{{short description|New Zealand actress (born 1987)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Fern Sutherland | image = | image_size = 150px | caption = Fern Sutherland in 2014 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|10|17|df=yes}} | birth_place = New Plymouth, New Zealand | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 2006 – present | alma_mater = Unitec Institute of Technology (BFA)<ref>{{cite web |title=Fern Sutherland Actor Profile |url=https://johnsonlaird.com/our-actors/Fern-Sutherland |website=johnsonlaird.com |publisher=Johnson & Laird Management |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref> | spouse = | partner = Jarrod Kilner (2008–2022) | website = }}
'''Fern Sutherland''' (born 17 October 1987)<ref>{{cite web |title=Fern Sutherland - Biography |url=https://elcinema.com/en/person/2217088/ |website=ElCinema.com |publisher=Damlag SAE |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref> is a New Zealand actress, best known for her roles as Dawn in ''The Almighty Johnsons'',<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|title=The Almighty Johnsons (2011– )|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1752076/|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=29 September 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918230203/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1752076/|archivedate=18 September 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and Detective Sims in ''The Brokenwood Mysteries''.
==Career== Starting her career as a lead artiste in short films produced by the UNITEC Performing Arts School, Sutherland pursued her acting work in theatre shows like Silo Theatre's Ensemble Project 08, the Auckland Theatre Company’s ''The Pohutakawa Tree'' (2009) and ''The End of the Golden Weather'' (2011), among others. Later, she ventured into television plays for South Pacific Pictures, doing small roles in ''Go Girls'' and ''The Almighty Johnsons''.<ref name="dawn">{{cite web|title=DAWN (Fern Sutherland)|url=http://www.tv3.co.nz/DAWN-Fern-Sutherland/tabid/1635/articleID/75709/Default.aspx|publisher=tv3.co.nz|accessdate=29 September 2013}}</ref> Most recently Sutherland has shared top billing in the series ''The Brokenwood Mysteries''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Weekes |first1=John|date=19 April 2014|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11241121|title=Almighty Johnsons star in murder mystery|work=The New Zealand Herald|accessdate=27 November 2023}}</ref>
She has said of herself, "I get extreme stage fright and really bad anxiety, so by rights acting is probably the worst career choice for me, but the truth is I really love being able to create and bring characters to life."<ref name=taryn>{{cite web|last=Utiger|first=Taryn|title=Almighty local love triangle|date=23 July 2013|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/entertainment/8951301/Almighty-local-love-triangle|publisher=stuff.com.nz|accessdate=29 September 2013}}</ref>
Sutherland received a nomination for best supporting actress at the 2011 Aotearoa Film and Television Awards (AFTAs) for her role in ''The Almighty Johnsons''.<ref name="dawn"/>
Her partner from 2008 to 2022 was Jarrod Kilner.<ref>{{cite web |last1=van der Zwan |first1=Sebastian|date=21 October 2015|title=Fern Sutherland faces her fears |url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/fern-faces-her-fears-20436/ |website=nowtolove.co.nz |publisher=Are Media Pty Ltd / Woman's Day |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Brokenwood's Fern I've Fallen in Love All Over Again|date=14 June 2021|url=https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/womans-day-nz/20210614/282102049615577 |via=PressReader |publisher=Woman's Day via PressReader |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=split/> She moved to Canada at the end of 2018 with Kilner, before returning to New Zealand in 2020 to ensure she could continue filming for ''The Brokenwood Mysteries'' without disruption from COVID-19 border closures.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Prebble |first1=Amy|date=19 November 2018|website=nowtolove.co.nz |publisher=Are Media Pty Ltd / Woman's Day|url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/health/body/fern-sutherland-brokenwood-mysteries-canada-health-scare-39775|title=The health scare that sent Brokenwood Mysteries actress Fern Sutherland to Canada for respite}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brokenwood's Fern ‘I'VE FALLEN IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN!' |url=https://www.magzter.com/stories/Womens-Interest/Womans-Day-Magazine-NZ/Brokenwoods-Fern-IVE-FALLEN-IN-LOVE-ALL-OVER-AGAIN |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=www.magzter.com |language=en}}</ref> After the end of her relationship with Kilner, she has split her time between New Zealand and Thailand, where she spends months at a time practicing Muay Thai in Phuket.<ref name=split>{{Cite web |last=Clifton |first=Emma |date=28 March 2024|title=Actress Fern Sutherland on Muay Thai boxing and her new movie |url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/fern-sutherland-muay-thai/ |access-date=1 July 2024 |website=Now to Love - New Zealand |publisher=Are Media Pty Ltd / Woman's Day|language=en-AU}}</ref>
==Film== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year || Title || Role || class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2006 || ''A Book By Its Cover''<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sutherland|first1=Fern|title=Filmography|url=http://www.actors.co.nz/download/Fern-Sutherland|website=actors.co.nz|accessdate=24 September 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924140015/http://www.actors.co.nz/download/Fern-Sutherland|archivedate=24 September 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> || Lead || Dir: Campbell Rousselle |- | 2007 || ''Trash'' || ''Poppy'' || Dir: John Callen |- | 2010 || ''Thud'' || Nurse|| Dir: Nick Graham |- | 2024 || ''The Mountain'' || Wendy || Dir: Rachel House |- | 2024 || ''A Mistake'' || Jessica || Dir: Christine Jeffs |}
==Television== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year || Title || Role || class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2010 || ''Go Girls'' || Drunk Girl #3 || "Boys Behaving Badly" (S02E09) |- |2011-2013 || ''The Almighty Johnsons'' || Dawn || Series regular |- |2014–present || ''The Brokenwood Mysteries'' || Detective Kristin Sims || Main role |- |2025 || ''My Life is Murder'' || Louise || S05E07, S05E08 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=4143069|name=Fern Sutherland}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|celebrity/fern_sutherland}} * {{TV Guide person|3000843853}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland, Fern}} Category:Living people Category:New Zealand film actresses Category:New Zealand television actresses Category:1987 births Category:21st-century New Zealand actresses