Moya O'Sullivan Macarthur (8 June 1926 – 16 January 2018)[1] was an Australian-born actress who worked both locally and briefly in the United Kingdom. She was best known for her long-running role as the popular character Marlene Kratz in the soap opera Neighbours between 1994 and 1997.[2] Alex Fletcher from Digital Spy made Marlene their "DS Icon" on 7 January 2011, calling her a legendary and special character.[3] Fletcher also stated that "Marlene, played by the delightful Moya O'Sullivan, was a crucial cog in the Golden Age of Neighbours in the '90s."[3]
Moya O'Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Moya O'Sullivan MacArthur 8 June 1926 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 16 January 2018 (aged 91) Bondi Junction, Australia |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | c.1950-2012 |
| Known for | Neighbours |
Early life and career
editO'Sullivan was born to Eugene and Nancy O'Sullivan (née Morgan) and had an older brother, Peter. Having graduated from school, she was tutored in drama classes under Dorothy Hemingway and started her career as a stage performer in the 1950s with the Mosman Theatre Company.[4]
Radio, theatre, teleplays and telemovies
editShe trained in radio under Rosalind Kennerdale, and through her gained agent John Cover, the husband of actress Queenie Ashton, who had a company, Central Casting. O'Sullivan appeared in numerous radio productions, such as Dr. Paul, When a Girl Marries, Blue Hills and Life with Dexter.[4]
With the advent of television, she became a familiar face in televised plays, as well as featuring in commercial adverts. She made her debut in 1960 in the ABC production Farewell, Farewell Eugene, and appeared in The Slaughter of St Teresas Day, occasionally popping up in made-for-TV films.
Career in United Kingdom
editBy the mid-1960s, O'Sullivan had decided to try her luck in the United Kingdom, where she featured in radio, television and on the West End stage circuit. Notable roles were in James Patrick Donleavy's production A Singular Man, and A Harp in the South for BBC Television. She returned to Australia in 1965, where she featured in the theatrical production Inadmissible Evidence.
Television roles
editO'Sullivan was a staple on the small screen in soap operas and serials in Australia, beginning in 1961 with the daytime soap opera The Story of Peter Gray. Her early roles included playing several parts in Homicide and Division 4. A prominent role was her three-month stint in the serial Number 96 as Phyllis Pratt in the 1970s.
She subsequently appeared in Sons and Daughters as Aileen Keegan, and had several roles in A Country Practice throughout the 1980s.
She continued acting throughout the 2000s, including Home & Away in 2002, and several guest appearances in All Saints from 2001 and 2008. O'Sullivan never had any other long-standing roles; she was a well-recognized feature player as a prominent guest artist of many a television series spanning over 60 years, later portraying hapless old grannies.
In 2005, she reprised the role of Marlene Kratz, along with many ex-cast members, for an episode commemorating the Neighbours 20th anniversary in a reunion special.[5]
O'Sullivan also became popular via memorable guesting appearances in Cop Shop as Lorna Close (later O'Reilly), mother to Valerie Close-Johnson and mother-in-law to Jeffrey Johnson,[6] and in Hey Dad..! as Grandma Lois Kelly,[7] and later in The Adventures of Skippy as Thelma Woods in the 2000s. She had previously appeared in the earlier 1960s original series in television's younger days as Mrs Mason.[8]
Her final part was in Tricky Business in 2012.
