Robyn Malcolm is 61 years old (as of October 2026). She was born in 1965 in Ashburton, Canterbury, turned 60 in 2025, and 1News gave her age as 61 in September 2026, when her documentary Menopause and Us aired on TVNZ 1. Her exact birthday has not been made public.
Malcolm has been one of New Zealand’s most recognisable actors for three decades, from Shortland Street in the 1990s to Outrageous Fortune, After the Party and, in 2026, the Australian series Run and Careless.
| Full name | Robyn Jane Malcolm MNZM |
| Born | 1965, Ashburton, Canterbury |
| Age | 61 (as of October 2026) |
| Education | Ashburton College; Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School (Diploma in Acting, 1987) |
| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Best known for | Cheryl West in Outrageous Fortune, Penny Wilding in After the Party |
| Honours | Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2019) |
| Partner | Peter Mullan |
| Children | Two sons |
How old is Robyn Malcolm?
Robyn Malcolm is 61. 1News gave her age as 61 in September 2026, and in July 2025 she told the same outlet she had just turned 60. She was born in 1965, but the exact date of her birthday has never been published.
She has embraced the milestone: “The ticking over into 60 that I was nervous of because of what it represents – I am so in love with. I love it!”
Where is Robyn Malcolm from?
Robyn Malcolm is from Ashburton in Canterbury, where she was born in 1965 and went to Ashburton College. She left home at 15 to live with her grandmother in Wellington, trained at Toi Whakaari in the capital, and later settled in Auckland, where she raised her two sons.
Robyn Malcolm when she was young
Malcolm grew up in Ashburton, where her father, Pete, was her school principal. She told 1News in 2025 that at 15, after a clash with a senior staff member, she turned to her father, and his advice was that it was time to leave and chase her dreams. She moved to Wellington to live with her grandmother.
She trained at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand’s national drama school, and graduated with a Diploma in Acting in 1987. Her stage credits began at Downstage Theatre in 1988. Her Shakespeare roles include Viola at BATS in 1989, Ophelia at BATS in 1990, Emilia at Watershed Theatre in 1995, Beatrice at Downstage in 1999 and Titania with the NZ Actors Company in 2000 and 2001.
How old was Robyn Malcolm in Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune?
Robyn Malcolm was in her late twenties when she joined Shortland Street as Ellen Crozier in 1994, and 33 or 34 when she left in 1999. She turned 40 in 2005, the year Outrageous Fortune began, and was around 45 when the show ended in 2010.
On Shortland Street she appeared in around 600 episodes. Outrageous Fortune made her a household name as Cheryl West, matriarch of the West family, and won her Best Actress at the Qantas Television Awards in 2005 and 2008.
Robyn Malcolm’s family
Her father, Pete, worked in education as a school principal. Her mother’s name has not been made public, but Malcolm has quoted her in interviews. She has sisters, whom she mentioned to 1News in September 2026, and one sister is married to Roger Sutton, the former chief executive of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
Malcolm was previously married to Allan Clark and has two sons, Charlie and Pete. Her partner is the Scottish actor Peter Mullan. The full story is in our article on Robyn Malcolm’s partner, Peter Mullan.
What has Robyn Malcolm been in?
Robyn Malcolm has worked on screen since 1989, when she had a guest role in Shark in the Park. Her best-known work runs from Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune to After the Party, Pike River (opposite Melanie Lynskey) and, in 2026, Run. The main roles are below.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994–1999 | Shortland Street | Ellen Crozier |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Morwen |
| 2005–2010 | Outrageous Fortune | Cheryl West |
| 2010 | The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell | Gail Snell |
| 2010–2014 | Rake | Kirsty Corella |
| 2013 | Top of the Lake | Anita |
| 2013–2014 | Agent Anna | Anna Kingston (also executive producer) |
| 2013–2016 | Upper Middle Bogan | Julie Wheeler |
| 2017 | Hostiles | Minnie McGowan |
| 2018–2021 | Harrow | Maxine Pavich |
| 2018–2019 | The Outpost | Elinor |
| 2020 | This Town | Pam |
| 2022 | Black Bird | Sammy Keen |
| 2023 | Far North | Heather |
| 2023 | After the Party | Penny Wilding (also co-creator) |
| 2024 | The Moon Is Upside Down | Hilary |
| 2024 | Heartbreak High | Cait White (guest) |
| 2025 | The Survivors | Verity Elliott |
| 2025 | Mystery Road: Origin | Sgt Simmo |
| 2025 | Pike River | Sonya Rockhouse |
| 2026 | Run | Thelma Abbott |
| 2026 | Robyn Malcolm: Menopause and Us | Presenter |
| Not yet released | Careless | Angela |
Awards and honours
Robyn Malcolm has won Best Actress at New Zealand’s national television awards several times for Outrageous Fortune, became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019, and won an international acting award in France in 2024 for After the Party, which went on to a 2025 BAFTA nomination.
- Best Actress at the Qantas Television Awards in 2005 and 2008
- Best Actress at the Air New Zealand Screen Awards in 2007
- Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to television and theatre
- Best Actress in the International Panorama section at Séries Mania in Lille, France, in March 2024, for After the Party, the first time a New Zealand entry had been considered for an award there
- A 2025 BAFTA nomination for Best International Series for After the Party, which she co-created with Dianne Taylor
On the BAFTA nomination she wrote: “Just to get in this category is utterly crazy, mindblowing and just plain joyous.”
What is Robyn Malcolm doing now?
In 2026 Robyn Malcolm has had three new projects. Run started streaming on TVNZ+ on 1 March, her documentary Menopause and Us aired on TVNZ 1 on 7 September, and she filmed the four-part thriller Careless for Channel 4 and Stan, which had no release date as of October 2026.
In Run, a six-part Australian mini-series about the bank robber and jail-breaker Brenden Abbott, she plays his mother, Thelma. The Spinoff called her a “local screen icon” in its streaming guide for the week the series landed.
Robyn Malcolm: Menopause and Us screened at 8.30pm on Monday 7 September 2026 on TVNZ 1 and streams on TVNZ+. She talks with Melbourne psychiatrist Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Mātauranga Māori practitioner Hera Cotter and the punk band Cootie Cutie about perimenopause and menopause. “Firstly, I wish people would talk about it,” she told 1News.
Production on Careless was under way in Sydney and Glasgow by late January 2026, according to Channel 4, with Malcolm as Angela, wife of a rock star played by Richard Roxburgh.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Robyn Malcolm?
She is 61 as of October 2026. She was born in 1965.
When is Robyn Malcolm's birthday?
She was born in 1965. The exact date has not been made public.
Where was Robyn Malcolm born?
In Ashburton, Canterbury.
Who are Robyn Malcolm's parents?
Her father, Pete, was a school principal. Her mother’s name has not been made public.
What is Robyn Malcolm's new show?
In 2026 she starred in Run on TVNZ+ and presented Menopause and Us on TVNZ 1. Her thriller Careless has not been released yet.
