Helen Thomson (actress)
Australian actress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helen Thomson is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Gladys Presley in the biographical film Elvis (2022).
Colin from Accounts
Helen Thomson | |
|---|---|
| Education | University of Southern Queensland (USQ) |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Elvis (2022) Colin from Accounts |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Thomson grew up on a farm outside Thangool in central Queensland, as one of five children.[1]
At the age of 14, her mother took her to see a stage production of Steaming at Rockhampton's Pilbeam Theatre, in which Genevieve Lemon’s performance inspired her to become an actor. She went on to study drama at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ).[2]
Career
Theatre
When Thomson began her acting career, she was cast as Abigail Williams in a 1991 Queensland Theatre Company production of The Crucible, which she credits with helping launch her career.[1]
Her early stage roles include playing Desdemona in Othello and appearing opposite Geoffery Rush in The Dutch Courtesan, both at the Melbourne Theatre Company, after which time she relocated to Sydney.[2] She went on to appear in numerous productions for the Sydney Theatre Company including Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, a Judy Davis-directed production of The School for Scandal and God of Carnage.
Thomson received a 2011 Helpmann Awards nomination for her performance in In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play).[2] Roles in productions of Ray Lawler’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (2012),[2] The Effect (2013), After Dinner (2015), The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two (2019) and Mary Stuart (2019) also saw her nominated for Helpmann Awards, resulting in a win for After Dinner.[3][4][5][6]
Thomson also featured in Measure for Measure for Belvoir Theatre Company. In 2024, she appeared in Belvoir's production of August: Osage County.[7]
Television
Thomson has appeared in numerous television shows including A Country Practice, Water Rats, Blue Heelers,[8] Stupid Stupid Man and Bad Mothers. Other credits include Jane Campion's Top of the Lake: China Girl, Fires and playing Prime Minister Angela Sway in season 5 of Rake opposite Richard Roxburgh.[citation needed]
She plays Ashley's mother Lynelle, in multi-award winning Australian dramedy television series Colin from Accounts. Her performance saw her nominated for Best Acting in a Comedy at the 2024 AACTA Awards,[9] while as part of the cast she won a 2023 Equity Ensemble Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.[10]
In 2025 Thomson appeared in Foxtel series The Last Anniversary,[11][12] executive produced by Nicole Kidman and based on the hit novel by Liane Moriarty.
Film
Thomson's film credits include comedy drama La Spagnola (2002) and A Man's Gotta Do (2004). She received an Australian Film Institute Awards nomination for her role in 2003 comedy crime thriller Gettin' Square, in which she starred opposite Timothy Spall[2] and Sam Worthington.
She portrayed Gladys Presley, the mother of Elvis Presley (played by Austin Butler), in the 2022 Baz Luhrmann biographical film Elvis.[13] She scored the role after Maggie Gyllenhaal was unable to take part,[14] and after one of Luhrmann's assistants had seen her in a stage production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren's Profession.[8]
In 2025, she appeared in comedy film Spit,[15] a spin-off of Gettin' Square.
