Danielle Cormack

Danielle Cormack (born 26 December 1970) is a New Zealand stage and screen actress. She was one of the original cast members of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her roles as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Bea Smith in Wentworth, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in Legend of the Seeker. Other works include the 2009 film, Separation City, and the Australian series Rake.

Acting career Danielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She portrayed notorious Sydney underworld figure Kate Leigh in Underbelly: Razor, and doctor Rory Finch in Jack Irish.

In 2012 Cormack was announced as Bea Smith in the Foxtel prison drama Wentworth when the series had first gone into production for four years, before leaving the show in 2016. The role of Bea Smith was originally played by Val Lehman. in Prisoner. Cormack has since appeared regularly at Wentworth-related events in the US and the UK, and hosted the 2023 New Jersey Event.

In 2022, Cormack narrated the SBS documentary series Life on the Outside, which showed what life is like for newly released prison inmates.

In 2023 she appeared in Erotic Stories on SBS Television. In the same year, she was named as part of the cast for New Zealand dramedy series Madam. Cormack was also named in the cast for Stan Australia drama Year Of.

She served as executive producer for the short film Oi (2024). On 8 December 2024, Cormack was announced in the cast for series 3 of Foxtel legal drama The Twelve.

Cormack, alongside Wentworth cast member Nicole da Silva, started the production company Four One One, and together they produced their first play Whose Afraid in 2022. Cormack and da Silva in 2023 directed the short film Why We Fight. Why We Fight was nominated for an AACTA award for Short Film.

On 17 April 2025, Cormack was named as part of the extended cast for series two of ABC series Return to Paradise. On 16 September 2025, Foxtel announced a documentary for the late Brian Walsh with Cormack announced as one of many guests.

On 17 July 2026, Cormack was named in the cast for series three of Scrublands.

Other activities In 2018, Cormack, while working alongside aid agency ChildFund, helped build a water tank that would supply villages in Uganda.

Cormack went to provide humanitarian aid to children in Ukraine after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Cormack is an ambassador for SHINE for Kids.

Personal life Cormack was in a relationship with Pana Hema Taylor from 2009 until 2013. She has two children: one with Taylor, and one from a previous relationship.

In an interview with LOTL magazine in 2016, Cormack said that she had had long-term relationships with both men and women, and indicated that she prefers to avoid applying labels to patterns of sexuality.

Cormack is an avid motorbike fan and often goes on motorbike rides to manage stress.

Filmography

Film

Television

Other appearances

Theatre

Awards Year Award Category Production Result 1997 New Zealand Film and TV Awards Best Actress Topless Women Talk About Their Lives 1999 Channelling Baby 2000 The Price of Milk Fantasporto International Film Festival Siam Sunset 2005 Drifting Cloud International Film Festival Best Performance Together 2006 TV Guide Best on the Box People's Choice Awards Best Actress Maddigan's Quest 48 Hour Film Festival Best Manic Performance Mirage Richmond Road Short Film Festival Best Performance Female Together 2009 Aotearoa Film & Television Awards Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film Separation City 2010 Qantas Television Awards Best Performance by Actress in General Television The Cult 2011 Equity Awards Best Ensemble Cast Rake 2012 Logie Award Most Popular Actress Underbelly: Razor & East West 101 2014 Outstanding Actress Wentworth Logie Awards Most Outstanding Drama Series Most Outstanding Actress 2015 ASTRA Award Most Outstanding Female Actor AACTA Award Best Lead Actress in a Drama Wentworth Logie Award Most Outstanding Actress Wentworth Most Outstanding Drama Series Wentworth 2016 AACTA Award Best Actress in a Drama Wentworth Logie Award Most Outstanding Drama Series Wentworth 2017 Most Outstanding ActressWentworth Most Outstanding Drama Series Wentworth