Genevieve Lemon

Genevieve Lemon (born 1959) is an Australian film and television actress and singer. She is a frequent collaborator of Jane Campion, including the Academy Award-winning The Piano and The Power of the Dog (2021), which earned her a Satellite Award as cast member and a Critic's Choice Awards nomination.

Lemon is known for her television soap opera roles including Zelda Baker in The Young Doctors, Marlene "Rabbit" Warren in Prisoner and Brenda Riley in Neighbours.

Lemon has also appeared in numerous musical and stage productions, performing in major Australian theatres, including the 2008 original Australian stage production of Billy Elliot the Musical in which she won the Helpmann Award for Best Leading Actress.

Career

Lemon's professional career began on television in 1982 with a guest role in soap opera Sons and Daughters, followed shortly after with a larger role as Nurse Zelda Baker in the eighth season of The Young Doctors. Between 1984 and 1985 Lemon starred as Marlene Warren in the television series Prisoner, receiving critical acclaim, winning a Penguin Award for her role.

Between 1985 and 1988 Lemon performed in numerous Australian musicals, working for the Sydney Theatre Company, and others before appearing in Judy Morris's film Luigi's Ladies in 1989, after which she was cast as the lead actress in Jane Campion's film Sweetie. The latter role earned her a nomination at the AACTA Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and she won in the same category at the AFCA Awards. In the same years she appeared in several theatre productions, including Summer Rain by Rodney Fisher, critical acclaimed The Venetian Twins by John Bell, and The Girl Who Save Everything by Robyn Nevin.

In 1993, Lemon again acted under the direction of Jane Campion in the Academy Award-winning film The Piano, co-starring with Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel. After stage acting in Aubrey Mellor's Brilliant Lies and Rodney Fisher's And a Nightingale Sang, Lemon returned to film in the movie Billy's Holiday in 1995. In 1996 she performed in Miracle City by Nick Enright and Max Lambert, and Merrily We Roll Along by Wayne Harrison.

In 1997 Lemon was cast for Samantha Lang's film The Well acting with Pamela Rabe, Miranda Otto, Paul Chubb, and Frank Wilson. Over the next two years, she appeared in numerous theatre productions, including Taming of the Shrew by Glen Elston, Daylight Saving by Nick Enright, and in The Milemonum Project written and devised by Lemon and Russell Dykstra. In 1999 Jane Campion cast Lemon for two films: Holy Smoke! and Soft Fruit.

From 1999 to 2005 Lemon became an integral part of the casts of Sydney Theatre Company productions, appearing in the musical Piaf by Adam Coo, Morning Sacrifice by Jennifer Flowers, The Republic of Myopia by Jonathan Biggins, Summer Rain by Robyn Nevin, and My Brilliant Divorce by Gary Down. In 2003 Lemon acted in television films The Postcard Bandit and Mermaids.

Recent years: Stage and screen In 2006, after starring in Paul Goldman's film Suburban Mayhem, Lemon was played as Shirley in Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott's critical acclaimed musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, touring between 2006 and 2008 the major theatres of Australia and New Zealand. In 2008 Lemon gave voice to Charlotte's Mum, Henry's Mum and Madame in the animated film The Adventures of Charlotte and Henry.

In 2007 Lemon was selected for Australian production of Billy Elliot the Musical, written by Lee Hall, directed by Stephen Daldry with music by Sir. Elton John. She played Mrs Wilkinson from 2007 to 2009, received positive reviews by critics and winning the Sydney Theatre Awards, and The Mousetrap by Gary Young. In 2013 Lemon came back to television acting as Bunny in Jane Campion's mini-series Top of the Lake, winning the Equity Ensemble as a cast member.

In 2014 Lemon played Dotty Otley in Jonathan Biggins's Noises Off production at the Sydney Opera House, She was also cast for season three of television series Rake, and Australian mini-series The Secret River. In 2015 she was cast with Kate Winslet, Judy Davis and Liam Hemsworth in critical acclaimed The Dressmaker directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse. The next two years Lemon worked with Belvoir St Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company.

In 2017 she played in The Homosexuals, or “Faggots” by Lee Lewis, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Iain Sinclair, and Melba by Wayne Harrison and Michael Tyack. The next year Lemon played as Mrs. Wentworth in Bruce Beresford's film Ladies in Black, and had a recurring role in television series Home and Away.

In 2019 Lemon starred in Thomas M. Wright's film Acute Misfortune. The same year she played Sister Winnie in Terence O'Donnell's musical Folk.

In 2020 was announced the participation of Lemon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons in Jane Campion's project The Power of the Dog. The cast performance was critically acclaimed, receiving positive reviews and numerous nominations in several film awards, including Academy Award, Golden Globe and BEFFTA Awards Lemon won her first Satellite Award and received a Critics' Choice Awards nomination as a member of the cast. In November 2021 the film Here Out West was presented at the Sydney Film Festival, in which Lemon starred as Nancy. From March to April 2022, Lemon starred as Mrs Thornhill in the theatrical adaptation of North by Northwest at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

In 2024, Lemon was named as part of the cast for Stan series Population 11.

In 2025, Lemon starred in theatre production How To Plot A Hit in Two Days.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes1989 Luigi's Ladies Debbo Feature film Sweetie Dawn 'Sweetie' Return To Paradise Madge Woodburne

Radio Year Program Role Station 1989 Bastille Day ShowComedy sketch with Andrew Denton and Simon Dodd ABC Radio - Australia 1995 The Tatty Hallow Story Recurring guest host 1999 Hinx Minx Co-host

Theatre

Awards and nominations