Ella Hope-Higginson
- Locations
- Auckland
- Ethnicity
- British, NZ European, Welsh
- Age Range
- 28 - 40
- Height
- 155cm / 5ft 1in
- Bust/Chest
- 95cm / 37in
- Waist
- 73cm / 29in
- Hips
- 92cm / 36in
Bio
Ella Hope-Higginson is a radiant, authentic, and transformative actor, able to move seamlessly between drama and comedy.
She was born in Bristol and moved to New Zealand with her family at the end of 2004. She attended New Zealand’s leading Drama School: Toi Whakaari graduating in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree as well as winning the Berwyn Gibbons Award for top acting student in her class. Her feature film highlights include Alison Maclean’s The Rehearsal, Oscar-winning film The Power of the Dog starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst directed by Jane Campion who described Ella as, "a wonderful and mysterious actor", and A Mistake directed by Christine Jeffs, opposite Elizabeth Banks.
Series highlights include tele-feature Ablaze which was nominated for Best Feature Drama at the New Zealand Film and Television awards, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Taika Waititi series, Time Bandits playing the role of Soldier Laura for Apple TV+.
Ella is an experienced improvisor. She is a member of award-winning improv company Heartthrobs performing in several sell out seasons with them, as well as being a member of Bullrush, Basement Theatre’s in-house improv group.
She starred in improvised Dungeons and Dragons podcast Fury of the Small which won Best New Podcast and Best Fiction Podcast at the New Zealand Podcast awards and since then she has guested on several improvised podcasts. She has also appeared on several improvised shows for viral YouTube sensation Viva La Dirt League.
During the in 2020 Covid lockdowns she co-created the largely improvised show Sidekick which was nominated for Best Narrative at the NZ Web Fest awards.
She is also an accomplished playwright, stage performer and award winning theatre maker.
Film
| Year | Production | Role | Company / Director | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Heart Eyes | Movie Goer | Spyglass Media & Republic Films USA, dir: Josh Ruben | Feature Film |
| 2023 | Tinā | Interview Assistant | Tu Fa'atasi Films, dir. Miki Magasiva | Feature Film |
| 2022 | A Mistake | Josie (Supporting) | Dir, Christine Jeffs | Feature Film |
| 2020 | Power of the Dog | Consuela | Dir. Jane Campion | Feature Film |
| 2019 | Ablaze | Moira Lee | Screentime, dir. Josh Frizzell | Tele-Feature Film |
| 2016 | The Stolen | Betty (Supporting) | Dir. Niall Johnson | Feature Film |
| 2015 | The Rehearsal | Kara (Supporting) | Dir. Alison Maclean | Feature Film |
Television
| Year | Production | Role | Company / Director | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Blue Murder Motel | Camilla | Great Southern Television, dir: Various | Drama |
| 2025 | My Life is Murder Season 4 | Keri-Anne | Greenstone Pictures, dir: Various | Drama |
| 2025 | East of Eden | Photographers Wife | Netflix, Anonymous Content, dir: Garth Davis & Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre | Drama |
| 2025 | Tangata Pai | Tara | Warner Bros, Green Sugar Media , dir: Kiel McNaughton | Drama |
| 2025 | Time Bandits | Soldier Laura | Apple TV, Various | Drama |
| 2022 | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Mairen | Amazon Productions | Drama |
| 2010 | The Investigator | Linda | Red Sky, dir. Bryan Bruce | Drama |
Web Series
| Year | Production | Role | Company / Director | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Viva la Dirt League: Techtown - Distraction | customer | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2026 | Viva la Dirt League: Improviva Season 3 | Herself | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2025 | Viva la Dirt League: Techtown - Couples Therapy | Liz | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2025 | Viva la Dirt League: Internets Guide to Mental Health - Clown/Foneface | Office Worker | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2025 | Viva la Dirt League: NPC Man | Female Suspect | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2025 | Viva la Dirt League: Witcher Series | Maude | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2024 | Viva la Dirt League: NPC Eps 2&3 | Sasha | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2024 | Viva la Dirt League: NPC Behind the Scenes | Sasha | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2024 | Viva la Dirt League: White Shirt Saga Ep 1&2; NPC | Sasha | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various | |
