Olivia Junkeer

Last updated

Olivia Junkeer
Born (1999-01-11) 11 January 1999 (age 25)
OccupationActress
Years active2016–present

Olivia Junkeer (born 11 January 1999) is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Yashvi Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera Neighbours . She also portrayed the character in the spin-off Erinsborough High . She portrayed Mia in the ABC comedy series Why Are You Like This .

Contents

Early life and education

Olivia Junkeer was born on 11 January 1999 in Melbourne, Victoria. Her father is of Sri Lankan descent and her mother is an Australian of European descent. [2] [3] She attended Methodist Ladies’ College in Kew, Victoria. [2] Junkeer was interested in acting from a young age, and throughout her teenage years went to theatre schools in Melbourne. [3]

Career

Junkeer made her television debut in 2017, on the Australian television soap opera Neighbours . She portrayed Yashvi Rebecchi, the oldest child of characters Shane Rebecchi and Dipi Rebecchi. [4] Junkeer left Neighbours in 2021, however she reprised the role in the series’ finale in 2022.

Junkeer plays Mia in the ABC comedy series Why Are You Like This . [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

In March 2023, Junkeer joined the cast of Binge drama series Strife, which was inspired by Mia Freedman's memoir. [11]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019Shadow AnimalsUnnamed roleShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017–2022, 2023 Neighbours Yashvi Rebecchi Main cast
2018–2021 Why Are You Like This MiaMain cast
2019 Erinsborough High Yashvi RebecchiMain cast
2023-present Strife JeetMain cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsay Street</span> Fictional cul-de-sac in the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera Neighbours live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Neighbours storylines primarily centre on the residents of the street, which was named after Jack Ramsay, the grandfather of original character Max Ramsay. A blackjack game between Jack and Sam Robinson determined whom the street would be named after. Only six houses on the street are featured on a regular basis; numbers 22 to 32. Number 34 was featured for the only time in 2018. The cul-de-sac is at the end of a long street and the rest of the houses are on the other side of the main road which bisects it. The street behind Ramsay Street is named Mirrabooka Drive. A storyline within the show saw the name of the street nearly changed to Ramsbottom Street. Harold Bishop led a protest against it and won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Bursill</span> Australian actress

Tina Bursill is an Australian actress. She played Louise Carter on the television series Skyways (1979–1981) and Sonia Stevens on Prisoner (1983–1984). She played Meryl Knight in the Nine Network drama series Doctor Doctor. Bursill won the AFI (AACTA) Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1987 film Jilted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Greenwood</span> Fictional character

Amy Greenwood is a fictional character from the Australian soap Neighbours, played by Jacinta Stapleton. She made her first on-screen appearance on 10 July 1997. Amy is characterised as flirtatious and ditzy, especially interested in fashion and gossip. During her original duration in the series, writers created a long-running on/off relationship with Lance Wilkinson. Amy later begins relationship with flight attendant Damien Smith and elopes with him after discovering she is pregnant. Amy departed on 21 March 2000. Five years later, Stapleton reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary episode in July 2005. She reprised the role again in December 2020 and later re-joined the regular cast. Her final regular appearance was on 28 July 2022 during the serial's finale, although she returned on 13 November 2023 for two flashback episodes, which showed why Amy had left Ramsay Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Rebecchi</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Angie Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Lesley Baker. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 January 1995. Angie departed in 1996, but she returned for several weeks in 2002 and then in 2003 for her youngest son Toadie's wedding to Dee Bliss. The following year, Angie made another brief visit and she made a cameo in the 20th anniversary episode, which was broadcast in July 2005. The character returned again in 2006 and 2008. Baker reprised the role in February 2013, and again in August 2015. After a brief appearance in the Summer Stories webisodes in January 2017, Angie made guest returns in April and December 2017, on 12 February 2018, 11 March 2019 and in July 2022 for the show's finale. Angie came back for the first few episodes of the show’s return in 2023.

Mia Freedman, also known as Mia Lavigne, is the co-founder of women’s digital media company Mamamia. She was the youngest editor of the Australian edition of Cosmopolitan in 1996, aged 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imogen Willis</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Imogen Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ariel Kaplan. The actor was cast in the role after a quick process, in which she auditioned once and attended a screen test. She began filming her first scenes in early February 2013. Kaplan's character and her family were created and introduced to Neighbours, as part of an ongoing overhaul of the show's cast and renewed focus on family units within the show. She made her first screen appearance during "Episode 6646", which was broadcast on 20 May 2013. Kaplan returned in the first episode of the 2023 Neighbours revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ned Willis</span> Soap opera character

Ned Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Hall. The character was created in the early 1990s, but he was not seen on-screen. Over twenty years later, the show's UK broadcaster Channel 5 confirmed that Hall had been cast in the role and would make a short guest appearance. He made his debut in the episode broadcast on 6 April 2016. Series producer Jason Herbison had plans to promote Hall to the regular cast, but he was unsure about making a long-term commitment to the show. Following his initial guest stint, Hall returned twice in August and November 2016. Ned is often portrayed as a complex, manipulative character, but he is a good person at heart. He tries to do things for the right reasons, but often goes about it in the wrong way. Hall thought Ned was close to becoming a bad boy at times, a trait he enjoyed playing. The character was introduced during the Hotel Death Trap storyline, in which the boiler room at Lassiters Hotel explodes, killing his half-brother and grandfather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipi Rebecchi</span> Soap opera character

Dipika 'Dipi' Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sharon Johal. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 24 April 2017. Johal originally auditioned for the role of Dipi's younger sister Mishti Sharma. Actress Scarlett Vas secured the role and producers changed Dipi to better suit Johal. Dipi is part of the extended Rebecchi family introduced into Neighbours, joining established regular character Toadfish Rebecchi. She is married to Shane Rebecchi and they move to Erinsborough with their two daughters Yashvi and Kirsha Rebecchi. She soon becomes the new owner of Harold's café.

