Debra graduated from NIDA in 1977 and has since built a distinguished career across theatre, film and television.

On television, she first came to prominence playing Maggie, Ned Kelly’s sister, in Channel Seven’s The Last Outlaw. She went on to star as Pat in the ABC comedy series The Fast Lane, portrayed Daphne in Prisoner, and became a household name as the beloved foster mother Pippa in the long-running series Home and Away. Debra won widespread acclaim as Rose in Josh Thomas’ Please Like Me, earning the 2015 AACTA Award for Best Performance in a Comedy and the 2017 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress. Her other television credits include Human Error, Class of ’07, Five Bedrooms (Series 3 & 4), I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, Fisk, Neighbours, Get Krack!n (Series 2), Rosehaven (Series 3), True Story With Hamish & Andy, The Doctor Blake Mysteries (Series 4), Wentworth (Series 4), House Husbands (Series 4), and Hell’s Kitchen Australia (which she won, raising $50,000 for Ovarian Cancer Australia).

Her film work includes Silver City, Two Brothers Running with Tom Conti, Evil Angels with Meryl Streep, and the acclaimed The Jammed. Most recently, she appeared in Peter Farrelly’s Ricky Stanicky, alongside John Cena and Zac Efron.

Debra’s stage career is equally accomplished. For Melbourne Theatre Company she has performed in Jack Davis’ The First Born Trilogy (including the London tour of No Sugar), Sylvia, Second Childhood, The Memory of Water, and Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone. Her other notable theatre credits include M’Lynn in the Australian tour of Steel Magnolias, the title role in the national tour of Driving Miss Daisy, Letitia Blacklock in A Murder is Announced, the Ghost of Christmas Past in the Old Vic’s Melbourne seasons of A Christmas Carol, and Professor McGonagall in both the Melbourne and UK productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Awards

Most Outstanding Supporting Actress – Please Like Me, TV Week Logie Awards 2017
Best Performance in a Television Comedy – Please Like Me Series Two, AACTA Awards 2015

Television

SILVER
Role: Denise. Dir: Ben Young. Easy Tiger Productions Pty Ltd / Stan 2024
GOOD COP BAD COP
Role: Patricia. Dir: Various. Jungle Entertainment / Stan 2024
DARBY AND JOAN (Series 2)
Role: Anna Bairnsdale. Dir: Various. CJZ / Acorn Media 2024
I’M A CELEBRITY…GET ME OUT OF HERE!
Herself. Paramount / Ten Network 2023
HUMAN ERROR
Role: Camille.  Dir. Fiona Banks, Roadshow Rough Diamond, Nine Network 2023
FIVE BEDROOMS (Series 4)
Role: Pam Fitzsimons.  Dir. Peter Templeman, Hoodlum / Paramount+ 2023
CLASS OF ’07
Role: Sister Bicky. Dir: Kacie Anning, Matchbox /Amazon 2023
FIVE BEDROOMS (Series 3)
Role: Pam Fitzsimons. Dir: Craig Irvin & Peter Templeman, Hoodlum / Network 10 2022
FISK
Role: May. Dir: Kitty Flanagan & Tom Peterson, Entitled Productions 2020
NEIGHBOURS
Role: Liz Conway. Dir: Various, Network TEN 2018-2019
GET KRACK!N (Series 2)
Role: Tikki Cheeseman. Dir: Hayden Guppy, Get Krack!n Series Two Pty Ltd 2019
ROSEHAVEN (Series 3)
Role: Sandra. Dir: Jonathan Brough & Shaun Wilson, Rosehaven Series 3 P/L 2019
TRUE STORY WITH HAMISH & ANDY (Season 2)
Role: Aunt Beth Dir: Various. True Story Season 2 Pty Ltd 2018
PLAY SCHOOL STORY TIME
Guest Reader / Presenter. Dir: Karin Fitzhardinge, ABC TV 2017
HELL’S KITCHEN AUSTRALIA
Contestant. Seven Network 2017
PLEASE LIKE ME (Series 4)
Role: Rose. Dir: Matthew Saville, Pigeon Fancier / John & Josh Pty Ltd 2016
THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES (Season 4)
Role: Mrs Gilmore. Dir: Fiona Banks, January Productions Pty Ltd 2015
WENTWORTH (Series 4)
Role: Faith Proctor. Dir: Various, Fremantle Media Australia Pty Ltd 2015
PLEASE LIKE ME (Series 3)
Role: Rose. Dir: Matthew Saville, Pigeon Fancier / John & Josh Pty Ltd 2015
HOUSE HUSBANDS (Series 4)
Role: Judge Allison Kummerow. Dir: Various, Playmaker HH4 SPV Pty Ltd 2015
PLEASE LIKE ME (Series 2)
Role: Rose. Dir: Matthew Saville, Pigeon Fancier / John & Josh Pty Ltd 2014
IT’S A DATE
Guest. Dir: Jonathan Brough/ Peter Helliar, Princess Pictures, 2013
PLEASE LIKE ME
Role: Rose. Dir: Matthew Saville, Pigeon Fancier / John & Josh Pty Ltd 2012
MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES
Role: Mrs Mobbs. Dir: David Caesar, ABC TV, 2011
HOME AND AWAY
Role: Pippa Ross. Dir: Various, Seven Network, 2007-2008
BLUE HEELERS
Role: Rev. Grace Curtis. Dir: Various, Seven Network, 2001
HOME AND AWAY
Role: Pippa Ross. Dir: Various, Seven Network, 1990-1998
THE FAST LANE
Role: Pat. Dir: Various, ABC Melbourne, 1985-1987
PRISONER
Role: Daphne Graham. Dir: Various, Grundy TV; 1985
THE LAST OUTLAW
Role: Maggie Kelly. Dir: George Miller and Kevin Dobson, Seven Network; 1980

