Australian actress and refugee advocate Anne Phelan has died aged 75.
WATCH: Anne Phelan as Myra Desmond in Prisoner
The award-winning actress, who is best known for playing the character Myra Desmond in the ‘80s cult hit Prisoner, had a career that spanned over five decades.
Her breakthrough role came in 1974 on the TV show Bellbird, before she went on to appear in numerous hit shows, including Blue Heelers, Neighbours and Winners & Losers.
In addition to her soap opera roles, Anne appeared in many theatre and film productions, and lent her voice to several radio and voiceover projects.
Her most notable film roles include 1999’s The Craic and 2009’s Charlie & Boots and Inanimate Objects.
She has won several awards, including a Best Actress AFI award for her role in Something in the Air, as well as an Equity Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
BGM Talent agency director Marea Jablonksi, who represented Anne for almost 50 years, told The Sydney Morning Herald that she “just loved working”.
She said the veteran actress was passionate about what she did and it was only recently that her health took a turn for the worst.
“She had an incredible ability to create very true characters – you just believed she was that person,” Marea said.
“There was no trickery to her work, it was just true and beautiful, and she created a whole lot of archetypical Aussie charcaters.”
In addition to her memorable TV, stage and film roles, the actress will also be remembered for her activist work, working with refugees and women living with HIV/AIDS.
Speaking to The Age in 2002, Anne said her passion to help others came as a result of her “working class” upbringing during the Depression.
“I was brought up to be aware of less fortunate people, and I don’t mean that in any derogatory sense,” she said.
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