Bio
Lea Vivier is a South African actress best known for her starring role as Yola Fischer in the thriller series Dam.
She achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts (cum laude) from Rhodes University, where she appeared in a number of student productions including Hunger, Amazing Other Show, Void and Hanamichi.
Professionally she has appeared in a number of theatrical productions including The Little Prince, Acceptance and Plastocracy.
She has also appeared in a number of commercials for clients including Nescafé Cappuccino, Hyundai i20, Coca Cola, Barley Bros and Reyvow.
In addition, she played the romantic lead in the music video for Brenda Peyper's song Jy Laat Dit Maklik Lyk (You Make It Look Easy), in 2018.
In 2017, Lea landed her first role in a feature film as a waitress in Wonderlus, for which she won Best Actress in a Feature Film at the 2017 Silwerskermfees.
She also played the role of Louisa in the Mike McDougall-directed short film The Runner, for which she won the Best Lead Actress in a Short Film award at the Five Continents International Film Festival, in 2018.
In the same year she began playing the recurring role of Lika Bosch in the kykNET soapie Binnelanders, making her first appearance in Season 13, Episode 145 (which aired on 29 December, 2017).
She next had a guest starring role in an episode of the kykNET sitcom Die Kasteel (The Castle), appearing in Season 1, Episode 10 (which aired on 15 March, 2018).
Also in 2018, Lea landed her first starring role in television as Salomé, a distillery rep who loses her job and moves in with her aunt Mientjie (Sandra Prinsloo), in the kykNET sitcom Mense Mense (People People).
The series premiered on 9 April, 2018.
Later that year she played the guest role of Steffie in an episode of the SABC3 police procedural series The Docket entitled "A Legion of Devils" (Season 1, Episode 2), which aired on 29 August, 2018.
Lea played the role of Amy Eliason in two episodes of the first Showmax original drama series, The Girl from St. Agnes, in 2019.
The two episodes - entitled "An Everlasting Funeral" and "My Own Sins" - were released on 7 and 14 February of that year, respectively; and also aired on M-Net City on DStv in December 2020.
Next up was a guest starring role in the series premiere of the supernatural crime procedural series Die Spreeus (The Starlings), which debuted on kykNET on 9 April, 2019.
Later that year Lea landed her second starring role in television when she was cast as Lilani, a clerk who returns after a year long sabbatical to Van Wyk & Vennote, in the kykNET legal drama series Fynskrif (Fineprint).
She joined the cast for the start of the second season on 8 October, 2019.
The following year she played the recurring role of Sonya on another kykNET police procedural series - Projek Dina (Project Dina) - making her first appearance in Season 1, Episode 10, which aired on 17 March, 2020.
She also starred in the "flash soapie" series Duiwelspoort (Devil's Gate), produced by Afrokaans and VIA for Netwerk 24.
Each episode of the series is five minutes long and aside from Vivier stars Jana Kruger, Nico Panagio, Milan Murray, June van Merch, Roeline Daneel, Carel Nel, Laudo Liebenberg and Waldemar Schultz.
Duiwelspoort debuted online on 14 September, 2020.
In 2021, Lea landed her biggest role to date when she was cast in the Showmax original thriller series Dam.
In the show she headlines as Yola Fischer, a woman who returns from Chile to the Eastern Cape to bury her father, only to be tormented by spirits in the farm house she has inherited.
But with her mother institutionalised, and her own meds running out, Yola has to wonder if the spirits are real or just in her head.
The series landed on Showmax on 21 February, 2021; and later aired on DStv's Me channel, premiering on 10 January, 2022.
Ten days prior to the release of Dam, Lea headlined the TV movie The Day We Didn't Meet with fellow lead Steven John Ward, which dropped on Showmax on 11 February.
The film follows one-time lovers Alex and Sam, whose reunion could be total coincidence, or fate giving them one last shot at love.
In a game of "let's pretend" that spirals out of control, the two find themselves pretending they're an old married couple, but reality keeps knocking at the door until they are unable to seek refuge in their fabricated fantasy.
Also in 2021, she played the recurring role of Daleen le Roux in the SABC2 telenovela Die Sentrum (The Centre), which revolves around a group of eight diverse counsellors who work together at a helpline call centre.
Lea made her first appearance in that role in the series premiere, on 8 April, 2021.
She had a guest starring role as Lizelle in an episode of the Showmax comedy series Troukoors (Wedding Fever), which was released on 13 December, 2021.
The following year she had another recurring role, this time as Azel in the kykNET crime drama series Die Byl (The Axe), making her first appearance on 30 January, 2022 (Season 4, Episode 3).
In the same year she had a recurring role in the Netflix series Resident Evil, based on the horror franchise and set nearly three decades after the discovery of the T-virus, when an outbreak reveals the Umbrella Corporation's dark secrets.
The series stars The Wire actor Lance Reddick.
Also in 2022, she plays the role of Madeline Evans in the M-Net soapie Legacy.
Lea is the sister of actress Trix Vivier.