Elspeth Ballantyne

Last updated

Elspeth Ballantyne
Born (1939-04-20) 20 April 1939 (age 84)
OccupationActress
Years active1954–present [1]
Known for
Spouse
(m. 1968;div. 1977)
Children2

Elspeth Ballantyne (born 20 April 1939) [2] is an Australian retired actress, who appeared in productions in theatre, television and films over a career that spanned nearly 60 years, a veteran of the industry having started her career as a child actor and becoming a staple of the theatre starting from in 1947, in a production of Macbeth and by the age of 15 in 1954 had turned pro., performing in stage roles for the next 37 years, including a stage play tour of the United Kingdom of her iconic "Prisoner" role at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. [1]

Contents

Ballantyne is probably best known for her small screen roles in numerous TV serials. Her first major TV role was in the serial Bellbird in 1967 as librarian Laura "Lori" Chandler (formerly Grey), opposite actor Dennis Miller, whom she would marry the following year, she remained in the role until 1971.

She became a staple of the early Crawford Production serials in the 1970s, however became best known for her role in the TV cult series Prisoner (known internationally as Prisoner: Cell Block H) from 1979 to 1986 as original character of firm but fair Prison Officer Meg Jackson (later Morris). She was the only actress to appear in the series' full 8-season run.

After Prisoner she took guest roles in The Flying Doctors and G.P. , before becoming a regular starring in the soap opera Neighbours as coffee shop owner Cathy Alessi, the wife of Benito Alessi (George Spartels) and the mother of Rick and Marco Alessi (played by Dan Falzon and Felice Arena), as part of a new Italian family that was introduced to the series in 1992. She left the show the following year.

Subsequently, she appeared in guest parts on TV dramas Blue Heelers , The Secret Life of Us' and All Saints and miniseries Paper Giants: Magazine Wars (2013)

She has featured in film roles (with features and telemovies) including The Caterpillar Wish (2006), Moonlight and Magic (2007), Red Hill (2010), Boronia Boys (2009) and sequel Boronia Backpackers (2011)

Biography

Early life and career

Elspeth Ballantyne was born into a show business family in Adelaide, South Australia, the daughter of Gwenneth Ballantyne (nee Richmond [2] ), an actress and teacher and Colin George Sandergrove Ballantyne, a prominent theatre entrepreneur, who would give lectures to the young Elspeth on the likes of Shakespeare, Jonson, Ibsen, Chekhov and Strindberg [2] [3] her father had staretd his career as a photographer, before becoming a stage actor, producer and director and theatre impresario as an arts administrator who was head of the South Australian Theatre Company, (the predecessor as the State Theatre) Company. Ballantyne has a brother Guy Ballantyne who is an actor and sister Jane Ballantyne a film producer.[ citation needed ]

Having started her career as a laboratory technician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, she decided upon an acting career and attended drama school, at NIDA [4]

After NIDA, her father wanted her to join the Young Elizabethans, instead she choose to work with Raymond and Joan McCarther in Perth, who was establishing the National Theatre Company, subsequently she and her brother Guy, appeared in plays by her father, including as the aparrition of MacBeth, and then took roles in the Alan Hopgood "football play" And the Big Men Fly and A Cheery Soul by Patrick White [2]

TV series roles

Bellbird, Prisoner and Neighbours

Ballantyne appeared in three iconic small screen roles, starting with the serial Bellbird broadcast by the ABC as librarian Lori Chandler [4] and subsequently moved to commercial TV playing firm but compassionate prison officer Meg Jackson Morris in the soap opera Prisoner. Ballantyne was the only actor to stay with the series for its entire eight-year run. She later reprised her famous role of Meg in the original stage tour of Prisoner: Cell Block H – The Stage Play, which toured the UK in 1989.

In the early 1990s, she had a stint in Channel Ten soap opera Neighbours , as part of the Italian Alessi family.

