Louise Siversen is an Australian actress. She is known for her television roles, including Lou Kelly in Prisoner (1984–1986), Debbie in The Flying Doctors (1988–1990), and 2012-2017 Heather Looby in House Husbands. She has also appeared on stage and in film.

Louise Siversen
Born
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present (Voice Artist, theatre, acting)
Notable workPrisoner (1984–1986)
The Flying Doctors (1986–1990)
House Husbands (2012–2017)
SpouseTheo Siversen (1983–present)
Websitehttp://louisesiversen.com.au/

Training

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Born in Melbourne, Siversen began acting as a child after her parents sent her to dance and drama classes to help her overcome her shyness. Siversen began to enjoy acting and went on to perform with St Martins Youth Theatre, appearing in many productions.[1][failed verification] Siversen was to study law, but decided to stick with acting after attending a Career Day at university.

Siversen has also trained in jazz dance and ballet.

Career

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Television

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Siversen is best known for her portrayal of nasty Louise 'Lou' Kelly in the Network Ten series Prisoner. Siversen had done several bit-parts in the series and at the time the character of Lou was devised, and had been a regular extra for several months, playing one of the prisoners. Siversen auditioned, and got the part. Lou quickly became one of the main characters of the series and had a run of three years.

Her other TV credits include The Flying Doctors, Halifax f.p., 'Sugar and Spice, BackBerner, MDA, All Saints, Janus, Rush, Special Squad and House Husbands.

Siversen in 2021 gave an in depth interview about her time on Prisoner on the podcast series Talking Prisoner,[2] where she talked about her career, her hobbies and voice acting.

Film

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She appeared in the 1989 Australian horror film Houseboat Horror.

Stage

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Siversen appeared in several productions for the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne and the Melbourne Theatre Company. She also wrote her one-woman show Coming to My Senses in 1993. In 2017 she played Dotty/Mrs Clacket in Michael Frayn's Noises Off for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre.[3]

She teaches drama at the Victorian College of Arts.

Acting credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1982 A Slice of Life Nurse (as Louise Siverson) Feature film
1988 Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark) Jenny Miller (uncredited) Feature film
1989 Houseboat Horror Zelia Feature film
1990 A Kink in the Picasso Reporter Feature film
1994 That Eye, The Sky Mrs. Cherry Feature film
1996 Shine Extra in Ballroom Scene Feature film
1998 Crackers Teacher Feature film
2000 Lost Psychologist Short film
2002 Blow Zoe Short film
2004 Josh Jarman Therapist Feature film
2006 What's the Matter? General Practitioner Short film
2008 Valentine's Day Dawn Feature film
2008 Four of a Kind Anne Feature film
2009 Shiny Thing Carolyn Kibre Short film
2011 The Eye of the Storm Carol Feature film
2013 The Kingdom of Doug Maryanne Short film
2015 Sucker Val - Dodgy Bar Woman Feature film
2022 Surrogate[4] Anna Paxton Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1981-1984; 1984-1986 Prisoner Nurse / Tammy Fisher / Shop Assistant TV series
1984 Carson's Law Nurse #1 / Prostitute TV series, 2 episodes
1984 Special Squad Laura TV series, episode 4: "Easy Street"
1984-1986 Prisoner Lou Kelly / Louise TV series, 151 episodes
1988 The Bartons Angela TV series, 1 episode
1988; 2001 Neighbours Carol Barker TV series, 1 episode
1988 House Rules Elsa Nixon TV series
1988 Sugar and Spice Mrs Beatrice Robertson TV series
1988-1990 The Flying Doctors[5] Debbie O'Brien TV series, 14 episodes
1991 Chances Cheryl Richards TV series, 10 episodes
1992 Kelly Glennis TV series, 1 episode
1994-1995 Janus [6] Judge Glenda De Bono TV series, 18 episodes
1994 The Damnation of Harvey McHugh Annette TV series, 3 episodes
1995; 2000 Halifax f.p. Linda Quinn / Beth Hartley TV series, 2 episodes
1996; 1999 Blue Heelers Louise Fordham / Nola Tully TV series, 2 episodes
1996 Law of the Land Lynne Raynor TV series, 1 episode
1997 The Adventures of Lano and Woodley Doctor TV series, 1 episode
1998 Good Guys Bad Guys Shannon Blightie TV series, 1 episode
1998 The Games Jasmine Holt TV series, 2 episodes
1998 Driven Crazy Daisy TV series, 1 episode
1998 State Coroner Cheryl Norton TV series, 1 episode
1999; 2002 Stingers Olwyn O'Neill / Detective Rawlins TV series, 2 episodes
1999 Crash Zone Zoe Hansen TV series, 4 episodes
1999 High Flyers Nola TV series, 26 episodes
1999-2002 BackBerner Various characters TV series, 128 episodes
2000 Eugenie Sandler PI Winsome Bedford TV series, 5 episodes
2000 Lost Psychologist TV series, 1 episode
2001 Neighbours Angela Patrick TV series, 2 episodes
2002 Short Cuts Mrs. Bartlett TV series, 9 episodes
2002 Bootleg Mrs. Spring TV miniseries, 3 episodes
2005 The Secret Life of Us Marg TV series, 1 episode
2005 MDA Meg Morrison TV series, 4 episodes
2006 Wicked Science Elsa Bailey TV series, 1 episode
2007 City Homicide Janice Quinn TV series, 1 episode
2008 All Saints Tamara Pederson TV series, 1 episode
2008 Rush Raelene TV series, 1 episode
2012-2017 House Husbands Miss Heather Looby TV series, 36 episodes
2013 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Rosemary Morrisey TV series, 1 episode
2015 Utopia Linda Hillier TV series, 1 episode
2016 Rake Shirl TV series, 2 episodes
2017 Ronny Chieng: International Student Joy-Anne TV series, 1 episode
2017 True Story with Hamish & Andy Shop Lady TV series, 1 episode
2020 The Gloaming Minister Leonie Patrick TV series, 1 episode
2020 Rosehaven Kerry TV series, season 4, 1 episode
2021 Celebration Nation Paula TV series, 3 episodes
2021 Five Bedrooms Karen Stefiary TV series, 1 episode
2021 Love Me Judith TV miniseries, 2 episodes

