Jill Forster

Jill Forster
Born
Jill Forster

(1936-11-30) 30 November 1936 (age 89)
OccupationsActress, model
Years active1964–2015
Known for
SpouseJohn Stanton
FamilyPeter Stanton (uncle)

Jill Forster (born 30 November 1936), is an English-born Australian retired actress and former model.

She is a triple AFI Award winning actress, well known for her roles in TV soap operas's and series, and in films (both features and telfilms) telefilms.

She is perhaps best known for her recurring role in TV series SeaChange as Monica Monahan

Early life

Forster was born in Twickenham, Middlesex (now London) in the UK, and established herself as a model in London, before relocating to Australia in 1964 with her first husband, a TV producer.

Career

Television

Forster's first role after arriving in Australia was in the Crawford Productions espionage adventure series Hunter, filmed on location in Woomera, South Australia for six weeks. After the experience, she decided she wanted to act full time.

Forster has primarily appeared in small cameo roles, although she is well known for her roles in early series Motel and as the second actress to portray Helen Sellers, the wife of Tom Oliver Jack Sellers in soap opera Number 96, in 1973 to 1974, replacing original actress Carmen Duncan.

She also had prominent roles in several other soap operas including The Box as Enid and her sister Emma Parker.and The Restless Years from 1977 to 1979, as Heather Russell.

She also hosted the 1970 Freaky Black Friday Spook Special and ATN 7's 1972 series Creature Features as Vampira.

In 1984, Forster had a recurring role in cult prison drama Prisoner as Kerryn Davies. The same year, she also appeared in biographical cricket miniseries Bodyline, opposite Hugo Weaving and Gary Sweet.

Forster then played Mrs. Haversham in the 1987 period drama miniseries Great Expectations: The Untold Story, earning a nomination for an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

She also had a five-year stint on Beauty and the Beast.

She later played the regular role of Meredith Monahan in television drama SeaChange from 1998 to 2000, winning the 1999 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Forster has had guest roles in numerous other Australian television dramas, including Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Division 4, Homicide, Spyforce, Catwalk, A Time for Love, Birds in the Bush, Boney, Matlock Police, Ryan, Silent Number, The Evil Touch, Bellamy, Cop Shop, Holiday Island, The Sullivans, Carson's Law, Starting Out, The Power, The Passion, Special Squad, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, and The Man from Snowy River.

She has appeared in hundreds of television advertisements, including perfume and rum commercials.

Film

Forster starred in the 1973 feature film Libido, as Rosaline, receiving an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the role. The same year, she appeared opposite Graeme Blundell in the hit sex-comedy film Alvin Purple, as Mrs. Horwood, wife of Alvin's teacher.

In 1982, Forster appeared in the science fiction thriller Crosstalk as Mrs. Stollier. She featured in Beyond Innocence in 1986. Then in 1989, she starred in Devil in the Flesh as Jill Hansen.

She starred in the 1993 children's film Say A Little Prayer, which earned her another nomination for the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Later on, she starred in 2006 mystery drama thriller Irresistible, alongside Sam Neill, Susan Sarandon and Emily Blunt.

Personal life

Forster married Australian actor and her frequent co-star John Stanton in 1974, though the two had lived together for some years prior to their marriage. Their relationship began while they were shooting an episode of ABC’s Love Story. They also acted together in the TV series Matlock Police, Homicide, The Box and Bellamy. She also directed her husband in a 2009 stage production of And When He Falls, at Fortyfivedownstairs in Melbourne.

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
1973Alvin PurpleMrs. HorwoodFeature film
LibidoRosaline / Martin's mother (segment "The Child")Feature film
1982CrosstalkMrs. StollierFeature film
1986Beyond InnocenceFeature film
1989Devil In The FleshJill HansenFeature film
1993Say a Little PrayerMrs EasterbrookFeature film
2003Prisoner Queen - Mindless Music & MirrorballsLizaFeature film
2006IrresistibleHelenFeature film
2011MagicGrandmotherFilm short
2015Ladies Without LipstickJoyceFilm 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
1975–1977 The Box Enid Parker 261 episodes
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 / Di Lyall 4 episodes
1987 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

Theatre

Year Title Role Type
1989The SeagullArkardinaMonash University with Playbox Theatre, Melbourne
1988Les Liaisons DangereusesMadame De VolangesPlayhouse Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2001Life After GeorgeAustralian tour with MTC
2009And When He FallsDirectorFortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne

References

  1. ↑ name="publication"
  2. ↑ Giles Nigel "Number 96: Australia Most Infamous Address, published by Melbourne Book"
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jill Forster in Vampira role refers to time on Motel". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 November 1970.
  4. 1 2 "TV models have The Look of the Moment". The Australian Women's Weekly. 12 August 1970.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "SeaChange: Profiles – Jill Forster". Australian Television Information Archive.
  6. ↑ "Obituary: Carmen Duncan". Television.AU. 3 February 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Seven's Motel promised daytime sizzle". www.televisionau.com. 20 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "SeaChange: Awards & Nominations". Australian Television Information Archive.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Jill Forster". TV Guide.
  10. 1 2 3 "BELLAMY – a ratings casualty". The Australian Women's Weekly. 23 September 1981.
  11. 1 2 "1. A big boy for his age". www.aso.gov.au.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Les Liaisons Dangereuses – Melbourne Theatre Company Production 1988". Theatregold.
  13. ↑ Helen Rosengren, 'Love Story Comes True', Listener In-TV 28 July 1975 p. 4
  14. ↑ "Reviews". Crawford Productions.
  15. ↑ "On This Day — 9 August". Television.AU. 9 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "And When He Falls". Fortyfivedownstairs.
  17. ↑ "The Wicked City: ill-fated 1880s drama". Television.AU. 14 September 2023.
  18. 1 2 "YouTube: The Two-Way Mirror". Television.AU. 9 August 2009.
  19. 1 2 3 "Jill Forster theatre credits". AusStage.