Elspeth Ballantyne
 |
Elspeth Ballantyne | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 April 1939 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | Theatre 1954–1990[1], television and film 1963–2013 |
| Known for | Bellbird Prisoner (also known as Prisoner: Cell block H) Neighbours |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Elspeth Ballantyne (born 20 April 1939) is an Australian actress, who appeared in productions in theatre, television and films over a career that spanned nearly 60 years, having started in theatre in 1954[1]. She is perhaps best known for her small screen soap opera roles as librarian Lori Chandler in Bellbird, compassionate prison officer Meg Jackson/Morris in Prisoner (1979–1986) and as friendly coffee shop owner Cathy Alessi in Neighbours (1992–93).
Career
Ballantyne was born into a show business family in Adelaide, South Australia, and is the daughter of Colin Sandergrove Ballantyne[2] an Australian actor, playwright and photographer who was head of the South Australian Theatre Company. Having started her career as a laboratory technician with the Royal Adelaide Hospital, she then attended the prestigious drama school, the National Institute for Dramatic Arts. She went on to act as librarian Lori Chandler in the rural soap opera Bellbird, screened on ABC.[3]
Ballantyne subsequently played compassionate prison officer Meg Jackson 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. She later appeared in feature films The Caterpillar Wish as Mrs. Woodbridge, and in Moonlight & Magic as thrift shop owner Desma. In the latter, she was reunited with former Prisoner co-stars Maxine Klibingaitis and Reylene Pearce. 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 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. Together they have two sons, Matthew and Tobias.[4] She is the sister of film producer Jane Ballantyne.
Filmography
| Year | TV show/TV movie | Role | Episode/Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Consider Your Verdict | Cynthia Martin | ”Queen Versus Luxton” (#1.106) |
| Double Yolk | Jane | "TV movie/Play | |
| And The Big Men Fly | TV Movie | ||
| 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 | TV play | ||
| 1966 | Plain Jane | Kathleen | TV movie/play |
| Anonymous | TV play | ||
| 1967–1971 | Bellbird | Laura 'Lori' Chandler / Laura 'Lori' Grey | Regular cast-518 episodes |
| 1973 | Ryan | Rhoda Bitov | The Girl With The Golden Slippers (#1.11) |
| 1974 | Marion | ||
| This Love Affair | |||
| 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 “ | ”The Love Job” (#1.2) | |
| 1976 | End Play | Welfare Officer | |
| Tandarra | Molly Martin | ”That’s What Worries Me (#1.13) | |
| Power Without Glory | Dorothy Wells | 2 episodes ”Confound Their Politics” (#1.23) “Fallen Heroes” (#1.24) | |
| Solo One | Sylvia Simpson | ”Little Joe” (#1.5) | |
| 1977 | Bluey | Rhoda Lewis | ”Son of Bluey” (#1.39) |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | Claudie Gaynor, Dawn Curran (2 episodes) | Episodes: #1.52, #1.71, #1.72 |
| Blue Fin'’ | Mrs. Pascoe | Film | |
| 1979–1986 | Prisoner ) (In the United Kingdom Prisoner: Cell Block H and in Canada Caged Women.) |
Meg Morris/Meg Jackson | Regular cast- 669 episodes |
| 1979 | Ride on Stranger | ||
| 1982 | Breakfast in Paris | Millie | Film |
| 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. Greenwood | TV Movie |
| Spit MacPhee | Grace Tree | TV miniseries | |
| 1989–1991 | Pugwall | Aunt Annabelle | 10 episodes |
| 1989 | Blowing Hot and Cold | Shelagh MacBean | Film |
| 1991 | G.P. | Jean Watson | “The Price You Pay” (#3.27) |
| 1992–1993 | Neighbours | Cathy Alessi | Regular Cast- 45 episodes |
| 1997 | One Way Ticket | Elizabeth | Film |
| 1998 | State Coroner | Pat Thompson | “Three’s A Crowd” (#2.9) |
| 2000 | Selkie | Loopy Laura | TV movie |
| SeaChange | Coral Kiss | 2 Episodes ”Love Is In the Time of Coleridge’’ (#3.11) ”To Thine Own Self Be Relatively True(#3.12) | |
| 2002 | Blue Heelers | Margaret White | ”Sins of The Father” (#9.16) |
| Marshall Law | Irene | "Money Talks" (#1.17) | |
| 2003 | The Secret Life of Us | Celebrant | ”The Quality of My Life” (#3.6) |
| 2003–2004 | Stingers | Chief Comm. Steadman | 2 episodes “Boosted”- 2003 (#7.27) ”Break and Enter”- 2004 (#8.8) |
| 2004 | All Saints | Anne Lytton | ”Benefit of the Doubt” ((#7.30), “Don’t Look Back (#7.31) |
| 2005 | Last Man Standing | Aunty Marg | Episode 1.1 |
| ”Three Dollars” | Eddie’s Mother | Film | |
| 2006 | The Caterpillar Wish | Mrs. Woodbridge | Film |
| 2007 | Moonlight & Magic | Desma | Film |
| Twenty Five Cents | (Short)- 6 minutes | ||
| 2008 | City Homicide | Miss Evelyn Purcell | ”Thicker Than Water” (#2.1) |
| “Floating” | Elderly Lady | (Short)- 15 minutes | |
| 2009 | “Boronia Boys” | Maxine | Film |
| 2010 | Red Hill | Old Woman | Film |
| Rush | Edie | Episode #3.22 | |
| ”The Last Tupper” | Rhona | (Short) – 7 minutes | |
| 2011 | Boronia Backpackers | Maxine Daniels | Film |
| 2013 | Paper Giants: Magazine Wars” | Emily King | Episode #1.1 |
References
- ^ a b "Elspeth Ballantyne".
- ^ Peter Ward (2007). "Ballantyne, Colin Sandergrove (1908-1988)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Elspeth Ballantyne Biography - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ "Life as a Single Parent" – TV Week, issue published 7 August 1982, p.13. Article by Paulyne Pogorelske.
External links