Film roles

She has appeared in feature films The Caterpillar Wish as Mrs. Woodbridge, and in Moonlight & Magic as thrift shop owner Desma. Ballantyne also appeared in the drama short film Twenty Five Cents (2007), and as the wheelchair-bound matriarch in the short The Last Tupper (2011). She played Maxine Danials in the Boronia movies Boronia Boys (2009) and Boronia Backpackers (2011) and Paper Giants: Magazine Wars in 2013.

Personal life

Ballantyne was married to actor Dennis Miller from 1968 to 1977. Both had leading roles in the long-running series Bellbird. They have two sons together: Matthew and Tobias. [5] She is the sister of film producer Jane Ballantyne.

Filmography

Film
TitleYearRoleType
1966MelbourneNarratorFilm short
1975 End Play Welfare OfficerFeature film
1978 Blue Fin Mrs. PascoeFeature film
1982 Breakfast in Paris MillieFeature film
1989 Blowing Hot and Cold Shelagh MacBeanFeature film
1990A Doctor's Responseunknown roleFilm short
2000 Selkie LoopyFeature film
2005 Three Dollars Eddie's MotherFeature film
2006 The Caterpillar Wish Mrs. WoodbridgeFeature film
2007 Moonlight & Magic DesmaFeature film
2007Twenty Five Centsunknown roleFilm short
2008FloatingElderly WomanFilm short
2009 Boronia Boys MaxineFeature film
2010 Red Hill Old WomanFeature film
2010The Last TupperRhondaFilm short
Television
YearTV show/TV movieRoleEpisode/Other Notes
1963 Consider Your Verdict Cynthia MartinTV series, 1 episode "Queen Versus Luxton" (#1.106)
Double Yolk JaneTV movie
And The Big Men Fly LilABC TV Movie
By Accidentunknown roleABC Teleplay
1964–1975 Homicide various roles
Maureen Davis
Cheryl Evans
Joyce
Suzi Knight
4 episodes
"The Silent Witness"- 1964 (#1.9)
"One Itch To Murder"- 1972 (#9.34)
"The Fireworks Man"- 1974 (#11.34)
"Rage"- 1975 (#12.22)
1965 Photo Finish TV movie
Daphne Laureola unknown roleTV play
1966 Plain Jane KathleenABC Teleplay
Anonymous unknown roleABC TV series, 1 episode
1967–1971 Bellbird Laura 'Lori' Chandler / Laura 'Lori' GreyABC TV series, Regular cast-518 episodes
1973 Ryan Rhoda BitovTV series, 1 episode The Girl with the Golden Slippers (#1.11)
1974 Marion Joan CarruthersABC TV miniseries, 3 episodes
This Love Affair LauraABC TV series, 1 episode 2: 'Tilting At Windmills'
1972–1975 Matlock Police Various roles
Shirley Evans
Jenny Fisher
Judy Martin
Jean Thompson
4 episodes
"Chain Reaction"- 1972 (#2.82)
"The Loan Wolf"- 1973 (#3.126)
"Prosperity Breeds Contempt"- 1974 (#4.148)
"First Day Out" – 1975 (#5.185)
1972–1975 Division 4 Various roles
Janet Walker
Dr. Jan Moore
Fran Taylor
Iris Ryan
Karen Marsh
Sen. Const. Terri Standish
Policewoman
June Salmon
9 episodes
"For The Love of Money"- 1972 (#4.27)
"Senior Stewart"- 1972 (#4.38)
"Flight Plan"- 1972 (#5.1)
"Traveling Man"- 1973 (#5.12)
"Talk Back"- 1973(#6.4)
"The Virgil"- 1974 (#6.35)
"Easy Mark"- 1975 (#7.4)
"A Sense of Duty Part 1&2"-1975 (#7.15, 16)
1975 Quality of Mercy unknown roleABC TV series, 1 episode "The Love Job" (#1.2)
1976 Tandarra Molly MartinTV series, 1 episode "That's What Worries Me" (#1.13)
1976 Power Without Glory Dorothy WellsABC TV miniseries, 2 episodes
"Confound Their Politics" (#1.23) "Fallen Heroes" (#1.24)
1976 Solo One Sylvia SimpsonTV series, 1 episode "Little Joe" (#1.5)