Film

RICKY STANICKY
Role: Mrs Levine. Dir: Peter Farrelly, Ricky Productions Pty Ltd / Amazon 2023
AND THOUGH THE MUSIC ENDED, WE DANCED ON THROUGH THE NIGHT (Short)
Role: Joanne. Dir: Nick Pollack, Buff Productions 2016
THE DEATH & LIFE OF OTTO BLOOM
Role: Nell Allen. Dir: Cris Jones, Otto Bloom Optimism Film Pty Ltd 2015
THE JAMMED
Role: Dimia Officer. Dir: Dee Maclachlan 2006
TWO BROTHERS RUNNING
Role: Anne. Dir: Ted Robinson 1987
EVIL ANGELS (A Cry In The Dark – Overseas Title)
Role: Sally Lowe. Dir: Fred Schepisi, Evil Angel Films Pty Ltd 1987
SILVER CITY
Role: Helena. Dir: Sophia Turkiewicz Limelight Productions 1983
FLUTE MAN
Role: Sally Cooper. Independent Productions 1982
BEFORE THE LIGHT IS OUT
Role: Carol. SIS Productions 1981

Stage

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD
Role: Professor McGonagall. Dir: John Tiffany, HP West End Ltd 2024-2025
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Role: Ghost of Christmas Past. Dir: Jack Thorne, GWB Entertainment 2023
ESCAPED ALONE
Role: Vi Dir: Anne-Louise Sarks, Melbourne Theatre Company 2023
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Role: Ghost of Christmas Past. Dir: Matthew Warchus, GWB Entertainment 2022
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD
Role: Professor McGonagall/Trolley Witch. Dir: John Tiffany, Michael Cassel Group Pty Ltd 2019
A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED
Role: Letitia Blacklock. Dir: Darren Yap, Australian Tour 2013-2015
DRIVING MISS DAISY
Role: Daisy Werthan. Dir: Dennis Moore, HIT Productions 2010
STEEL MAGNOLIAS
Role: M’Lynn Eatenton. Dir: Darren Yap, Blackbird Productions 2009
QUILTING THE ARMOUR
Role: Ellen Kelly. Glenrowan/Old Melbourne Gaol 2005
MEMORY OF WATER
Role: Vi. Dir: Julian Meyrick, MTC 2004
SYLVIA
Role: Kate. MTC 1998
BROTHERS KARAMAZOV
Role: Katarina. Dir: Bogdan Koca, Thalia 1989
FIRST BORN TRILOGY – NO SUGAR
Role: Secretary-Missionary. Dir: Andrew Ross, Marli Biyol – Tour To London 1988