With a career spanning several decades and a long list of highly esteemed film, television and theatre credits to her name, Maggie Kirkpatrick is a veteran of the entertainment industry.
WATCH BELOW: Advice Maggie Kirkpatrick would give to her younger self
But her latest role in Stan’s new drama series, Eden, marked a major new milestone for the 80-year-old actress – her very first nude scene!
“I thought it was fairly brave,” Maggie tells New Idea.
“You know, if I had been asked to do that 50 years ago, I’d have said no – and that was when I had a decent body! But hey, what the hell.”
The eight-part original series unfolds in an idyllic coastal town called Eden, where the disappearance of a young girl begins to unravel the long-buried secrets of the seemingly perfect community.
Maggie plays Florence, the mother of disgraced policeman, Ezra Katz (Samuel Johnson), who is suffering from dementia. As such, the need to disrobe made perfect sense for Maggie.
“The nudity is logical, given Florence’s state of mind,” she adds.
“What I had read of people suffering from dementia, those inhibitions are gone, and there’s a total unawareness of what they are doing and there are no questions of modesty.”
While it is easy to assume that there would be nerves attached to filming a nude scene, Maggie says she felt quite the opposite.
“I wasn’t all that nervous, funnily enough,” she admits. “The cast and crew made me feel very comfortable, there was no embarrassment and there was nothing seedy about it – it was all done professionally, beautifully and with great tact.”
Looking back at her illustrious career, Maggie – who is best known for her portrayal of Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson in Prisoner – can’t help but marvel at the ongoing popularity of the ’80s drama.
“I used to hate when people harped on about Prisoner,” she says. “But now, I look back to 40 years ago and realise I created something that is still talked about, and I don’t think that’s too bad.”
WATCH BELOW: Maggie Kirkpatrick reacts to Prisoner. Story continues after video…
Of course, the actress – who also played Madame Morrible in the musical, Wicked, for seven years – says that she isn’t without regrets.
“I’m always amused by people who say, ‘I’ve never had regrets,’” she explains.
“Well, I’m sorry, but I have! I mean you cannot go through life and not have regrets about something. I’ve made some ridiculous choices in my personal life, horrific ones in some respects – but hey, I got over it!”
Snubbed by Wentworth
It’s been nearly 40 years since Prisoner aired, but fans will never forget Maggie’s menacing portrayal of Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson.
Yet, fast forward to the present and a whole new generation has come to know the prison governess, thanks to Pamela Rabe’s portrayal in the reimagined series, Wentworth.
While Maggie praises Pamela’s portrayal of her famous character, she admits that she would’ve loved a cameo in the hit series.
“I would have killed to do something in that show,” she says.
“When it was first on, my friend Pamela Rabe had the idea that I should be the governess’ secretary, not saying anything but just sitting across from her, typing away. It would have been a very amusing, little cameo, but it didn’t happen. But how good was Pamela?”
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