Soldier Solider star Marise Wipani has died at the aged of 61.

The actress played Ellie in series three of the British ITV series, and also appeared in TV shows Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules and Shortland Street.

She passed away on Friday on her 61st birthday, with her death being confirmed with a post on her Facebook page.

It read: ‘Marise passed peacefully today on her 61st birthday surrounded by family and friends.

‘She just wanted to say….I have shuffled off this mortal coil. Good byyye, good luuuck, good God!!! Quote from Driving Miss Daisy.’

A cause of death was not revealed. 

Marise’ Soldier Soldier co-star Jay Laga’aia was one of the first to pay tribute, writing a heartfelt message to her that read: ‘You are so young and I will miss you. 

‘We have worked together over the years and I was always so pleased to have you on set. Travel well my sister, love you always.’ 

Soldier Solider star Marise Wipani has died aged 61. The actress also appeared in TV shows Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules and Shortland Street

While, Ian Mune, who directed the actress in Came a Hot Friday, also penned a touching tribute, writing: ‘‘Marise, this breaks my heart. We met on your first film role in Came a Hot Friday.

‘Your presence and performance added a whole layer to that movie arising from your truth and honesty. It was what always struck me whenever we met. Fly high, Princess.’ 

Marise was one of five siblings and grew up in Ponsonby, before moving to Christchurch at 18.

She moved after being spotted by a producer for the Miss New Zealand pageant, who encouraged her to participate in the 1983 competition.

She ultimately placed runner-up to her pal Lorraine Downes, who eventually went on to be crowed the 1983 Miss Universe.

Marise later admitted she was glad not to have won the contest, confessing she’d only entered for the free trip and money.

When asked if she was disappointed to have come runner-up, she told New Zealand Herald: ‘Nah, it would have been my worst nightmare. 

‘I dodged a bullet … Seriously, it’s just not my cup of tea. I had no sense of competing and as for winning, it never really occurred to me.’

This was followed by her first acting roles, after she was cast to play various characters on the Billy T. James Show and then won the part of Esmerelda in Came a Hot Friday in 1985.

In 1987, the star then became one of the first presenters of the live televised draw for Lotto New Zealand with Doug Harvey, earning her the affectionate nickname of the Lotto Lady.

Marise left in 1991 to pursue her acting career, having roles on Australian crime film Grievous Bodily Harm before landing the part in Soldier, Soldier in 1993 for the New Zealand-set third series.

Film roles followed with a part in Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur and the series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in the mid-90s as well as Bonjour Timothy (1995) and Channelling Baby (1999).

Her other notable role came as Kanae in 2001’s Xena: Warrior Princess, while her last big projects were playing Sharon Short in Rude Awakenings and Rebecca Scott in New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street in 2008.

In her later years, she stepped back from high-profile projects and appeared in several smaller-scale productions, mostly playing minor roles in Australasian films.

While Marise also moved into hospitality, revealing in the 2010s that she was working an ordinary job in a café in the 2010s and ‘living modestly’.

In an interview in 2011, she joked: ‘I wish I was rich and I wish I’d listened when people told me to save my money.

‘But I was like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” and then didn’t do anything … it’s been fun.’