Joy Elaine Hruby (1 July 1927 – 21 February 2017) was an Australian actress and entertainer, comedian, TV presenter and interviewer, producer, film-maker, author and celebrity agent with a career spanning more than 50 years. Hruby appeared in films including ''

Caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

'', ''

The Love Letters from Teralba Road ''The Love Letters from Teralba Road'' is a 1977 Australian short film directed by Stephen Wallace. In 1980 David Stratton called it "not only the most moving love story given to us by the Australian cinema, but also probably the best featurette ...

'', ''

Winter of our Dreams ''Winter of Our Dreams'' is a 1981 Australian drama film directed by John Duigan. Judy Davis won the Best Actress in a Lead Role in the AFI Awards for her performance in the film. The film was nominated in 6 other categories also. It was also ent ...

'', and ''

Kitty and the Bagman ''Kitty and the Bagman'' is a 1983 Australian film about gangsters in the 1920s. It was based on the rivalry of Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine. Premise Kitty O'Rourke arrives in Australia from England as a war bride. Her husband is arrested by a ...

''. Hruby had small roles in TV soap operas including, '' Sons and Daughters'' and ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...

'', '' G.P.'' and '' All Saints'' and featured the mini-series ''

Brides of Christ ''Brides of Christ'' is an Australian television miniseries produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1991.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 94 The series takes place behind the walls of a Sydne ...

'', she also appeared in numerous theatre productions and entered films into

Tropfest Tropfest is the world's largest short film film festival, festival. It has also become known as the world's first global film festival. Founded by actor/director John Polson, Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people at the 'Tropic ...

Biography

Hruby was born in

Taree Taree is a town on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of 26,381, and is the centre of a significant agricultural distri ...

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 ...

, the fourth of five siblings to Grace Adelaide Esther Thomas, a public speaker, union woman, community worker and suffragist and Henry "Harry" James Cox, who was a station master at

Dubbo Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Gol ...

during

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and ham radio enthusiast and maker of steel guitars. She married Czech jazz pianist Zdenek Hruby in 1954 and the couple had three children: actress

Anna Hruby Anna Hruby (born 1960) is an Australian actress and voice over artist band TV commercial advertiser, who has appeared in many Australian television series and theatre productions. She is the daughter of actress, entertainer and television pers ...

, Frank (a cameraman) and Janette (a former film location caterer). Hruby studied at the Whitehall Academy of Dramatic Arts and then the J.C. Williamson theatre, and appeared in a production of

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

as Desdemona. Hruby also had a community TV program on Channel 31 (later TVS) in Sydney and Melbourne titled ''Joy's World''. She was known for brightly-coloured feathered costumes and feather boas, and her signature sign-off line, "...and keep smiling". After Prime Minister

Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...

cancelled community television, she launched her own website and

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel. Her contribution to the arts and entertainment was recognised with an

Order of Australia Medal The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(OAM) in the 2007 Queen's New Years Honours List. Published in 2003, she wrote a wartime memoir, ''Dubbo Dazzlers'', which was also the name of a dance troupe she formed in Dubbo during WWII. Hruby had previously written notes for a biography titled ''The Spectacular Life of Joy Hruby''. She won a

Critics' Circle Theatre Award The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...

for ''Half in Ernest''. Hruby was later married to Denny, a pianist. She died, aged 89 on 21 February 2017.Death Notice: Hruby, Joy Elaine
''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 25 February 2017. Her service was held at Wilde Street

Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

Maroubra, New South Wales Maroubra is a beachside suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 10 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Randwick. Maroubra ...

on 2 March 2017.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Joy's World website
* 1927 births 2017 deaths Actresses from Sydney Australian film actresses Australian soap opera actresses Australian television personalities Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia People from Dubbo 20th-century Australian actresses 21st-century Australian actresses {{Australia-actor-stub