Kym Valentine is an Australian actress, best known for her long-running intermittent portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.
Early life and education
Kym Valentine was born in Blacktown, Sydney, and grew up in Granville. She began dance classes when she was two and attended her first dance school aged six.
Career
Valentine's early television appearances included guests roles in Brides of Christ, and Home and Away.
In 1994, Valentine joined the cast of Neighbours as Libby Kennedy. Valentine returned to Neighbours as part of a storyline to celebrate 20 years of the Kennedy family in 2014.
In 2017, Valentine was cast in Michael Wormald's independent film Choir Girl, which was released in 2019. In 2018, she appeared in a Melbourne stage production of Unsolicited Male (which she repeated in 2022). She also starred alongside her daughter in the short film Treetment, which was filmed in Melbourne in December 2018.
Valentine appears as the character Connie the Phlegmatic in the upcoming film titled Residence.
In addition to her stage and screen work, Valentine teaches acting classes.
|-
| 2018; 2022 || Unsolicited Male || Wendy, the P.A. || Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne with Q44 Theatre Company
|}
Personal life
Valentine married singer Fabio Tolli, and they have a daughter. The couple separated in 2007.
Valentine was engaged to former AFL player Trent Croad in March 2015. In November 2015, Valentine and Croad confirmed they were expecting their first child together, and a son was born in March 2016. Their relationship ended in December 2017.
Health issues
On 4 July 2008, Valentine collapsed on a flight home from New York and was diagnosed with pneumonia and pneumothorax. When she arrived in Melbourne she spent several days in hospital before recuperating at home. Valentine was told that she needed to rest for a month and she could not return to work on Neighbours.
On 6 July 2010, Valentine was hospitalised for four days with a life-threatening blood clot on her lung. In December 2010, Valentine checked herself into a clinic as she was suffering from exhaustion.
Valentine returned to the Neighbours set in January 2011. A few months after her return to filming, Valentine took indefinite leave from Neighbours.