Sophie Heathcote (25 December 1970 – 4 January 2006) was an Australian actor, known for her role in film

Reckless Kelly ''Reckless Kelly'' is a 1993 Australian comedy film produced, written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. It co-stars Melora Hardin, Alexei Sayle and Hugo Weaving. The story is a satirical take on a modern-day Ned Kelly, a famous Australian ou ...

and for her regular television serial roles, including '' A Country Practice'', '' Water Rats'' and ''

Grass Roots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

Biography

Heathcote was born in

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 ...

on 25 December 1972. She began her acting career with a regular role in medical drama series '' A Country Practice'' as Stephanie "Steve" Brennan appearing in 117 episodes from 1990 to 1991.

Professional training

She graduated from Australia's

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 late 1994. Acting roles included roles in '' Bordertown'', '' GP'' and ''

Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name - " Soldier, soldier won't you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum?" - an instrumental version of which was used as its ...

''. Subsequent to this she took the ongoing role of Senior Constable Fiona Cassidy in '' Water Rats'' (1996–97), followed by a role in the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

series '' Raw FM'' (1997) in which she played sexy lesbian dancer Sam, a role she said challenged her more than anything she had done since leaving NIDA. She won an

AFI award The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsi ...

in 2000 for her role in ABC's ''Grass Roots''.

Personal life

Along with her husband she established an annual fundraising event that raises $500,000 a year for the neonatal unit at the Royal Children's Hospital. The staff there saved the life of their first child, Madeleine, who is believed to have suffered respiratory problems. The couple moved to the US in 2005, basing themselves in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Death

Heathcote died suddenly on 4 January 2006 in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

, reportedly from an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

.Jo Roberts (1 January 2006
"Television star Heathcote dies in US"
''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...

''; retrieved 25 December 2014 She had also been suffering from skin and pancreatic cancer. Her funeral was held on 18 January 2006 at St Peter's Church in

Toorak, Victoria Toorak () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area, on Boonwurrung Land. Toorak recorded a population of 12,817 at the 20 ...

, Australia. She was survived by her husband, their daughter, and their son. Heathcote is buried at Sorrento Cemetery on the

Mornington Peninsula The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geo ...

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heathcote, Sophie 1972 births 2006 deaths Australian film actresses Australian television actresses Actresses from Melbourne National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni Deaths from aneurysm