Lynette Forday

Before making Auckland home, Lynette Forday grew up in Australia and studied at Sydney's acclaimed acting school NIDA. In 1994 she broke ground on Kiwi television for an Asian actor, with a lead role on Shortland Street. She played fun-loving Dr Grace Kwan until 1997 (and performed a tracheotomy on Chris Warner, with a Star Trek pen). The character returned in 2013, to be surrogate mother for Warner’s baby. In-between, Forday became a parent, did time as a TV reporter, and won a Qantas Award for car racing drama Ride with the Devil. She went on to guest as Nurse Crabb on 800 Words and compete in 2022's Celebrity Treasure Island. 

Acting doesn't change, but I had changed. I had a busy life outside of acting. I had become a mother – you can give up a lot of your life [to be a mother], so it was great finding that other side of me again. Lynette Forday on returning to Shortland Street after a 15 year hiatus, TV Guide, 13 October 2013