Holly Brisley

Holly Brisley (born 11 January 1978) is an Australian actress and television presenter. She began her career at the age of 16 on Agro's Cartoon Connection (1994–97) and more recently portrayed Amanda Vale-Baker on Home and Away (2005–09). Her most successful film roles include Garage Days and The Crop (2004).

Early life Brisley was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Her family moved from Adelaide to the Gold Coast while she was still very young. As Brisley grew up, she excelled at speech and drama and joined the Paradise Performer's Dance Academy, where she participated in classes such as jazz, ballet and tap, and took part in eisteddfods, winning many awards.

Career By the age of 13, Brisley 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 Brisley began her regular television career in 1994 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, Brisley 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, she briefly returned to Home and Away, reprising her role again in July 2009 and leaving in mid-August 2009. Brisley has since said she would love to return to the series.

Over the years, she has worked (at one stage or another) for most networks, including Network 10 and Foxtel, but mostly she has worked for the Seven Network and the Nine Network.

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

In November 2019, she appeared on 7mate in the reincarnation of Fat Pizza, as Pauly's former high school crush, who works in the local pharmacy.

Personal life Brisley 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 Seminary overlooking the ocean.

She gave birth to their son at the Royal on 16 July 2009. On 20 July 2012, she gave birth to her second child, a daughter.

Brisley has coeliac disease, and appeared on the cover of "The Australian Coeliac" September 2005 edition.

In July 2010, Brisley climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa for a charity trek, raising $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 film also won 'Best International Feature'.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1999 Change of Heart Half a Heart Model 2000 Enemies Closer TV Character Secret Agent 2002 Scooby-Doo Training Video Woman 2002 Garage Days Scarlet 2003 The Matrix: Reloaded Woman in Restaurant 2004 The Crop Geraldine 2006 Me or You Psychiatrist Short 2007 Devil's Gateway Samantha Davies 2008 The Fury Scarlet 2014 Tibor – Your Not from Gosford Are Ya Jenny Short 2014 Confessions Kara 2017 Life of the Party Sandra 2023 Kane Sofia Enter Sanctum Cynthia Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1993 The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? Tonya Smith TV movie 1993 Official Denial Dos TV movie 1995–1997 Agro's Cartoon Connection Reporter Seasons 7–9 1996–1999 TVSN Presenter Shopping channel 1999 Beastmaster Haisa Season 1, episode 3 2000 Nowhere to Land Jenny TV movie 2000 All Saints Janelle Season 3, episode 10 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Reporter TV special 2000 MusicCountry Prime Herself 2000 Under the Hammer Herself 2000 Introducing Hang Zhou Presenter BBC World 2001 Beastmaster Haisa, Kodo-Woman Season 3, episode 5 2001 The Panel Herself Season 4, episode 30 2001 It's Your Go Host 2002 The Looney Tunes Show Host Showcase clips 2003 Big Brother Panelist Season 3, 2 episodes 2003 White Collar Blue Amber Flood Season 2, episode 5 2003 Pizza Louise Season 3, episodes 2 & 4 2003 Mermaids Young Betty TV movie 2004 Escape with ET Reporter 2005 Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure Heather Locklear TV movie 2005 Dancing with the Stars Contestant Season 2 2005–2007;2008–2009 Home and Away Amanda Vale Season 18–20 (main role),Season 21 (guest role),Season 22 (recurring role) 2005–2006 World's Craziest Videos Host 2006 Get Nicked Host 2006 Good as Gold! Host 2007 The Wright Stuff Guest Panelist 2009 The Spearman Experiment Contributor 2009–10 CJ the DJ Cathleen 'CJ' Jones 2011 Sinbad and the Minotaur Tara TV movie 2019–2021 Fat Pizza: Back in Business Louise Season 6–7, 4 episodes