Justine Clarke (born 1971) is an Australian actress, singer, author and television host.
Clarke has been acting since the age of seven and has appeared in some of Australia's best known television shows. She is best-known for her portrayal as Roo Stewart on the soap opera Home and Away (1988–1989), as Ally Kovac on the drama series Tangle (2009–2012), and as a presenter on the Australian children's show Play School, a role which she has held since 1999. She is also a film and stage actor, and won the Best Actress Award at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina in 2006 for her role in independent film Look Both Ways. She has won two ARIA Awards.
Early life and education Clarke was born in Sydney, New South Wales to Beverley (née Levine), an actress and singer and Leonard Clarke, a singer.Oram, James "Home and Away: Behind the Scenes" p.68 by Angus and Robertson, 1989 They separated when Clarke was eight-months old after which she was raised by her mother.
At the age of seven, while attending Woollahra Public School with other up and coming talents like Mouche Phillips and Deni Hines, she began appearing in television commercials, one of which was Arnott's Humphrey B. Bear biscuits. At eleven, she played the role of Brigitta in the stage musical, The Sound of Music.
Film and television Clarke's first significant acting role was as the character Anna Goanna in the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The same year, she appeared in the TV series The Maestro's Company and featured in the 1986 mini-series Professor Poopsnaggle's Steam Zeppelin. The following year, she made appearances in A Country Practice and Willing and Abel.Harrison, Tony The Australian Film and Television Companion Simon and Schuster 1994
Clarke appeared in a telemovie Touch the Sun, by the Australian Children's Television Foundation
In 1987, Clarke began filming an eighteen months role on the soap opera, Home and Away, as one of 17 original cast members, playing the character of Ruth "Roo" Stewart. The character of Roo was reinstated in the cast list in 2010, portrayed by Georgie Parker, making the character of Roo one of only two remaining original characters in the series (along with Ray Meagher's character of Alf Stewart). Clarke was one of several Home and Away cast-members to star in an early stage musical about the soap, which toured the UK in 1991."", mook. URL last accessed on 2007-01-29.
Following her departure from Home and Away in 1989, Clarke appeared in the short-lived series Family and Friends before going on to act in several mini-series including Come In Spinner and Golden Fiddles.
Clarke's film Turning April in 1996 was followed by Blackrock in 1997, in which Heath Ledger played his first credited feature film role. More recently she has starred in the films Danny Deckchair and Look Both Ways. The role of Meryl Lee in Look Both Ways scored Clarke a nomination for an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Lead Actress award in 2005.
In 1999, Clarke became a presenter on long-running ABC Kids television program, Play School.
After appearing in three episodes of the series Wildside, she played Dr Samantha O'Hara in 21 episodes of All Saints. She also played the leading role in the Australian medical drama The Surgeon and appeared in the third season of the critically acclaimed Australian TV drama series Love My Way, as Simone.
2009 saw Clarke star in the Showcase television series Tangle. In 2012, she appeared in Woodley. Other television appearances followed, including playing the role of Bernadette in The Time of Our Lives from 2013 to 2014; Eve in House Husbands in 2016, and as Noelene Hogan in Hoges.
In 2010, Clarke starred in the short film Peekaboo.
Clarke created and starred in the popular children's television series The Justine Clarke Show!.
On September 19, 2024, Clarke was announced as part of the cast for the ABC comedy series Fisk.
On 17 April 2025, Clarke was named as part of the extended cast for ABC series Return To Paradise.
Theatre An experienced stage actor, Clarke has worked with the Sydney Theatre Company in productions such as A Man with Five Children, Trelawny of the Wells, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Herbal Bed, Hedda Gabler, Stiffs and Muriel's Wedding.
In February–March 2022, Clarke starred in Dennis Kelly's one-woman play, Girls & Boys. The play is staged by State Theatre Company South Australia at the Odeon Theatre, Norwood in Adelaide as part of the Adelaide Festival, and directed by the artistic director of STCSA, Mitchell Butel.
In 2023 and 2024, she performed the almost-solo play Julia, about the life of Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, receiving high praise from critics. On 25 September, it was announced that Clarke would again perform as Julia for the 2025 Queensland Theatre season.
Music
In the 1990s, Clarke performed in a number of bands with fellow Australian thespians, including Loene Carmen and Noah Taylor. These groups included the country and western combo The Honky Tonk Angels; punk band The White Trash Mamas; and the avant-garde Cardboard Box Man. In the late '90s, she was a backing vocalist in the Sydney band Automatic Cherry, which also featured The Cruel Sea guitarist James Cruickshank. The band released the album Slow Burner in 1997.
Clarke has released multiple albums through ABC Music and has twice won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album, in 2013 for A Little Day Out With Justine Clarke and in 2018 for The Justine Clarke Show!.
In 2014, Clarke teamed up with Tex Perkins for series of shows paying tribute to Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra.
In 2016, Clarke collaborated with singer-songwriter Josh Pyke on 'Words Make The World Go Around', a song to celebrate, promote and raise funds for the work of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Clarke's first-ever, career-spanning greatest hits collection, Everybody Roar! The Best of Justine Clarke, was released in November 2019. In 2019, she released her first ever original Christmas song, "Here Comes a Merry Christmas", written with longtime collaborators Peter Dasent and Arthur Baysting.
