Elaine Lee (actress)
Elaine Lee | |
---|---|
Born | Elaine Joyce Knoesen 23 February 1939 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Occupation | Actress |
Spouse | Garth Meade (1970-1976) |
Elaine Joyce Knoesen (23 February 1939
Career
Lee was born in 1939 in
Lee emigrated to Australia where she became well known Vera Collins in Number 96, starting in 1972.[3] Lee was known as a sex symbol through the role of Vera, a perpetually unlucky-in-love fashionista and clairvoyant. Lee was an original cast member of the series and a key figure in many of the show's major storylines. Vera was raped three times, including by her onscreen husband Harry Collins (Norman Yemm). Lee remained in the role of Vera for four and a half years, finally leaving in mid-1976. She appeared in the 1974 feature film version of Number 96 in which she was raped by a group of bikers in the opening scene. Producer David Sale said that Number 96 was always going to be controversial and shocking, so we thought "start the film version with a rape sequence and get it over with".[citation needed]
A planned comedy spinoff from Number 96, called Fair Game and featuring Lee with Lynette Curran and Abigail, did not eventuate. Its pilot was divided up to create segments of three episodes of Number 96 (Episodes 1079-1081, airing in Sydney, November 1976).[4]
Soon after leaving Number 96 Lee was cast as headmistress Margaret Gibson in Glenview High, which ran between 1977-78. She then appeared in several productions of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in TV movies and panel shows, and made guest appearances in drama series such as A Country Practice. She also continued her stage work, including the challenging one-woman show Turn on the Heat, loosely based on the last two hours of Marilyn Monroe's life.[3]
Lee made sporadic appearances in Australian feature films during the 1990s. In 1997, she played a regular role in the critically panned Kingswood Country spin-off situation comedy Bullpitt!, and she had a recurring role in Heartbreak High.
In the 2000s Lee continued to make occasional appearances in Australian films and drama series, and she opened an acting school in Sydney with Judi Farr. In 2001 she appeared in the medical drama All Saints and in 2005 acted in soap opera Home and Away. Lee also presented a commentary on the 2006 DVD release of Number 96[5]
Personal life
Lee married South African-born Australian actor and comedian
Elaine Lee at the time of Number 96, was a neighbour of actresses Gwen Plumb and her partner, actress Thelma Scott[7]
Filmography
FILM
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1968 | Dr. Kalie | Marge | Film debut, South Africa |
1969 | Petticoat Safari | Film, South Africa | |
1974 | Number 96 | Vera Collins | Feature film |
1977 | Gone to Ground | Grace Ferguson | TV film |
1979 | Detective Philip Vernay | Film short | |
1984 | Supersleuth | Harriet Barker | TV film |
1987 | Olive | Elaine | TV film |
1994 | The Sum of Us | Woman on Train | Feature film |
Dallas Doll | Mrs Winthrop | Feature film | |
2000 | Sunday | Gwen | Film short |
Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking | Freda Bell | TV film | |
2005 | BlackJack: In The Money | Astrologer | TV film |
2006 | Photograph | Lydia | Film short |
TELEVISION
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | Diamantendetektiv Dick Donald | Marion Kingsley | TV series, Germany (season 1, episode 7) |
1973 | The Evil Touch | Marion Field | TV series (season 1, episode 13) |
1972-76 | Number 96 | Vera Collins / Vera Sutton | TV series |
1976 | Fair Game | TV pilot | |
Number 96: And They Said It Wouldn’t Last | Herself as Presenter / Vera Collins | TV special | |
1977 | Number 96: The Final Episode | Herself with Number 96 cast | TV special |
1977-1978 | Glenview High | Margaret Gibson | TV series (39 episodes) |
1978; 1983 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself with Joe Martin | TV series, 1 episode |
1980 | Spring & Fall | Socialite | TV series, 1 episode |
1982; 1993 | A Country Practice | Lillian Saunders Laurel Davies April Patterson |
TV series (12 episodes) |
1982 | M.P.S.I.B. | Lola Birch | TV series, 1 episode |
1983 | Cop Shop | Faith Bloomfield | TV series, 1 episode |
1983 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
1985 | Anzacs
|
Madame | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
1989 | Rafferty's Rules | Mrs. Prattley | TV series, 1 episode |
1992 | The Morning Show | Herself (with Belinda Giblin) | TV series, 1 episode |
The Midday Show | Herself (with Belinda Giblin) | TV series, 1 episode | |
1993 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
1996 | Good Morning Australia | Herself & Paul Karo | TV series, 1 episode |
1997-98 | Heartbreak High | Maria Costello | TV series (5 episodes) |
Bullpitt! | Joan Collins | TV series (26 episodes) | |
1998 | Burke’s Backyard | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
1999 | Bondi Banquet | Drusilla Owens | TV series |
2000 | Flipper | TV series, 1 episode US | |
2001 | All Saints | Phyllis Martin | TV series ( Season 4, episode 11 )
|
2002 | The Best of Aussie Drama | Herself | TV special |
2005 | Home and Away | Joy Foxton | TV series (9 episodes) |
2006 | Number 96... The Final Years | Herself | DVD/Video |
2007 | Where Are They Now? | Herself - Guest with Number 96 cast: Joe Hasham, Chard Hayward, Sheila Kennelly, Chantal Contouri, James Elliott, Elizabeth Kirkby, Jeff Kevin, & Frances Hargreaves | TV series, 1 episode |
2010 | The Playlist | Guest - Herself & David Sale (writer) | TV series, 1 episode |
2012 | Breakfast | Herself - Guest with Number 96 cast: Martin Harris, Elizabeth Kirkby, Vivienne Garrett, Louise Howitt & David Sale (writer) | TV series, 1 episode |
2013 | Ten News
|
Guest - Herself with Number 96 cast: Sheila Kennelly & Deborah Gray | TV series, 1 episode |
References
- ^ Idato, Michael (19 September 2014). "Elaine Lee, the 'charming, funny and delightfully sexy' Number 96 star, has died aged 75". smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Elaine Lee". heavenaddress.com. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ ISBN 0-86777-057-0, p 230
- ^ TV Week magazine, Southdown Press, 6 November 1976, "Sydney Viewing, Monday 8 - Tuesday 9".
- IMDb
- ^ Andrew Mercado (1 November 2014). "Elaine Lee: Heartbreak to fame on television". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Giles, NIGEL "Number 96: Australia's Most Infamous Address"