Jessica Marais

Jessica Marais

Born: January 29, 1985
in Johannesburg, South Africa
Jessica Marais (born 29 January 1985) is a South-African-born Australian actress best known for her roles on Australian television in Packed to the Rafters and Love Child. She also co-starred on the American drama series Magic City.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Marais and her family lived in Canada and New Zealand before relocating to Perth, Western Australia, when she was nine.

Six months after arriving in Australia, Marais' father Tony died from a heart attack while returning from a family picnic. Marais and her younger sister Clara were raised by her mother Karen. She attended a Catholic co-educational school John XXIII College in Claremont for a year and then went to St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls from 1995 until her graduation in 2002.

Jessica attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art where she graduated in 2007. NIDA appearances included Ophelia in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Charity in Sweet Charity. While still completing her final year she won the role in Packed to the Rafters, along with co-star and fellow NIDA graduate Hugh Sheridan.

Marais was engaged to former Packed to the Rafters co-star James Stewart in 2009, then ended in 2015. They have a daughter together born in May 2012.

Movies for Jessica Marais...

Chasing Wonders
Title: Chasing Wonders
Released: June 4, 2021
Type: Movie
A coming-of-age story set across the lush wine country of both Australia and Spain, a young man explores the nature of father-son relationships and the pathway toward understanding and forgiveness.
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Title: The Wrong Girl
Character: Lily Woodward
Released: September 28, 2016
Type: TV
Lily, the producer of a successful cooking segment on a daily morning television show, and her flatmate Simone are taking a sabbatical from men. But Lily falls in love with Jack, the show's gorgeous new chef.
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That Sugar Film
Title: That Sugar Film
Character: Sugar Emotion Sketch
Released: July 31, 2014
Type: Movie
One man's journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as 'healthy'. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves.
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Carlotta
Title: Carlotta
Character: Carlotta
Released: June 19, 2014
Type: Movie
How many working class Balmain boys grow up to be showgirls? Not just any showgirl but a household name, a legend of Kings Cross, a daytime TV star, and a symbol of generational change.
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Title: Love Child
Character: Joan Miller
Released: February 17, 2014
Type: TV
The lives of staff at the fictional Kings Cross Hospital and the wild streets of Darlinghurst in the 1960s. Joan Miller is a smart and sophisticated midwife who returns home from London to take a job at the Kings Cross Hospital. Dr Patrick McNaughton is a charismatic head of obstetrics at Kings Cross Hospital. Frances Bolton is the tough matron who also controls the running of Stanton House, a home for unwed pregnant young women.
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Title: Magic City
Character: Lily Diamond
Released: March 30, 2012
Type: TV
Set in 1959 Miami, Florida shortly after the Cuban Revolution, Magic City tells the story of Ike Evans, the owner of Miami's most glamorous hotel, the Miramar Playa. Evans is forced to make an ill-fated deal with Miami mob boss Ben Diamond to ensure the success of his glitzy establishment.
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Needle
Title: Needle
Character: Kandi
Released: June 4, 2010
Type: Movie
College student Ben inherits a curious old mechanical box that churns out voodoo dolls. When a shadowy figure starts using the box to murder Ben's friends, he must find the killer.
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Two Fists, One Heart
Title: Two Fists, One Heart
Character: Kate
Released: March 19, 2009
Type: Movie
This is a contemporary story set in Perth Western Australia . Anthony Argo is a young Italian/Australian boxer, being pushed to the limit by his Sicilian father-trainer, Joe,. Joe wants Anthony to achieve the success in the ring that he was denied as a young man. When Anthony meets Kate, he begins to see his life - and the role violence - in a different light.
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Title: Legend of the Seeker
Character: Denna
Released: November 1, 2008
Type: TV
The adventures of woodsman Richard Cypher, who discovers that he was born to fulfill a prophecy of becoming a guardian hero to oppressed people. With the help of a mysterious woman named Kahlan and a wise old wizard named Zedd, he must stop a ruthless and bloodthirsty tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world.
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Title: Packed to the Rafters
Character: Rachel Rafter
Released: August 26, 2008
Type: TV
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-oriented television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The show has continued on Tuesdays in this timeslot for its entire run. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and life issues, whilst also tackling serious social issues. The Logie award winning series was the highest rating to screen on the Seven Network in 2008, and the show has consistently been among the top 5 shows of the year throughout its run in Australia. It was announced in TV Week that the sixth season of Packed to the Rafters would be the last, with Hugh Sheridan stating: "It's emotional letting go of Rafters – for all of us. It was such an amazing chapter in Aussie TV. I'm really proud we all came back together to send it off." The two-hour series finale of Rafters aired on 2 July 2013, which saw the return of Hugh Sheridan, Jessica Marais, Ryan Corr, Jessica McNamee and James Stewart. Rebecca Gibney said, "The cast, writers and producers have always said that we wanted to keep Rafters as one of the most-watched shows on TV. If we ever felt like we were losing too many cast members, we needed to end it on a high. We can say season six winds up an aspect of the Rafter family and there is a sense of finality to it."