‘I don’t feel like I have to prove anything or justify anything’: Jodi Gordon reveals surprising new role
As she reflects on taking a break from acting, former Home And Away star Jodi Gordon details what led her to realise she ‘doesn’t have to prove anything’ – and the new role that has given her a greater purpose.
Stellar
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For over half of her working life, actor and model Jodi Gordon has spent much of her time in a make-up chair. When she landed the role of Martha MacKenzie on Home And Away at the age of 20, her time in the chair also involved having a script in hand.
Today, a 39-year-old Gordon still spends her working days in a chair. And she’s still learning a script. But it is for a very different reason.
For four days a week, Gordon is now a mental health support worker for Sane Australia, an organisation that provides digital and telehealth support services for people with complex mental health issues and their families.
And the script she’s memorising is from Torrens University in Sydney, where she’s completing a Bachelor degree in counselling and communication and, along the way, getting a better grasp of the power that language can hold within the mental health space.
“Stepping into a professional job in mental health is a huge change for me,” Gordon tells Stellar. “It’s funny, because Home And Away was the first time I ever auditioned for an acting role. And Sane was the first corporate job I ever interviewed for. I was over the moon when I got it.”
And there’s no way those who call the phone line at Sane would know the woman on the other end of the line has walked the runways in Milan, or that in 2006, she won a Logie for Most Popular New Talent. “This is what I love about Sane. Because it’s a telehealth service, I’m just Jodi,” explains Gordon, who also played English teacher Elly Conway on Neighbours for several years between 2016 and 2023.
“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.”
“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.”
Two years ago, in a raw interview with Stellar, Gordon detailed her battles with depression and alcohol addiction. At the time, she declared alcohol her poison and had just completed a 30-day stay in a rehabilitation facility.
While her struggles are not uncommon, her public profile as one of the country’s most famous faces meant paparazzi followed her to the facility.
“I remember doing that first interview and it just felt like the stakes were so high. And I had to respond. There was stigma there. There was discrimination there. I felt like I had to go in and bat for myself – and I don’t feel like anyone should have to do that. Because everyone’s personal journey [with mental health] is intimate.”
Reflecting on that time however, she says it ultimately instilled in her a resilience. “I’ve had this experience a few times in my life where I’ve hit a point: I’m struggling and I’ve got to rebuild quickly.
“Whether you’ve got pressure from the media or from family and friends, it’s all the same type of pressure. And it’s such a pivotal moment; I can identify those moments as ‘sink or swim’ time.”
Fortunately for Gordon, she swam. And it led her to a new career path. “I have been searching for a deeper purpose or meaning in life probably for about five years, to be honest,” she reveals.
“I remember about six months into my sobriety journey, I was talking to my mentor about my dreams and aspirations of working in the mental health space and she really encouraged me to go to uni and study. I’m someone that didn’t even finish high school. I took off to Milan when I was 17 [to model]. The next minute, I’ve got a scholarship. I’m doing things I didn’t think I could do, because one person believed in me.”
Although they might seem worlds apart, Gordon believes her careers in acting and working in mental health are closely linked.
“The thing that drew me to acting is I love human behaviour and what makes someone do something. Even on Home And Away and Neighbours, I was constantly evolving and changing the character to find the innocence and purity about making decisions,” she explains. “I know it’s not ‘real’, but that was fascinating to me.
“Now that I’m in these [mental health] fields, I think I’m stepping into a different kind of purpose. I feel like I’m right where I’m meant to be,” she says.
“I’m not surprised I’m here. But I’m also not surprised I’ve been an actor for 20 years. Being an actor and a model … for so long that’s how I viewed myself. I thought, that’s who I am. It’s the most wonderful thing in life when you have that epiphany, of understanding [that] no, that’s just part of the story. And there are so many more chapters.”
That’s not to say Gordon has retired from the spotlight. She still has alignments with make-up and fashion brands, and is active on social media. And she hasn’t walked away entirely from the career that made her a household name in Australia. “I love acting,” she tells Stellar.
“I always have. There’s a part of me that always wants to play a character. 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.”
What is at the forefront are her studies, her work and her 10-year-old daughter, Aleeia, who she shares with her ex-husband, former NRL player turned TV presenter Braith Anasta, from whom she split in 2015. Gordon says the struggles she has gone through – and the insights she gained along the way – have only strengthened her bond with her daughter.
“In the early days, being a single mum, we had a relationship based on two women who have curious minds and love to chat,” she explains.
“That’s always been what has underpinned our relationship. That hasn’t changed at all. There’s just more trust in how we communicate now.“[Aleeia] is so intuitive. She knows what’s going on. 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,” Gordon reveals.
“In terms of parenting, it’s definitely brought us closer in a very authentic way.”
While Gordon doesn’t know what’s on the horizon for her, both personally and professionally, she says if her experience has taught her anything, it is that she needs to stay focused on the present. “Part of being sober is really all about today,” she says, adding that while no two days are quite the same, she has found a common thread.
“I feel more centred. I don’t feel like I have to prove anything or justify anything. This is just how it is today.
“At the moment, I’m just putting my head down and bum up and quietly doing the things I need to do, and the rest takes care of itself. I’m at a time in my life where my focus is on studying, being a great mum, being a good friend and being of service.
“[And] really looking after myself and building something that I can’t even put my fingers on yet … but it’s far beyond what I have the capacity to conjure up.”
If you or anyone you know needs support, call 1800 187 263 or visit sane.org. For more from Stellar, click here.
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