Carmen Joan Duncan (7 July 1942 – 3 February 2019) was an Australian-born stage and screen actress and activist, with a career locally and internationally in the United States that spanned over 50 years. She was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actress for the 1980 film ''

Harlequin Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque dialect, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian language, Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city o ...

'', and was also known for the film ''

Don't Let It Get You ''Don't Let It Get You'' is a film made in New Zealand and Sydney, Australia in 1966. It is notable for the period it was made in as well as the popular musical acts that featured in it. Sir Howard Morrison, Eddie Low, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and He ...

''. Her other film appearances include '' Touch and Go'' (1980) and ''

Turkey Shoot A turkey shoot is an opportunity for an individual or a party to take advantage of a situation with a significant degree of ease. The term likely originates from a method of hunting wild turkeys in which the hunter, coming upon a flock, intention ...

'' (1982). She played Iris Wheeler in the American

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

'' Another World'' from 1988 to 1994. Duncan appeared in numerous theatre roles from 1970 and 2015

Early life and career

Duncan was born in

Cooma Cooma is a town in the south of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south of the national capital, Canberra, via the Monaro Highway. It is also on the Snowy Mountains Highway, connecting Bega with the Riverina. At the , Cooma had a po ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, in 1942. She graduated in 1961 from the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including Cat ...

(NIDA) in Sydney. Duncan was known to Australian audiences as a

character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...

in television, stage and films, as well as having appeared in television commercials. Her television roles included the series ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

'' (1967) and she appeared in the evening soap opera ''

Number 96 96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when turned upside down. In mathematics 96 is: * an octagonal number. * a refactorable number. * an untouchable number. * a semiperfe ...

'' playing Helen Sheridan in 1973. A role on the soap '' Certain Women'' followed. She later had an ongoing role in ''

Skyways Skyways may refer to: *Skyway A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very ...

'', and guest starred in several episodes of ''

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 ...

'' as Terence Elliott's wife, Rowena. Her film roles included ''

'' (1982) and its 2014 reboot. Duncan emigrated to the United States in the 1980s, where she acted on television. From October 1988 to September 1994, she portrayed Iris Carrington Wheeler on the daytime soap opera '' Another World''. Duncan became a member of Actor's Equity in 1962 and the federal council of the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance.

Activism

Duncan retired from acting in 2006 and became a fundraising manager for the GO Fund, a New South Wales charity associated with gynaecological cancer. She served as an ambassador for the Breast Care Centre at the

Royal Hospital for Women The Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) is a specialist hospital for women and babies located in the suburb of Randwick in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Royal Hospital for Women shares the Randwick Hospitals' Campus site with the Prince of ...

Personal life

Duncan lived in Sydney. She had two children. Her younger sister is actress Paula Duncan. Carmen Duncan died on 3 February 2019 from breast cancer, aged 76. FILM TELEVISION STAGE/THEATRE * ''Make Me A Widow'' (1963) * ''Hamlet'' (1963) * ''Playboy Of The Western World'' (1965) * ''A Man for All Seasons'' (1965) * ''A Scent Of Flowers'' (1971) * ''After The Fall'' (1972) * ''Cactus Flower'' (1972) * ''Cat On A Hot Tin Roof'' (1973) * ''Romeo And Juliet'' (1974) * ''Next'' (1977) * ''Bedroom Farce'' (1978) * ''Top Girls'' (1983) * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1987) * ''Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced'' (2013) * ''The Credeaux Canvas'' (2015)

Filmography

Feature films

*''

Hotel Mumbai ''Hotel Mumbai'' is a 2018 action thriller film directed by Anthony Maras and co-written by Maras and John Collee. An Indian-Australian-American co-production, it is inspired by the 2009 documentary ''Surviving Mumbai'' about the 2008 Mumbai ...

'' (2018) *''

'' (2014) *''

Liquid Bridge ''Liquid Bridge'' is a 2003 Australian film starring Ryan Kwanten. The film concerns aspiring pro surfer Nick McCallum (Kwanten), who is held back from achieving fame by his disabled father. However, after being framed for smuggling drugs and ...

'' (2003) *''

'' (1982) *'' Touch and Go'' (1980) *''

'' (1980) *''

You Can't See 'round Corners ''You Can't See 'round Corners'' is a 1969 Australian drama film directed by David Cahill and starring Ken Shorter and Rowena Wallace. The film is a theatrical version of the 1967 TV show '' You Can't See 'Round Corners''. Both were based on t ...

'' (1969) *''

'' (1966)

Television

*''

Winners & Losers ''Winners & Losers'' is an Australian television drama series first broadcast on the Seven Network on 22 March 2011. It was created by the producers of '' Packed to the Rafters'' and is aired in the show's former time slot. ''Winners & Losers' ...

'' (2011) *''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...

'' (2004) *''

CrashBurn {{Infobox television , image = , caption = , alt_name = , genre = Soap operaDrama , creator = Deborah Cox Andrew Knight , developer = , writer = ...

'' (2003) *''

Always Greener ''Always Greener'' was an Australian television drama/ comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new ...

'' (2003) *'' Water Rats'' (2001) *'' All Saints'' (2000) *'' Another World'' (1988–1994) *''

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 ...

'' (TV series) *''

'' (1982–1986) *''

'' (1979) *''

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 ...

'' (1978) *''

'' (1973) *''

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 ...

'' (1966–1973) *''

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 ...

'' (1972) *''

Division 4 ''Division 4'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 301 episodes. Synopsis The series was one of the first dramas to follow up on the enormous success o ...

'' (1970) *''Riptide'' (1969) *''

'' (1967) *''

You Can't See 'Round Corners ''You Can't See 'round Corners'' is a 1969 Australian drama film directed by David Cahill and starring Ken Shorter and Rowena Wallace. The film is a theatrical version of the 1967 TV show '' You Can't See 'Round Corners''. Both were based on t ...

'' (1967)

References

External links

*
Irises: The Unofficial Beverlee McKinsey and Carmen Duncan Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Carmen 1942 births 2019 deaths Australian film actresses Australian soap opera actresses People from Cooma Actresses from New South Wales Deaths from breast cancer Deaths from cancer in New South Wales Drama teachers Australian emigrants to the United States 20th-century Australian actresses 21st-century Australian actresses