Mailman played the role of Kate in a
La Boite Theatre production of Shakespeare's
The Taming of the Shrew in 1994. Other early stage roles include solo show
The Seven Stages of Grieving (which she co-wrote with
Wesley Enoch) for
Kooemba Jdarra and
Queensland Theatre Company's 1997 revival of
Louis Nowra's play
Radiance, and Cordelia in
King Lear for
Bell Shakespeare in 1998. In 1998, Mailman made her film debut as Nona in the Australian independent film
Radiance (based on the play), for which she won the
AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In 2006, she took part in a four-part television documentary series with
Cathy Freeman called
Going Bush, where the pair set off on a journey from
Broome to
Arnhem Land spending time with Indigenous communities along the way. She appeared in the
Play School TV series and was part of The Actors Company for the
Sydney Theatre Company (2006–2007). She was a presenter on the ABC Television show
Message Stick. She appeared in the film
Rabbit-Proof Fence. In the play
The Sapphires and the subsequent
film of the same name she played the role of singer Gail McCrae. She was awarded an
Inside Film Award for her short film
Ralph, which starred
Madeleine Madden. From 2010 to 2014, she played the role of Cherie Butterfield in
Channel Ten's
Offspring drama series. In 2012, she starred in
Redfern Now, an indigenous mini-series for the
ABC. On 29 January 2015, Mailman co-hosted the
AACTA Awards with
Cate Blanchett. Mailman started as Maureen Prescott in
Paper Planes, released 15 January 2015. She then appeared as Mayor Lake in
Oddball and the voice of Blinky Bill's mother in
Blinky Bill the Movie. On 18 February 2015, Mailman joined the
Sydney Opera House Trust. In 2019, Mailman was appointed to a three-year term as a member of the
Screen Australia Board. In 2019, she starred as politician Alex Irving in the series
Total Control, produced by
Blackfella Films and screened on the ABC. In 2024, Mailman guest starred in the
Bluey episode "
The Sign", voicing one of the two
Sheepdogs looking for a house with a swimming pool. On 7 August 2024, Mailman was named as part of the cast for the
Disney+ series
Last Days of the Space Age. On 18 August of that year, Mailman won the Logie for Best Lead Actress in a drama at the 2024 Logie Awards. Mailman stars in
Warwick Thornton's 2025 film
Wolfram, in which she plays a mother longing for the return of her
stolen children. The film premieres at the
Adelaide Film Festival on 26 October 2025. ==Other activities==