Merridy Eastman

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BiographyMerridy Eastman is an Australian actress and writer. After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Eastman became a presenter on the children's television series Play School from 1985 until 1989. She also made guest appearances in A Country Practice and Halifax f.p., as well as the television film Baby Bath Massacre. In 1995, she had a recurring role in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Judy Bergman, who has a brief romance with Brett Stark (Brett Blewitt). The following year, she became a cast member on the comedy series The Glynn Nicholas Show. In 2001, she starred in the short-lived sitcom Flat Chat, and joined the main cast of the drama comedy series Always Greener as Eileen Unn, a role she played until 2003. From 2011 until 2013, she played Donna Mackey in Packed to the Rafters. She later reprised the role for the 2021 revival series Back to the Rafters.

Eastman is also known for her extensive stage work. At one point she worked every year on the stage for a decade. Her early appearances include productions of The Rover and This Old Man Comes Rolling Home. In 1991, she played Jackie in the first Melbourne production of Hay Fever for 25 years. Her role as Helena in an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream led Eastman to say that she was finally being used to her full ability after a series of smaller roles. In 1996, she received a nomination for Best Female Supporting Actor in a Drama at the Green Room Awards for her performance in Hannie Rayson's Competitive Tenderness. Other roles include Cynthia in The Real Inspector Hound and Dotty Otley in Noises Off. Following a twelve year break, Eastman starred in A History of Falling Things at the Ensemble Theatre. Her appearance in the black comedy Hand to God earned her the Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production accolade at the 2022 Sydney Theatre Awards.

In addition to her stage and screen work, Eastman is the author of four autobiographical novels, which tell the story of her time working as a reception in a Sydney brothel, how she met her husband, and her time living in Bavaria. She is also a contributing writer to two anthologies and the book of Australian musical comedy Breast Wishes.

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