{{Short description|New Zealand actress}} {{about||the Australian field hockey player|Alison Bruce (field hockey)|the British physicist|Alison Bruce (physicist)}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=December 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Alison Bruce | image = Alison Bruce on The Cafe.jpg | imagesize = | alt = | caption = Bruce in 2018 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Tanzania, Africa | death_date = | death_place = | othername = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1986–present | spouse = | domesticpartner = | website = }}
'''Alison Bruce''' is a New Zealand television and film actress, who starred in the 2001 feature film ''Magik and Rose''. She also appeared in the teen series ''Being Eve'' and ''Xena: Warrior Princess'', and had a recurring role as Simula in ''Young Hercules''.
== Early life and education == Bruce was born in Tanzania to a Scottish father and an English mother. Her family moved to New Zealand when she was around eight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/alison-bruce?tab=biography |title=Alison Bruce |publisher=NZOnScreen.com |date=December 2011 |accessdate=2 April 2012}}</ref>
She trained at Auckland's Theatre Corporate in the early 1980s.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}
== Career == Bruce soon began a busy acting career with stage roles that include starring in ''Hamlet'' (as Ophelia) and ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (as Roxane).{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}
She made her screen debut in the 1984 teleplay ''The Minders''. Since then she has acted in more than 30 screen roles, including sizeable parts in two feature films: the 1990 chase comedy ''User Friendly'', in which her character steals a keenly-sought dog statue from a crazed former boss; and 2001 feature ''Magik and Rose'', which Bruce later described as a turning point in terms of the type of roles she is offered.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://screentalk.nzonscreen.com/interviews/alison-bruce-on-being-eve-and-agnetha |title=Alison Bruce: on Being Eve, Hercules and Agnetha |publisher=NZOnScreen.com |date=February 2011 |accessdate=2 April 2012 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084635/http://screentalk.nzonscreen.com/interviews/alison-bruce-on-being-eve-and-agnetha |url-status=dead }}</ref> The comedy-drama saw Bruce playing Magik, a fortune-teller who arrives in a Kiwi town in a house-truck, seeking the daughter she gave up for adoption many years before.
Bruce also acted in the based-on-a-true-story feature ''The World's Fastest Indian'' (as a doctor) and the short film ''Mon Desir'', which was selected to play in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}
===Television=== Bruce's television roles include the eccentric mother of Eve, the main character in award-winning series ''Being Eve'', and the hospital personal assistant who falls pregnant in ''Mercy Peak''. The latter part would win Bruce two consecutive New Zealand television awards for best supporting actor. She also had a number of small roles on the ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' and ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' franchise, including playing an Amazon Queen (Queen Melosa). Bruce enjoyed the chance to take part in fight scenes, and "do all this stuff you normally don't get to do in television".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.whoosh.org/issue20/ibruce1.html |title=An Interview with Alison Bruce |publisher=Whoosh.org |date=May 1998 |accessdate=2 April 2012}}</ref>
Bruce played estranged mother to a family of gods in the first two seasons (2010–2011) of the television series ''The Almighty Johnsons'', and worked with New Zealand director Jane Campion on the 2012 series ''Top of the Lake''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top of the Lake |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103085/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_4_q_top%2520of%2520the%2520lake |publisher=IMDb}}</ref>