| 2023 | Viva la Dirt League: NPC In Game Music | Dying NPC | Viva la Dirt League Productions, dir: Various |
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Company / Director | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sweeties | Actor & Co-Creator (with Brynly Stent) | Fringe NZ/Adelaide Tour Winner | |
| 2025 | Captain Morrow and the Sands of Time | Captain Morrow and 18 other Characters | Q Theatre, dir: Barnie Duncan | |
| 2022 | One Eyed Jacks | The Gambler | A Slightly Isolated Dog, dir: Leo Gene Peters | |
| 2021 | Lust Island Returns | Core Cast | Heartthrobs Improv, dir. Alice Canton & Brynley Stent | |
| 2020 | Lust Island | Core Cast | Heartthrobs Improv, dir. Alice Canton & Brynley Stent | |
| 2019 | The Salem B*tch Trials | Core Cast | Heartthrobs Improv / dir. Alice Canton & Brynley Stent | |
| 2019 | Boss of an Office | Your secretary Alana | Dir. Olivia Mahood | |
| 2017 | Kororareka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn. Go West Writers Festival Season | Maggie Flynn | Red Leap dir. Julie Nolan, | |
| 2017 | Lord of the Flies | Jack | Centrepoint Theatre, dir. Jeff Kingsford-Brown | |
| 2016 | Fleabag | Voice of "Boo" | Centerpoint theatre, dir. Heather O'Caroll | |
| 2016 | Defending the J.J. Mac | Addy | Last Tapes, dir. Leon Wadham | |
| 2015 | Pains of Youth | Desiree | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. Shane Bosher | |
| 2015 | Twelfth Night | Viola | Bright Orange Walls, dir. Samuel Phillips | |
| 2014 | Into the Woods | Cinderella | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. Cameron Rhodes | |
| 2014 | David Mammet Collections | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. Brett Adams | ||
| 2014 | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. Christian Penny | |
| 2013 | A Midsummer Nights Dream | Hermia | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. Samuel Phillips | |
| 2012 | Tom Keeper Passes | Actor | Long Cloud Youth Theatre, dir. Aaron Cortesi | |
| 2011 | Laramie Project | Marge Murray, Various | Long Cloud Youth Theatre, dir. Willem Wassenaar | |
| 2011 | A Bright Room Called Day | Polina | Long Cloud Youth Theatre, dir. Stella Reid |
Short Film
| Year | Production | Role | Company / Director | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Story Camp - Film Sessions | Actor | Script to Screen, dir: Various | Short Film |
| 2019 | Daniel | Chopping Girl | Dir. Claire Van Beek | Short Film |
| 2017 | My Friend Michael Jones | Abbey | Run Charlie Films | Short Film |
| 2017 | Do You Like Me Like This? | Girl (Lead) | Dir. Miryam Jacobi - Selected for Show Me Shorts | Short Film |
| 2016 | The Palm Reader | Actor / Writer / Director | Discover Short Film Festival London | Short Film |
| 2015 | The Usher | Elizabeth | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. James Ashcroft | Short Film |
| 2014 | Untitled | Jenny | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, dir. Jason Stutter | Short Film |
| 2011 | Tell Tale Tit | Poppy | NZ Film School Graduation piece | Short Film |
| 2007 | Hurt | Lisa | Dir. Diana Rowan | Short Film |
Commercial
| Year | Production | Role | Company / Director | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Lilydale Brand Shoot | Tina | Finch (NZ) | |
| 2025 | Sorbent | Cindy | Colenso BBDO - Prod: Paul Kennedy | |
| 2023 | SBS | First Home Buyer #1 | Abel NZ | |
| 2021 | Lotto 'Imagine on Ice' | Jess | Eight |
Training
| Year | Description | Institution / Presenter | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Actors Workshop | Laura Interval & Latham Gaines | ||
| 2022 | Improv for Screen | Jesse Griffin | ||
| 2018 | Acting for Humans | Brita McVeigh | ||
| 2017 | Casting Hothouse | Matt Skrobolak, Kerry Barden, Miranda Rivers and Nathan Lloyd | ||
| 2016 | Acting for Screen | Brita McVeigh | ||
| 2016 | Acting for Screen | Miranda Harcourt | ||
| 2016 | Actor In Process | Sara Wiseman | ||
| 2012 | Bachelor in Performing Arts: Acting | Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School | ||
| 2011 | Theatre Training | Long Cloud Youth Theatre: Willem Wassenaar, Kate McGill, Aaron Cortesi |
Musical Instruments
Intermediate: Recorder