Kerry Walker

Kerry Ann Walker AM (born 29 February 1948) is an Australian actress.² She has had a lengthy career on both stage and screen.³ She was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role three times, in 1985 for Bliss, 1986 for Twelfth Night⁴ and in 1993 for The Piano.⁵

Walker began studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA),⁶ in 1972,⁷ and graduated in 1974.¹ Upon graduation, she was told she "would not succeed as an actor because of her looks."⁸

Walker made her professional theatre debut in a production of Romeo and Juliet with The Australian Ballet.⁶ After a stint with the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Theatre-in-Education program, she spent 1976 with the newly-formed Hunter Valley Theatre Company. She ultimately returned to Sydney, continuing her stage career with performances at Marian Street Theatre, Jane Street Theatre, the Old Tote Theatre Company and Nimrod.⁶

After being cast in the lead of 1977 film The Night the Prowler in 1977, Walker became the muse of writer Patrick White, (Australia's only recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature),⁶⁹ She was in the original cast of three of his plays, Signal Driver (1982), Netherwood (1983), and Shepherd on the Rocks (1987), which he wrote specifically for her.⁹⁶ The first two plays debuted with the State Theatre Company of South Australia, where Walker was a member of Jim Sharman’s Lighthouse ensemble⁶ from 1982 to 1983.¹⁰ White also cast her in major revivals of The Ham Funeral and A Cheery Soul and wrote an unperformed play sequence for her, entitled Four Love Songs.⁹

More recently, Walker has performed in Life Without Me (2010) The Man from Mukinupin (2009), The Hypocrite (2008), The Madwoman of Chaillot (2007), A Hard God (2006) and The Unexpected Man (2000).

She has served on the boards of Belvoir Street Theatre / Company B.⁶

Walker's film credits include 1985 arthouse classic Bliss, Jane Campion’s award-winning 1993 period drama The Piano, opposite Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, and 1996 comedy drama Cosi (based on Louis Nowra’s play of the same name), alongside Ben Mendelsohn, Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths.⁶ At the turn of the century, she appeared in the historical comedy drama The Dish with Sam Neill, and coming-of-age film Looking for Alibrandi with Anthony LaPaglia and Pia Miranda.⁶ Next came Baz Luhrmann's 2001 musical spectacle Moulin Rouge! (2001), opposite Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, followed by The Home Song Stories (2007) and Luhrmann epic Australia (2008), alongside Kidman⁶ and Hugh Jackman.

Walker's numerous television credits include the 1990 miniseries Come in Spinner (based on the 1951 novel of the same name by Dymphna Cusack), and the 1991 Australian-British co-produced miniseries The Leaving of Liverpool.⁶ She had a regular role in Grass Roots in 2003 and also appeared in Rake (2008) with Richard Roxburgh.⁶

Stuart Campbell's photographic portrait of Walker is held in the National Portrait Gallery.¹¹

Walker has been the recipient of numerous awards and nominations. These include Green Room Awards for Best Actress for Pack of Lies and Knuckledusters: The Jewels of Edith Sitwell (the latter of which she both wrote and performed) and several AFI Awards. She was also granted an Australian Artists Creative Fellowship.⁶

Walker was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1994 for her "service to the performing arts".¹²