Joy Elaine Hruby (1 July 1927 – 21 February 2017) was an Australian actress and entertainer, comedian, TV presenter and interviewer, producer, film-maker, author and celebrity agent with a career spanning more than 50 years.

Hruby appeared in films including Caddie, The Love Letters from Teralba Road, Winter of our Dreams, and Kitty and the Bagman.

Hruby had small roles in TV soap operas including, Sons and Daughters and Home and Away, G.P. and All Saints and featured the mini-series Brides of Christ, she also appeared in numerous theatre productions and entered films into Tropfest.

Biography Hruby was born in Taree, New South Wales, the fourth of five siblings to Grace Adelaide Esther Thomas, a public speaker, union woman, community worker and suffragist and Henry "Harry" James Cox, who was a station master at Dubbo during WWII, ham radio enthusiast and maker of steel guitars. She married Czech jazz pianist Zdenek Hruby in 1954 and the couple had three children: actress Anna Hruby, Frank (a cameraman) and Janette (a former film location caterer). Hruby studied at the Whitehall Academy of Dramatic Arts and then the J. C. Williamson theatre, and appeared in a production of Othello as Desdemona.

Hruby also had a community TV program on Channel 31 (later TVS) in Sydney and Melbourne titled Joy's World. She was known for brightly-coloured feathered costumes and feather boas, and her signature sign-off line, "...and keep smiling". After Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cancelled community television, she launched her own website and YouTube channel.

Her contribution to the arts and entertainment was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the 2007 Queen's New Years Honours List. Published in 2003, she wrote a wartime memoir, Dubbo Dazzlers, which was also the name of a dance troupe she formed in Dubbo during WWII. Hruby had previously written notes for a biography titled The Spectacular Life of Joy Hruby. She won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Half in Ernest.

Hruby was later married to Denny, a pianist. She died, aged 89 on 21 February 2017.Death Notice: Hruby, Joy Elaine, The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 February 2017. Her service was held at Wilde Street Anglican Church at Maroubra, New South Wales on 2 March 2017.

Filmography Film YearTitleRoleType 1976 Caddie Mrs Sweeney Feature film 1977 The Love Letters from Teralba Road Len's Mother Short Feature film 1981 Winter of Our Dreams Marge Feature film 1982 Heatwave Old Lady Feature film 1982 The Dark Room Ida Henning Feature film 1985 A Street to Die Maureen Feature film 1987 Confidentially Speaking EAP Lady Film short 1993 You and Me and Uncle Bob Mrs Patterson Feature film 1998 Praise Old Woman Feature film 1999 All the Way Mrs Kravytz Feature film 2007 Music Box Aunt Mary Film short 2008 The Eighth Story Film short 2010 Conference of the Planets Role unknown Film short 2010 Donation Only Mrs B Film short 2010 The Key to the Computer Story Film short

Television YearTitleRoleType 1976 No Room to Run Woman On Beach ABC TV movie, US/AUSTRALIA 1977 The Outsiders Guest role: Ella TV series Germany/Australia, 1 episode 1977 Puzzle Guest role ABC TV movie, US/Australia 1980 Spring & Fall Guest role: Woman Selling House ABC TV series, 1 episode 1982;1983 A Country Practice Guest role: The Waitress TV series, 2 episodes 1983 Scales of Justice Guest role: Mrs Simpson ABC TV film series, 1 episode 1. "The Job" 1983 A Country Practice Guest role: Mrs Farrow TV series, 2 episodes 1984 Sweet And Sour Guest role ABC TV series, 1 episode 1985 Sons And Daughters Guest role: Prostitute TV series, 1 episode 1986 A Fortunate Life Recurring role: Ma TV miniseries, 1 episode 1986 Alice to Nowhere Recurring role: Mrs Leary TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1987-2001 Sunday Joyride Herself - Presenter TV series 1988 Mother and Son Guest role: Woman Shopper ABC TV series, 1 episode 1988 Mike Willesee's Australians Guest role: Mrs Whittle TV film series, 1 episode 5: "Lottie Lyell" 1988;1989 Rafferty's Rules Guest roles: Mrs Barnes / Dero Lady TV series, 2 episodes 1990-2015 Joy's World Herself - Presenter TV series 1991 Brides of Christ Recurring role: Sister Polycarp ABC TV miniseries, 6 episodes 1992 Phoenix Guest role: Fat Alice ABC TV series, 1 episode 1994;1996 G.P. Guest roles: Mrs Lucas / Millie ABC TV series, 2 episodes 1994;1995 Darren Gray Down Under Herself - Guest TV series, 3 episodes 1994 TVTV Herself & The Young Doctors cast ABC TV series, 1 episode 1995-1996 Agatha Ramsbottom Show Herself - Presenter TV series 1996;1998 Home and Away Guest roles: Mrs Riley / Mrs Penrose TV series, 2 episodes 1998;2004 All Saints Guest roles: Mrs Heinrich / Robin Wallace TV series, 3 episodes 2000 Above the Law Guest role: Mrs Meriwether TV series, 1 episode 2004 Double the Fist Guest role: Edith ABC TV series, 1 episode 2011 The Hamster Wheel Additional Cast TV series, 2 episodes 2011;2012 Laid Recurring Guest role: Nan-Nan ABC TV series, 2 episodes 2017 Ten News Herself - Joy Hruby Funeral Service TV series, 1 episode 2017 The Project Herself - Joy Hruby Funeral Service TV series, 1 episode

References

External links Joy's World website