She is also a producer, as co-founder and co-owner with her husband Ben Winspear of Archipelago Productions in Hobart, Tasmania.
Early life and education
Dusseldorp is the granddaughter of Dutch-born engineer Dick Dusseldorp, the founder of Lendlease.[1] Her maternal grandfather was Sandy Robertson, a Sydney paediatrician,[2] whose forebears were also medical doctors. Her great-grandfather was one of seven brothers in a family from Dumbarton, on the west coast of Scotland, in which eight of ten sons studied medicine at the University of Glasgow. Dusseldorp was the subject of an episode of the television genealogical documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? that first screened on SBS on 14 May 2019.[3][4]
Dusseldorp played Sam Lawson in the telemovie series BlackJack (2003–2007). In 2011 she played the character of Janet King in the 2011 ABC1 drama series Crownies, her breakout role, which she regarded as "a gift". She reprised the role in the 2014 spin-off Janet King. She played Linda Hillier opposite Guy Pearce in all of the Jack Irish TV series, which ran from 2012[6] to 2021.[10]
She played Sarah Adams in the series A Place to Call Home,[7][11] which was the most-watched drama series in 2013,[6] and ran until 2018.[12]
In 2020, Dusseldorp was announced to appear in Foxtel drama Wentworth in the role of Shelia Bausch.[13]
In 2020, she played the role of Erica Bowden in the film version of the romantic comedy Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt), which the author, Monica Zanetti, wrote based on her own stage play.[14]
Dusseldorp is co-creator and producer of the 2023 comedy series Bay of Fires, also taking a lead role as a wealthy businesswoman, along with a number of other prominent actresses, such as Kerry Fox, Pamela Rabe, and Yael Stone.[15] In 2024 Bay of Fires (TV series) was renewed for a second series.[16] Dusseldorp was also announced as part of the cast for With or Without You.[17]
Dusseldorp and husband Ben Winspear set up their own stage and screen company, Archipelago Productions, after moving to Hobart, Tasmania, in 2018.[19] Archipelago produces films, stage productions, art installations, and music.[20]
In 2022 Düsseldorp was named as a member of the Screen Australia board and its campaign of 'Make It Australian'.[21]
Dusseldorp is married to fellow actor Ben Winspear,[22] and they have two children.[23] Winspear, a NIDA-trained actor, has had a significant career in the theatre, including a stint as resident director of Sydney Theatre Company. He was born in Wagga Wagga but raised in Hobart, and the whole family moved there from Sydney in 2018. He was a stay-at-home parent in 2020.[19]
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