Anna Jullienne

Anna Jullienne was halfway through a double arts degree when she got the role of Maia Jeffries on Shortland Street. Then 21, she'd already won awards for stage acting and public speaking. After her character took part in the first civil union in a Kiwi TV drama in 2007, she was awarded for screen acting as well. Jullienne played the nurse for almost seven years, in which time the popular character got pregnant, cheated on a partner, and murdered a dodgy doctor. Since then Jullienne has played an earth mother artist on dramedy 800 Words, a nightmarish personal assistant in The Blue Rose, and an impatient "alpha Mum" in comedy Mean Mums.

It’s nice playing such a bitchy character ... It’s really fun. When do you ever get a chance to do that in your real life — be a bit mean and a bit openly judgemental and get away with it. Anna Jullienne on playing Heather Maloney in TV series Mean Mums, Capsule, 11 October 2020