Wendy Playfair

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Wendy Playfair
Born (1926-08-28) 28 August 1926 (age 99)
Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia
OccupationActress
Years activeRadio (c 1940s), theatre 1949–1960, television and film 1960-2013
Known for Prisoner as Minnie Donovan
Family Thomas Playfair
Thomas Alfred John Playfair (uncle)
Judy Playfair (cousin)
Kip Williams (grandson)
Awards Macquarie Radio Award

Wendy Playfair (born 28 August 1926) [1] is an Australian radio, television and film character actress, best known for her roles in television serials. [2]

Contents

Playfair started her career in radio serials, but became best known for her stint in TV series Prisoner as inmate Minerva "Minnie" Donovan. [3] Other important roles were in the television series Home and Away and the film Accidents Happen starring Geena Davis. [3]

Family

Playfair was born in Woollahra, Sydney, New South Wales to Edmund Strathmore Creer (Strath) Playfair (1894–1965) and Kathleen Ryrie (Babs) née Campbell (1899–1989). [4] She was the third of four sisters, the youngest marrying barrister Sir John Atwill who was President of the Liberal Party of Australia. [5] The Playfair family were well-to-do, socially prominent [6] and in the meat trade. [7] She married James Williams at All Saints Anglican Church on 6 July 1951. [8] She is a direct descendant of the famous Sydney butcher, politician and philanthropist Thomas Playfair, and the niece of politician Thomas Alfred John Playfair. Playfair is the cousin of Olympic silver medalist Judy Playfair, aunt of Skye Leckie, grandmother of Kip Williams who was the Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company (2016-24) and life long friend of Pam Hornibrook and Ruth Triggs. [9]

Career

Playfair started her career in radio where she worked for the ABC and consistently in morning serials for Grace Gibson, as well as in many radio plays. Playfair received the radio Macquarie Award. Prior to television she had also appeared in a few stage roles, but was best known as a radio performer [10]

She has been a staple on the small screen in character roles since 1960, when she appeared in the TV adaptation of a production of the play The Slaughter of St Theresa's Day . [11]

Playfair has primarily appeared in cameo roles, with guesting roles in series starting from the late 1960s until 2013 such as Homicide , Hunter , The Young Doctors , Return to Eden , Spirited , Rake and Packed to the Rafters

However she has had several parts as different characters in serials A Country Practice (three roles), Home and Away (two roles) and All Saints (two roles).

She also has had parts in telemovies and films including Ride a Wild Pony , the only Walt Disney film ever produced in Australia, and a pivotal role in the film Accidents Happen opposite Geena Davis in 2009. [3]

In 2022 Playfair gave a rare interview with the podcast series Talking Prisoner.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1971 Three to Go Mother (Segment "Judy")Feature film
1975 Ride a Wild Pony Mrs. QuayleFeature film
1993Terra NulliusRole unknownShort film
2009 Accidents Happen [3] Mrs. SmolenskyFeature film Australia/UK
2010 The Tree Aunt HarrietFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1960 The Slaughter of St. Teresa's Day Wilma CartwrightTeleplay
1962The Funnel WebIrene CharltonTV movie
1965The AffairABC Teleplay
1967Divorce CourtTV series, 1 episode
1967; 1968 Homicide Ann Radford / Jennifer ChandlerTV series, 2 episodes
1968 Hunter Mrs. WestTV series, 1 episode
1973 Matlock Police Ethel ParkerTV series, 1 episode
1974 The Evil Touch TV series US/Australia, 1 episode
1974 Things That Go Bump in the Night AudreyTV series, 1 episode
1977 Say You Want Me TV movie
1978 Bit Part EmmaTV movie
1978 Shimmering Light Gwen StuartTV movie
1978 Father Dear Father in Australia Mrs. TownTV series, 1 episode
1979 Glenview High TV series, 1 episode
1979 The Wonderful World of Disney Mrs. QuayleTV series US/Australia, 2 episodes
1980 The Young Doctors Mrs. SteeleTV series, 1 episode
1981 Bellamy MillyTV series, 1 episode
1982–1992 A Country Practice Lillian Palmer / Gwen Bowman / Val JacksonTV series, 5 episodes
1983 Carson's Law Nola DouglasTV series, 1 episode
1983–1984 Prisoner Minnie DonovanTV series, 33 episodes
1984 Mother and Son TV series, 1 episode
1984 Special Squad TV series, 1 episode
1985 Fortress Old WomanTV movie
1986 Return To Eden Rena McMasterTV series, 8 episodes
1987 Willing and Abel TV series, 1 episode
1988 Swap Shop TV series, 1 episode
1990 Rafferty's Rules TV series, 1 episode
1994 Cody: Bad Love Mrs. UnwinTV movie
1997 Big Sky Mrs. TooheyTV series, 1 episode
2000; 2003 All Saints Gloria Mayberry / Hannah 'Bubba' RosenTV series, 2 episodes
2002 Don't Blame The Koalas Mrs. Smythe (voice)TV series, 1 episode
2005–2009 Home and Away Audrey Long / Mrs. GreyTV series, 3 episodes
2010 Spirited Geisela MackenzieTV series, 1 episode
2010 Rake ElspethTV series, 1 episode
2011 Laid Old LadyTV series, 1 episode
2013 Packed to the Rafters Moira BeckettTV series, 1 episode
2022Talking Prisoner [12] GuestPodcast, 1 episode

References

  1. ↑ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald . 30 August 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 27 June 2014– via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 70–72.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Accidents Happen". 28 April 2010.
  4. ↑ Playfair Family Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "MANY FAMILY PARTIES YESTERDAY". The Sydney Morning Herald . 26 December 1940. p. 2. Retrieved 27 June 2014– via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Sydney's Talking About—". The Sydney Morning Herald . 26 December 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 27 June 2014– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "Playfair estate to family". The Canberra Times . 26 October 1966. p. 13. Retrieved 27 June 2014– via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "They're Set Their Wedding Dates". The Sunday Herald . Sydney. 27 May 1951. p. 18. Retrieved 27 June 2014– via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ Family Matters by Evan Williams Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "Wendy Playfair". AusStage.
  11. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (19 October 2020). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays – The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day". Filmink.
  12. ↑ "Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 43 Interview with Wendy Playfair Inmate Minnie Donovan". YouTube . 9 June 2022.


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