"Episode 8052" of the Australian soap opera Neighbours premiered on 10 Peach in Australia and Channel 5 in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2019. The episode was written by series producer Jason Herbison and directed by Kate Kendall. It features the death of series regular Sonya Rebecchi from ovarian cancer. She and her husband Toadfish Rebecchi take a road trip to the beach to spend the day with their children. It is mostly a two-hander between Morey and Moloney, a format which allows the focus to be on Sonya's final storyline.

<i>Neighbours: Erinsborough High</i> Australian web television series

Neighbours: Erinsborough High is an Australian streaming television series produced for video on demand and catch up TV services My5 and 10 Play. It was released on 11 November 2019. The series is a spin-off of soap opera Neighbours. Featuring new and regular characters from the main show, the series follows a group of students at Erinsborough High School as they prepare for their final exams, and focuses on the various issues they are facing, as well as the disappearance of one of the students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levi Canning</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Levi Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Richie Morris. Morris auditioned for the role in early 2020 and successfully received the role of Levi, a police officer and replacement character for Gary Canning, as well as a new member of Kyle and Sheila Canning's family. Morris called his first day on set surreal and explained that wearing a police vest helped him get into character. Morris described Levi as very passionate, very cheeky and very charming, and noted that he takes his work seriously, but also loves his family. Levi first appeared on 15 June 2020 and quickly becomes involved in dramatic scenes and befriends Bea Nilsson. The character's epilepsy was used to explore his backstory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Rebecchi</span> Fictional character in Neighbours

Shane Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours. He was originally played by Greg O'Meara from his first appearance on 8 September 1994. Shane was introduced along with his parents and two younger brothers. His first stint in the show ends with him going to prison after committing a string of robberies, before escaping and trying to convince his brother Stonefish Rebecchi to hide him. Shane's exit scenes aired on 25 July 1995. The character was reintroduced 22 years later on 17 April 2017, with actor Nicholas Coghlan cast in the role. He was introduced along with his wife Dipi Rebecchi and daughters Yashvi Rebecchi and Kirsha Rebecchi, as part of a big expansion of the Rebecchi family. Executive producer Jason Herbison called Shane "one of the great untapped characters from Neighbours history".

Why Are You Like This is an Australian television comedy series that first screened on the ABC in 2018. It follows the adventures of best friends Penny and Mia, as well as Penny's housemate Austin. They are in their early 20s and socially conscious, and navigate the uncertainties of emerging adulthood. The series was written by Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub, Mark Bonanno, with additional writing by Vidya Rajan, Michelle Brasier and Laura Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yashvi Rebecchi</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Yashvi Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Olivia Junkeer. She was created when producers struggled to find the right male actor to play the Rebecchis' son, which resulted in them changing the character's gender at the last moment. Yashvi was introduced along with her parents, sister and aunt as part of an expansion of the serial's Rebecchi family. Junkeer auditioned for the role shortly after finishing her last year of school. She doubted she would win the part, as the producers thought she was too old for the role. However, she learned she had been cast in December 2016 and she started on set the following month. Junkeer was pleased to be representing fellow women of colour on Australian television and said her on-screen family represented her own mixed-race family. She made her first appearance in the episode broadcast on 24 April 2017. Junkeer also played the role in the 2019 spin-off series Erinsborough High.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackenzie Hargreaves</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Mackenzie Hargreaves is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Georgie Stone. She made her first appearance on 30 August 2019. Mackenzie is the soap's first transgender character, added to the series after Stone wrote to executive producer Jason Herbison to pitch the character. She arrives as a new student at Erinsborough High School and is connected to the established Rebecchi family, who she knew prior to her gender transition. Following her initial guest storyline, Mackenzie was a central character in spin-off series Neighbours: Erinsborough High before being promoted to the regular cast of Neighbours in 2020. She remained with the series until its finale episode, broadcast on 28 July 2022, and reprised the role when the series resumed on 18 September 2023. Her exit aired on 17 September 2024.

Strife is an Australian comedy drama series written and produced by Sarah Scheller. The Binge Original series stars Asher Keddie. It debuted on 6 December 2023.

References

  1. "takTalks #21 - Olivia Junkeer". YouTube . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Olivia Junkeer".
  3. 1 2 "A Rising Star: Olivia Junkeer".
  4. "Why Are You Like This star Olivia Junkeer on playing the brilliantly "unlikeable" Mia". Digital Spy . 16 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  5. "Why Are You Like This".
  6. "Gen-Z shoves Millennials aside – and drop bombs – in new ABC comedy". Sydney Morning Herald . 16 February 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  7. Watson, Meg (15 February 2021). "Why Are You Like This takes aim at Gen Z: 'This is the most humiliating thing I've done'". Guardian Australia . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  8. Ng, Brian (16 April 2021). "Is America Ready for Australian Sensation 'Why Are You Like This'?". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  9. "Why Are You Like This is a fresh voice in Australian comedy". news.com.au . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  10. "Why Are You Like This? — A Roundtable". Liminal Magazine. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  11. "Asher Keddie begins production on Binge original series 'Strife' in long-awaited TV return". news.com.au. 26 March 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.