Maia Jeffries
| Maia Jeffries | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Shortland Street character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Anna Jullienne | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2004–11, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 25 June 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 28 May 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Harriet Crampton (2004) Steven Zanoski (2012) |
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| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Occupation | Charge Nurse at Shortland Street Hospital (2006–11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Father | Ian Jeffries |
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| Mother | Yvonne Jeffries |
| Brothers | Hamish Flynn |
| Sisters |
Libby Jeffries Tania Jeffries |
| Civil partner | Jessica "Jay" Copeland (2006–07) |
| Sons | Jay "JJ" Jeffries |
| Grandmothers | Phyllis Gregory |
| Aunts |
Eileen Horrocks Janice Gregory |
| Nephews | Peter Flynn |
| Nieces | Amber Flynn |
| First cousins | Richard Horrocks Simon Horrocks Anna Horrocks |
Maia Anne Copeland is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Anna Jullienne from mid-2004 to early 2011, with the character starring in numerous high-profile storylines alongside her on screen family. The character is set to return in May 2012 as part of the show's 20th anniversary.
Arriving in mid-2004 as the travel partner of Victor's (Calvin Tuteao) daughter Jay Copeland (Jaime Passier-Armstrong), it was soon revealed the two were really lesbian lovers. Quickly getting a job at Shortland Street Hospital as a nurse, it was not long before Maia's family arrived on the show, establishing a family unit. Maia's relationship with Jay proved to be rocky and the two eventually married in a civil union on Valentine's Day 2006, only to separate and Maia to become widowed just over a year later. Maia participated in a major storyline in 2007 that saw her become pregnant with the help of her sister Tania's (Faye Smythe) husband, Mark (Tim Foley). The situation proved not to be the first time the family exploded however, in 2009 Maia admitted to having murdered Ethan Pierce (Owen Black) and subsequently spent time in a mental health facility. Maia found love with Nicole Miller (Sally Martin) in 2010, only to cheat on her and leave the show in early 2011.
Maia had a mixed reception, while her storylines were praised by fans. Anna Jullienne was also praised for her portrayol of Maia and won the Air New Zealand Screen Award for "Best Supporting Actress" in 2007.
In 2004 the family of established character, Victor Kahu (Calvin Tuteao) was expanded and his daughter, Jay Copeland (Jaime Passier-Armstrong) was introduced. Arriving alongside the 3-month recurring character, was Jay's secret girlfriend, Maia Jeffries.Anna Jullienne auditioned for the role and was intrigued by the reactions other actors had to her sexuality, "The thing with Shortland Street is the public start to think you are your character. Maybe some people are worried about that — they wouldn't want other people to think they're a lesbian. I know some other women who went for it and their male partners were a bit, kind of, funny about it. I don't have too many qualms about people thinking possibly that I am." At age 21, Jullienne won the role whilst she was halfway through a bachelor of arts. Shortly into Maia's stint, the Jeffries' family was introduced and expanded. Despite undergoing a storyline where she murdered a man, in 2009 Jullienne assured viewers that Maia would continue on the show and would not be getting written off in the foreseeable future.
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