Clarke is also a jazz vocalist and cabaret singer, popular on the Sydney club circuit.
Discography Title Details Certification I Like to Sing Released: 2005 Label: ABC Music (301253-2) Format: CD, digital download ARIA: Platinum Songs to Make You Smile Released: 2008 Label: ABC Music (301457-2) Format: CD, digital download ARIA: Gold Carnival of the Animals Released: 2009 Label: ABC Classics (4763686) Format: 2xCD, digital download Great Big World Released: 2010 Label: ABC Music (301562-2) Format: CD, digital download A Little Day Out with Justine Clarke Released: 2012 Label: ABC Music (3711139) Format: CD, digital download Pyjama Jam! Released: 2 October 2015 Label: ABC Music (4751809) Format: CD, digital download Ta Da! Released: November 2017 Label: ABC Music (6709422) Format: CD, digital download re-released as The Justine Clarke Show Everybody Roar! The Best of Justine Clarke Released: November 2019 Label: ABC Music (0826256) Format: CD, digital download Note: Greatest hits album
Personal life Clarke married actor Jack Finsterer in 1999. They have three children.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1985Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Anna Goanna Feature film 1988Touch the Sun: Princess Kate Kate McLelland TV film1990Come In Spinner Monnie Malone TV filmFamily and FriendsCheryl BrooksTV film 1996Turning April Rosa Feature film 1997Blackrock Tiffany Feature film 1998Never Tell Me Never Anna TV film 2000Bootmen Kim Feature film2003Danny Deckchair Trudy Dunphy Feature filmJapanese Story Jane Feature filmCar Park Renee Short film2004Go Big Gina Katz TV filmThe Brush-Off Salina TV film2005Look Both Ways Meryl Lee Feature film 2007 In the Company of Actors Herself Documentary film2008The List Amy Short film8 Mother Segment: "The Water Diary"2009In Her Skin Irene TV film2011Peekaboo Jillian Short filmSpider Walk Angela Short film 2013The Humble Beginnings of the Balloon Narrator (voice) Short film2014Healing Michelle Feature filmMaya the Bee Miss Cassandra (voice) Animated feature film (English version) 2015A Month of Sundays Wendy Feature film 2016Red Dog: True Blue Diane Carter Feature film2018Maya the Bee: The Honey GamesQueen (voice)Animated feature film (English version)2021Maya the Bee: The Golden Orb
Television Year Title Role Notes 1984The Maestro's Company Tina TV series 1986Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin Carmen TV series 1986 Willing and Abel TV series 1987A Country Practice Nicki Simpson TV series, 5 episodes 1988–89Home and Away Roo Stewart TV series, seasons 1 & 21994Golden Fiddles Liddy Powell TV miniseriesTracks of Glory Kate O'Brien TV miniseries 1996Twisted Pip TV series. episode: "The Crossing" 1998Wildside Jessie Roscoe / Jessie Armstrong TV series, 3 episodes: "1.11", "1.12", "1.32" 1998–1999All Saints Dr. Samantha O'Hara TV series, seasons 1–2 2000–presentPlay School Presenter TV series 2001Head Start Julia Hunter TV series, episode: "Seeing Is Believing" 2005The Surgeon Dr. Eve Agius TV series 2005 Good Morning Australia Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode2007Love My Way Simone TV seriesBastard Boys Janine McSwain TV miniseriesChandon Pictures Samantha TV series, episode: "Back to School" 2009–12Tangle Ally Kovac TV series, seasons 1–3 2012Woodley Em TV series 2013–14The Time of Our Lives Bernadette Flynn TV series 2014It's a Date Amy TV series, episode: "What's the Worst Thing That Can Happen on a Date?"2015Gallipoli Mrs. Johnson TV miniseriesHouse Husbands Eve TV series, season 42016Rake Alli Franklin TV series, episode: "4.2"Have You Been Paying Attention? Guest Quiz Master TV series 2017Hoges: The Paul Hogan Story Noelene Hogan TV miniseries The Justine Clarke Show Herself TV longseries2018Who Do You Think You Are? Herself TV series, season 9, episode 5Dead Lucky Erica Hodge TV series, season 1, episodes 1 & 22019Get Krackin Herself TV series, season 2, episode 1SquintersJess TV series, season 22020Australia Come Fly With Me Presenter TV documentary miniseries on Australian civil aviation, 3 episodes Hungry Ghosts Clare Nguyen TV series, season 1 2021Mr Inbetween Meaghan Clarke TV series, season 3, episode 6 2021–presentRFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service Leonie Smith TV series, season 1-3 2022 Barrumbi Kids Mrs Armstrong TV series, 10 episodes2023 Turn Up The Volume Sandy TV series, 1 episodeWildlife ER Narrator SBS TV seriesC*A*U*G*H*TDr Mitchell 1 episode2024FiskMelissaTV series, 3 episodes2025Return to ParadiseStephanie BrisbaneTV series, 1 episode (Killer Set)
Theatre