Kate Atkinson

A highly prolific actress in her native Australia, Kate Atkinson has appeared in some of the most celebrated Australian films and TV shows of her era. Her breakout role came when she was cast as a series regular on the dramedy "SeaChange" (ABC 1998-2000). Although television roles were primarily her acting forte throughout the '90s, by the early 2000s Atkinson had racked up a number of high-profile film credits, including supporting roles in "The Hard Wood" (2002) and "Japanese Story" (2003), before returning to television as a series regular on "The Cooks" (Network Ten 2004-05) and "Offspring" (Network Ten 2010- ), among others.

In 2013 Atkinson joined the cast of the Australian prison drama "Wentworth" (SoHo 2013- ), as prison guard Vera Bennett. Almost twenty years into her acting profession, the role of Bennett once again solidified Atkinson's durability and longevity in an industry known for its fickle nature.

Born in Kalgoorlie and raised in Perth, Kate Atkinson fell in love with acting at a very young age. As a self-described "book worm," however, she never saw it as a viable career option. Still, after a few theatre gigs in and around her hometown, Atkinson decided to take a chance and attempt to make a living as an actress. With a doctored resume in hand, she packed her bags and moved with her brothers to Melbourne, where she hoped her bogus accomplishments could land her some acting work. As luck would have it, by the mid-'90s she began appearing in bit parts on such acclaimed Australian TV shows as "Snowy River: The McGregor Story" (Nine Network 1993-96) and "Blue Heelers" (Severn Network 1994-2006), before landing her breakout role on "SeaChange" in 1998.

Atkinson played Karen Miller on all three seasons of the beloved coastal-set dramedy. After "SeaChange" ended its run in 2000, Atkinson made a brief foray into features, appearing in "The Hard Word" and "Japanese Story" before returning to TV with recurring parts on "Fat Cow Motel" (ABC 2003- ), "The Cooks," and "Offspring." In May of 2013 Atkinson joined the cast of the prison drama "Wentworth," an updated version of Network Ten's popular series "Prisoner" (1979-1986). As the villainous prison guard Vera Bennett, known colloquially as "Vinegar T-ts" by the inmates, Atkinson was exposed to an entirely new generation of fans, having landed a plum role on one of the most talked about Australian TV dramas of that year. Shortly after its debut, "Wentworth" was renewed for a second season, with Atkinson set to reprise her role as Bennett.