Anne Phelan
Encyclopedia
Anne Mary Phelan, OAM
(born 2 August 1944), is a much awarded Australian actress, who has appeared prominently in Theatre, Australian television productions and soap operas, including Prisoner
where she played the role of 'Top Dog' Myra Desmond and Monica Taylor in Something in the air. She is the winner of two AFI Television Awards.
In the late 1970s she played guest roles in Prisoner
. She took the role of a prison officer (Officer Manson), appearing in one episode of the series in 1979. This character had the sole purpose of threatening to resign over the favourable treatment afforded to prisoner Barbara Davidson in episode 17. Later in 1979 she reappeared in the series, this time playing the role of dopey prisoner Bernadette in a number of episodes.
She first appeared on screen as Myra Desmond on a recurring basis between 1980 and 1983; Myra was then reintroduced to the series in early 1984 as a regular character, and continued in the role for a further eighteen months. Anne's passionate and commanding performance on screen would make Myra Desmond one of Prisoner's most memorable and iconic characters. Myra's exit from the show was arguably the most dramatic exit of any character and remains a fan favourite.
Phelan's other soap roles include Starting Out
(1983), Family and Friends
(1990), and Something in the Air (2000–2002). She has made guest starring appearances in many drama series including The Flying Doctors
and Blue Heelers
. She was also a regular in Marshall Law
and appeared in the ABC
comedy Mother and Son
, playing the role of a social worker who befriends Maggie Beare.
She has also made two guest appearances in Neighbours
, the first in 1997, was the character of Claudia Harvey and the second, which was in 2004, was of Doreen "Peace Dove" Cassidy.
In 2007, Phelan appeared in episode 6 of The Librarians
as a prisoner with the Prisoner theme song.
made up mostly of people who are homeless, in Melbourne's streets in late 2006. She performed and sang with the choir when they busked to save money to perform at the Melbourne Town Hall
.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 2 August 1944), is a much awarded Australian actress, who has appeared prominently in Theatre, Australian television productions and soap operas, including Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
where she played the role of 'Top Dog' Myra Desmond and Monica Taylor in Something in the air. She is the winner of two AFI Television Awards.
Acting career
Phelan had an on-going role in soap opera Bellbird in the early 1970s.In the late 1970s she played guest roles in Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
. She took the role of a prison officer (Officer Manson), appearing in one episode of the series in 1979. This character had the sole purpose of threatening to resign over the favourable treatment afforded to prisoner Barbara Davidson in episode 17. Later in 1979 she reappeared in the series, this time playing the role of dopey prisoner Bernadette in a number of episodes.
She first appeared on screen as Myra Desmond on a recurring basis between 1980 and 1983; Myra was then reintroduced to the series in early 1984 as a regular character, and continued in the role for a further eighteen months. Anne's passionate and commanding performance on screen would make Myra Desmond one of Prisoner's most memorable and iconic characters. Myra's exit from the show was arguably the most dramatic exit of any character and remains a fan favourite.
Phelan's other soap roles include Starting Out
Starting Out
Starting Out is an Australian television soap opera made for the Nine Network by the Reg Grundy Organisation in 1983.The series was the network's replacement for The Young Doctors and was set at a medical college with an emphasis on young people getting their first experience of living away from...
(1983), Family and Friends
Family and Friends
Family and Friends was a short-lived Australian television soap opera debuted on 7 February 1990.The series was intended to be the Nine Network's response to the already successful soaps on the rival channels - Neighbours on the Network Ten and Home and Away on the Seven Network.Set in a suburban...
(1990), and Something in the Air (2000–2002). She has made guest starring appearances in many drama series including The Flying Doctors
The Flying Doctors
The Flying Doctors is an Australian drama series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the real Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia....
and Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
. She was also a regular in Marshall Law
Marshall Law
Marshall Law was an Australian television series, which aired on the Seven Network in 2002, starring Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte as lawyers and sisters.- History :...
and appeared in the ABC
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
comedy Mother and Son
Mother and Son
Mother and Son is a Logie Award-winning Australian television sitcom produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris...
, playing the role of a social worker who befriends Maggie Beare.
She has also made two guest appearances in Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, the first in 1997, was the character of Claudia Harvey and the second, which was in 2004, was of Doreen "Peace Dove" Cassidy.
In 2007, Phelan appeared in episode 6 of The Librarians
The Librarians (TV series)
The Librarians is an Australian television comedy series which premiered on 31 October 2007 on ABC TV. In Ireland the show airs on RTÉ Two. The series is produced and written by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope who are also the principal cast members. Hope is also the series' director. The first...
as a prisoner with the Prisoner theme song.
Community work
Phelan has used her fame and celebrity to help raise money for The Choir of Hard KnocksThe Choir of Hard Knocks
The Choir of Hard Knocks is a choir consisting of homeless and disadvantaged people formed in Melbourne, Australia. It came to prominence as the subject of a five-part Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary television series broadcast in 2007....
made up mostly of people who are homeless, in Melbourne's streets in late 2006. She performed and sang with the choir when they busked to save money to perform at the Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne Town Hall is the central municipal building of the City of Melbourne, Australia, in the State of Victoria. It is located on the northeast corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, in the central business district. It is the seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Melbourne...
.
Awards and Honours
- Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday HonoursQueen's Birthday HonoursThe Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
list for service to the arts as an actress, and to the community, particularly through support for women living with the HIV virusHIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and for asylum seekers and refugees
AFI Awards – Television
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini Series (1988) in Poor Man's OrangePoor Man's OrangePoor Man's Orange is a novel by New Zealand born Australian author Ruth Park. Published in 1949, the book is the sequel to The Harp in the South and continues the story of the Darcy family, living in the Surry Hills area of Sydney....
- Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama (2000) in Something in the Air (Episode:"We will remember them")