Peta Toppano is an English-born Australian actress, singer and dancer, who is known for her series roles in The Young Doctors, Prisoner, as Karen Travers, Home and Away as Helen Poulos, Heartbreak High and Jilly Stewart in Return to Eden.
Toppano's television credits include "Lena" in Piccolo Mondo for SBS, "Karen Travers" in Prisoner, a role created for her by producer/writer Reg Watson, "Eunice Pyke" in All the Rivers Run and "Gina Agostini" in Fields of Fire. Other appearances include "Stella" in Heartbreak High on Network Ten and "Diomira" in Bordertown for ABC Television. She also appeared in A Country Practice, G.P., E Street and Flying Doctors. In 198. She played Kate in the ABC miniseries The Paper Man with Oliver Tobias, John Bach and Rebecca Gilling, and starred with John Waters and Cybill Shepherd in the 1991 miniseries Which Way Home. Toppano played Jilly Stewart in Return to Eden and Helen Poulos in Home and Away.. Film credits include Seeing Red, Harbour Beat and Echoes of Paradise, directed by Phillip Noyce. Toppano was nominated for an AFI Award for her work inStreet Hero, directed by Michael Pattinson with Vince Colosimo. Other nominations include The Sydney Theatre Critic's Award for her performance in 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea'. Toppano received two Logie nominations for her work in 'Fields of Fire' as Gina Agostini, and Uke in' Water Under the Bridge'. In 1997 she played Juanita in Sue Woolf's multi-award winning novel Leaning Towards Infinity adapted for stage at the Ensemble theatre to great acclaim. While living in Perth, Toppano played "Coral" and later "Gwen" in Michael Gow's Away, "Ruth" in Louis Nowra's Così for the Black Swan Theatre Company and Blood Moon for Theatre West. She starred in a one-woman play written by Heather Nimmo, directed by Leith Taylor called "One Small Step" for which she received great critical acclaim.Toppano played "Countess De Lage" in "The Women" by Clare Boothe Luce with students from Theatre Nepean directed by Mary-Ann Gifford. She played "Beth" in Merrily We Roll Along for the Sydney Theatre Company with Gina Riley, Greg Stone, Geniveve Lemon, Tom Burlinson and Tony Sheldon. Toppano played "Fantine" in Les Misérables for the Cameron Mackintosh organisation in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, "Diana Morales" in A Chorus Line for two years in Sydney and Melbourne. She played "Sonia" in They're Playing Our Songin the UK, and celebrated her 21st birthday in Godspell. She played "Claudia" in the musical Nine, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, "Monica" in I Love My Wife, "Roberta" in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and "Leonarda" in Love and Magic in Mama's Kitchen at the Belvoir St Theatre directed by Teresa Crea in Toppano's most exciting role so far. Toppano speaks French and Italian.
