Betty Ann Bobbitt (February 7, 1939 – November 30, 2020) was an American actress, director, singer, and playwright based in Australia, with a career that spanned over 60 years, encompassing theatre, television, and film.
Bobbitt was best known for her small screen role in TV series ''
Prisoner
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison.
...
'' (known in the UK and North America as ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'' and ''Caged Woman'' in Canada) as lesbian mother figure Judy Bryant from 1980 to 1985, through 430 episodes.
Bobbitt was the second major star actress to portray a lesbian character in the series after
Carol Burns
Carol Ann Burns (29 October 1947 – 22 December 2015) was an Australian actress, theatre director and patron of the arts, with a career spanning 50 years. She worked extensively in theatre and television serials, as well as telemovies and min ...
, who played original character
Franky Doyle.
In the series the character of Judy was convicted of smuggling drugs so she could be with her lesbian lover Sharon Gilmore in the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre, whilst in prison she was raped, survived a murder attempt, broke out on two occasions and discovered she had a long lost daughter.
The actress who portrays Judy Bryant's lover in the series
Margot Knight
Margot Knight is an Australian actress of television and stage, voice artist and a screenwriter. She had numerous guest roles in TV series and telemovies, but is best known for her stints playing two roles in the highly popular cult series ''Pr ...
, as inmate Sharon Gilmore, returned to the series for a second stint as Prison Officer Terri Malone, coincidently also a lesbian character, this time to regular character Joan Ferguson (
Maggie Kirkpatrick
Margaret Anne Kirkpatrick (née Downs; born 29 January 1941) is an Australian stage and screen actress who starred in the cult TV series ''Prisoner'' (otherwise known as ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'' in the UK and North America), where she was bes ...
), making Knight the only actress to portray a LGBT character as both a prisoner and warden.
On film she had cameo roles appearing opposite
Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as ...
, in several of the Crocodile Dundee series including ''
Crocodile Dundee II
''Crocodile Dundee II'' is a 1988 action comedy film and the second of the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series. It is a sequel to ''Crocodile Dundee'' (1986) and was followed by ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (2001). Actors Paul Hogan and Lin ...
'' (1988), ''
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (also known as ''Crocodile Dundee III'') is a 2001 action comedy film directed by Simon Wincer and starring Paul Hogan. It is the sequel to ''Crocodile Dundee II'' (1988) and the third and final film of the ...
'' (2001), and the direct-to-video ''
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee'' (2020).
Bobbitt died on 30 November 2020, aged 81, following a stroke.
Early career in the United States and Australia
Bobbitt was born in
Manhattan, New York
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, to nurse Elizabeth Bobbitt née Sprout and Hubert Bobbitt, a steel mill worker and grew up in
Norristown Norristown may mean:
* Norristown, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Norristown, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Norristown, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality with home ...
, a suburb of Philadelphia.
[Laura Lippstone, "Life in the Land of Oz", ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', 9 November 1986 p. 31.] She attended a Catholic school and
Norristown High School
Norristown Area School District is a school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district serves the borough of Norristown, East Norriton Township, and West Norriton Township municipalities in central Montgomery County ...
.
Moving at aged 18 to Los Angeles for a theatre production of ''
Auntie Mame
''Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade'' is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father.
The book is often desc ...
'', she was approached by an Australian television producer who asked her if she "wanted to come to Australia and be funny".
She was contracted for six months and appeared as a regular on a
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
television
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
, ''Daly at Night'', as "a female
Victor Borge
Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. His ...
, singing off-key and just plain acting like a dumb brunette".
She was known in Australia in the early 1960s as "Betty Bobbitt the dizzy brunette from Big Bear", referencing a fictitious place ostensibly in Pennsylvania.
["Unpredictable Bobbitt recalls other TV days", ''The Age'' (Melbourne), 17 March 1966, p. 26.]
She subsequently married an Australian artist, Robin Hill,
and had a son, Christopher, in England. Returning to Melbourne, Australia, she appeared in many theatre productions with the
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre compa ...
. She also teamed up with future ''Prisoner'' stars
Anne Phelan
Anne Mary Phelan (2 August 1948 – 27 October 2019) was an Australian actress of stage and screen who appeared in many theatre, television and film productions as well as radio and voice-over.
Her television soap opera roles included '' ...
and
Colette Mann
Colette Mann (born 17 February 1950) is an Australian actress, singer, TV and radio presenter, choreographer and author/writer and media personality, she has been in the entertainment industry for over 50 years.
Mann appeared in two Grundy Orga ...
in a 1970s stage show called ''The Glitter Girls'' who performed
1940s songs. Notable theatre included in Martin Cripps ''Cruel and Tender'' and
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
of The Human Voice''
[Neil Jillet 'Reportoire Rounded off in a Small Way' by The Melbourne Age 30 March 1978 P.8]
Television productions
Bobbitt was a fixture on Australian television from the mid-1960s with guest roles in serials including ''
Matlock Police
''Matlock Police'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network (now known as the 10 Network) between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town o ...
