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Judy Morris

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Judy Morris
Born
Judith Ann L'Armand

17 February 1947 (1947-02-17) (age 77)
Queensland, Australia
Occupations
  • Actress
  • film director
  • screenwriter

Judith Ann Morris (born 17 February 1947) is an Australian character actress, as well as a film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 58 different television shows and films, starting her career as a child actress and appearing on screen until 1999, since then she has worked on film writing and directing, most recently for co-writing and co-directing a musical epic about the life of penguins in Antarctica which became Happy Feet, Australia's largest animated film project to date.[1][2]

Early career

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Morris's first role came at the age of 10 when she was part of the cast of the television episode "Picture of the Magi" a Family Theater production which aired about 1957 on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the United States.[2] She then performed in two other roles in the US, at the age of 10 on the Loretta Young Show, and in 1960, at the age of 13, on The Chevy Mystery Show hosted on that occasion by Vincent Price.[3]

Career

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Returning to Australia, Morris's next role was not to come until she reached the age of 20 when, in 1967, she worked in the ABC television series, Bellbird. Impressing casting agents, she was cast in numerous well known television series, including (see drop-down filmography list for further details) seven episodes in Division 4, four episodes in Matlock Police and three episodes in Homicide series, Over There 24 episodes and Certain Women 26 episodes.[2]

In 1970, she starred in the short portmanteau film 3 to Go. During this time she also moved to more provocative (for its time) television, especially in the sex series of Alvin Purple,[2] and then under the direction of Tim Burstall as Sybil the babysitter in Libido: The Child (one of four parts of a portmanteau film that showed various aspects of human sexuality). In this part Morris awakens the sexuality of the boy that she is babysitting. For her part, Morris won the 1973 Australian Film Industry (AFI) Best Actress in a Lead Role.[4][5][6] Morris then played the part of "Sam" in the 1978 movie In Search of Anna, before receiving top billing as the wife "Jill Cowper" in the 1979 black comedy The Plumber, which began its life as a small 6 week television series directed by Peter Weir but following its success was produced as a DVD titled The Mad Plumber.[7]

The 1980s brought further success. She starred in Maybe This Time (1980), Strata (1983), Phar Lap (1983) as Bea Davis, the wife of Phar Lap's owner David J. Davis, and played the part of "Catherine Faulkner", the mother of the main character, "Kat Stanton", (played by Nicole Kidman) in Bangkok Hilton (1989).[8] In 1986 Morris was cast as Margaret 'Meg' Stenning in the miniseries The Last Frontier, that also starred Jason Robards as her father Edward Stenning, fellow Australian Jack Thompson as her brother, the black sheep of the family, Nick Stenning, and American actress Linda Evans as Kate Adamson-Hannon. (This miniseries was released on 3 November 1986). During and after this work she also played the role of "Liz Beare", the daughter-in-law of "Maggie Beare" (played by Ruth Cracknell) in the Mother and Son series that ran from 1984 to 1994. She also starred as an American photographer in Razorback.

Following this, amongst other work, she was cast in the role of "Mrs Muggleton" in eight episodes of the Spellbinder (1995) television series.

In 1996, she had voiced Melba the Crocodile from an animated TV show called Crocadoo.

Writing and directing

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Morris wrote and directed the comedy Luigi's Ladies in 1989. Later she teamed up with George Miller and Dick King-Smith to write Babe: Pig in the City in 1998. An episode of Dinotopia in 2002 and then most recently co-wrote the story to the film Happy Feet (along with Warren Coleman, John Collee, and once again, George Miller). Happy Feet was the first Australian animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and for her part in writing it Morris was nominated for an Annie Award. She later wrote the screenplay for Fred Schepisi's 2011 film, The Eye of the Storm, based on the novel of the same title.