Television (as self)

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Year Title Role Type
1989 In Melbourne Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1991 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1995; 1997 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2001 People Dimensions Guest TV series, 1 episode
2021 Talking Prisoner [7] Guest Podcast series, 2 episodes
2023 You Don't Have to Hate the Movie People Forever - Interview with Louise Siversen Herself DVD/Video

Theatre

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Year Title Role Type
1989 Morning Sacrifice La Mama, Melbourne
1989 The Misery of Beauty Various roles Theatre Works, Melbourne
1991 The Girl Who Saw Everything Carol Edge Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1993 Barmaids Nancy Peacock Theatre, Hobart with Zootango Theatre Company
1993 Coming to My Senses One-woman show Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
1998 Dark: The Diane Arbus Story Various roles Melbourne Festival
1999 Wonderful Ward Bernadette / PA Melbourne International Comedy Festival
2000 Art and Soul Various roles Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2004 The Memory of Water Teresa Space 28, Southbank, Melbourne with MTC
2007 Dimboola Florence McAdam Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
2007-2008 The Glory Elizabeth Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre
2008 Mum's the Word 2: Teenagers Deborah Playhouse, Brisbane, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Burswood Theatre, Perth with Dainty Productions
2009 Master of the Revels Judy Forrister Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2010 All About My Mother Sister Rosa’s Mother / Matron Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2011 The Joy of Text Diane Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2013 True Minds Vivienne Reynolds Southbank Theatre with MTC
2016 The Last Ten Minutes of History Courthouse Theatre
2016 I Can't Even... One-woman show Malthouse Theatre
2017 Noises Off Dotty Otley / Mrs Clackett Playhouse, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
2019 Playlist Trades Hall, Melbourne
2020; 2022 The Heartbreak Choir Totty Southbank Theatre, Melbourne & online with MTC
2021 Birthday Cake One-woman show Geelong Arts Centre with The Space Company & online - Australia
2023 Croydon Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
2023 A Very Jewish Christmas Carol Carol / Rein-Dybbuk / Ensemble Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2023 Underneath Ms Archer Kelly Archer (also co-writer) St Martins Theatre, Fortyfivedownstairs
2023 Hell's Gates Various roles Geelong Arts Centre with The Space Company
2024 Birthday Cake One-woman show Geelong Arts Centre

[8][9]


Personal life

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Siversen is married to Theo Siversen. They live in Melbourne.

Siversen has been an Iyengar Yoga student for over 15 years, and is also an avid walker, having walked the Camino Frances, an 800 kilometre walk across Northern Spain, in 2009.

References

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  1. ^ St Martins Youth Arts Centre
  2. ^ "Talking Prisoner EP 5 Interview with Louise Siversen (Lou Kelly)". YouTube.
  3. ^ "Noises Off (Queensland Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company)" by Bronwyn Lea, 13 June 2017, Australian Book Review
  4. ^ "'Surrogate' (Trailer)". 12 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Australian Television: The Flying Doctors: Series 6 cast".
  6. ^ "Australian Television: Janus: Cast".
  7. ^ "Talking Prisoner EP 5 Interview with Louise Siversen (Lou Kelly)". 16 September 2021.
  8. ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/3527
  9. ^ https://creativerep.com.au/artists/louise-siversen/
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