Vanessa Stacey (born 7 August 1978) is a New Zealand
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
,
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
and
stage actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...
,
musician
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
,
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
,
producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
,
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
,
singer, songwriter and
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
. Well known as
Alice
Alice may refer to:
* Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname
Literature
* Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll
* ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...
in the New Zealand cult science fiction series ''
The Tribe''
and as
Brenda Blue in the British children's television show ''
Jay Jay the Jet Plane
''Jay Jay the Jet Plane'' is an American live-action/CGI-animated musical children's television series which aired on The Learning Channel, PBS Kids, TBN and Smile. The series aired for a total of 4 seasons and has 62 episodes. The series is cen ...
'', she also had roles in the first and third parts of ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' (''
The Fellowship of the Ring
''The Fellowship of the Ring'' is the first of three volumes of the epic novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It is followed by ''The Two Towers'' and ''The Return of the King''. It takes place in the fiction ...
'' and ''
The Return of the King
''The Return of the King'' is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', following ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and ''The Two Towers''. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, whi ...
''), ''
Outrageous Fortune'', ''
Out of the Blue'', ''
Woodville'', and ''
How to Murder Wife''.
Biography
Vanessa Stacey was born in
Invercargill, New Zealand
Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...
. At the age of 7, she and her older brother Martin appeared as
film extras with her father, a stuntman, in the 1986 post-apocalyptic film ''
Battle Truck'' and the 1988 fantasy-adventure film ''
Willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
''.
She became involved with community theatre groups, debating teams and theatre sports groups during high school as well as performing in a number of school choirs. Stacey also joined her first band during this time, recording several
cover songs
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...
, and began performing at local nightclubs the following year.
After her graduation, Stacey became a hairdresser at ''Ali Barbers'' and eventually started her own salon, ''Absolutely Fabulous Hair Design'', in 1996. That same year, she joined Hagley Theatre Company where she remained a regular cast member for over two years and acted in various stage productions including ''
Charlotte's Web
''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams; it was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his ...
'',
''
Animal Farm
''Animal Farm'' is a beast fable, in the form of satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to crea ...
'' and ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
''. Appearing in Films''
Heavenly Creatures
''Heavenly Creatures'' is a 1994 New Zealand biographical psychological drama film directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his partner, Fran Walsh, and starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in their feature film debuts ...
'' (1994) and ''
The Frighteners
''The Frighteners'' is a 1996 supernatural comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey ...
'' (1996)
during this time, she decided to become a full-time actress and closed her salon after 8 months.
Stacey attended Christchurch Jazz School gaining a certificate in jazz theory and performance.
before moving to
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
in 1998. Within three weeks, she appeared in one of the leading roles in ''The Young And Hungry Festival'' giving the freelance actress her first breakout role. Stacey attended the
Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School receiving a diploma in
directing performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
Stacey then wrote and directed the one-act play, ''Work in Progress'',
which ran for three seasons. She spent the next year or so performing in the Wellington-area, including guest starring on the comedy television show ''
Pulp Comedy
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
...
'', before she was cast with
Jennyfer Jewell (''
Ellie
Ellie, or Elly, is a given name, usually feminine. The name stands on its own or can be a shortened form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular Eleanor or Elizabeth and Elvira. It can also be a short fo ...
'') as ''
Alice
Alice may refer to:
* Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname
Literature
* Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll
* ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...
'' in the long-running teen drama series ''
The Tribe''. Although the two were initially brought in for a one-time appearance, the characters proved so popular that Cloud 9 brought them back as regular cast members during the second and third seasons. Stacy's appearance in particular, according to a viewer pool by
Channel 5, the episode was the highest ever received for a guest star. In 2001, she and other cast members performing on the spin-off album ''
Abe Messiah'', providing backup vocals for ''"Banging The Drum"'' and ''"Beep Beep"''.
On 14 April 2001, Stacey also made a special appearance on Channel 5's teen block ''The Core'' as part of a ''Tribe'' promotional tour in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. Her appearance led to several other appearances on Channel 5 including hosting the ''Channel 5 Road Show'' in the summer of that year in which she performed an 8-minute stand up comedy routine. However, Stacy before more recognizable as ''
Brenda Blue'' in the children's television show ''
Jay Jay the Jet Plane
''Jay Jay the Jet Plane'' is an American live-action/CGI-animated musical children's television series which aired on The Learning Channel, PBS Kids, TBN and Smile. The series aired for a total of 4 seasons and has 62 episodes. The series is cen ...