Awards

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Morris has been nominated for several awards in her career including:

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 3 to Go Judy Segment: "Judy" Feature film
1972 The Final Comedown Feature film (US)
1973 Libido Sybil / Nanny Feature film (Segment: The Child)
1973 Avengers of the Reef Airline hostess Feature film
1974 Between Wars Deborah Trenbow Feature film
1975 The Great Macarthy Miss Russell Feature film
1975 Scobie Malone (aka Murder at the Opera House) Helga Brand Feature film
1976 The Trespassers Dee Feature film
1977 The Picture Show Man Miss Lockhart Feature film
1978 In Search of Anna Sam Feature film
1980 ...Maybe This Time Fran Feature film
1982 Strata Margaret Feature film (NZ) (aka Checkmate)
1983 Phar Lap Bea Davis Feature film
1984 Razorback Beth Winters Feature film
1985 Niel Lynne (aka Best Enemies) Patricia Feature film
1985 The More Things Change Connie Feature film
1987 Going Sane Ainslee Brown Feature film
1989 Luigi's Ladies Director Feature film
2008 Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! Herself Feature film documentary

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1957 Loretta Young Show Guest role TV series (US), 1 episode
1960 The Chevy Mystery Show Guest role TV series (US), 1 episode
1967 Bellbird Recurring role TV series
1968 The Gordon Chater Show Guest TV series, 1 episode
1968 Rita and Wally Guest role TV series, 1 episode
1968 Nights Out Lead role Film short
1968 Juke Box Lead role Film short
1968 Junior Secondary Maths Herself TV series
1969 Delta Girl TV series, 1 episode
1969 Australia, The Biggest Island in the World Herself Film documentary
1970 Stirring the Pool TV movie
1970 GTK Herself TV series, 1 episode
1970 Mrs. Finnegan Guest role: Receptionist TV series, 1 episode
1970 Bachelor Gaye Regular role TV series
1970 Barrier Reef Guest role: Gail Smith TV series, 1 episode: "Sea Fever"
1970-1975 Division 4 Policewoman Kim Baker / Lynne Clark / Evie Morris / Helen Roche / Helen Ford / Judy Sutton / Liz Chandler / Sandra Morris (as Judith Morris) TV series, 10 episodes
1970–71, 1974 Homicide Margaret Gillespie / Caroline Murray / Prue Fletcher TV series, 3 episodes: "Wheels", "Thursday's Child", "The Last Season"
1971 The Comedy Game Guest role TV series, 1 episode "Arthur"
1971–72; 1975 Matlock Police Jenny Fisher / Bel Harris / Sheila Kelly / Jill Thompson TV series, 4 episodes: "Early One Morning", "The Milk & Honey Man", "Cat & Mouse", "Baby Doll"
1971 Spyforce Jill TV series, 1 episode
1972 The Lady and the Law Marion Hall TV pilot
1972 The Spoiler Fancy TV series, 1 episode: "Catch as Catch Can"
1972; 1973 Boney Kathy Markham / Jill Madden TV series, 2 episodes: "Boney and the Claypan Mystery", "Boney and the Paroo Bikeman"
1972–73 Over There Elizabeth Kirby TV series, 24 episodes
1973 Ryan Jan Taylor TV series, 1 episode: "The Little Piggy Went to Pieces"
1973–74 Certain Women Marjorie Faber TV series, 26 episodes
1975 Division 4 Kim Baker TV series, 3 episodes: "What Will My Friends Say?", "A Bird in the Hand", "Two Hours of Madness"
1975 Cash and Company Mary Fincham TV series, 1 episode: "Dolly Mop"
1976 Luke's Kingdom Guest role: Ellen TV miniseries, 1 episode: "The Land Lovers"
1976 Alvin Purple Sophie TV series, 1 episode: "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?"
1976 Master of the World Voice TV movie
1976 The Outsiders Karen TV series, 1 episode: "Bad Dream Town"
1976 Mama's Gone A-Hunting Tessa Goodman TV movie
1977 The Dave Allen Show in Australia Various character roles TV series, 1 episode
1978 The Making of Anna Herself Film documentary
1978 The Geeks Lee Teleplay
1978 Cass Margo TV movie
1978 Heidi Guest role TV series Switzerland / West Germany / Australia
1979 Patrol Boat Guest role TV series, 1 episode
1979 The Plumber Jill Cowper TV movie
1979 Tickled Pink Guest role TV series, 1 episode
1979 Skyways Robyn Davies TV series, 12 episodes
1979 Sammy Awards Herself TV special
1979 The First Christmas Voice TV short
1980 The Girl Who Met Simone de Beauvoir In Paris Lead role Film short
1981 Trial By Marriage Guest role TV series, 1 episode
1982 Spring & Fall Anne Lawrence TV series, 1 episode: "Jimmy Dancer"
1984–94 Mother and Son Liz Beare TV series, 18 episodes
1985 Make It Your Business Herself Video documentary
1985 Colour in the Creek Ellen Fletcher TV miniseries, 10 episodes
1985 Time's Raging Lauren TV movie
1986 The Last Frontier Meg Stenning TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1987 The Last of the Mohicans Voice TV movie
1987 Resuscitation (aka You've Probably Saved His Life) Voice Film short
1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty Frances Eastwick TV miniseries, 5 episodes
1989 Bangkok Hilton Catherine Faulkner TV miniseries, 3 episodes
1991 Letters from Home Voice TV series
1991 Eggshells Kathy Rose TV series, 13 episodes
1991 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Other Side of Paradise Miss Sowerby TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1993 Crocadoo Melba (voice) TV series, (Season 1)
1994 Review Guest Presenter TV series, 1 episode
1995 Spellbinder Mrs. Muggleton TV series, 9 episodes
1995 This Is Your Life: Ruth Cracknell Herself TV series, 1 episode
1996 Crocadoo Melba (voice) TV series, (series 1)
1997 Heartbreak High Fiona TV series, 2 episodes: "6.37", "6.38"
1998 Twisted Tales Veronica TV film series, 1 episode: "The Test"
1998 Crocadoo II Melba (voice) TV series, Recurring role
1999 Ballykissangel Laurie Woskett TV series (UK), 1 episode: "Eureka"
2004 Jaws on Trotters: The Making of 'Razorback' Herself - Beth Winters Video
2008 Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted And Extended Scenes Herself - Beth Winters Video
2012 1st AACTA Awards Herself - Writer TV special
2014 Razorback: Extended Interviews With Cast And Crew From Mark Hartley's 'Not Quite Hollywood' Herself - Beth Winters Video

