Ilona Jeannette Rodgers (born 28 April 1942) is a British actress of stage, television and film. Born in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire, where she started her career, she later went on to appear in New Zealand and Australian productions.
Rodgers has also worked in American productions including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Power Rangers
Biography Early life and career in the United Kingdom Rodgers, a native of Yorkshire, trained in ballet and drama a stage in Surrey and the Bristol Old Vic. "Ilona Rodgers", NZ On Screen, accessed 26 June 2024 Breakthrough roles came in British television, including Carol in The Sensorites, a six-episode adventure in the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who. She also appeared in an adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit and made guest appearances in The Avengers and Adam Adamant Lives!. She had a guest role in America in The Beverly Hillbillies and The Saint. Her final British screen credit was an episode of Paul Temple in 1970, before she emigrated to New Zealand.
Career in New Zealand and Australia (Oceania) Rodgers first lived in New Zealand from 1973, appearing in the soap opera Close to Home and a successful goldmining drama, Hunter's Gold.Ingrid Leary, "Ilona Rodgers - The Beauty Behind the Beast", North & South, July 1989, p. 98
Between 1978 and the mid-1980s she lived in Australia. There, she appeared in television programmes The Sullivans, over 200 episodes of Sons and Daughters (as Patricia Hamilton's sister, Margaret Dunne) and the 1985 Australian miniseries Anzacs (as Lady Thea Barrington), as well as nine episodes of Prisoner in 1983 as character Zara Moonbeam, an imprisoned medium who claimed to have clairvoyant powers.
After relocating back to New Zealand, her work included medical soap Shortland Street and presenting duties on a light entertainment and advertorial program called Good Morning.
Rodger's best-known role in New Zealand is probably TV series Gloss. She starred in Gloss for three seasons, from 1987 to 1990, playing bossy magazine editor Maxine Redfern. The series was about a fictional publishing empire run by the Redfern family. Rodgers played the Australian wife of New Zealand comedian Billy T. James in the final, sitcom version of The Billy T James Show (1990).
Her stage work has included the one-woman play Shirley Valentine, By Degrees written by Roger Hall, and Three Tall Women by Edward Albee.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1968Salt and PepperMarianne Renaud1968Snow TreasureBente Nielsen1984UtuEmily Williamson2009I'm Not Harry JensonMargaret2011Rest for the WickedEsther2013ChloeJenShort2015SyreniaNanna Mary
Television Year Title Role Notes1962–1964Emergency – Ward 10Nurse Sarah SmithRecurring role1963The Human JungleFirst Nurse"Over and Out"1963ITV Play of the WeekCaroline Campbell"Conspiracy of Silence"1963Receptionist"Six Hands Across a Table"1964Martin ChuzzlewitMary GrahamTV miniseries1964Doctor WhoCarol Richmond"The Sensorites" (6 episodes)1966Adam Adamant Lives!Susan"The Terribly Happy Embalmers"1967This Man CraigViolette Johns"You Can Choose Your Friends"1967Samantha Slade"The Bird Who Knew Too Much"1967Mary"A Double in Diamonds"1967Thirty-Minute TheatreJudy"The Wake"1967Theatre 625Angiolina Zarri"As a Man Grows Older"1968Theatre 625The Baroness"The Pistol Shot"1968Sandra MacGregor"Coming Through the Rye"1968Sherlock HolmesRachel Carey"Black Peter"1968ITV PlayhouseSally"Premiere: Foxhole in Bayswater"1969ITV PlayhouseJudy"Murder: When Robin Was a Boy"1969Dr. Finlay's CasebookKathrin Soutar"The Visitation"1969Barrister at LawJane PastonTV film1970Strange ReportBeth"Swindle - Square Root of Evil"1970Paul TempleNancy"Swan Song for Colonel Harp"1975Close to HomeVivianSoap Opera1975Winners and LosersKatherine"The Woman at the Store"1976Kate MeredithTV series1977Hunter's GoldMolly GroganTV series1977Colour SchemeUrsula HarmeTV film1978Died in the WoolUrsula HarmeTV film1978Gather Your DreamsAuntTV series1978Child's Play"Rumpelstiltskin"1981Outbreak of LoveMarcia RockinghamTV film1982Sara DaneJulia RyderTV film19821915Mrs. ReillyTV miniseries1983PrisonerZara MoonbeamRecurring role (series 5)1983Silent ReachPatty MountfordTV miniseries1983–84Sons and DaughtersMargaret DunneMain role (series 2)1984Special SquadHelen Anderson"Until Death"1985AnzacsLady Thea BarringtonTV miniseries1986Cuckoo LandAunt MenaceEpisode "Aunt Menace comes to stay"1987–90GlossMaxine RedfernMain role (series 1–3)1988Jane ArmitageTV film1989Night of the Red HunterJill PiperTV series1990ThelmaTV series1990–1992Hilda BurtonMain role (series 1)1992Marlin BayCharlotte KincaidTV series1995Riding HighMrs. Harrington"1.37", "1.47", "1.48"1995Hercules: The Legendary JourneysQueen Camilla"The Festival of Dionsyus"1997Hercules: The Legendary JourneysQueen Euriana"Long Live the King"1998City LifeBeverley Gribble"1.19"2003–2005Shortland StreetNgaire ThompsonTV series2006Maddigan's QuestGabrielle"Off the Map"2016Power Rangers Dino ChargeG-Ma Betty"Catching Some Rays"2016Dirty LaundryNana PatRegular role2018WestsideSeason 4 episode2018The Brokenwood Mysteries Mrs McTavishSeries 52018The Bad Seed Barbara Cole2020Power Rangers Beast Morphers Stacy"Goin’ Ape"2024 My Life is Murder (TV series)
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