Alison Bell (actress)

Born in Young, New South Wales, Bell grew up in Grenfell where she attended St Joseph’s School. The family then moved to Canberra in 1984, where she went to Sacred Heart Primary School, before going on to study high school at St Clare's College, where she became School Captain.^[1]

Bell studied drama while at school, with the intent of pursuing a career as an actor. However, after her graduation she enrolled at Australian National University (ANU), completing an Arts/Law degree in 2001.^[1] While at university, she participated in several theatre productions and took a job as a researcher/editor for Butterworth's Publishing.^[1] On completion of her studies, she auditioned for both the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), ultimately undertaking the acting course at VCA and graduating in 2004.^[1][2]

Bell has worked in television, documentary film and theatre.^[3] In 2010, she starred in comedy drama series I Rock, as Jane, music journalist and ex-girlfriend of central character, Nash Taylor (played by Josh Mapleston).^[4] She became known for her performance as Roo McVie on ABC TV series Laid, from 2011 to 2012, for which she was nominated for an AACTA Award.^[5]

After appearing in several television guest roles, Bell played Liz Linton, mother of one of the protagonists in the 2016 drama miniseries Tomorrow When the War Began, an adaptation of the 1993 John Marsden novel of the same name.^[6]

From 2017 to 2019, Bell starred in the acclaimed ABC TV series The Letdown, as Audrey, the main character. She also served as co-writer, co-creator, producer and director of the series.^[7] She won the AACTA Award for Best Television Comedy Series for both seasons as well as Best Comedy Performer and Best Screenplay. Her role as Audrey also won her the AACTA Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy. Additionally, she earned a nomination for Best Director of a TV Comedy or Drama.^[8][9]

Bell featured in 2021 four-part colonial drama miniseries New Gold Mountain for SBS, in the role of Clara, society wife of the Ballarat Commissioner (played by Rhys Muldoon).^[10][9] She then starred as Claire in 2022 ABC TV mystery drama miniseries Significant Others, alongside Jacqueline McKenzie and Rachael Blake.^[11]

Bell has also acted for the stage, including a noteworthy performance in Sydney Theatre Company's production of Doubt in 2006, for which she won a Helpmann Award.^[12]