Actor

1952-06-19 · Australia · Female

8 series in the catalog

Virginia Hey is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan in Farscape. She also played the Warrior Woman in the film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. She has various roles in television series, such as lawyer Jennifer St James in E Street.

Career

Hey began her career as a fashion model after being discovered at a bus stop by POL magazine editor Wendy Adnam. She appeared on several magazine covers and started her acting career in television advertisements (57 in all), television dramas and films in Australia and the United Kingdom.

In 1979, Hey appeared in live TV performances with The Buggles for their song "Video Killed the Radio Star", including on the BBC's Top of the Pops and on German television. She appeared in the music video for the Mama's Boys song "Needle in the Groove" in 1985.

Hey's film and television credits include the Warrior Woman in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and General Pushkin's girlfriend, Rubavitch, in the James Bond film The Living Daylights. In 1999 she was cast in a leading role in the science fiction television series Farscape, playing the blue-skinned alien priestess Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan. For her role as Zhaan, Hey was nominated for Best Supporting Actress on Television by the Saturn Awards. She left the show early in the third season for health reasons: the prosthetic makeup worn over her head and chest to achieve Zhaan's appearance and the stress of the long filming days caused her kidneys to bleed, subsequently leading to a decline in her health. She also grew tired of shaving her head and eyebrows for the role.

Hey has also appeared in various Australian soap operas, including Prisoner (Cell Block H) as Leigh Templar, Neighbours as Beth Travers, E Street as Jennifer St. James, and Pacific Drive as Margaux Hayes.

Personal life

Hey teaches meditation across the United States and United Kingdom, and is certified in natural therapy. She currently resides in the United Kingdom. In 2022, Hey was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.