Jennifer Ward-Lealand

Jennifer Cecily Ward-Lealand (born 8 November 1962) is a New Zealand theatre and film actor, director, teacher and intimacy coordinator. She has worked for 40 years, appearing in over 120 theatre performances: Greek, Shakespeare, drama, comedy, devised, and musical theatre. Her screen credits include the 1993 movie Desperate Remedies as well as appearances in The Footstep Man, the soap Shortland Street and Australian comedy series Full Frontal.

Biography Ward-Lealand was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Philippa "Pippa" Mary (née Ward) and Conrad Ainsley Lealand. She has an older sister, Diana Mary Ward-Pickering and a half brother Simcha Lindt. From the age of seven, after experiencing the buzz of joining the cast of Oedipus at Unity Theatre, Ward-Lealand knew that she wanted to be an actor.

After first attending a summer school in Hawkes Bay, run by Auckland's influential Theatre Corporate, Ward-Lealand then completed in 1982 a year-long diploma in acting with the company with Paul Minnifie, Judith Gibson, Elizabth Hawthorne, Elizabeth McRae, Linda Cartwright and Raymond Hawthorne as the main teachers /directors. Her engagement in the cabaret diva genre became a hallmark of her style as a singer. Brel: The Words and Music of Jaques Brel is a 2012 Silo Theatre show with Jacques Brel songs that Ward-Lealand was in along with Julia Deans, Tama Waipara and John Toogood directed by Michael Hurst and Leon Radojkovic. Brel went on to be performed at a few venues around New Zealand finishing at the New Zealand Festival in 2014.

Ward-Lealand was a founding board member of Watershed Theatre and a co-founder of the Large Group and the drama school, The Actors’ Program.

Since performing in Hedda Gabler, the final Theatre Corporate production, Ward-Lealand has contributed significant roles to the Silo Theatre, such as Stevie in The Goat or Who is Sylvie by Edward Albee performed in 2005 with her husband Michael Hurst; Martha in "That Face" by Polly Stenham However, her most extensive repertoire has been programmed by the Auckland Theatre Company (ATC), including playing Barbara in the 2010 production of August; Osage County; Ouisa Kitteridge in Six Degrees of Separation; The Witch in Into the Woods; the 2020 online role of Arkadina in ATC's Zoom production of Chekhov's The Seagull. She has directed Aroha Awarau's scripts, such as Exclusive in 2020. 2021 led to a new challenge through collaboration with Awarau and the producer Peata Melbourne. Ward-Lealand took on screen direction of the short film Disrupt about drug addiction in Aotearoa, ending with a message of hope and redemption.

Filmography

+ Television performances Year Title Role Notes 1978–79 Close to Home Jan 3 episodes 1986 Seekers Nardia Alterman Recurring role (16 episodes) 1990 The Billy T James Show Raewyn 1 episode 1991 For the Love of Mike Betty-Sue 1 episode 1993–94 Full Frontal Various characters Main cast (40 episodes) 1995 Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Voluptua Episode: "All That Glitters" 1996–97 Letter to Blanchy Jane 3 episodes 1996–98 Shortland Street Isobel Kearney Recurring role (60 episodes) 1997 Xena: Warrior Princess Boadicea Episode: "The Deliverer" 1999 Xena: Warrior Princess Zehra Episode: "The Play's the Thing" 1999 Duggan Joanne Taylor 2 episodes 2001 Love Mussel Doctor Television film 2005 Interrogation Gail Mary Abbot Episode: "True Confessions" 2006 Elgar's Enigma: Biography of a Concerto Narrator Television documentary (voice role) 2009–13 Buzzy Bee and Friends Dorable Duck Voice role (65 episodes) 2009 The Jaquie Brown Diaries Louise Bouchet 2 episodes 2012–14 Auckland Daze Wanda Recurring role (14 episodes) 2013 Sunny Skies Penny 1 episode 2013 The Almighty Johnsons Karen 3 episodes 2015–17 Find Me a Maori Bride Narrator Voice role (15 episodes) 2015 Newsworthy Kalonike 1 episode 2016–17 Auckward Love Barbara 4 episodes 2016 Terry Teo Barbara Bertinelli Episode: "Baby Takes a Bullet" 2016 Dirty Laundry Donna Recurring role (13 episodes) 2021 The Brokenwood Mysteries Patricia Wells Episode: "Exposed to the Light" 2022 My Life Is Murder Eva Borges Episode: "It Takes Two"

Stage performances Gifted the title Te Atamira (The Stage), Year Title Playwright Role Director Producer 1983 King Lear Peter Whelan Susanna Hall Raymond Hawthorne Auckland Theatre Company 2000 Into the Woods. , the caberet Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, (Silo Theatre) (2005); Top Girls by Caryl Churchill at Unitec (2008); Tic Tic a comedy by Paul Barrett and Michelanne Forster (2010); Fallout: the Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior with The Large Group (2015); Hudson & Hall Live! – Silo and that That Bloody Woman by Luke Di Somma and Gregory Cooper (2017 tour).

Accolades Ward-Lealand won the 1987 Feltex Television Award for Best performance, female, dramatic role for Danny and Raewyn.

Ward-Lealand's contribution to New Zealand theatre was recognised in 2007 New Year Honours with her investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to theatre and the community.

In 2017 Ward-Lealand was gifted the name Te Atamira (The Stage) by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and the late Prof Te Wharehuia Milroy.

In October 2018 she was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for her contribution to New Zealand entertainment.

In 2019 an Award of Excellence as an Actress in the Accolade Global Film Competitions. and for her advocacy for actors' working conditions and pay in the 2019 New Year Honours, and in the same year won the New Zealand Women of Influence Award in the Arts and Culture section.

In 2020 she was awarded Centennial Award for International Women's Day by the Zonta Club of Auckland and E Tū Unionist of the Year (with Marianne Bishop). Ward-Lealand won the New Zealander of the Year Award in 2020, being recognised for her dedication to performing arts and her commitment and passion for te reo Māori.