Melita Jurisic is an Australian actress.

Jurisic was born in Croatia and migrated to Australia with her family at age five. She began her career as part of the Lighthouse Company (Playhouse) in Adelaide.

Career

Screen, stage and music Jurisic's screen roles include a lead (as Dr. Eva) in the ABC TV series Something in the Air, playing the title character in the 1987 film The Tale of Ruby Rose, the 1986 TV movie Hunger, Croatian film Transatlantik in 1998, 1997's The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Mad Max: Fury Road Bordertown and The Petrov Affair. She is also known for her role as Dr. Magda in the television series The Flying Doctors.

Her stage roles are numerous, and include Macbeth with the Sydney Theatre Company in 2014, I Am A Miracle at the Malthouse in 2015 and Three Sisters at the Sydney Opera House in 2001. Internationally she appeared in a number of Barrie Kosky's productions at Schauspielhaus Wien in Vienna, Austria, including Medea.

Jurisic is also the singer and songwriter of Viennese band Metalycée. Their first album "It Is Not" was voted one of the ten best Austrian albums of the decade.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1986 Hunger Ileana Radulesco TV movie 1986 Twelfth Night Part Guest Feature film 1987 The Tale of Ruby Rose Ruby Rose Feature film 1991 A Woman's Tale Judy (voice) Feature film 1991 Get Real Ms.Perkins Short film 1993 Dead Water Sally Lucena Short film 1994 45 Dollars an Hour Helen Short film 1995 Fishing Torturer Short film 1995 One Such Night Cleo Short film 1997 The Sound of One Hand Clapping Maria Buloh Feature film 1998 I, Eugenia Annie Birkett Short film 1998 Transatlantik Zorka Feature film (Croatia) 2003 Einstein's Wife Mileva Einstein (voice) TV movie 2011 Kotlovina Mimi Feature film (Croatia) 2012 Dead Europe Maria Feature film 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road The Vuvalini Feature film 2018 Murer – Anatomy of a Trial Rosa Segev Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1981 I Can Jump Puddles Violet TV miniseries, 1 episode 1986 The Fast Lane Maria TV series, 1 episode 1986 Pokerface Lou TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1986 Land of Hope Kathleen Quinn TV miniseries 1990 The Flying Doctors Dr Magda TV series, 15 episodes 1995 Bordertown Adrianna Leeuwen TV miniseries, 10 episodes 1996 Mercury Mrs Sumic TV series, 1 episode 1997 The Petrov Affair Nina Morozova TV miniseries, 2 episodes 2000–02 Something in the Air Dr Eva Petrovska TV series, 148 episodes 2001 Blue Heelers Paula Stanford TV series, 1 episode 2008 Kosovo Narrator 2010 Mother Teresa - Saint of Darkness Mother Teresa (voice)