Death
editO'Sullivan died aged 91 in Bondi Junction, Australia on 16 January 2018.[1]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Thunder on Sycamore Street | TV film | |
| 1960 | Farewell, Farewell, Eugene | TV film | |
| 1965 | Never Mention Murder | Theatre Sister | Feature film |
| 1969 | Color Me Dead | Maid | Feature film |
| 1974 | The Champion | TV movie | |
| 1977 | Say You Want Me | Julie's Mother | TV film |
| 1977 | Going Home | TV film | |
| 1982 | The Best of Friends | Mrs. Malone | Feature film |
| 1983 | Great Expectations | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1983 | David Copperfield | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1983 | Outbreak of Hostilities | Lillian Starling | TV movie |
| 1983 | Midnite Spares | Caravan Lady | Feature film |
| 1984 | A Tale of Two Cities | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1986 | Playing Beatie Bow | Granny | Feature film |
| 1987 | Danger Down Under (aka ”Harris Down Under”) | Ethel | TV movie |
| 1987 | Olive | Saleslady | TV movie |
| 1988 | Hiawatha | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1988 | Alice in Wonderland | Duchess / Queen of Hearts (voice) | Animated TV movie |
| 1989 | The Saint in Australia (aka ”Fear In Fun Park”) | Madge | TV film |
| 1992 | The Time Game | Mrs. Brown | TV film |
| 1992 | Garbo | Freda | Feature film |
| 1999 | Two Hands | Mrs Fletcher | Feature film |
| 2008 | The View from Greenhaven | Tottie | Feature film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The Story of Peter Grey | Anna Vail | TV series |
| 1963 | Jonah | Pompy | TV series, 1 episode "Ship Of Fame" |
| 1963 | Drama 61-67 | Miss Wilson | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1964 | Story Parade | Miss Shelly | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1964 | ITV Play of the Week | Grace Martin | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1964 | The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre | Theatre Sister | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1965 | Hugh and I | Herself | TV series UK |
| 1965 | Undermind | Edith Bishop | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1965-75 | Homicide | Mrs. Watson / Lillian / Rose Murphy / Gwen / Vivienne Sekora / Ruth Gold | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1966 | Australian Playhouse | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1967 | You Can't See Round Corners | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1967 | Love and War | She | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968 | Hunter | Miss Corey | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969-74 | Division 4 | Eileen Vickers | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1970 | Skippy | Mrs. Mason | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | Delta | Margaret | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971; 1973 | The Comedy Game | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1971 | Dead Men Running | TV miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1971-72 | Matlock Police | Sarah McKenzie / Nora / Elsie Cummings | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1972 | A Nice Day at the Office | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1972 | Birds In The Bush | Hotel Receptionist | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Behind the Legend | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1975 | Certain Women | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1975 | Number 96 | Phyllis Pratt | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1977 | The Young Doctors | Eadie Brooks | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1977 | Hotel Story | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1978-81 | Cop Shop | Lorna Close/O'Reilly | TV series, 96 episodes |
| 1979 | Ride on Stranger | Ada Jones | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1979 | A Place in the World | TV miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1981 | Daily at Dawn | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1982 | Jonah | TV miniseries, 4 episodes | |
| 1982 | Sons and Daughters | Aileen Keegan | TV series, 11 episodes |
| 1983-93 | A Country Practice | Daphne Marshall / Gwen Jones / Kath Thompson | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1984 | Kingswood Country | Errol's Mum | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | Flight into Hell | TV miniseries | |
| 1986 | Whose Baby? | Amelia Williams | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1987-91 | Hey Dad..! | Grandma Lois Kelly | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1988 | Richmond Hill | Beatrice White | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1989 | Rafferty's Rules | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1989 | Bodysurfer | Mrs. Mortimer | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | The Main Event | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992-93 | The New Adventures of Skippy | Thelma Woods | TV series, 39 episodes |
| 1993 | G.P. | Myra Drummond | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994–97; 2005 | Neighbours | Marlene Kratz | TV series, 393 episodes |
| 1995 | Neighbours: A 10th Anniversary Celebration | Marlene Kratz (archive footage) | TV special |
| 1998 | House Gang | Shopkeeper | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2000 | Water Rats | Denise Ford | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001 | Flat Chat | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001-2008 | All Saints | Grace Belden / Jean Blight / Margaret Milligan | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2001 | Outriders | Mrs. Churchill | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2001 | Home & Away | Gladys Adams | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002 | Blue Heelers | Grannie Gibson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002 | Don't Blame the Koalas | P & C Lady | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2012 | Tricky Business | Lorraine Webb | TV series, 1 episode "Skyrockets In Flight" |
References
edit- ^ a b "Notices". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ Herbison, Jason (9–22 August 1997). "Marlene's moving out!". Inside Soap (81): 38.
- ^ a b Fletcher, Alex (7 January 2011). "DS Icon: Marlene from 'Neighbours'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- ^ a b "Moya O'Sullivan, actor whose career reached from Skippy to the West End". 21 March 2018.
- ^ Green, Kris (14 April 2005). "More Neighbours returns confirmed". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Thursday TV". The Age. 15 June 1978. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ^ Oliver, Robin (13 May 1990). "From the page to stage". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ^ Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of TV Pets: A Complete History of Television's Greatest Animal Stars. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-55853-981-5.