With The Secret Life Of Us streaming on Netflix right now, chances are you’re either revisiting the nostalgia-fuelled 00s TV show, or you’re discovering it for the first time – and all the well-known Aussie TV cast faces along with it.
The cast of The Secret Life Of Us is iconic. The majority of actors who starred in (or even guest-starred) went on to become household names. But there may be a few you were left wondering about.
Below, we track down all the top Australian stars of The Secret Life Of Us and let you know what they’re up to today.
Claudia Karvan
Claudia needs no introduction – she’s one of Australia’s biggest names in film and television. In fact, prior to The Secret Life Of Us she was already famous, having starred in films like The Heartbreak Kid and Paperback Hero.
After The Secret Life Of Us Claudia went from strength to strength, starring in Love My Way, then Puberty Blues.
Most recently, she was co-creator, co-producer and held a starring role in Bump.
Deborah Mailman
Another household name who needs no introduction, Deborah Mailman’s career took off after Secret Life Of Us. She was twice awarded Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the Logies, in 2002 and 2004, for her role as Kelly Lewis.
Following The Secret Life Of Us, Deborah became a well-known film actor, appearing in Rabbit Proof Fence, Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires.
Then, of course, she joined Offspring as part of the main cast, then starred in Mystery Road and Cleverman.
She is also a talented stage actor and playwright, with her one-woman play The Seven Stages of Grieving currently showing in Canberra.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel had his big break on The Secret Life Of Us, after smaller parts on other Australian series’ like Home and Away and Blue Heelers. His portrayal of Evan won him an AFI Award in 2001 for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Series.
He then starred in the miniseries After The Deluge and tv series Rush. In 2016 he played Molly Meldrum in the miniseries Molly.
Samuel is also well-known for his charity work, having started Love Your Sister with his sister Connie Johnson in 2012. Connie sadly passed away from breast cancer in 2017, but the charity lives on, helping to fund research via the Garvan Institute to find a cure for breast cancer. In 2019, he appeared on Dancing With The Stars to raise money for the charity.
Sibylla Budd
Sibylla, who played Gabrielle in The Secret Life Of Us, was already a popular television actor having starred in ABC show Something In The Air. After The Secret Life Of Us, Sibylla joined All Saints, then Sea Patrol.
She’s also well-known for her role on Kath And Kim, as Lisa-Marie. More recently, she starred in Winners and Losers, and Tomorrow, When The War Began.
Spencer McLaren
While you remember Spencer McLaren from The Secret Life Of Us as Richie, Spencer is actually a very acclaimed theatre actor in Australia. After The Secret Life Of Us he did star in various other Aussie shows like Blue Heelers and McLeod’s Daughters, but is most known for his stage work, starring as Red McCormick in Footloose, and Conrad Byrdie in Bye Bye Byrdie.
David Tredinnick
David might be best known for his role as Simon on The Secret Life Of Us, but he was actually a very accomplished actor prior to the series, starring in numerous independent films and guest-starring across a swathe of Australian dramas like Halifax f.p and Blue Heelers.
Feel like his voice is super familiar? That’s probably because David has recorded over fifty audiobooks.
Abi Tucker
Already very popular thanks to roles on Heartbreak High and Wildside, Abi Tucker played Miranda on The Secret Life Of Us.
Following the series, she continued to pursue her music career (she appeared on the Secret Life Of Us soundtrack) in London and then in Australia again, when she signed on to McLeod’s Daughters.
She has two daughters, Hazel and Pepper, and was most recently working on new music.
Damian De Montemas
After starring on The Secret Life Of Us, Damian appeared on All Saints, Blue Heelers and Home and Away. He also played Brian Alexander on Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities, before signing on to Neighbours.
Joel Edgerton
Joel is easily the most globally successful actor to come from The Secret Life Of Us, starring in blockbusters like Star Wars, The Great Gatsby and Ned Kelly.
He also directed, wrote and produced The Gift and Boy Erased, as well as starred in multiple theatre productions such as Henry V and A Streetcar Named Desire.
Joel is currently starring as Owen Lars again for the Disney+ film, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
