Rachel Leigh Blakely was born on 28 July 1968 in Borneo. Her father, Harold Blakely, is an American, and her mother was Australian. Due to her father's oil business, the family, including younger sister Ruth, moved to several countries over the years until settling on an Australian farm when Blakely was twelve. Before she became an actress, Blakely worked as a nightclub bouncer, a model and a short order cook; it was her ex-husband's suggestion that she audition for a role on Neighbours In her spare time, Blakely enjoys camping, sewing, painting, cooking and sleeping. Her favourite authors are Margaret Atwood and Tracy Chevalier, and her favourite movies are Queen Margot and Breaking the Waves. Blakely married fellow actor Peter Craig in 1990, but they divorced some years later. She met her current partner, stuntman Sean Rigby, on the set of Tales of the South Seas. Their first child, Cooper Lee Rigby, was born in September 2003, and their second child, Nash Rigby, was born in early 2009. Blakely splits her time between Australia and Los Angeles. She possesses dual American-Australian citizenship.

Filmography

• 2026Aussie at Heart — Caroline
• Darby and Joan — Loraine Tait
• Reef Doctors — Megan
• 2010The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — Gael's Mum
• Mortified — Glenda Fry
• 2004The Turner Affair — Natalie Turner
• 2002Counterstrike — Brittany Cooper
• 2002The Lost World: Underground — Marguerite Krux
• 2001The Lost World - Gladiator
• 2000Max Knight: Ultra Spy — Ricki Dailey / Claire
• 1999The Lost World — Marguerite Krux
• The Lost World — Marguerite Krux
• Tribe — Lucille Fournier
• Tales of the South Seas — Isabelle Reed
• 1998Young Hercules — Alcmene
• 1997Mr. Nice Guy — Sandy
• 1997One Way Ticket — Deborah Carter
• 1995Love Until — Madeleine
• Xena: Warrior Princess — Penelope
• Blue Heelers — Gina Belfanti
• The Feds — Victoria Payne
• Neighbours

Appearances as themselves (1)

• Hollywood Squares — Self - Panelist