Danielle Cormack


Danielle Cormack is a New Zealand stage and screen actress. She was one of the original cast members of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her roles as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Bea Smith in Wentworth, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in Legend of the Seeker. Other works include the 2009 film, Separation City, and the Australian series Rake.

Acting career

Danielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She portrayed notorious Sydney underworld figure Kate Leigh in Underbelly: Razor, and doctor Rory Finch in Jack Irish.
In 2012 Cormack was announced as Bea Smith in the Foxtel prison drama Wentworth when the series had first gone into production for four years, before leaving the show in 2016. The role of Bea Smith was originally played by Val Lehman. in Prisoner. Cormack has since appeared regularly at Wentworth-related events in the US and the UK, and hosted the 2023 New Jersey Event.
In 2022, Cormack narrated the SBS documentary series Life on the Outside, which showed what life is like for newly released prison inmates.
In 2023 she appeared in Erotic Stories on SBS Television. In the same year, she was named as part of the cast for New Zealand dramedy series Madam. Cormack was also named in the cast for Stan Australia drama Year Of.
She served as executive producer for the short film Oi. On 8 December 2024, Cormack was announced in the cast for series 3 of Foxtel legal drama The Twelve.
Cormack, alongside Wentworth cast member Nicole da Silva, started the production company Four One One, and together they produced their first play Whose Afraid in 2022. Cormack and da Silva in 2023 directed the short film Why We Fight. Why We Fight was nominated for an AACTA award for Short Film.
On 17 April 2025, Cormack was named as part of the extended cast for series two of Return to Paradise. On 16 September 2025, Foxtel announced a documentary for the late Brian Walsh with Cormack announced as one of many guests.

Other activities

In 2018, Cormack, while working alongside aid agency ChildFund, helped build a water tank that would supply villages in Uganda.
Cormack went to provide humanitarian aid to children in Ukraine after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Cormack is an ambassador for SHINE for Kids.

Personal life

Cormack was in a relationship with Pana Hema Taylor from 2009 until 2013. She has two children: one with Taylor, and one from a previous relationship.
In an interview with LOTL magazine in 2016, Cormack said that she had had long-term relationships with both men and women, and indicated that she prefers to avoid applying labels to patterns of sexuality.
Cormack is an avid motorbike fan and often goes on motorbike rides to manage stress.

Filmography

Film

Television

Other appearances

Theatre

Awards

YearAwardCategoryProductionResult
1997New Zealand Film and TV AwardsBest ActressTopless Women Talk About Their LivesWon
1999New Zealand Film and TV AwardsBest ActressChannelling BabyNomitated
2000New Zealand Film and TV AwardsBest ActressThe Price of MilkNomitated
2000Fantasporto International Film FestivalBest ActressSiam SunsetWon
2005Drifting Cloud International Film FestivalBest PerformanceTogetherWon
2006TV Guide Best on the Box People's Choice AwardsBest ActressMaddigan's QuestNomitated
200648 Hour Film FestivalBest Manic PerformanceMirageWon
2006Richmond Road Short Film FestivalBest Performance FemaleTogetherWon
2009Aotearoa Film & Television AwardsBest Lead Actress in a Feature FilmSeparation CityNomitated
2010Qantas Television AwardsBest Performance by Actress in General TelevisionThe CultWon
2011Equity AwardsBest Ensemble CastRakeWon
2012Logie AwardMost Popular ActressUnderbelly: Razor & East West 101Nomitated
2014Logie AwardOutstanding ActressWentworthNomitated
2014Logie AwardsMost Outstanding Drama SeriesWentworthNomitated
2014Logie AwardsMost Outstanding ActressWentworthNomitated
2015ASTRA AwardMost Outstanding Female ActorWentworthWon
2015AACTA AwardBest Lead Actress in a DramaWentworthNomitated
2015Logie AwardMost Outstanding ActressWentworthWon
2015Logie AwardMost Outstanding Drama SeriesWentworthWon
2016AACTA AwardBest Actress in a DramaWentworthNomitated
2016Logie AwardMost Outstanding Drama SeriesWentworthNomitated
2017Logie AwardMost Outstanding ActressWentworth
2017Logie AwardMost Outstanding Drama SeriesWentworth