Michele Fawdon

Michele Fawdon (1947–2011) was an English-born Australian actress and singer. She is known for her roles in TV serials Matlock Police (1971–1974), The Unisexers (1975) and A Country Practice (1980, 1985, 1992). In 1979 she won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Cathy's Child (1979) and Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actress for a Telefeature for The Fish Are Safe (1986) in 1987. She died of an unspecified cancer.

Michele Fawdon
Born(1947-12-15)15 December 1947
Harrow, London, England
Died23 May 2011(2011-05-23) (aged 63)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1967–2010

Biography

Michele Fawdon was born on 15 December 1947 in Harrow, London, as the oldest of three children of Yvonne and John Fawdon, a pilot for BOAC.[1][2] She had polio as a child and took ballet lessons to strengthen her leg.[1] Some of Fawdon's childhood was spent based in Hong Kong and Singapore and Ghana.[2] From the age of 12 she attended a theatrical boarding school in Sussex and completed an examination by London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[2] The Fawdons emigrated to Sydney in August 1964.[1] She studied at the Ensemble Theatre for three years.[2]

Fawdon's first television role was an appearance in the fourth episode of the drama series, You Can't See 'Round Corners, which was broadcast from July 1967.[2][3] In August of that year she took the role of Deanne in the comedy play, All Things Bright and Beautiful, at Ensemble Theatre.[4][5] The Australian Jewish Times reviewer felt her performance was "outstanding" showing "certainty was matched by most of the other characters."[4] She took the role of Elizabeth Green, a miner's wife, in the musical feature film, Stockade (December 1971), which is set in the era of the Eureka Stockade.[6] From March to May of that year she acted in the play of the same name at the Independent Theatre.[2][5]

The artist's breakthrough musical theatre role was as Mary Magdalene in the original Australian stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar from March to May 1972, which toured to Adelaide, West Melbourne, Launceston, Brisbane and Haymarket.[1] According to Patricia Morgan of The Australian Women's Weekly, Fawdon is "a green-eyed blonde, aged 24. She is 5ft. 3in. [= 5.25 feet (160 cm)], ideally proportioned, and of pearl-cream complexion. In short, she's a stunner. She is also a singing actress who hasn't been out of work one day since she arrived from England."[2] W. L. Hoffmann of The Canberra Times caught the premiere in Adelaide, "Fawdon was an appealing and musically excellent Mary Magdalene."[7] She was recorded for the soundtrack album, Jesus Christ Superstar (Original Australian Cast Recording) (late 1972).[8] In the following year Fawdon was replaced as Magdalene by Marcia Hines.[8]

Fawdon's various television roles were in Matlock Police (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974), The Unisexers (1975), The Sullivans (1979), Cop Shop (1979, 1980), Young Ramsay (1980), and A Country Practice (1980, 1985, 1992).[9] In the drama feature film, Cathy's Child (1979), she performed the theme song.[9] For the role, the actress met and spoke with the Maltese-born, Australian resident Cathy Baikas, whom she portrays.[10] She then "mixed with the Maltese community, working for a while in a clothing factory to get the feeling of the accent and the day-to-day concerns."[10] At the 1979 Australian Film Institute Awards Fawdon won Best Actress in a Leading Role for Cathy's Child.[9][11]

Fawdon played the role of Australian 19th-century painter Jane Sutherland in the July 1985 ABC-TV mini-series, One Summer Again, which focusses on the Heidelberg School of artists of the 1880s.[9][12] Also in that year she starred in the feature film, Unfinished Business as Maureen, who is trying to get pregnant by her ex-boyfriend (John Clayton) as her husband (Norman Kaye) is sterile.[13] It was directed by Bob Ellis. At the 1985 Australian Film Institute Awards she was nominated for Best Lead Actress for her role.[9][14] Australian film critic, David Stratton, who first saw the film in 2012, observed, "I don't see [Clayton] as having been quite as good as [Ellis] thinks, but [Fawdon] was worthy of her AFI nom. And that's about it..."[15]

In 1986 she portrayed Lena Ranger in the ABC-TV telemovie, The Fish Are Safe, which was directed by Noni Hazelhurst.[9][16] For the role of Lena, Fawdon won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actress for a Telefeature in 1987.[9][17] In 1990 Fawdon appeared as Rose Peterson in the New Zealand film, The Rogue Stallion. She played Judge Cath in four episodes of Marshall Law (2002).[9] Her last screen appearance was as Lorna Shanks in three episodes of Killing Time (2011).[18]

Fawdon met her domestic partner, Geoff Jenkins, when both appeared in Manning Clark's History of Australia: The Musical in 1988.[1] They had a child together in 1995.[1] Michele Fawdon died on 23 May 2011, from cancer, aged 63.[1]

