Tuuli Narkle

{{Infobox person

| name = Tuuli Narkle

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Western Australia

| occupation = Actress

| notable_works = Mystery Road: Origin
NCIS: Sydney

| years_active = 2021–present

| partner =

| children =

}}

Tuuli Narkle is an Australian actress. For her performance in Mystery Road: Origin she won the 2022 AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama. She plays AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper in the Network 10/Paramount+ series NCIS: Sydney.

Early life and education

Tuuli Narkle was born in Western Australia. She is of Aboriginal Australian and Finnish descent. She is a Noongar woman of the Yued and Wiilman cultural blocs,{{cite web |title=Tuuli Narkle |url=https://www.jc.wa.edu.au/alumni/tuuli-narkle/ |website=www.jc.wa.edu.au |publisher=John Curtin College of the Arts |access-date=18 April 2025 |language=en-AU |date=17 November 2022 |quote=Tuuli Narkle is a Yued and Wiilman Noongar woman from South West, Western Australia.}} with familial ties to the York and Goldfields regions.{{Citation |last=Mayoh |first=Lisa |title=Tuuli's a Rising Star whose allowed to be loud |url= |periodical=The Sunday Telegraph |date=13 November 2022}}

She learnt cultural dance at a young age. While at high school, she was obsessed with the relationship between NCIS characters Gibbs and DiNozzo.{{Cite web |url=https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/stm/wa-actor-tuuli-narkle-was-an-ncis-superfan-now-she-is-part-of-its-first-global-spin-off-ncis-sydney-c-12334278 |title=WA actor Tuuli Narkle was an NCIS superfan, now she is part of its first global spin-off, NCIS: Sydney |last= |first= |date=4 November 2023 |website=The West Australian |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 November 2024}}

She was accepted into the John Curtin College of the Arts to study acting, and at the same time continued to train as a dancer at the Charlesworth Ballet Institute.{{cite web |title=Tuuli Narkle |website=Opera Australia |date=4 December 2023 |url=https://opera.org.au/artist/tuuli-narkle/ |access-date=2 November 2024}} After taking a major acting role on stage in Stolen, by Jane Harrison, directed and produced by Leah Purcell, Narkle auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art, from which she graduated with bachelor in fine arts in 2018.

Career

=Stage =

Narkle began her career on stage with an appearance as Ruby in Stolen by Jane Harrison.

In 2019 she appeared in Winyanboga Yurringa at Belvoir Street Theatre,{{Citation |last=Nguyen |first=Justine |title=Winyanboga Yurringa (Belvoir Street Theatre) |url=https://limelightmagazine.com.au/reviews/winyanboga-yurringa-belvoir-street-theatre/ |periodical=Limelight Magazine |date=9 May 2019}} and in Nakkiah Lui's Black is the New White.{{Citation |last= Woodhead |first=Cameron |title=Black is the new white for Australian social satire |url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/black-is-the-new-white-for-australian-social-satire-20191006-p52y2q.html |periodical=The Age |date=6 October 2019}}

In 2021 Narkle played the part of Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the stage show Sunshine Super Girl{{Citation |last=Syren |first=Mikele |title='Super Girl' Goolagong Cawley celebrated in new play |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/super-girl-goolagong-cawley-celebrated-in-new-play/ti7ej2ypb |periodical=NITV News |date=15 January 2021}} and in 2022 played Helen in Emme Hoy's adaptation of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.{{Citation |last=Shand |first=John |title=How do you adapt an unwieldy 500-page novel for the stage? Well, it's not easy |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/theatre/bold-bronte-sister-adaption-turns-page-on-domestic-violence-20220626-p5awnh.html |periodical=Sydney Morning Herald |date=16 June 2021}}

=Screen =

Narkle played a lead role in the ABC TV series All My Friends Are Racist in 2021.{{Citation |last=Hirst |first=Jordan |title=Queer ABC series 'All My Friends Are Racist' features wild rimming scene |url=https://qnews.com.au/queer-abc-series-all-my-friends-are-racist-features-wild-rimming-scene/ |periodical=Q News |date=24 August 2021}} In 2021 she played a younger version of Tasma Walton's character Mary Swan in Mystery Road: Origin, a prequel season of Mystery Road.{{Citation |last=Clark |first=Rhiannon |title=For Tuuli Narkle, portraying Mystery Road's Mary Allen was a deeply emotional, painful journey |url=https://nit.com.au/11-07-2022/3421/for-tuuli-narkle-portraying-mystery-roads-mary-allen-was-a-deeply-emotional-painful-journey |periodical=National Indigenous Times |date=13 July 2022}} On 23 November 2024, ABC announced a second season of Mystery Road: Origin, with Narkle to reprise her role as Mary Swan.{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2024-11-23 |title=Filming underway on Mystery Road: Origin S2 {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/11/filming-underway-on-mystery-road-origin-s2.html |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU}}

In 2023 she appeared in Bad Behaviour.{{Citation |last=O'loughlin |first=Ciara |title=Stan release all episodes of their gritty teenage Original series Bad Behaviour about shocking bullying at an all-girls school |url= |periodical=Daily Mail Australia |date=17 February 2023}} Narkle plays AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper in the Network 10/Paramount+ series NCIS: Sydney.{{cite web|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/06/olivia-swann-todd-lasance-lead-ncis-sydney-cast.html|title=Olivia Swann, Todd Lasance lead NCIS: Sydney cast|last=Knox|first=David|date=13 June 2023|publisher=TV Tonight|access-date=13 June 2023}}

She plays Keeley Redford in the 2024 Netflix drama series Territory.{{cite web |last=Bentley |first=Jean |title=Territory: Everything to Know About the Australian Outback Drama |website=Netflix Tudum |date=24 October 2024 |url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/territory-season-1-cast-release-date-photos |access-date=2 November 2024}}

Awards

For her performance in Mystery Road: Origin she won the 2022 AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama.{{Citation |last=Story |first=Hannah |title=Elvis and Mystery Road: Origin are big winners at AACTA Awards 2022 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-07/aacta-awards-2022-winners-elvis-and-mystery-road-dominate/101743762#:~:text=Tuuli%20Narkle%20%28pictured%29%20has%20won%20best%20supporting%20actress,cinematography%2C%20best%20editing%2C%20best%20director%2C%20and%20best%20sound. |periodical=ABC News |date=7 December 2022}}