1977 Bluey Rhoda LewisTV series, 1 episode "Son of Bluey" (#1.39)
1978 Cop Shop Claudie Gaynor, Dawn Curran (3 episodes)TV series, Episodes: #1.52, #1.71, #1.72
1979–1986 Prisoner
(UK:'Prisoner: Cell Block H / Canada 'Caged Women'.)
Meg Morris/Meg JacksonRegular cast- 669 episodes
1979 Ride on Stranger unknown roleABC TV miniseries, 1 episode
1982Telethon 1982Guest - HerselfTV special
1986Adrianunknown roleFilm documentary
1986Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten TelethonGuest - Herself with Prisoner cast: Colette Mann, Jane Clifton, Glenda Linscott & Val Lehman taped appearanceTV special
1987The Fool's Shoe Hotelunknown roleTeleplay
1987–1991 The Flying Doctors 3 roles
Barbara Freeman
Wendy Ross
Alice Franklin
3 episodes
"The Unluckiest Boy in Town" – 1987 (#2.3)
"Cadenza" – 1988 (#4.20)
"None So Blind" -1991 (#8.6)
1988 Captain Johnno Mrs. GreenwoodABC TV Movie
Spit MacPhee Grace TreeTV miniseries
1989In Melbourne TodayGuest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
1989–1991 Pugwall Aunt AnnabelleTV series, 10 episodes
1991 G.P. Jean WatsonTV series, 1 episode "The Price You Pay" (#3.27)
1991Tonight Live With Steve VizardHerself - GuestTV series, 1 episode
1992–1993 Neighbours Cathy AlessiTV series, Regular Cast- 45 episodes
1993;2000Good Morning AustraliaHerself - GuestTV series, 2 episodes
1997 One Way Ticket ElizabethTV film
1998 State Coroner Pat ThompsonTV series, 1 episode "Three's A Crowd" (#2.9)
2000Good Morning AustraliaHerself & Shimon MooreTV series, 1 episode
SeaChange Coral KissABC TV series, 2 episodes
"Love Is in the Time of Coleridge" (#3.11)
"To Thine Own Self Be Relatively True" (#3.12)
2002 Blue Heelers Margaret WhiteTV series, 1 episode "Sins of The Father" (#9.16)
Marshall Law IreneTV series, 1 episode "Money Talks" (#1.17)
2003 The Secret Life of Us CelebrantTV series, 1 episode "The Quality of My Life" (#3.6)
2003–2004 Stingers Chief Comm. SteadmanTV series, 2 episodes
"Boosted"- 2003 (#7.27)
"Break and Enter"- 2004 (#8.8)
2004 All Saints Anne LyttonTV series, 2 episodes "Benefit of the Doubt" (#7.30), "Don't Look Back" (#7.31)
2005 Last Man Standing Aunty MargTV series, episode 1.1
2008 City Homicide Miss Evelyn PurcellTV series, 1 episode "Thicker Than Water" (#2.1)
Rush EdieTV series, 1 Episode #3.22
2011 A Current Affair Herself with Prisoner cast: Carol Burns, Patsy King, Val Lehman, Jane Clifton, Judith McGrath & Margaret LaurenceTV series, 1 episode
2013The Morning ShowHerself with Prisoner cast: Colette Mann, Fiona Spence, Val Lehman & Carol BurnsTV series, 1 episode
2013 Paper Giants: Magazine Wars Emily KingABC TV miniseries, 1 Episode #1.1
2022 Boronia Backpackers Maxine Daniels4 episodes
2023Mondo ManiacsDesma2 episodes

Notes

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    References

    1. 1 2 "Elspeth Ballantyne".
    2. 1 2 3 4 "Elspeth Ballantyne - IMDB". IMDB.
    3. Ward, Peter (2007). Ballantyne, Colin Sandergrove (1908-1988). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
    4. 1 2 "Elspeth Ballantyne Biography – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
    5. Pogorelske, Paulyne (7 August 1982). "Life as a Single Parent". TV Week.