Maria Mercedes

Maria Moutsidis , known professionally as Maria Mercedes, is a Greek-descended Australian television, film and stage actress, performer and singer. She is a mezzo soprano

Early life Mercedes was born in Melbourne to parents George and Dionisia Moutsidis, a working class couple who emigrated via ship to Australia from Greece, seeking better prospects. Her father had been as aspiring actor in Greece. She attended Brunswick High School in Melbourne.

Career

Early career Mercedes' performing career began in 1973 after winning singing contests on both Young Talent Time and New Faces. After subsequently performing on The Graham Kennedy Show, she was persuaded to change her last name from 'Moutsidis' to the stage name of 'Mercedes', after Kennedy struggled to pronounce her name. By the age of 16, she was singing around Australia, in concerts and variety shows.

From 1996 to 1997, Mercedes received critical acclaim starring as the alternate Norma Desmond in the original Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard opposite Hugh Jackman. She eventually took over the role, giving almost 100 performances. In 2004, Mercedes was the first woman in the world to play Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show.

In 2014 and 2015, Mercedes played opera star Maria Callas in the Terrence McNally play Master Class in Melbourne and at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney. In 2016, she joined the cast of the Greek-Australian migration play Taxithi by Helen Yotis Patterson, allowing her, for the first time in her theatrical career, to sing in Greek. In 2023, Mercedes took on the role of The Witch in a production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods with the West Australian Opera.

Film and television Mercedes' film roles include Nurse Panicale in 1978 cult thriller Patrick and Tasia in 1998 LGBTQ independent film Head On (alongside Alex Dimitriades). She was in 2004 film Dreams for Life playing the lead role of Ellen, a Greek woman hoping to make it as a dancer, much to the disapproval of her parents. She reprised her lauded stage role of Madame Giry in a 2012 film version of Love Never Dies. The following year, she appeared in the 2013 remake of Patrick, this time playing the role of the doctor. In 2018, she played Helen in 2018 film The Taverna.

Mercedes' television credits include two recurring roles as Irene Zervos and Yemmi Bakarta in cult series Prisoner and also appeared as Detective Ayoub in its reimagining Wentworth. She appeared in a recurring capacity as Shirley Maclaine in soap opera E Street in 1993, and then featured in two TV movies – 1995's Cody: The Wrong Stuff and 1996's Whipping Boy. Mercedes played recurring roles in long-running soap opera Neighbours, firstly from 2004 to 2005 as Lucia Cammeniti, then in 2007 as Estelle Petrides. That same year, she starred as Dora Mavros in SBS miniseries Kick.

Mercedes had guest roles in several police procedural series Division 4, Homicide, Bluey and Cop Shop. She guested in drama Patrol Boat, police series Special Squad, sci-fi series Thunderstone, detective mystery Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and its spin-off Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and comedy drama House Husbands. Mercedes also had guest roles in the Underbelly spin-off Fat Tony & Co. (based on the true story of criminal Tony Mokbel's capture in Greece), comedy web miniseries Footballer Wants a Wife, sci-fi mystery-drama Bloom and drama-thriller The Tourist (along side Irish actor Jamie Dornan and an international cast).

Mercedes has also performed as a singer on numerous variety shows including Young Talent Time, New Faces, In Melbourne Tonight, The Don Lane Show, Good Morning Australia, The Midday Show, Bandstand, The Mike Walsh Show, Countdown, Hey Hey It's Saturday and Greeks on the Roof. She continues to perform in concerts and at events, and also mentors emerging performance artists. She cites her musical influences as being Shirley Bassey and Cher.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1978 Patrick Nurse Panicale Feature film 1998 Head On Tasia Feature film 2004 Dreams for Life Ellen Feature film 2012 Love Never Dies Madame Giry Feature film 2013 Patrick Ed's Doctor Feature film (remake) 2019 The Taverna Helen Feature film 2023 So Much Smoke Angelina Short film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1974; 1975 Division 4 Factory Girl / Christina Lamorica 2 episodes 1975 Homicide Francesca Carlotti / Anna Petrelli 2 episodes 1977 Bluey Teresa Episode 18: "Stop the Press" 1978 Cop Shop Judy 1 episode 1979 Patrol Boat Episode: "Which Way's Mecca?" 1979; 1984–1985 Prisoner Irene Zervos / Yemmi Bakarta 5 episodes / 10 episodes 1984 Special Squad Maria Baxter Episode 28: "Hot Streets" 1993 E Street Shirley Maclaine 4 episodes 1995 Cody: The Wrong Stuff Raquel TV movie 1996 Whipping Boy Saphra TV movie 1999 Thunderstone Ivana 2 episodes 2003 Greeks on the Roof Poppy 11 episodes 2004–2005; 2007; 2022 Neighbours Lucia Cammeniti / Estelle Petrides 6 episodes / 16 episodes 2007 Kick Dora Mavros Miniseries, 13 episodes 2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Madame Breda Episode: "Cocaine Blues" 2013 House Husbands Mrs. Panas 1 episode 2014 Fat Tony & Co Agape Makrakanis 1 episode 2015 Footballer Wants a Wife Mama 2 episodes 2017–2018 Wentworth Detective Ayoub 3 episodes 2019 Bloom Margot 3 episodes 2019 Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Joyce Hirsch Episode: "Just Murdered" 2022 The Tourist Freddie Lanagan 2 episodes Neighbours Lucia Cammeniti / Estelle Petrides 6 episodes / 16 episodes

