Jodie Hillock

Bio

Jodie is an award-winning actor and writer, and a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. With an extensive body of work across film, television and theatre, she has built a reputation for emotionally grounded performances and compelling storytelling both on screen and behind the camera.

Her screen credits include Pike, The Bad Seed, Daffodils, The Inland Road and Shortland Street, showcasing her adaptability across drama, feature film and television. Alongside her screen work, Jodie has maintained a strong presence in theatre, with standout performances in productions such as Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Tribes, The Seagull, After Miss Julie and Homeland. Her performance in Homeland earned her the 2007 Chapman Award for Best Female Newcomer, marking her as a standout emerging talent within New Zealand’s theatre industry.

In recent years, Jodie has expanded her creative practice into writing and filmmaking. In 2021, she won Best Actor at the Show Me Shorts Film Festival for the short film Blood and Gold, which she also wrote, highlighting her distinctive voice as a storyteller and multi-disciplinary creative. Her writing work has continued to gain recognition, recently receiving both a New Zealand Writers Guild Seed Grant and New Zealand Film Commission development funding for her feature script Where the River Runs. The project is currently in development with much-admired production company The Sweetshop and is slated for production in 2026.

Known for bringing depth, authenticity and emotional nuance to her work, Jodie continues to establish herself as one of Aotearoa’s most exciting creative voices across acting and screenwriting. A passionate animal advocate, Jodie is a National Showjumping titleholder and combined her passions as an animal wrangler and riding double on The Hobbit films. She also performed her own riding stunts for her short film Blood and Gold.