Angela Punch McGregor

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Angela Punch McGregor
Born (1953-01-21) 21 January 1953 (age 72)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Other namesAngela Punch
Education National Institute of Dramatic Art (1973)
Occupation(s)Actress, drama teacher
Known for The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
We of the Never Never (1982)
Annie's Coming Out (1984)
SpouseRoss McGregor
Children1

Angela Punch McGregor (born 21 January 1953) is an Australian stage and film actress.

Contents

Early life

Punch McGregor fell in love with theatre, while acting in school plays from the age of 13. Her first role was as the 'Spoon' in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat . [1]

Punch McGregor studied at Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting) in 1973. [2]

Career

Punch McGregor has starred in numerous television series including a regular role as Jane Potter in Class of '75 (1975). She played Ros Parrish (mother of series regulars Shane and Nick Parrish) in soap opera Home and Away from 1994 to 1995. Other roles included guest appearances in Rafferty's Rules (1988), crime series Halifax f.p. (1994), Fire (1995), medical drama All Saints (1998), police procedural series White Collar Blue (2002), drama Love My Way (2004–2005) and miniseries The Principal (2015).

Her film credits include The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1978) and Newsfront (1978), both of which won her AFI Awards. She also received AFI nominations for her roles in We of the Never Never (1982) and Annie's Coming Out (1984). She appeared in The Delinquents (1989) with Kylie Minogue, Spotswood (1991) opposite Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn and Russell Crowe, Tom White (2004) alongside Colin Friels and Savages Crossing (2010) with John Jarratt. She also appeared in the TV biopic Mary: The Making of a Princess (2015), about the courtship of Australian Mary Donaldson and Frederik X of Denmark (who at the time was Crown Prince).

Punch McGregor has also worked for most of Australia's major theatre companies, in plays including The Importance of Being Earnest (1975/1993), Othello (1976), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1985), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1987–1988), A Streetcar Named Desire (1988), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1991), Dial M For Murder (1991–1992), Long Day's Journey into Night (2004), Festen (2005) and Equus .

She played Juliet to Mel Gibson’s Romeo in a 1979 production of Romeo and Juliet , fresh off the heels of Gibson's success in Mad Max . In 2002, she played Miss Havisham in an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations . [1]

In 1995, she was appearing in Nick Enright’s play Blackrock , when she fell ill. Her illness, combined with insecurity and burnout lead her to take a hiatus from acting, during which time she studied a four-year course in natural medicine. For a year, she practised Orthomolecular medicine full-time and she still runs a clinic part-time from her home. [1]

Punch McGregor was Lecturer in Acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts from 2006 to 2014. She also taught young people getting into the theatrical business at The HubStudio in Sydney. One of her classes was titled Angela Punch McGregor Master Class – Series 1. [3] [4]

Personal life

Punch McGregor is married to director and screenwriter Ross McGregor, who is also her former drama teacher. Together, they have a son. [1]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1976A Handful of Jelly BabiesFilm short
1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Gilda MarshallFeature film
Newsfront FayFeature film
1979D'ArcyFilm short
1980 The Island BethFeature film
1981 The Survivor BethFeature film
1982 The Best of Friends MelanieFeature film
We of the Never Never Jeannie GunnFeature film
1983 Double Deal Christine SterlingFeature film
1984 Annie's Coming Out Jessica HathawayFeature film
1985 Double Sculls Edwina LarkinFeature film
1986 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Esmerelda (voice)TV movie (animated)
1988 Alterations AnnTV movie
1989 The Delinquents Mrs. LovellFeature film
1991 Spotswood (aka The Efficiency Expert)Caroline WallaceFeature film
1995 Halifax f.p.: Lies of the MindAntheaTV movie
1998 Terra Nova MargieFeature film
2000GraceFilm short
2003Ash WednesdayFilm short
2004 Tom White IreneFeature film
2010Savages CrossingSueFeature film
2015 Mary: The Making of a Princess Queen Margrethe TV movie
2022ViolettLauraFeature film
YFilm short

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1975 Shannon's Mob Prostitute1 episode
Class of 75 Jane Potter98 episodes
1976 Alvin Purple Lucy1 episode
1978 Case for the Defence Ruth1 episode
1979 Patrol Boat Sue Halloran2 episodes
1980 The Timeless Land EllenMiniseries, 7 episodes
1986 Tusitala Fanny StevensonMiniseries, 3 episodes
Whose Baby? Gwen MorrisonMiniseries, 2 episodes
1988 Rafferty's Rules Christine Stanton1 episode
1994–1995 Home and Away Ros Parrish20 episodes
1995 Law of the Land Angela GoodmanTV series, 1 episode
1996 Fire Dr Prudence Eberhardt4 episodes
2002 Bad Cop, Bad Cop Evelyn BowersMiniseries, 1 episode
2003 All Saints Carmen Shaw6 episodes
White Collar Blue Win Absolom1 episode
2004–2005 Love My Way Angela Morris4 episodes
2015 The Principal Sue Longworthy3 episodes
2022–2024 Troppo Dr Val10 episodes
2025 The Last Anniversary Connie6 episodes

