Love & Laughter

She’s one of our best-known actresses, but Anna Jullienne wouldn’t be out of place in a comedy hall either. Emma Clifton delights in the star as she talks about mean mums, the funny side of sex scenes, and her houseful of boys.

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Actress Anna Jullienne – known for her work on Shortland Street, 800 Words and TV3’s Mean Mums – is busy explaining all the bits and pieces of random knowledge she’s acquired from her 16 years in acting. “You go so deeply into one script and learn so much about a little, strange niche,” she laughs. “Like, I’m a real expert on the invention of the vibrator, which is handy, isn’t it? When don’t I talk about that?!”

Having a conversation with the 36-year-old is like having a front-row seat at a comedy show and it’s at this point during our interview that I can’t help but get the giggles, particularly when Anna expands on what it’s like having to make, erm, sex noises in front of a live audience. Luckily In the Next Room – the vibrator stage show – was a comedy, which made things a little easier on her. “We did a lot of ‘orgasming’ noises, but it was funny and fun. I’ve had to do ‘orgasmy’ things when it was supposed to be sexy on stage and on telly and I found that really hard. If you’re trying to be sexy, you’re not really sexy. Sexiness is something you can’t really try to do because as soon as you do try, you’re like” – she puts on a small, scared voice – “‘Oh, I just want to be at home in my dressing gown and my slippers.’

“I did have to do a sexy striptease for 800 Words and I had just – in my defence – had my second baby, so I wasn’t really feeling like, ‘YES! I’ll take ALL my clothes off now!’” she yells in a boisterous voice. “I was more like… ‘Do you have any high-necked, long sexy negligées? Anything with a long sleeve or a corset?’”

It was way back in the early days of her role on