Stage Year Title Role Type Lovers Mag Actors Theatre Don Juan Charlotte Actors Theatre Jack the Ripper Polly Actors Theatre, Melbourne Only an Orphan Girl Femme Fatale Actors Theatre, Melbourne The Roundsman Policewoman Actors Theatre, Melbourne Gigi Gigi Actors Theatre, Melbourne Fat King Melon Princess Caraway Actors Theatre, Melbourne The Adventures of a Bear Called Paddington Judy Brown Tour with Actors Theatre, Melbourne Images Emily Brontë Actors Theatre, Melbourne Schweik in the Second World War Anna Actors Theatre, Melbourne 1979 Once a Catholic Mary Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company 1982 Mother Courage and Her Children Kattrin Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1982 Silver Lining Yanova Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1982 The Prince of Homburg Princess Natalia Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1982 Royal Show Rebecca / IIvory / Faustine / Mrs Macpherson / Horsewoman Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1982–83 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Playhouse, Adelaide, Keith Michell Theatre with STCSA 1983 Twelfth Night Lady-In-Waiting / various Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1983 Blood Wedding The Bride Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1983–84 Netherwood Police Woman / Rhonda Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, Seymour Centre 1983 The Marriage of Figaro Fanchette Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1983 Pal Joey Linda English Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1983 The Blind Giant Is Dancing Janice Lang / Robin Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1983 Sunrise Eva Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1984 The Women of March the First Gesia Nimrod Downstairs Theatre 1985, 1987 The Golden Age Betsheb Studio Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company, Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company 1985 A Spring Song Kerry Dennison Studio Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company 1986 If Winter Comes Ilona Church Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Contemporary Theatre Company 1987 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Emilie Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company 1988 My Sister in This House Isabelle Seymour Centre 1988 Capricornia Christobel / Opal / Rhonda Belvoir Street Theatre, Parramatta Cultural Centre, Darwin Performing Arts Centre, Canberra Theatre, World Expo 88 Brisbane 1989 A Doll’s House Nora Ensemble Theatre 1989 Picnic with Fatima Fatima Universal Theatre, Melbourne with Wintercourt Productions 1989 Nice Girls Lizzy Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Monash University, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Playbox Theatre Company 1989 Hedda Gabler Thea Elvsted Playhouse Adelaide with STCSA 1990 Danny and the Deep Blue Sea Roberta Universal Two, Melbourne with Wintercourt Productions & Biartisan Productions 1991 Mad Forest Angel / Doctor / Student / Dog / Toma / Rodica / Bogdan's Old Aunt Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company 1991 Uncle Vanya Sonya Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company 1991 Bali: Adat Bijang Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company for Melbourne International Arts Festival 1992 Quartet Marquise de Merteuil Goethe Institut, Malthouse Theatre, University of Adelaide for Adelaide Festival with Playbox Theatre Company 1992 The Crimson Island Adelaide Karpovna / Betsy Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Royalty Theatre, Adelaide for Adelaide Festival 1992 The Idiot Lebedev / Mrs Yepanchin / Mrs Ivolgin Theatre Works, Melbourne 1992 Life is a Dream Rosura West Melbourne Gasworks with Anthill Theatre, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival 1993 Agamemnon: Dawn of the Darkness Clytemnestra IRAA Theatre, Melbourne 1993 Viva La Vida: Frida Kahlo European Frida West Melbourne Gasworks with Handspan Theatre 1993 Mother Courage and her Children Kattrin West Melbourne Gasworks with Anthill Theatre Company 1993 Faust Gretchen / Helen of Troy Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company 1993–94 King Lear Cordelia / Oswald Malthouse Theatre, Tokyo Globe Theatre, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya, Japan, Seoul Arts Center, South Korea, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Canberra Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company 1994 Woyzeck a Good Murder, A Real Murder Marie Malthouse Theatre with IRAA Theatre, Melbourne for Castlemaine Festival 1994 Big Hair in America Wanda Wal Cherry Play of the Year '94 1994 Young Playwrights Festival Anthill Theatre Company with Melbourne Theatre Company for Next Wave Festival 1994 On the North Diversion Road Woman Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company for Melbourne International Arts Festival 1995 The Ham Funeral Budinskis Theatre of Exile, Melbourne 1996 The Blue Hour Grandmother Odeon Theatre, Adelaide with IRAA Theatre, Melbourne for Adelaide Festival 1996 A Cheery Soul Maid / Young Mrs Lillie / Mrs Wakeman Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company 1996 The Blue Hour Grandmother IRAA Theatre, Melbourne, Adelaide Festival 1996 Solitary Animals Boyana Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company 1997 Intimate Letters Kamila Stösslová / Narrator Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne with Musica Viva 1997 Dock 39 Theatre Works, Melbourne 1997 Tartuffe Elmire Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company 1998 Mourning Becomes Electra Lavinia Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company 1998 King Lear Goneril Playhouse, Canberra, Melbourne Athenaeum, Playhouse, QPAC Brisbane, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare 1999 Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee Angelica / Anne / Christine / Woman Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company 1999 The Dogs Play: And A Few Roos Loose in the Top Paddock Ruby / Jenna Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company 1999 The Lover / The Collection Sarah / Stella Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company 1999 The Language of the Gods Eva de Ven Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company 2001 Medea Medea Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria 2001 Three Sisters Olga Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company 2001 This Hospital is My Country Elena DeckChair Theatre, Perth 2002 Dafke!! (Part 1 of Jewtopia-Trilogie) Girl with Broken Neck Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, for Vienna Festival 2002 Macbeth Macbeth Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria 2003 1975: A Populist Opera Paula Risic North Melbourne Town Hall with Melbourne Workers Theatre 2003 Falling Petals Sarah Godden / Mrs. Woods / Gayle / Marg / Mrs. Lawrence Malthouse Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company 2003–04 The Lost Breath (aka Der verlorene Atem (Part 2 of Jewtopia-Trilogie) The Other Woman Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Melbourne Athenaeum with Melbourne International Arts Festival 2004 Kasimir + Karoline Erna Perchtoldsdorf Summer Festival, Austria 2003, 2007 Poppea Poppea Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Berliner Ensemble 2004, Edinburgh Festival 2004 Wiener Lächelin Widow Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Komische Oper Berlin 2005 Das Schloss (Part 3 of Jewtopia-Trilogie) Blaubart Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria 2005 The Tales of Hoffmann (aka Hoffmanns Erzählungen) Spalanzani / Shlemihl Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg 2006 Interpretationache 06 Graz Literature Festival, Austria 2006 The Caucasian Chalk Circle 11 roles Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria / Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg 2006 1975 - A Love Story Paula Brisbane 2007 The Ubu-Complex Alfred Jarry Vienna Schauspielhaus, Austria 2007 The Family Table III Self Vienna Festival, Austria 2007 Nach Der Zeit Im Takt Sehen Woman Off Limits Festival, Germany, WUK Vienna 2007 Rettet Die Mäuse (aka Save the Mice) Mel Ostermayer Tanzquartier Vienna, Austria 2007 Middentity Mel Nitra Festival, Slovakia 2008 The Women of Troy Cassandra / Andromache / Helen of Troy Wharf Theatre, Malthouse Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company 2009 Purimspil Linz, Austria 2009 Das Tortenstück Franz Fuchs Donaufestival, Krems Austria 2009–10 Unerhoert Conductor Jeunesse, Linz, Vienna, Innsbruck, Austria 2009 Alma Alma Mahler Vienna, Austria 2009–10 In the Jungle of Cities (aka Im Dickicht Der Stadte) Mae Garga Landestheater, Linz, Austria 2011 Mater Dolorosa (aka Our Lady of Sorrows) Mel Progetto Semiserio, Vienna, Austria 2011 Lysistrata Lampito Perchtoldsdorf Summer Festival, Austria 2013 Slobodija Odysseia, Mon Amour Penelope Marseille, France 2014 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Sydney Theatre Company 2014 Night on Bald Mountain Mrs. Sword Malthouse Theatre 2015 Suddenly Last Summer Miss Foxhill Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company 2015 The Wizard of Oz Scarecrow Belvoir Street Theatre 2015 I Am a Miracle Johannes / Woman / Angel Malthouse Theatre 2016 Yes Move. No Move (Moved?) Manchester UK, Ljubljana Slovenia, Prague Czech Republic, Sibiu Romania with BeSpectACTive! 2017 John Genevieve Marduk Arts Centre Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company 2017 Three Sisters Anfisus Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company 2018 The House of Bernarda Alba Bernadette Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company 2019 Arbus and West Mae West Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company 2019 Titus Andronicus Tamora Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare

Awards and nominations