Other appearances

Theatre Year Title Role Venue / Company 1980 Maria Mercedes Herself Palais Royale, Newcastle 1985 The Rocky Horror Show Magenta / Usherette VIC, TAS & ACT tour 1988 Cats Grizabella Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne with Cameron Mackintosh Productions 1987–1988 Nine Luisa Contini Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney 1990 Chess Svetlana Sergievsky Theatre Royal, Sydney 1991 Forbidden Broadway Liza / Barbra / Chita Kinselas, Sydney 1991 Wherefore Art Thou Cabaret? Hayden Room, Sydney 1992 Shadow and Splendour Sophie Lenz / Mozart singer Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane for QTC & STCSA 1993 A Bedfull of Foreigners West End Rialto, Brisbane, Seymour Centre, Playhouse Adelaide 1996 And the World Goes ‘Round Sydney Opera House 1996 Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond Regent Theatre, Melbourne 1997 A One Night Stand with the Stars of Australian Musical Theatre Singer Melbourne Athenaeum 1999 Zorba the Greek The Leader Capitol Theatre, Sydney 2000 Gypsy Miss Mazeppa State Theatre, Melbourne for The Production Company 2000 Chicago Mama Morton Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane & Asian tour 2001 The Vagina Monologues 2000; 2002 Fame Miss Sherman Adelaide Festival Theatre & Asian tour 2004 The Rocky Horror Show (charity show for Variety) Dr Frank N Furter with the cast of Neighbours 2006; 2007 Seriously – Pet Shop Boys Reinterpreted The Wife Chapel Off Chapel for Midsumma Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2008–2010 Menopause The Musical Power Woman / The Soap Star Australian tour 2010 Words and Music from Life's a Circus & More Notes, Newtown 2012 Love Never Dies (sequel to Phantom of the Opera) Madame Giry Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Regent Theatre, Melbourne 2013 The Songs of James Bond concert Singer Melbourne Athenaeum 2014–2016 Master Class Maria Callas Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne, Hayes Theatre Sydney, Geelong Arts Centre, Whitehorse Centre, Frankston Arts Centre 2017 Greek Goddess Melina Mercouri Black Box Theatre, Melbourne, Gasworks Theatre, Melbourne 2016; 2019 Taxithi – An Australian Odyssey The Greek Fate Fortyfivedownstairs, Space Theatre, Adelaide 2019–2020 Anthem Playhouse, Melbourne, Roslyn Packer Theatre with Performing Lines for Melbourne International Arts Festival & Sydney Festival 2023 Bloom Betty / Chef Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 2023 Into the Woods The Witch West Australian Opera 2024 Candide Old Lady Palais Theatre, Melbourne 2025 Bloom (Sydney transfer) Betty/Chef Roslyn Packer Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company 2026 Ned Kelly Ma Kelly Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat, Union Theatre, Melbourne with Victorian Opera

Awards Year Work Award Category Result 1987 Nine: The Musical ARIA Award Best Original Soundtrack or Cast Album 1987 Nine: The Musical Green Room Award Best Actress in a Musical 1988 Nine: The Musical Sydney Theatre Critics Awards Best Actress in a Musical 1991 Firbidden Broadway: The Musical Mo Award 2006 Dreams for Life Cyprus International Film Festival Best Actress in a Leading Role 2015 Master Class Green Room Award Outstanding Female Performer (Independent Theatre)