'', ''
Homicide
Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
'', ''
Cop Shop
''Cop Shop'' is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes.
The show
The show revolved ar ...
'', ''
A Country Practice
''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera which broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 5 November 1993, airing at 7:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Altogether, 14 seasons and 1,058 episodes were p ...
'', ''
The Flying Doctors
''The Flying Doctors'' is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions that revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. T ...
'', ''
All Saints'', ''
Marshall Law
''Marshall Law'' is an Australian television series, which aired on the Seven Network in 2002, starring Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte as lawyers and sisters.
History
The show was originally conceived as a legal drama mixed with '' Ally McBea ...
'', and ''
Blue Heelers
''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian police drama series that was produced by Southern Star Group and ran for 12 years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, the series generally depicted the ever ...
''.
''Prisoner: Cell Block H''
She became best known for her role in ''
Prisoner
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison.
...
'' for her portrayal of
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
character Judy Bryant, a series regular. She first appeared in the show in February 1980. After it started to gain a cult status in the US, billed as ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'', an American actress was suggested by producers as a nod to local audiences. Her character was intended only for a short-term 13 episode appearance, but she became immensely popular, and was retained in the series. Bobbitt continued in the role until May 1985, making her the show's second-longest serving actor, at 429 episodes, second only to
Elspeth Ballantyne
Elspeth Ballantyne (born 20 April 1939) is an Australian retired actress, who appeared in productions in theatre, television and films over a career that spanned nearly 60 years, a veteran of the industry having started her career as a child ...
as officer Meg Jackson/Morris, an original who appeared at the series' inception. After ''Prisoner'', she continued in theatre roles and made guest appearance in television and film
During her time in ''Prisoner'' Bobbitt performed with fellow ''
Prisoner
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison.
...
'' cast members
Jane Clifton
Jane Clifton (born 10 April 1949) is a Gibraltar-born Australian actress, singer, writer and voice artist.
She is best known for her role in TV serial ''Prisoner'' as tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney.
As a singer, she had a stint with Jo Jo ...
and
Colette Mann
Colette Mann (born 17 February 1950) is an Australian actress, singer, TV and radio presenter, choreographer and author/writer and media personality, she has been in the entertainment industry for over 50 years.
Mann appeared in two Grundy Orga ...
in a three-woman troupe named "The Mini Busettes" in the 1980s. They performed around Australia in
RSL and similar clubs.
Bobbitt appeared in a guest role in TV series ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'' in 2019, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of ''Prisoner'', she featured alongside fellow stars
Jane Clifton
Jane Clifton (born 10 April 1949) is a Gibraltar-born Australian actress, singer, writer and voice artist.
She is best known for her role in TV serial ''Prisoner'' as tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney.
As a singer, she had a stint with Jo Jo ...
,
Jentah Sobott and
Jenny Lovell
Jenny Lovell is an Australian theatre, television and film actress, and drama teacher, probably best known for her stint as Jenny Hartley in 44 episodes in the television series ''Prisoner''. She is the daughter of Sydney actor and producer Ni ...
, who arrive in Erinsborough to attend Sheila's Bookclub, in doing so she was reunited with other Prisoner co-stars who now star in the series, Colette Mann, who plays regular
Sheila Canning
Sheila Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Colette Mann. The character was teased by the show's executive producer Richard Jasek in January 2012. The following month Mann's casting was ann ...
and
Jackie Woodburne
Jacqueline Anne Woodburne (born 5 February 1956) is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress, who is notable for her roles in TV soap operas.
Since 1994, Woodburne has played teacher Susan Kennedy in ''Neighbours''. She first became notable for ...
who has long played
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy (also Smith and Kinski) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots ...
.
Film
She had cameo roles in the Crocodile Dundee franchise starring
Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as ...
including ''Crocodile Dundee II'' and ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (a.k.a.''Crocodile Dundee III'') and ''The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee''.
In 2004, Bobbitt made a brief uncredited appearance in the American television remake of the
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
classic, ''
Salem's Lot
''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he ...
'', and in 2010 in a thriller, ''Torn''.
Publication
In 2011, Bobbitt self-published her book ''From the Outside'' (), which documents her life and career playing the role of Judy Bryant on ''Prisoner''.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
Hear Betty talk about her life and career on The Soap ShowBetty Bobbitt official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobbitt, Betty
1939 births
2020 deaths
Actresses from New York City
Australian film actresses
Australian people of American descent
Australian soap opera actresses
Australian stage actresses
People from Manhattan
People from Norristown, Pennsylvania
20th-century Australian actresses
21st-century Australian singers
21st-century Australian actresses
21st-century American actresses