Beloved actress and well-respected activist, Anne Phelan, has passed away at the age of 75 after a sudden illness.
WATCH: Anne stuns in Prison
Anne was best known for her breakthrough role as Myra Desmond in the hit ’80s jailhouse soap, Prisoner. She appeared in the wildly popular series from 1975 to 1985.
Anne also starred in TV shows such as Ryan, Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Bellbird. As for the big screen, Anne appeared in The Craic, Charlie & Boots and, more recently, starred in this year’s box-office hit, Ride Like a Girl.
Her other credits included: The Harp in the South, The Fast Lane, Mother & Son, GP, Inside Running, Skirts, Col’n Carpenter, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, Law of the Land, Good Guys Bad Guys, Simone de Beauvoir’s Babies, Blue Heelers, The Micallef Program, Thunderstone, Marshall Law, Dogwoman, Marshall Law, The Librarians, Neighbours, and Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane.
In 2000, the Australian icon won an AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama for her turn in the critically acclaimed ABC mini-series, Something in the Air.
“She just loved working. It was only recently that her health took a very sudden turn for the worst,” said Marea Jablonksi, director of talent agency BGM who represented her for almost 50 years.
“She had an incredible ability to create very true characters – you just believed she was that person. There was no trickery to her work, it was just true and beautiful, and she created a whole lot of archetypal Aussie characters.”
Anne was also well renown for her activism work and was a strong supporter of the advocacy group, Patron of Positive Women Victoria— a group that focused on supporting females living with HIV/AIDS.
In 2007, she received a Medal of the Order of Australia for her “service to the arts as an actress, and to the community, particularly through support for women living with the HIV virus and for asylum seekers and refugees”.
In December 2016, she also received the Equity Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Anne was simply one of the best humans,” MEAA Equity federal president Chloe Dallimore said in a touching statement. “She was a lauded actor for her incredible body of work in our industry, but most importantly, a woman with a huge zest for life and a deep love for her union.
“I am reassured that in receiving the 2016 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award, Annie knew how adored and revered she was by all of us. Anne epitomised what [the award] is all about: recognising those special performers who inspire us with not only with their careers but also with their outstanding contribution to our industry as whole. She will be deeply be missed by all of us.”
Rest in peace.