Filmography

Film
Title Year Role Notes Ref.
Stockade 1971Elizabeth GreenFeature film (previously acted in the play version)[6][9]
The Golden Cage 1975Guitar PlayerFeature film[19]
They Don't Clap Losers 1975KayTelemovie[9][20]
Cass 1978CassTelemovie. Wrote and sang, "Compliments"[9]
Cathy's Child 1979Cathy BaikasFeature film. Sang theme song[9]
...Maybe This Time 1980MargoFeature film[21]
Unfinished Business 1985MaureenFeature film[9]
The Fish Are Safe 1986Lena RangerTelemovie[9]
Travelling North 1987Helen[9]
The Place at the Coast 1987Aunt HelenFeature film[22]
Captain Johnno 1988KathleenTelemovie[9]
The Rogue Stallion 1990Rose PetersenTelemovie
The Glenmoore Job 2005BeverleyTelemovie[23][24]

Television
Title Year Role Notes Ref.
You Can't See 'Round Corners 1967TV series, 1 episode[2]
Snake Gully with Dad and Dave 1972Mabel SmithTV series[25]
Ryan 1973-74Susan Morrison, Mia SinclairTV series, 2 episodes[9]
Matlock Police 1971-74Lindy Smith, Mary, Toni Black, Betty LeeTV series, 4 episodes[9]
Homicide 1975Pam DunnTV series[9]
The Unisexers 1975Monica ParryTV series, all episodes[9]
Lost of Innocence 1978TV miniseries[9]
Cop Shop 1979-80Heather Kendall, Cindy CarterTV series, two episodes[9]
Young Ramsay 1980Toni FieldsTV series[9]
Punishment 1981Susan MorrisonTV series[9]
Spring & Fall 1982LaurieTV series[9]
Special Squad 1984Maggie AlexanderTV series[9]
One Summer Again 1985Jane SutherlandTV miniseries, 3 episodes[9]
Winners 1985Mrs. DoyleTV series[9]
The Flying Doctors 1987Ann LarsonTV series[9]
Rafferty's Rules 1988Narelle SaxonTV series[9]
Australians 1988Melena LongfordTV miniseries, "Lottie Lyell" episode
Captain Johnno 1988KathleenTelemovie[9]
Joe Wilson 1988HildaTV miniseries[9]
Fields of Fire III 1989IrisTV miniseries[9]
All the Rivers Run II 1990RuthTV miniseries[9]
A Country Practice 1980-92Barbara Walsh, Marge Owens, Dianne KleinTV series, 6 episodes[9]
G.P. 1992–96Sister Bernice, Jean TaylorTV series[9]
All Saints 1998-99Paula Marchetti, Denise BaumannTV series[9]
Water Rats 1998, 2000Joan Curtis, Mary TullyTV series[9]
Blue Heelers 2001Shirley WilkieTV series[9]
Marshall Law 2002Judge CathTV miniseries, 4 episodes[9]
Stingers 2003Fran HadleyTV series[9]
MDA 2003Cynthia MoriceTV series[9]
Fergus McPhail 2004Mrs. MobbsTV series[9]
Bastard Boys 2007Lyn TullyTV miniseries[9]
City Homicide 2009Beverley CowlesTV series[9]
Killing Time 2011Lorna ShanksTV miniseries, 3 ;episodes[9]

References
  1. Taylor, Greg (4 June 2011). "AFI-winning actor also sang for supper". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  2. Morgan, Patricia (26 January 1972). "The Stars of Superstar". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 39, no. 35. p. 4. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "You Can't See 'Round Corners – Review – Photos". Ozmovies. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. W. B. (17 August 1967). "All Things Bright and Beautiful". The Australian Jewish Times. Vol. 74, no. 47. Sydney. p. 2. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Contributor: Michele Fawdon". AusStage. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  6. "Australia's Little War". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 39, no. 9. 28 July 1971. p. 8. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. Hoffmann, W. L. (17 March 1972). "An unforgettable premiere". The Canberra Times. Vol. 46, no. 13, 072. p. 3. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. Kimball, Duncan (2004). "Stage Shows 1964-75 – Jesus Christ Superstar". MilesAgo. Archived from the original on 16 June 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "RIP Michele Fawdon". IF Magazine. 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
    • Page 34: Munday, Rosemary (20 June 1979). "Cathy's Child". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 47, no. 3. p. 34. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
    • Page 35: Munday, Rosemary (20 June 1979). "Cathy's Child". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 47, no. 3. p. 35. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  12. "One Size Fits All to The Oz Game". memorabletv.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Australian Films – Feature Films" (PDF). ScreenSound. pp. 18, 74. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  14. "Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. Stratton, David (19 October 2012). "Unfinished Business". Australian Cinema. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  16. "Australian Telemovie". Victor Harbour Times. Vol. 74, no. 3, 464. South Australia. 7 November 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  18. Zuk, Tony. "Australian Television: Killing Time: Episode Guide". Australian Television Information Archive. Archived from the original on 23 November 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "The Golden Cage – Review – Photos". Ozmovies. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. Zuk, Tony. "Australian Television: Telemovies and Miniseries: 1975". Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  21. "(...maybe this Time) – Review – Photos". Ozmovies. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. "The Place at the Coast – Review – Photos". Ozmovies. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. Williams, Greg; Coombs, Melanie; Burmeister, Saskia; Lyndon, Simon; Australian Film Commission; SBS-TV; Film Victoria; Melodrama Pictures (2006), The Glenmoore Job, retrieved 26 July 2022
  24. "The Glenmoore Job (2005) – The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. "Snake Gully". Classic Australian TV. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
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