in a car accident. For her acting, Lisa was nominated for several Logie Awards. She won two: Most Popular New Female Talent in 2002 and Most Popular Actress in 2004. Her role gained many fans in Australia and around the world.

Lisa continued working in Australian television. She had a recurring role as Constable Megan Walsh in the police drama Stingers. She also appeared in the TV film Small Claims: The Reunion. In the show The Cult, her role earned her a Qantas Film and Television Award. She also made guest appearances in Rescue: Special Ops and Cops L.A.C..

In 2020, Lisa Chappell returned to Shortland Street. She played the regular role of Michelle Beaufort until 2022. In 2024, it was announced she would be in a supporting role in the TV film sequel Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. This film is expected to be released in 2025.

Film Appearances

Lisa Chappell made her first film appearance in 1993. It was in the drama film Desperate Remedies. She had a supporting role alongside Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Kevin Smith. In 1996, she was in Jack Brown Genius, a film created by Peter Jackson. She also appeared in the 2009 psychological thriller Coffin Rock. In 2017, Lisa was in the horror film Out of the Shadows.

Theatre Performances

Lisa Chappell is a very experienced theatre performer. She has been in many stage productions for over thirty years. She has worked a lot with the Auckland Theatre Company in New Zealand. Early in her career, she performed in classic plays. These included William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, the musical Chicago, and Arthur Miller's All My Sons. She also directed and performed in two plays at Auckland's Rose Theatre: Up the Garden Path (1993) and Girl Talk (1994).

After her training in Australia, Lisa played the main character in Educating Rita. This play toured Australia in 2007. She then returned to New Zealand for more productions. These included Design for Living, The Thirty-Nine Steps, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Wizard of Oz, and Much Ado About Nothing.

More recently, Lisa Chappell has been in modern plays. Some of these are Fallen Angels, The Pink Hammer, That Bloody Woman, and Bright Star. She also wrote and produced three plays herself: On/Off, Fred, and Bad Day Insurance. She is a member of Equity New Zealand, a group for performers.

Singing Career

Lisa Chappell released her first music album, When Then Is Now, on May 1, 2006. She toured a bit in Australia and New Zealand to promote her album.

Personal Life

Lisa Chappell met Chris Taylor in August 2001 at her McLeod's Daughters co-star Rachael Carpani's 21st birthday party. They got married in December 2001 but divorced in 2005. Lisa currently lives in Puhoi, New Zealand.

Filmography

Lisa Chappell has appeared in many films and television shows throughout her career. Here are some of her notable works:

Films

• Desperate Remedies (1993) as Anne Cooper
• Jack Brown Genius (1996) as Sylvia
• Coffin Rock (2009) as Jessie Willis
• Out of the Shadows (2017) as Linda Dee

Television Shows

• Gloss (1987–1990) as Chelsea Redfern
• Shortland Street (1992, 2020–2022) as Deborah Walters and later Michelle Beaufort
• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–1999) in various guest roles
• City Life (1996–1998) as Bronwyn Kellett
• McLeod's Daughters (2001–2003) as Claire McLeod
• Stingers (2004) as Megan Walsh
• The Cult (2009) as Sophie McIntyre
• The Brokenwood Mysteries (2022) as Polly McAlpine
• Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (2025) as Eldress

Awards and Nominations

Lisa Chappell has received several awards and nominations for her acting:

• In 2002, she won a Logie Award for Most Popular New Female Talent for McLeod's Daughters.
• In 2003, she was nominated for Most Popular Actress and the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television for McLeod's Daughters.
• In 2004, she won a Logie Award for Most Popular Actress for McLeod's Daughters. She was also nominated again for the Gold Logie Award.
• In 2010, she won a Qantas Film and Television Award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress – General Television for her role in The Cult.

See also

In Spanish: Lisa Chappell para niños