Maggie Millar (born 6 January 1941) is an Australian actress, artist and writer. She has a distinguished acting career in theatre and in radio and television, she is best known for her roles in television series including cult drama Prisoner as Marie Winter and Neighbours as Reverend Rosie, among many.
Early life and education Millar was born in Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia. She was an adopted child, though not aware of the fact until she was 17.
After winning a scholarship to a small drama school in Sydney, Millar toured Australia with a professional theatre company. In 1961, she joined the English Old Vic Company when they toured Australia with Vivien Leigh.
Moving to London, England, Millar won a further scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. gaining the Gertrude Lawrence award in her graduation year. and the Erik Award (an annual drama critics' award for professional theatre in Melbourne) for Best Actress in 1967.
Career
Television Millar is best-known for playing tough, long-term inmate Marie Winter in Prisoner (1981–1984), and Reverend Rosie Hoyland in Neighbours (2002–2003).
Millar started her career in Australia with appearances on the numerous Crawford Production police dramas including Hunter (1968–69), Division 4 (1973) Matlock Police (1972–1975), and Cop Shop (1981).
After several guesting roles, she was given the more long-term role as Dr. Georgia Moorhouse in the local ABC rural series Bellbird (1972–1977), and then as Elizabeth Bradley in The Sullivans (1981).
She had guest roles also in A Country Practice (1991), and Blue Heelers (2003).
Millar won the 1976 Logie Award for Best Individual Performance by an Actress for Homicide episode "The Life and Times of Tina Kennedy". The same performance earned her the 1976 Sammy Award for Best Actress in a Single Television Performance.
The BBC reported in 2002 that more than 700 people backed a campaign to keep Millar's character Rosie Hoyland in Neighbours after producers announced the character was to be written out.
In addition to her TV work, Millar has been a part of many ABC Radio programmes.
She has worked in theatre productions including role with the Melbourne Theatre Company
Film Millar appears in several Australian feature films. Her first, in 1977, was The Mango Tree, with Geraldine Fitzgerald and Robert Helpmann. Others include 1983 racehorse biopic Phar Lap, and 1988 film Evil Angels (a.k.a. A Cry in the Dark), the story of Lindy Chamberlain, starring Meryl Streep and Sam Neill.
Television films include unconventional murder drama Pieta (1987), and Nicole Kidman comedy The Bit Part (1988).
Personal life Millar has been married twice. Her first husband was from Germany. Together they had a son, Benjamin. After divorcing in 1976, Millar met theatre critic-turned-primary school teacher Ian Robinson, and they married in 1984.
A 1981 magazine article reported that Millar at one stage quit showbusiness to work for Jigsaw – an organisation that aims to reunite natural parents with their adopted offspring – the organisation having enabled her to make contact with her own birth mother.
In 2000, Millar held a first art exhibition of her pastel works at Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne.
In 2001, Millar was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The diagnosis prompted her to approach writer and actor Alan Hopgood (her on-screen husband in Bellbird) with a storyline about diabetes, which Hopgood turned into a play titled A Pill, A Pump and A Needle.
Millar was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2007. Alongside her acting career, Millar's community and campaigning contributions were recognised. Her experience of being an adopted child led her in adult life to take an active part in a long campaign to change the law in Australia to give adoptees access to their birth records. She did volunteer work at a support system for young drug addicts, and she served for several years on advisory committees in NSW and Victoria with the aim of helping women experiencing difficulties with body image and ageing. Millar has published articles about issues connected with her community work.
