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Kym Valentine

Kym Valentine
Valentine at a Neighbours event in 2025.
Born
Blacktown, Sydney, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1989–present
Known forNeighbours
Children2

Kym Valentine is an Australian actress, best known for her long-running intermittent portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.

Early life and education

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Kym Valentine was born in Blacktown, Sydney,[1][better source needed] and grew up in Granville.[2] She began dance classes when she was two and attended her first dance school aged six.[1][2] When she was five years old, Valentine began acting in television commercials and stage plays.[2][better source needed]

She studied dance, singing and drama at the Performing Arts School in Sydney.[3]

Career

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Valentine's early television appearances included guests roles in Brides of Christ, and Home and Away, and a regular role as Lisa in My Two Wives.[citation needed]

In 1994, Valentine joined the cast of Neighbours as Libby Kennedy.[4] She moved to Melbourne to take the role and remained on the show until 2004.[citation needed]

In 2005, Valentine took the lead role of Baby in Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, which also toured to Melbourne and Perth.[citation needed]

In June 2007, Valentine rejoined Neighbours on a permanent basis. On 8 April 2009, Valentine made an appearance as herself on The Wright Stuff, a UK TV programme. In April 2011, Valentine took indefinite leave from Neighbours.[citation needed]

Valentine appeared as a housewife in Nine Network's miniseries Fat Tony & Co., which was broadcast in 2014.[5] Valentine returned to Neighbours as part of a storyline to celebrate 20 years of the Kennedy family in 2014.[4]

In 2017, Valentine was cast in Michael Wormald's independent film Choir Girl,[6] which was released in 2019. In 2018, she appeared in a Melbourne stage production of Unsolicited Male (which she repeated in 2022). She also starred alongside her daughter in the short film Treetment, which was filmed in Melbourne in December 2018.[7]

Valentine appears as the character Connie the Phlegmatic in the upcoming film titled Residence.[8]

In addition to her stage and screen work, Valentine teaches acting classes.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2018 Treetment Katrina Short film
2019 The Grand Scheme Clementine Short film
2019 Choir Girl Caroline Doyle
2022 Junk Mail Chey Short film
TBA Residence Connie the Phlegmatic Also producer

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 Brides of Christ Miniseries
1992 My Two Wives Lisa Kennedy 13 episodes
1994 Home and Away Belinda 1 episode
1994–2004;
2007–2011;
2014;
2022		 Neighbours Libby Kennedy 1051 episodes
2014 Fat Tony & Co. Peg Mancini Miniseries, 1 episode
2024 Til You Make It Siobhan 1 episode

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
1996–1997 Cinderella Cinderella Llandudno with Qudos Productions, UK
1998–1999 Snow White Snow White Beck Theatre, Hayes with Qudos Productions, UK
2000–2001 Cinderella Cinderella Hexagon Theatre, Reading with Qudos Productions, UK
2002–2003 Peter Pan Peter Pan Hawth Theatre, Crawley with Qudos Productions, UK
2004–2005 Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage Baby Theatre Royal, Sydney, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Burswood Theatre, Perth with Kevin Jacobsen Productions
2015 The Vagina Monologues Co-lead University of Tasmania with Adrian Baum Presents[9]
2018; 2022 Unsolicited Male Wendy, the P.A. Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne with Q44 Theatre Company

[10][11][12]

Personal life

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Valentine married singer Fabio Tolli, and they have a daughter. The couple separated in 2007.[13]

Valentine was engaged to former AFL player Trent Croad in March 2015.[14] In November 2015, Valentine and Croad confirmed they were expecting their first child together,[15] and a son was born in March 2016.[16] Their relationship ended in December 2017.[17]

Health issues

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On 4 July 2008, Valentine collapsed on a flight home from New York and was diagnosed with pneumonia and pneumothorax.[18] When she arrived in Melbourne she spent several days in hospital before recuperating at home.[19][20] Valentine was told that she needed to rest for a month and she could not return to work on Neighbours.[18] New Zealand actress Michala Banas took over the role of Libby for a month,[21] and Valentine resumed the role at the start of the 2009 series.[citation needed]

On 6 July 2010, Valentine was hospitalised for four days with a life-threatening blood clot on her lung.[22] In December 2010, Valentine checked herself into a clinic as she was suffering from exhaustion.[23]

Valentine returned to the Neighbours set in January 2011.[24] A few months after her return to filming, Valentine took indefinite leave from Neighbours.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b "On this day". The Age. 24 May 2013. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Connoly, Paul (24 April 2011). "Kym Valentine". The Sun-Herald. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Kym Valentine" (PDF). BGM Agency.
  4. ^ a b Thomas, Sarah (11 March 2014). "Kym Valentine's surprise return to Neighbours for 20-year special". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  5. ^ Dainty, Sophie (18 October 2013). "'Neighbours' Kym Valentine films first role since leaving soap". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  6. ^ Windsor, Harry (20 March 2017). "Debut feature 'Choir Girl' to shoot in Melbourne in early April". If Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  7. ^ a b Byrne, Fiona (3 February 2019). "Family ties for Kym". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 September 2024 – via Gale.
  8. ^ "Cast". Residence the film. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Hobart production of The Vagina Monologues to raise funds to combat violence against women". The Mercury. 18 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Kym Valentine". AusStage.
  11. ^ "Kym Valentine" (PDF). BGM Agency.
  12. ^ "Neighbours in Panto". www.pantoarchive.com.
  13. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (21 October 2007). "'Neighbours' actress splits from husband". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  14. ^ "Neighbours star Kym Valentine engaged to former AFL player Trent Croad". news.com.au. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  15. ^ Smith, Karleigh (5 November 2015). "Kym Valentine and Trent Croad's exciting baby news". Women's Day. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  16. ^ Jepsen, Belinda (31 March 2016). "Former Neighbours star Kym Valentine welcomes a gorgeous baby boy". Mamamia. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  17. ^ "Ex-AFL champ and TV starlet split". Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  18. ^ a b Vickery, Colin (21 November 2008). "Kym Valentines's collapse caused a Neighbours headache". Herald Sun. Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  19. ^ RTÉ.ie Entertainment: Neighbours star suffered collapsed lung
  20. ^ "Nightmare flight for actor Kym Valentine", Herald Sun. Subscription only.
  21. ^ Kym Valentine takes a break from Neighbours, Herald Sun
  22. ^ "Neighbours star Kym Valentine in hospital with respiratory problem, due back on set soon". Herald Sun. Australia. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  23. ^ "Kym opens up about health battle". Herald Sun. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  24. ^ a b Byrne, Fiona (16 April 2011). "Kym Valentine to take a neighbourly break". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
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