Leverne Ann McDonnell (27 June 1963 – 15 March 2013) was an Australian actress.

Biography

McDonnell spent three years as a member of "Energy Connection", a youth dance theatre company in Adelaide, South Australia, until she was admitted to the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including Cat ...

in Sydney. She graduated from NIDA in 1985. In 1992, McDonnell played the role of Kelly in the 1992 ABC police drama series ''

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

''—a role for which she was nominated for an

AFI Award The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsi ...

for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama. She played a different role, Detective Sergeant Jan Murray, in '' Janus'', a spin-off of ''Phoenix''. Other television credits include the television series '' Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left'', ''

The Secret Life of Us ''The Secret Life of Us'' is an Australian television drama series set in the beachside neighbourhood of St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is primarily a drama with some comedic moments. The series was produced by Southe ...

'', '' Horace & Tina'' and ''

The Saddle Club ''The Saddle Club'' is an Australian-Canadian children's television series developed by Sarah Dodd, based on the books written by Bonnie Bryant. Like the book series, the scripted live action series follows the lives of three best friends in ...

''; and the mini-series '' The Dirtwater Dynasty'', '' Come In Spinner'' and ''

Simone de Beauvoir's Babies ''Simone de Beauvoir's Babies'' is a 1997 Australian television mini-series broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1997. The series comprises four one-hour episodes starring Sally Cooper, Anne Looby, Leverne McDonnell and So ...

''. Her film appearances included roles in ''

Oscar and Lucinda ''Oscar and Lucinda'' is a novel by Australian author Peter Carey which won the 1988 Booker Prize and the 1989 Miles Franklin Award. It was shortlisted for The Best of the Booker. Plot introduction It tells the story of Oscar Hopkins, th ...

'' (1997) and ''

The Interview ''The Interview'' is a 2014 satirical alternate history action-comedy film co-produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following ''This Is the End'' (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Ste ...

'' (1998).Knox, David
Vale: Leverne McDonnell
''TV Tonight'', 25 March 2013. In 2008, McDonnell played the leading role of Detective Inspector Gina Sturrock in the feature film '' Four of a Kind'', a film which she was also the Associate Producer on. McDonnell died on 15 March 2013, aged 49, after a year-long battle with cancer. A documentary about her life and death, called ''All In Her Stride'', was completed in 2014, with McDonnell as a co-producer.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell, Leverne 1963 births 2013 deaths Australian television actresses Australian film actresses National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni Deaths from cancer in Victoria (state) Place of birth missing Place of death missing