==Personal life == Bruce's long-term partner is casting director and actor Neill Rea. {{as of|2022}} they were living in central Auckland.<ref>{{cite web | last=Klein-Nixon | first=Kylie | title=Why Brokenwood star Neill Rea 'hates ceramics and ceramicists' | website=Stuff | date=4 June 2022 | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/celebrity-homes/128683716/why-brokenwood-star-neill-rea-hates-ceramics-and-ceramicists | access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1990 |''User Friendly'' |Augusta | |- |1990 |''{{sortname|An|Angel at My Table}}'' |Dora | |- |1991 |''{{sortname|The|End of the Golden Weather}}'' |Auntie Kass | |- |1991 |''Old Scores'' |Ngaire Morgan | |- |1991 |''Mon Desir'' | |Short |- |1992 |''Alex'' |Female Journo | |- |1999 |''Willy Nilly'' |Carol |Short |- |2001 |''Magik and Rose'' |Magik | |- |2003 |''Sylvia'' |Elizabeth | |- |2004 |''Spooked'' |Sheila Miller | |- |2004 |''As Dreams Are Made On'' |Ruth |Short |- |2005 |''{{sortname|The|World's Fastest Indian}}'' |Doctor | |- |2005 |''Us'' |Woman |Short |- |2006 |''Perfect Creature'' |TV Presenter | |- |2007 |''{{sortname|The|Tattooist}}'' |Charge Nurse | |- |2012 |''Dotty'' |Carol |Short |- |2017 |''{{sortname|The|Pact|nolink=1}}'' |Sandra |Short |- |2018 |''Sail Away'' |Margaret |Short, completed |- |2024 |''Tinā''<ref>{{cite web |title=Tinā |url=https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/tin |publisher=New Zealand Film Commission |access-date=25 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314233921/https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/tin |archive-date=14 March 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> |Caroline |Feature film |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1986 |''Heroes'' |Glenda |"2.2" |- |1987 |''Adventurer'' |Sovay Banks |"Sovay, Parts 1 & 2" |- |1990 |''Shark in the Park'' |Christina Long |"Fall from Grace" |- |1990 |''Star Runner'' | |TV film |- |1993 |''{{sortname|The|Rainbow Warrior|The Rainbow Warrior (film)}}'' |Leslie Holbrook |TV film |- |1994 |''Coverstory'' |Karen Parker |TV film |- |1995 |''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' |Postera |"Gladiator" |- |1995 |''Xena: Warrior Princess'' |Queen Melosa |"Hooves and Harlots" |- |1998 |''City Life'' |Katherine Dwyer |"1.15", "1.24" |- |1998 |''Shortland Street'' |Danni Brown / Lindsay Maguire |TV series |- |1998 |''{{sortname|The|Chosen|nolink=1}}'' |Denise |TV film |- |1998–99 |''Young Hercules'' |Simula |Recurring role |- |1999 |''Xena: Warrior Princess'' |Talia |"Animal Attraction" |- |2000 |''Xena: Warrior Princess'' |Kahina |"Legacy" |- |2001–02 |''Mercy Peak'' |Louise Duval |Main role |- |2001–02 |''Being Eve'' |Vivienne Baxter |Main role |- |2006 |''Maddigan's Quest'' |Witch-Finder |"Witch-Finder" |- |2007 |''Reckless Behavior: Caught on Tape'' |Grace Leister |TV film |- |2009 |''Life's a Riot'' |Nell Edmonds |TV film |- |2010 |''Legend of the Seeker'' |Sister Verna |Recurring role |- |2010 |''This Is Not My Life'' |Jude |Recurring role |- |2010 |''Avalon High'' |Coach Miganov |TV film |- |2011–12 |''{{sortname|The|Almighty Johnsons}}'' |Agnetha |Recurring role |- |2013 |''Top of the Lake'' |Anne-Marie |Recurring role |- |2014 |''{{sortname|The|Kick|nolink=1}}'' |Sheryll Donald |TV film |- |2016 |''Hillary'' |Phyllis Rose |TV series |- |2016 |''Dirty Laundry'' |Delia |TV series |- |2018 |''The Brokenwood Mysteries'' |Fiona |"The Dark Angel" |- |2019–present |''{{sortname|The|Gulf|The Gulf (TV series)}}'' |Sen. Sgt. Denise Abernethy |TV series |- |2019–20 |''Golden Boy'' |Susan |TV series, 16 episodes, 2 seasons |- |2020 |''The Wilds'' |Coach Ellen Rose |TV series |- |2020 |''One Lane Bridge'' |Lois Tremaine |TV series |- |2020 |''Mystic'' |Julia |TV series |}
== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Association ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |- |2000 |New Zealand Film and TV Awards |Best Actress |''Magik and Rose'' |{{nom}} |- |2002 |New Zealand Film and TV Awards |Best Supporting Actress |''Mercy Peak'' |{{won}} |- |2005 |Gemini Awards |Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Segment |''ZeD'', "Pumpkin Boats" |{{nom}} |- |2006 |New Zealand Screen Awards |Best Performance in a Short Film |''Us'' |{{won}} |- |2010 |New Zealand Film and TV Awards |Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film |''Life's a Riot'' |{{nom}} |}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0115410}} * ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20021019085753/http://www.fansites.com/alison_bruce.html Alison Bruce FanSite]'' * ''[http://www.whoosh.org/issue20/ibruce1.html An interview with Alison Bruce]''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Alison}} Category:Living people Category:New Zealand film actresses Category:New Zealand television actresses Category:New Zealand people of English descent Category:New Zealand people of Scottish descent Category:Actresses from Auckland Category:20th-century New Zealand actresses Category:21st-century New Zealand actresses Category:Year of birth missing (living people)