She has been a frequent collaborator with her husband David Roberts,[16] including in television series Colin from Accounts,[17] the films A Savage Christmas (2023)[18] and Spit (2025)[19] and a stage production of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play).[20]
Personal life
Thomson is married to fellow actor David Roberts. Together they have two children and reside at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.[17][21]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Gettin' Square | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated | [2][22] |
| 2011 | In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated | [2][3] |
| 2012 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Best Female Actor in a Play | Nominated | [4] | |
| 2013 | The Effect | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated | [5] | |
| 2015 | After Dinner | Won | [23] | ||
| 2019 | The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two | Nominated | [6] | ||
| Mary Stuart | Best Female Actor in a Play | Nominated | [6] | ||
| 2023 | Elvis | CinEuphoria Awards | Best Ensemble – International Competition | Nominated | |
| Colin from Accounts | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | [10] | |
| 2024 | AACTA Awards | Best Acting in a Comedy | Nominated | [9] |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Bloodmoon | Mary Huston | ||
| 1997 | Thank God He Met Lizzie (aka The Wedding Party) | Emma | ||
| 1999 | Strange Planet | Lulu | ||
| 2001 | La Spagnola | Wendy | [2] | |
| 2003 | Kangaroo Jack | TV Announcer | ||
| Gettin' Square | Marion Barrington | [2] | ||
| The Rage in Placid Lake | Teacher 1 | |||
| Redskin | Short film | [24] | ||
| 2004 | A Man's Gotta Do | Tina | [2] | |
| 2022 | Elvis | Gladys Presley | [13] | |
| 2023 | The Rooster | Lorraine | [25] | |
| A Savage Christmas | Brenda Savage | [26] | ||
| 2025 | Spit | Marion Barrington | [15] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | A Country Practice | Charlotte O'Neill | 2 episodes: "Floating on Air: Parts 1 & 2" | |
| 1994 | G.P. | Janine | Episode: "Breaking Out" | |
| 1996 | Water Rats | Anne Harvey | Episode: "Pay Back" | |
| 1997 | Home and Away | Claudia Miles | Episode #1.2137 | |
| Big Sky | Tessa Coburn | Episode: "You Must Remember This" | ||
| 1998 | Murder Call | Chyna Gold | Episode: "Dared to Death" | |
| 2000 | Nowhere to Land | Claire Munson | TV film | |
| 2001 | Water Rats | Nerida | Episode: "Another Man's Poison" | |
| 2002 | White Collar Blue | Rita Calliope | Episode #1.4 | |
| 2002–2003 | Bad Cop, Bad Cop | Tracy Lafever | 8 episodes | [27] |
| 2003 | Blue Heelers | Dr. Tatiana Zylinski | 6 episodes | |
| Stingers | Selma Katsonis | Episode: "Conversations with the Dead" | ||
| MDA | Nerida Bailey | 2 episodes | ||
| Kath & Kim | Receptionist | Episode: "The Moon" | ||
| 2005 | BlackJack: In the Money | Sandra Miller | TV film | |
| 2008 | The Informant | Lucy Norris | TV film | |
| 2006–2008 | Stupid, Stupid Man | Carol Van Dyke | 9 episodes | |
| 2007 | All Saints | Sharon Cox | Episode: "Smoke and Mirrors" | |
| Bastard Boys | Valerie Corrigan | Miniseries, 4 episodes | [28] | |
| 2009 | The Jesters | Harriet | Episode: "Hard Time Getting Soft Time" | |
| 30 Seconds | Faith O'Callaghan | Episode: "A Matter of Trust" | ||
| 2012 | Nick & Seaton's Palace of Sexy Secrets | Various | 2 episodes | |
| 2013 | Mr & Mrs Murder | Olivia Patterson | Episode: "The Art of Murder" | |
| 2014 | Wonderland | Jackie Page | Episode: "Monogamy" | |
| 2014 | Rake | Margot | Episode #3.2 | |
| 2015 | Catching Milat | Dr. Miriam Bentley | Miniseries, episode #1.1 | |
| 2016 | Love Child | Eleanor | Episode #3.4 | |
| 2016–2017 | Doctor Doctor | Nora Gunbleton | Season 2, 4 episodes | |
| 2017 | Top of the Lake | Felicity | 3 episodes | |
| Pulse | Lorraine Walsh | 2 episodes | ||
| A Place to Call Home | Gerda Davis | 2 episodes | ||
| 2018 | Rake | PM Angela Way | 3 episodes | |
| 2019 | Bad Mothers | Liz | 7 episodes | |
| 2021 | Fires | Yvonne Webber | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | Irreverent | Antoinette | 4 episodes | |
| 2022–2024 | Colin from Accounts | Lynelle | 9 episodes | [29] |
| 2023 | One Night | Lindy | 3 episodes | |
| Wolf Like Me | Jackie | Episode #2.1 | ||
| 2025 | The Last Anniversary | Enigma | 6 episodes | [30][11][12] |
| Ghosts: Australia | Joy | 1 episode (1.6) | ||
| NCIS: Sydney | Bridgette | 1 episode (3.4) | ||
| Return to Paradise | Miranda East | 1 episode (2.5) |