Amanda Billing
Encyclopedia
Amanda Billing is best known for her role as Doctor Sarah Potts on New Zealand soap opera
Shortland Street
.
producers are continuing the show's tradition of turning talented unknowns into stars. Billing grew up in Masterton
, and spent her university
years in Christchurch
. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
with 1st Class Honours in Geography
from the University of Canterbury
, she trained at the Christchurch
College of Education and became a high school teacher.
Billing was involved in drama throughout her teaching years and has acted in a few amateur stage productions including Cloud Nine and The Country Wife. She has worked at several schools throughout Auckland
teaching Geography
, English
and Social Studies
, most recently at Rangitoto College
.
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Shortland Street
Shortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
.
Biography
In casting Billing as Dr Sarah Potts, Shortland Street'sShortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
producers are continuing the show's tradition of turning talented unknowns into stars. Billing grew up in Masterton
Masterton
Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges...
, and spent her university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
years in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
with 1st Class Honours in Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
from the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
, she trained at the Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
College of Education and became a high school teacher.
Billing was involved in drama throughout her teaching years and has acted in a few amateur stage productions including Cloud Nine and The Country Wife. She has worked at several schools throughout Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
teaching Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Social Studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
, most recently at Rangitoto College
Rangitoto College
Rangitoto College is the largest secondary school in New Zealand with over 3,000 students as of 2007. The Correspondence School has more enrolled secondary students, but fewer full-time equivalent secondary students....
.
Television
- Shortland StreetShortland StreetShortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
- 'Sarah PottsSarah Potts (character)Dr. Sarah Marjorie Potts is a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street. She is played by Amanda Billing. First arriving in September 2004, the character has reached the record of one of the longest ever stint's in the soap's history, with only short term breaks every few years.Sarah...
' - Core Cast 2004–present South Pacific Pictures
Theatre
- Cabaret- 'Sally Bowles'-2010- Auckland Theatre Company (Dir. Michael Hurst)
- Threepenny Opera - 'Polly Peachum' - 2008 - SiLO Theatre and The Large Group (dir. Michael Hurst)
- Cloud Nine - 'Edward' (Act I), 'Victoria' (Act II) - 2004 - SiLO Theatre (dir. Edwin Wright)
- As You Like It - 'Rosalind' - 2003/4 - Legacy Theatre Co. (dir. Tim Flavell)
- Home Ground - 'Margaret' - 2003 - Auckland Performing Arts Centre (dir. Carla Martel)
- The Country Wife - 'The Country Wife' - 2003 - SiLO Theatre (dir. Heath Jones)
Other
- AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
based singer (lyric SopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
), dancer - Involvement with Trash to Fashion 2003