Zahra Newman is a Jamaica-born Australian actress.
Zahra Newman is a Jamaica-born Australian actress.
Zahra Newman was born in Jamaica. She migrated to Australia at the age of 14 with her mother. [1]
She graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2008. [2] [1]
Newman appeared as Nabalungi in the original Australian cast of The Book of Mormon . [3]
She has performed extensively with leading theatre companies in Melbourne and Sydney. Her theatre credits include Miss Julie , The Effect, The Mountaintop , The Cherry Orchard , Clybourne Park , The Drowsy Chaperone , Richard III and Rockabye for Melbourne Theatre Company; Rosalind in As You Like It for Bell Shakespeare; The Blind Giant is Dancing , Ivanov and Private Lives for Belvoir; Love and Information for Malthouse Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company; The Government Inspector for Belvoir and Malthouse Theatre; and Random for the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Theatre Company and Brisbane Powerhouse. [4] She appeared in the original Australian cast of the musical An Officer and A Gentleman. [5]
In August 2023, Newman appeared alongside Bert La Bonté in Fences. [6] In October 2023 she played music legend Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. [7]
In 2024, Newman played all 23 characters in Sydney Theatre Company's Dracula. [8]
Newman's television and film credits include Wentworth , Rush , Childhood's End , and Neighbours . [9]
In 2026 she plays DSS Isabel Pena in the Apple TV+ drama series Last Seen , originally titled The Dispatcher. [10]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Addition | Film | ||
| 2023 | Our Haunt | Abby | Short | |
| 2022 | Thirteen Lives | Olivia Taft | ||
| 2021 | Long Story Short | Leanne | Feature film | [11] |
| 2015 | Truth | Dana Roberson | ||
| 2012 | Hold | Lily | Short film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rush | Kara Davidson | 2 episodes | |
| 2015 | Childhood's End | Bridget Rodricks | Episode: "The Overlords" | |
| 2016 | Comedy Showroom | Fran Wright | Episode: "Bleak" | |
| 2017 | Wentworth | Iman Farah | 5 episodes | |
| Sisters | Felicity | 4 episodes | ||
| 2019 | Diary of an Uber Driver | Beck | 6 episodes | [12] |
| 2020 | Rosehaven | Amy | 2 episodes | |
| 2020–2021 | Neighbours | Audrey Hamilton | Recurring character | |
| 2021 | Spreadsheet | Helena | 8 episodes | [13] |
| 2022 | Pieces of Her | Sgt Wilson | 2 episodes | |
| 2023 | Erotic Stories | Lelia | 1 episode (Imperfect Paw Paw) | |
| 2024-25 | Austin | Monica | 3 episodes | |
| 2026 | Last Seen | Isabel Pena | TV series | [14] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dracula | Various | Sydney Theatre Co | [15] |
| The Hate Race | Maxine | Sydney Theatre Co | [16] [17] | |
| 2023 | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Billie Holiday | Melbourne | [7] |
| Fences | Rose Maxon | Sydney Theatre Co | [6] | |
| 2022 | A Raisin in the Sun | Ruth Younger | Sydney Theatre Co | |
| 2021 | Girl From North Country | Marianne Lane | [18] | |
| 2019-20 | Wake in Fright | John Grant | Sydney Theatre Co / Malthouse | [19] |
| 2019 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Maggie | Sydney Theatre Co | [20] |
| 2018 | random | Various | Belvoir St | [21] |
| 2016 | The Mill on the Floss | Maggie | [22] | |
| 2016 | Miss Julie | Kristin | Sydney Theatre Co | |
| 2012 | An Officer and a Gentleman | Seegar |
In 2014, Newman was nominated for Helpmann Awards for both Best Female Actor in Play for The Mountaintop and Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for The Government Inspector. [23] She received a Green Room Award for Female Actor for Random in 2012.