Acting has been mum-of-two Tracy Lee Gray’s passion ever since she was a child. But she never had the confidence to pursue a career in the film and television industry, instead she found work in the corporate world. Then when she suffered a life-threatening stroke 10 years ago, Tracy Lee decided life was too short to not be doing what you love.
The mid-life career change paid off, with a recurring role as Trudy Neilson in the hit local detective series The Brokenwood Mysteries for the past eight seasons.
“Everyone needs to follow their dreams,” says Tracy Lee, 49. “I was in my forties when I got to do something that I really love. It’s never too late.”
Growing up in Auckland, her mother sent her to acting classes from the age of eight to help build her confidence.
“I was never into sports, so acting helped bring me out of my shell and introduced me to a community of people. I absolutely loved it.”
Tracy Lee Gray as Trudy Neilson in The Brokenwood Mysteries.
In her twenties, Tracy Lee attempted a career as an actor, gaining small roles on TV shows such as Shortland Street, but it was too competitive and she felt the industry was too tough to survive.
“There were a lot of young women around wanting to be an actress. It became evident that it was going to be a hard road if I was going to stick with it. I decided not to hang all of my hopes on this job.”
She quit to pursue a more stable career as a project manager. It was, she recalls, a stressful job, focused on logistics and accounting, and with no creative outlet.
Then at 38, her life took a dramatic turn when she suffered a stroke. The ordeal was made more challenging as Tracy Lee had a one-year-old son. The experience changed her life and her perspective.
“I lost all the feeling down the right side of my body and was rushed to hospital,” she recalls. “After a week in the hospital, I was discharged. I came home and had to attempt to build everything up again.
“I thought, ‘This is the end for me.’ It knocked my confidence and my mental health. There was a lot of fear. I had a small son and a home to look after. I did a lot of sitting around. I wasn’t in control. My life was out of my hands.”
Tracy Lee (far right) says it was so affirming being in a line-up of New Zealand’s best acting talent.
She eventually recovered and after re-evaluating her life, she decided to sign up with an actor’s agent.
“I wanted to belong to that community again and have the positive feeling I had when I was acting during my childhood.”
The first audition she was sent to was for Brokenwood and it changed her life. She initially auditioned for a character who was supposed to be murdered in a single episode. Tracy Lee says she didn’t get the role because the producer and head writer, Tim Balme, decided to offer her the role of Trudy instead, making her a regular cast member.
“When I found out I got the role of Trudy, I burst into tears,” she tells. “It gave me validation from a group of people who I have admired in this industry for so long. I was on top of the world.”
“I’ve strengthened my body so I can manage myself through the pain,” says Tracy Lee.
Tracy Lee’s most memorable episode of Brokenwood screened in 2019, an infamous episode set in a women’s prison, where she acted alongside some of New Zealand’s most talented actors, including Teuila Blakely, Amanda Billing and Laura Hill. It was directed by Katie Wolfe.
“Having all those women around me was so affirming. I still pinch myself that I had that experience.”
Since her stroke, Tracy Lee has suffered from a condition called fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome.
“I’ve strengthened my body so I can manage myself through the pain,” she says. “I won’t let it beat me. Being on a show like The Brokenwood Mysteries is a good distraction. It takes me out of this broken body. I’m able to get on with my life.”
Tracy Lee has been cast in other popular TV shows since her stroke, including roles in Educators and Head High. She’s also currently filming the 10th season of Brokenwood, which has become a worldwide phenomenon, screening in 150 countries.
She says she is living proof it’s possible to overcome adversities and realise your dream. “I have proven to myself that I can do it. Everything that happens from now on is a bonus.”
Watch The Brokenwood Mysteries Sundays at 8.30pm on TVNZ 1 and on TVNZ+.
