Linda Cropper is an Australian actress. She played Dame Nellie Melba in the 1987 television series Melba, becoming more widely known for her role as Geraldine Proudman in the TV series Offspring (2010-2017). She has featured in many other TV series and also has several film credits. She played a lead role in the 2025 dark comedy satire film Birthright.
Career
Television Cropper played Nellie Melba in the 1987 television series Melba.
Other television credits include roles in ABC miniseries Palace of Dreams, Edens Lost, Ring of Scorpio, Bordertown, Wildside, Water Rats, All Saints, White Collar Blue, and The Pacific. She had a recurring role as Xhalax Sun during the third season of the Australian-American science fiction series Farscape.
In 2024 she played Rose de Vigny over eight episodes in the mystery drama series High Country.
Film Cropper's film credits include Teesh and Trude (2002), Little Fish (2005) and Fool's Gold (2008).
She played a lead role as Lyn (the mother) in Australian filmmaker Zoe Pepper's feature film directorial debut Birthright, a dark comedy satire reflecting the contemporary Australian housing crisis and its generational inequity. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City in June 2025.
Theatre Cropper's many theatre credits include Simon Phillip's co-production of Poor Boy for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company, and the role of Lady Macbeth in Bell Shakespeare's Macbeth. Other credits with Bell Shakespeare include Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, As You Like It and Hamlet. Sydney Theatre Company credits include Arcadia, A Month in the Country, Top Girls, and Great Expectations. She played the solo role Melbourne Theatre Company's production of The Architect by Aidan Fennessy in 2018.
Accolades In 1989 Cropper was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini Series, for Edens Lost.
In 2010, she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for her performance in Satisfaction.
She won the Green Room Award (Performer, Theatre Companies) in 2019 for her 2018 performance in The Architect.
Filmography
Television Year Title Role Type Ref 1980 Spring & Fall C.E.S. Officer Episode 1: 'Close Comfort' 1984 Five Mile Creek Tillie 1 episode A Country Practice Joy Walker 2 episodes 1985 Palace of Dreams Miriam Mendel Miniseries, 10 episodes 1986 Cyclone Tracy Joycie Miniseries, 3 episodes 1987 Melba Nellie Melba / Nellie Mitchell Armstrong 'Melba' Miniseries, 8 episodes 1988 Rafferty's Rules 1 episode Mike Willesee's Australians Lola Montez Anthology series, episode 6: 'Lola Montez' Spit MacPhee Betty Arbuckle Miniseries, 4 episodes Edens Lost Stevie Miniseries, 4 episodes 1989 Bodysurfer Anthea Miniseries, 2 episodes 1990 Ring Of Scorpio Marlene Walker Miniseries, 3 episodes The Private War of Lucinda Smith Lucinda Smith Miniseries, 2 episodes 1992 Children of the Dragon Monica Miniseries, 2 episodes Cluedo Matilda Mayberry 1 episode 1993 Review Guest Presenter 1 episode G.P. Shelley 1 episode 1995 Bordertown Bev Stafford Mniseries, 10 episodes 1997 Return To Jupiter Computer 13 episodes 1998 Wildside Carol Wilson 1 episode 1999–2000 Water Rats Charlie Driscoll 7 episodes 2000–2001 Farscape Xhalas Sun / Fento 5 episodes 2002 All Saints Anita Murphy 1 episode 2002–2003 White Collar Blue Fran Hoffman TV pilot & 7 other episodes 2004 Frank Hurley: The Man who Made History Narrator (voice) TV documentary 2006 McLeod's Daughters Trudi Webb 2 episodes 2008 Connected: The Power of Six Degrees Narrator (voice) Film documentary 2009 Fairweather Men Narrator (voice) TV documentary 2010 The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea Narrator (voice) TV documentary Satisfaction Loretta Hawkes 1 episode The Pacific Mary Frank Sledge Miniseries, 4 episodes 2010–2017 Offspring Geraldine Proudman 86 episodes 2011 The Secret History of Eurovision Narrator (voice) TV special Seduction in the City Narrator 1 episode 2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Veronique Sarcelle 1 episode 2013 Redfern Now Coroner 1 episode 2014 Old School Barb 1 episode 2016 Howard on Menzies: Building Modern Australia Narrator (voice) Documentary series, 2 episodes Rake Ms Crown 2 episodes 2017 The Leftovers The Nun 2 episodes 2018 Pine Gap Dani Griffin Miniseries, 2 episodes 2020 How to Stay Married Claire 1 episode 2024 High Country Rose de Vigny 8 episodes 2025 All Her FaultEsther Miniseries, 8 episodes2026Dear Life Janet DostTV series