'' in which she played Brenda Blue a lady who kept and maintained the working of her jet planes.
While in London, she was also involved in '
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' providing the
voiceover
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
for one of the
hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''. She also filmed a number of scenes for the film, most notably appearing as one of the guest hobbits at the 111th Birthday party of hobbit
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the title character and protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', a supporting character in ''The Lord of the Rings'', and the fictional narrator (along with Frodo Baggins) of many of Tolkien's Middle-eart ...
, although her scenes were cut from the final film. In December 2001, she attended the London premiere of ''Fellowship of the Rings'' with
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003) and '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012).
Wood ...
,
Liv Tyler
Liv Rundgren Tyler (born Liv Rundgren; July 1, 1977) is an American actress, producer, singer and former model. She began a modeling career at age 14. She later decided to focus on acting and made her film debut in ''Silent Fall'' (1994); she ...
,
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001), ''The Two Towers'' (2002), a ...
and
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
. She later appeared on screen as a minor character in a scene with
Frodo
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, and one of the protagonists in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarly as "u ...
in the third and final part of the series ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''.
Stacey spent the next two years teaching music and drama
and working part-time as a hairdresser while in London. She also directed several television programs for Channel 5 and the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
before returning to New Zealand in late 2004.
She and several other former cast members returned for the season five finale, but the show was canceled before the sixth season began filming. Following the show's cancellation, she was involved in the spin-off series ''
The New Tomorrow
''The New Tomorrow'' is a New Zealand-based Television program, television series produced by Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group in association with Channel 5 (British TV channel), Channel 5 and is a sequel to the series ''The Tribe (1999 TV se ...
'' as acting and
voice coach
Voice therapy consists of techniques and procedures that target vocal parameters, such as vocal fold closure, pitch, volume, and quality. This therapy is provided by speech-language pathologists and is primarily used to aid in the management of v ...
. Former cast member
Caleb Ross
Caleb Ross (born 10 December 1981) is a New Zealand film and television actor best known for his role as Lex in the cult science fiction television series '' The Tribe''. In 1998, he played Logan Patterson on ''Shortland Street''. Throughout th ...
(''
Lex
Lex or LEX may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lex'', a daily featured column in the ''Financial Times''
Games
* Lex, the mascot of the word-forming puzzle video game ''Bookworm''
* Lex, the protagonist of the word-forming puzzle video ga ...
'') also worked as a
foley artist
In filmmaking, Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to films, videos, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These reproduced sounds, named after sound-effects artist Jack Foley, can be anythi ...
on the show.
In 2005, Stacy had a guest appearance in the ''
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
''
television miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
and, the next year, appeared in a supporting role in
Robert Sarkies
Robert Sarkies (born 6 March 1967) is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter.
Sarkies grew up in the South Island city of Dunedin. He attended Kaikorai Valley College. His three feature films to date have been set in Dunedin, or in the lowe ...
's drama ''
Out of the Blue''.
2006 to 2021 Actor/Director include: Shortland St, Outrageous Fortune, Out of the Blue, Aftershock,
Girls V's Boys, Woodville, How to Murder Your Wife, Wellington Paranormal, Cousins, Under The Vines,
Toured her third play a solo called 'Postmortem' and Directed several theatre productions including 'The Tempest'
2017 She is currently a singer of the group's Chocolate Box, The Bones, Double Trouble, Los Helios and Vanessa Stacey and The Shuffle. She also tutor's the Screen Acting class at the National Youth Drama School of New Zealand, also referred to as NYDS and Creative Processes at Massey University where she has held two Artist Residencies
Music Releases include:
2016 Released two singles "Monster" and "Seeds" with Twig Pigeon
2017 Released singles "Stood Still live acoustic" and " Stood Still Feat: Chris Ck and her band The Shuffle
2019 Released single "Will We Learn
2019 Released single "Chemistry" with Twig Pigeon
2020 Released single Call
2020 Featured on Fun and Funner album
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stacey, Vanessa
1979 births
Living people
New Zealand stage actresses
New Zealand television actresses
sv:Vanessa Stacey