Other works

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Year Title Notes
1989 Luigi's Ladies Writer, director - Feature film
1998 Babe: Pig in the City Writer - Feature film
2002 Dinotopia Writer, "The Matriarch"
2006 Happy Feet Writer, co-director, co-producer - Animated feature film
2008 Meerkat Manor Writer
2009 Legend Writer
2010 Before the Rain Writer - Feature film
2011 The Eye of the Storm Writer - Feature film
2011 Happy Feet Two Writer - Feature film
2012 1st AACTA Awards Writer - TV special
2013 Adoration Script editor - Feature film
2013 Goddess Musical director - Feature film
2021 Chasing Wonders Writer - Feature film

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "The Penguin Suite". Fairfax Digital. 2 December 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d "Judy Morris (1)". IMDB. Retrieved 12 April 2007. [unreliable source?]
  3. ^ "The Chevy Mystery Hour – "Dead Man's Walk"". TV.com. Retrieved 15 April 2007.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "The Genesis of Libido". Senses of Cinema. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  5. ^ "News Flash – Libido lives on DVD". Producers and Directors Guild of Victoria. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  6. ^ "The Best In Australian Film". film.org.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  7. ^ "The Plumber". IMDB. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  8. ^ "Bangkok Hilton (mini)". IMDB. Retrieved 12 April 2007. [unreliable source?]
  9. ^ a b "AFI Award Winners 1969–2005" (PDF). Australian Film Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
  10. ^ a b 'Annie Awards' List of Award Nominees and Winners Archived 3 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
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