Film Year Title Role Type 1986 Going Sane Irene Carter Feature film 1994 The Seventh Floor Vivian Feature film 1996 Little White Lies Tessler Feature film 1997 The HostagesThe Hostages - Cast. (1997) Screen Australia Wendy TV film Sidewinder – Titanic Days Dianne Film short Blackrock Diane Feature film 1998 With or Without You Audrey Feature film 1999 Passion Mrs. Lowery Feature film Envy Kate Feature film 2001 My Husband, My Killer Megan Kalajzich TV film 2002 Teesh and Trude Trudy (Trude) Feature film The Nugget Roadhouse Waitress Feature film 2005 Little Fish Denise Feature film 2006 Answered By Fire Liz Savage TV film 2007 The Tank Film short 2008 Dream Life Dawn TV film Fool's Gold Tess's Attorney Feature film 2010 Suburbia Mary Film short 2013 Welcome to Iron Knob Auntie Marg Film short 2018 Upgrade Pamela Feature film 2019 Koko: A Red Dog Story Loop-Group ADR Feature film 2025 Birthright Lyn Feature film
Theatre Cropper's stage roles include: Year Title Role Company 1978 The Threepenny Opera NIDA Theatre, Sydney1979 Lost to the Devil Maggie Neutral Bay Music Hall Cabaret Sally Civic Playhouse, Newcastle with Hunter Valley Theatre Company Under Milk Wood The Miracle Worker Aunt Ev 1980 Cyrano de Bergerac Refreshment Girl / Lise / Sister Marthe Sydney Opera House with STC Volpone Celia Nimrod Theatre, Sydney1981 Celluloid Heroes Alison Mackay Opera Theatre, Adelaide, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth The Dresser Irene Theatre Royal, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Townsville Civic Theatre, Pilbeam Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth Chinchilla Romola de Pulszky Sydney Opera House with STC1982 Amadeus Constanze Weber Theatre Royal, Sydney with STC Tristram Shandy Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1984 A Midsummer Night's Dream Melbourne Athenaeum with MYC 1986 The Madras House Sydney Opera House with STC1988 The Mortal Falcon An Ideal Husband Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC Loot 1990 The Secret Rapture Katherine Glass Sydney Opera House with STC Three Sisters Masha 1991 Three Stories High - Julia's Song / Painted Woman / Koori Love Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney1992 The Marriage of Figaro The Countess Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane Vassa NIDA Studio, Sydney1993 Top Girls Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC The Idiot Crossroads Theatre, Sydney with Fisher Stein Productions 1994 King Lear Sydney Opera House with STC 2000 A Month in the Country 2002 Hippolytus Government House, Sydney with Bell Shakespeare 2003 Hamlet Gertrude Sydney Opera House, Orange Civic Theatre, Playhouse Canberra, Ford Theatre, Geelong, Playhouse, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Bell Shakespeare As You Like It Playhouse, Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare 2004 Twelfth Night Maria Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Canberra, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Orange Civic Theatre with Bell Shakespeare 2005 Death Variations Seymour Centre with East Coast Theatre Company 2006 Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare 2007 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare 2009 Poor Boy Viv Southbank Theatre, Sydney Theatre with MTC / STC 2011 And No More Shall We Part Pam Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2012 The Mousetrap Mrs Boyle Sydney Theatre, Playhouse Canberra, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Dunstan Playhouse, St. James Theatre, Wellington, QPAC2014 Nora Helen Belvoir Theatre, Sydney Ghosts Helene Alving MTC 2015 Elektra / Orestes Clytemnestra Belvoir Theatre, Sydney 2018 The Architect Helen Pyefinch Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 2019 Australian Realness Mother Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne 2021–2022 Grand Horizons Nancy Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney Arcadia STC Great Expectations
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