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Hélène Joy is an Australian/Canadian TV, film and stage actress.

Biography

Hélène Joy was born and raised in Perth, Australia, and didn't think of becoming an actress until an injury occurred in her early teens, and then she decided to try out stage acting. Joy trained at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Her early career began on the stage touring Australia in various roles with the famous Sydney-based Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company. Joy went on to the Melbourne Theatre Company, where she played such classic roles as Juliet, Ophelia and a very young Lady Macbeth. She also found television and film work in her native land with roles in The Man From Snowy River and Water Rats.

After working on the TV movie The Murdoch Mysteries: Under the Dragon’s Tail (2004), Murdoch Mysteries author and creator Maureen Jennings persuaded the producers to cast Joy in the role of Dr. Julia Ogden for the eventual period detective drama Murdoch Mysteries TV series (2008).

Her other TV credits include Durham County, Heartland (2014-15), and Republic of Doyle and as Grace Mitchell in Sadie’s Last Day on Earth (2016). In addition, she continues her voice acting; she voiced VP Victoria in the first season of Detentionaire.

Other notable roles include her recurring role as Doc on M.V.P. The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives for ABC & CBC, and An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, where she starred opposite screen legend Jacqueline Bisset.

In 2014, Hélène Joy was nominated to Canadian Screen Awards - Shaw Media Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role - Murdoch Mysteries ( Crime and Punishment ). Garnering numerous nominations from 2003 to the present, Hélène has won the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2008 for her role in Durham County and a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by an Actress in a Feature Length Drama for her role in Desolation Sound (2005).

Hélène Joy calls Toronto’s Queen West neighbourhood her home.

As one of the main characters in Murdoch Mysteries, Hélène has been in 105 out of 114 episodes, with Season 10 airing Fall 2016, promising 18 more exciting episodes.

Hélène on Dr. Ogden's character evolution: "Julia has transformed enormously from awkward lovestruck nerd at the beginning of the show, to an incredible role model and evolved woman. She's changed careers, fallen in love and married twice! And she's been a disgraced divorcee. But mostly she has truly come into our own happiness."

Hélène Joy joins the executive producer team with Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Yannick Bisson, and Peter Mitchell for Season 13 of Murdoch Mysteries. Hélène was about three months pregnant in August when shooting the scene in The Night Before Christmas.

In 2021, Hélène Joy informed showrunner Peter Mitchell that she was pregnant and he chose to make her character Julia pregnant too – as revealed in Season 15; Only the the head of the wardrobe department and the showrunner knew up until then. The birth of her first child arrived just after Christmas 2021 during the show's five-week hiatus: Miss Harrison Joy, first name not officially released.

Trivia

  • During the series' hiatus, Hélène Joy visits her family in Australia every other year often with a stop in England and/or France on the return flight and 2024 will mark the first time with her daughter (thus, her "absence" during Season 18).
  • Hélène Joy's birth year has not been officially confirmed (as of 2020), online sources say 1973 or 1978; In early interviews, she and co-star Yannick Bisson have referenced being near in age (not nearly a decade apart in age and 1978 would make Hélène three years younger than Jonny Harris).
  • Has referred to the William-Julia Relationship as Jilliam in an interview.
  • Yannick Bisson's nickname for Hélène is "Red", even when he tweets her.
  • Hélène Joy's eyes are clearly blue/green and MM fans have noticed Ogden's eye colour darkening through the seasons: The explanation is in the post-production colour correction used to give the show its sepia era look.
  • The running joke is that Hélène is not recognized in public because she looks so different from Julia with her hair down, see interview below.
  • Has a delicious, meat-free burger named after her – the “MissJoy” – at Ossington’s favourite burger joint, BQM Burgershoppe
  • Murdoch Mysteries and SickKids Foundation celebrates the 140th Anniversary of The Hospital for Sick Children during the 2015 holiday season, including a special PSA featuring Hélène Joy. The Hospital is featured in the holiday special, A Merry Murdoch Christmas that premiered Dec 21, 2015. Visit the special interactive timeline featuring SickKids milestones.
  • Hélène on the Season 9 finale, "I love doing stunts! Our stunt guys tell me that I'd have a career if I ever decided to give up acting. I love a challenge, particularly a physical one."
  • In a 2016 interview, Hélène reveals, "My biggest passion right now has to do with renovation. I am a property developer and I have a lot of renovation on the go. I also travel a lot. That is my absolute number one passion outside of acting."
  • Hélène Joy's favorite historical character who have been represented on MM has to be the Canadian Women's Suffragettes.
  • Hélène Joy was nominated for Canadian Screen Awards' Best Leading Lady Performance for A Merry Murdoch Christmas.
  • Season 10's reveals that Hélène Joy roller skates rather well.
  • As of Season 11, Hélène Joy's favorite food she likes to eat on set during production is popcorn. She'd rather get up at the crack of dawn (to see the sunrise), than film late into the night.
  • Hélène and Yannick Bisson make the cover of the September issue of Beyond Fashion prior to the Season 12 premiere.
  • The Official Murdoch Mysteries Fan Newsletter delivered via email on March 15th, 2019 asks Murdochians to cast their Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award votes for Hélène Joy, who made it to No. 4.

External Links

Interview: Julia Ogden’s surprise is Hélène Joy's too.

Official Facebook

Interview: Talks Season 12 on Acorn TV (audio).

Interview: Murdoch Mysteries star Hélène Joy is rooting for a baby for William and Julia in Season 10.

Interview: Murdoch Mysteries Hélène Joy Lets Her Hair Down.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/helene-joy/

Gallery


Murdoch Mysteries Stars and Characters
Yannick Bisson as William MurdochHélène Joy as Julia OgdenThomas Craig as Thomas BrackenreidJonny Harris as George Crabtree
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