Theatre

As actor

YearTitleRoleType
1971 The Trial of Lucullus Queen NIDA, Sydney
Hippolytus UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
You Can't Take It With You Rheba
Miss JairusJane St Theatre, Sydney
1972 A Country Girl UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
The Creation NIDA Theatre, Sydney
The SerpentWoollahra Arts Centre, Bondi Junction, Sydney
1973 The Playboy of the Western World Sydney Opera House
The Clandestine Marriage Mrs Heidelberg NIDA, Sydney
The Devils Soeur Jeanne Des Anges
Cooper and BorgesSeverina CordelloJane St Theatre, Sydney
Oh, What a Lovely War! New South Wales tour
1974 The Owl and the Pussy Cat Went to Sea Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney
The Cradle of Hercules Sydney Opera House
Collaborators Independent Theatre, Sydney
Little Eyolf Miss Asta Allmers UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney
1975Hotel Paradiso UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney & Playhouse, Canberra
Chez Nous UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney
The Importance of Being Earnest Sydney Opera House
1976 Othello Desdemona Princess Theatre, Launceston & Theatre Royal, Hobart
Absurd Person Singular Theatre Royal, Hobart
The Gift Stables Theatre & VCA, Melbourne
Family LoreThe Daughter, WendyNSW tour
1977CamilleTheatre 3 with Canberra Repertory Society [5]
Thark Kitty Stratton Genesian Theatre, Sydney
The Father Betha UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney
1979 Mother Courage and Her Children Yvette Pottier / Peasant WomanJane St Theatre, Sydney
As You Like It Rosalind
1979 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Octagon Theatre, Perth & Nimrod, Sydney
1980The Bride of Gospel PlaceLilyJane St Theatre, Sydney
1982 The Suicide Maria Podsekalnikov Nimrod, Sydney
1983The CircleElizabeth Theatre Royal, Sydney & Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
1984 The Blind Giant is Dancing Rose Draper Sydney Opera House
1985 A Midsummer Night's Dream Seymour Centre, Sydney
Joan of Arc at the Stake Joan of Arc Canberra Opera Society
1987–1988 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Marquis de Merteuil Seymour Centre, Sydney & Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
1988 A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney & Lyric Theatre, Brisbane
1990 The Odd Couple Florence Comedy Theatre, Melbourne & Majestic Cinemas, Sydney
1991 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Pearl Seymour Centre, Sydney
1991–1992Dial M for Murder Marian St Theatre, Sydney & Playhouse, Adelaide
1992For JuliaGloria Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
Barmaids Belvoir, Sydney
1994The Gift of the GorgonHelen Damson Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1995Good WorksActon St Theatre, Canberra
Blackrock Diane Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC
1999Love Thoughts Sydney Opera House
2001 Up for Grabs Felicity Sydney Opera House, IMB Theatre, Wollongong, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne & Newcastle Civic Theatre with MTC
Doctor Akar's Women Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
2002 Great Expectations Miss Havisham Playhouse, Melbourne & Sydney Opera House with MTC
2002–2003The Credeaux Canvas Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
2003 Festen Else Sydney Opera House
2004 Long Day's Journey into Night Mary Tyrone Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth
2005 Old Times Anna Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC
2008 Far Away Aunt Harper Playhouse, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Company
2010The Swimming ClubKate the Anthropologist Southbank Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth

As director/crew

YearTitleRoleType
1993The Grace of Mary TraverseDirector NIDA Theatre
The Importance of Being Earnest DirectorTheatre 3 with Canberra Repertory Society
2003 Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Director / Set Designer
2004 Communicating Doors Director / Set Designer
2012 Lost in Yonkers [5] Director

[6]

Awards and nominations

YearNominated workAwardResult
1978 The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith AFI Award for Best Actress Won
Newsfront AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Won
1982 We of the Never Never AFI Award for Best Actress Nominated
1984 London Daily Telegraph Award for Actress of the YearWon
Annie's Coming Out AFI Award for Best Actress Won
1998 Terra Nova AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
2003 Great Expectations Helpmann Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated

[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "This is her life". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 October 2002.
  2. "NIDA Alumni". National Institute of Dramatic Art.
  3. The Hub Studio Australia
  4. 1 2 TheHubStudio; Angela Punch McGregor Master Class – Series 1
  5. 1 2 "Punch McGregor masters the serious art of comedy". Canberra City News. 13 September 2012.
  6. "Angela Punch McGregor theatre credits". AusStage . Retrieved 15 February 2024.