Jill Forster

Jill Forster
Born
Jill Forster

(1936-11-30) 30 November 1936
England
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Years active1964–2015
Known for
SpouseJohn Stanton
ChildrenPolly Stanton

Jill Forster (born 30 November 1936),[1] is an English-born Australian retired actress. She became well known for her roles in TV series, but also appeared in films and telefilms.

Early life

Forster came to Australia in 1964 as a young model. After appearing in a television commercial, she was quickly scouted by Crawford Productions and from there, her acting career took off.[2]

Career

Forster's first role was in the Australian TV series Hunter, filmed on location in Woomera, South Australia for six weeks. After the experience, she decided she wanted to act full time.[2]

Forster has primarily appeared in small cameo roles, although she is well known as the second actress to portray Helen Sheriden Sellers in Number 96, replacing original actress Carmen Duncan, and has also had prominent roles in The Restless Years and SeaChange.

She starred in the 1973 feature film Libido, receiving an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the role.[2] The same year, she appeared in the hit sex-comedy film Alvin Purple.

Forster played Mrs Haversham in the 1987 miniseries Great Expectations, earning her another AFI nomination for Best Actress.[2]

She also received a nomination for the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in the 1993 children's film Say A Little Prayer.[2]

Forster has been in numerous other Australian television dramas, including Motel, playing Gaye,[3] The Box,[2] Starting Out, Prisoner,[2] A Country Practice,[2] The Flying Doctors and The Power, The Passion.[4]

She played Meredith Monahan in television drama SeaChange,[4] winning the 1999 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.[5]

Forster also appeared in The Man From Snowy River, and had a five-year stint on Beauty and the Beast. [2]

Personal life

Forster married Australian actor and frequent co-star John Stanton in the mid-1970s, after meeting him while shooting an episode of Matlock Police. They acted together in the TV series' Homicide, The Box and Bellamy.

Awards

Year Award Category Work Result
1973 Australian Film Institute Best Supporting Actress Libido Won
1987 Best Actress Great Expectations: The Untold Story Won
1993 Best Supporting Actress Say a Little Prayer Nominated
1999 Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama SeaChange (episode: "Manna from Heaven") Won

Filmography (selected)

Film

Year Title Role Type
1973 Alvin Purple Mrs. Horwood Feature film
Libido Rosaline / Martin's mother (segment "The Child") Feature film
1982 Crosstalk Mrs. Stollier Feature film
1989 Devil In The Flesh Jill Hansen Feature film
1993 Say a Little Prayer Mrs Easterbrook Feature film
2003 Prisoner Queen - Mindless Music & Mirrorballs Liza Feature film
2006 Irresistible Helen Feature film
2011 Magic Grandmother Film short
2015 Ladies Without Lipstick Joyce Film short

Television

Year Title Role Type
1967; 1968 Hunter Chris Charter / Alison Bean 3 episodes
1968 Motel Gaye Gillian 135 episodes
1969 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Mary Lansbury 1 episode
1970 Freaky Black Friday Spook Special Vampira TV film
1970–1973 Division 4 Denise Mitchell / Deidre Simpson / Mrs. Hudson / Laura Montgomery 4 episodes
1970–1974 Homicide Ieva Zervos / Barbra Hillis / Judy Campbell / Barbra Lacey / Eve Harrison / Kim Ridley / Karen Healey 7 episodes
1971 Spyforce Anna 1 episode
1972 Catwalk Sandra Goodall 1 episode
A Time for Love 1 episode
Birds in the Bush (aka The Virgin Fellas) The Secretary
Boney Elaine Simpson 1 episode
Creature Features Host – Vampira
The Lady and the Law Peta Mann TV film
1973 Wicked City Brothel Madam TV film
Matlock Police Eve Taylor 1 episode
Ryan Nurse Porter / Sheila 2 episodes
Inside Alvin Purple Herself / Mrs. Horwood TV special
1973–1974 Number 96 Helen Sheridan/Sellars 21 episodes
1974 Silent Number Prostitute 1 episode
The Evil Touch Pamela Larsen 1 episode
1975 Two-Way Mirror Susan Maxwell TV pilot
1976–1977 The Box Enid Parker
1977–1979 The Restless Years Heather Russell 99 episodes
1981 Bellamy Mrs. Baker Episode 23: "Vigilante"
1981; 1982 Cop Shop
1982 Holiday Island 2 episodes
The Sullivans Isabelle 1 episode
1983 Carson's Law Amelia Redman 2 episodes
Starting Out Dr. Jill Holt
1984 Prisoner Kerryn Davies 10 episodes
Special Squad Mrs. Watson 1 episode
Bodyline Miniseries, 2 episodes
1984; 1987 A Country Practice Liz Ferguson 2 episodes
1987 A Country Practice Di Lyall 2 episodes
Great Expectations: The Untold Story Mrs. Havisham TV film
1988 The Flying Doctors Judith McLean 1 episode
1989 The Power, The Passion Sarah McAllister
1996 Banjo Patterson's The Man From Snowy River (aka Snowy River: The McGregor Saga) Lady Clough 1 episode
1998–2000 SeaChange Meredith Monahan 39 episodes

References

  1. ^ a b Giles Nigel "Number 96: Australia Most Infamous Address, published by Melbourne Book"
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "SeaChange: Profiles – Jill Forster". Australian Television Information Archive.
  3. ^ "Seven's Motel promised daytime sizzle". www.televisionau.com. 20 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b "SeaChange: Profiles". Australian Television Information Archive.
  5. ^ "SeaChange: Awards & Nominations". Australian Television Information Archive.