Ilona Rodgers, a talented actress, began her career on stage in her native Yorkshire and at the Theatre Royal in Bath after completing her acting training at the Bristol Old Vic Drama School. Her breakthrough role came in 1964 when she played Mary Graham, the sweetheart of young Martin Chuzzlewit, in a BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel.
Rodgers' early television appearances included roles in the popular British shows "Doctor Who" and "The Avengers". She also guest-starred in "The Saint" and landed a part in the action comedy "Salt and Pepper" opposite Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford in 1968. The following year, she appeared in an episode of "Sherlock Holmes" starring Peter Cushing.
In the early 1970s, Rodgers emigrated to New Zealand, where she worked and resided at various times on both sides of the Tasman Sea. She acted on stage with the Auckland Mercury Theatre and on screen in the period drama "Hunter's Gold" set during the 1860 gold rush.
Over a decade later, Rodgers landed her most well-known role as the wealthy and scheming editor of an Auckland high fashion magazine in the series "Gloss" (1987). The show was described as "glitter soap" or New Zealand's answer to the popular American series "Dynasty".
In recent years, Rodgers has appeared in a New Zealand revamping of "Black Beauty" and in the crime drama series "Dirty Laundry" (2016). In Australia, she has featured in the miniseries "Sara Dane" (1982) for which she won a Logie as Best Supporting Actress and in "Anzacs" (1985). She also had a recurring role as a fraudulent clairvoyant in the popular Australian soap "Prisoner" (1979) and was a regular on the Aussie soap "Sons and Daughters" (1982).
Rodgers has also portrayed two royals in the U.S. produced series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (1995),which was filmed in New Zealand.
