Australian actor Jodi Gordon opens up about new career out of spotlight

Australian actor Jodi Gordon has opened up about her new career out of the spotlight, having shot to fame on Home and Away.

Jodi Gordon has opened up about her new career out of the spotlight.

The Australian actress, who first shot to fame on the long-running Seven soap Home and Away in 2005, is now working as a mental health support staffer for four days per week at Sane Australia, an organisation which offers digital and telehealth services to people struggling.

Gordon, 39, who is now two years sober after battling with alcohol addiction, told Stellar the role had given her a deeper purpose, having suffered with similar issues in the past.

“Because it’s a telehealth service, I’m just Jodi. I’m just having a chat, asking questions like, ‘What’s going on in your day? What are you struggling with?’ I love the anonymity,” Gordon told the magazine.

“It’s quite an honour to work for a company who really fights for changing the stigma around mental health.

“It’s wonderful to work in the space of advocacy. But then [because I’ve] experienced, on the other hand, the discrimination and stigma, there’s a lot of purpose there.”

Jodi Gordon on the cover of Sunday’s Stellar magazine. Picture: Simon Upton/Stellar

More recently on the acting front, Gordon starred as Elly Conway in Neighbours from 2016, before departing the soap in 2020.

She reprised her role for the show’s final episodes in 2022, and again returned for a one-off guest appearance in Amazon Freevee’s rebooted iteration of the series.

While Gordon’s not ruling out returning to the screen, she said acting wasn’t a priority right now.

“I love acting. I always have. There’s a part of me that always wants to play a character,” she said.

“I still have an acting agent; I just don’t really audition. If something came up, and it was appropriate to me and my [mental health] employer is OK, then absolutely I’d do it.

“It’s definitely not ruled out, but it’s not at the forefront.”

Jodi Gordon has sat down for a new interview with Stellar.

Gordon shot to fame on Home and Away in 2005.

Gordon first publicly revealed her struggles with depression and alcohol addiction to Stellar in 2022. The star had just completed a 30-day stay at a rehabilitation facility to seek help.

Now, emerging on the other side of her turbulent journey, she said the experience had brought her closer with her 10-year-old daughter Aleeia, whom she shares with her ex, retired NRL player Braith Anasta.

Gordon pictured with her daughter Aleeia.

“[Aleeia] is so intuitive. She knows what’s going on,” Gordon said.

“She knows Mummy doesn’t drink and she knows Mummy had to go and get some help. She knows life today is unbelievable and she has a mother that shows up and who’s trustworthy and who’s so loving. In terms of parenting, it’s definitely brought us closer in a very authentic way.”

Read the full interview in this week’s Stellar, inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA).

Originally published as Australian actor Jodi Gordon opens up about new career out of spotlight