Credits
Television Year Title Role Notes1962Consider Your VerdictLydia DurantEpisode: "Queen Versus Blair" (S1.E72)1968–1969HunterHelen Dempsey, Denise Mitchell, VernaEpisodes: "The Friend in Need File" (S1.E25), "A Dark Reunion" (S1.E42), "The Strangers" (S1.E59)1968, 1973, 1975HomicideSally Hendricks, Larch Ford, Ruth Reid, Betty KennedyEpisodes: "Break-out" (S5.E42), "I Killed Amanda Clarke" (S10.E12), "The Last Way Out" (S10.E18), "The Life and Times of Tina Kennedy" (S12.E25) 1972, 1975Matlock PoliceBetty, Sue PowellEpisodes: "The Meek Shall Inherit" (S2.E83), "The Least We Can Do" (S5.E211)1972–1977BellbirdGeorgia MoorehouseRegular role: 684 episodes1973Division 4Shirley WardEpisode: "A Matter of Survival" (S5.E24)1973RyanJoan PalmerEpisode: "Tribe" (S1.E10)1976Logie Awards of 1976Guest – HerselfTV special1978-1980Cop ShopLaura Cooper, Trish Butler, Coral SimpsonEpisodes: "1.55", "1.56", "1.119", "1.120", "1.243", "1.244"1980-1981Elizabeth Bradley68 episodes: 757 to 8241981–1984PrisonerMarie WinterRecurring role: 38 episodes (S3.E32-33/80-81; S4.E1-23; S6.E45-55)1983Carson's LawAlma GunnEpisodes: 71 "Street Games, Night Moves"; 72 "Deceptions"1984Special SquadJoyceEpisode: 30 "The Patchwork"1985The Fast LaneSimone DuxburyEpisode: 4 "Tertiary Sisyphus"1985PossessionClaudia ValentiRegular role: 23 Episodes1986The Local RagAlex SteelTV film1987In BetweenBetEpisode: "Part 3"1987Pieta /Shadow PlayMary VertonTV film1988The Bit PartMollyTV film1988All the WayLorna ScottTV miniseries: 3 episodes1989In Melbourne TodayGuest – HerselfTV series: 1 episode1991A Country PracticeSister EvelynEpisode: "As Time Goes By: Part 1" (S11.E61)1992CluedoMadame Rosamonda (as Maggie Miller)Episode: "Madame Rosamonda" (S1.E6)2002–2003NeighboursRosie HoylandRegular role: 81 episodes (Seasons 18–19)2003Blue HeelersVal TrotterEpisode: "Father's Day: Part 1" (S10.E14)2005Good Morning AustraliaGuest – HerselfTV series: 1 episode2014NeighboursRosie Hoyland (uncredited)Episode 1.6985
Film Year Title Role Notes1977The Mango TreeLaura Montague1983Phar LapMay Holmes1985Niel Lynne / Best EnemiesJo Lynne1987Bushfire Moon / Miracle Down UnderMrs Gullett1988Evil Angels / A Cry in the DarkSister2016MalevolenceLaurelShort
Theatre (selected) Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1967 The Servant of Two Masters Smeraldina / Clarice University of Melbourne 1968 Three Sisters Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with University of Melbourne The Crucible Elizabeth Proctor Union House Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1978 Roma Roma Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Hoopla Theatre Foundation 1979 Run, Run Away La Mama, Melbourne Miss Julie Kristine Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company In Duty Bound MTC The Bourgeois Wedding MTC 1980 Big River Miss Olivia Hindmarsh Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1981 The Two-Headed Calf Lady Leokadia Clay MTC: Pram Factory, Melbourne The Dance of Death Alice Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company 1982 Curse of the Starving Class /Buried Child Ella Tate Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company 1989 Woman Thy Name Is ... Rosa Melbourne Athenaeum with Playbox Theatre Company Top End Rosa Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC A Respectable Wedding / The Proposal The Wife Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC Dreams in an Empty City Pauline / Deborah Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 1990 Daylight Saving Stephanie Adelaide Festival Centre with MTC 1992 No Going Back Lydia Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1993 Blood Moon Marina Theatre Works, Melbourne 2000 Love Letters Melissa Gardner Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne 2002 Aladdin (pantomime) Empress of China Opera House, York 2003 Back to Bellbird Georgia Moorhouse Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin, Victoria 2003–2004 Cinderella (pantomime) Fairy godmother Princess Theatre, Torquay and Queens Hall, Widnes 2009 Godot: The Wait is Over Carlton Courthouse Theatre with La Mama, Melbourne 2014 Scary Tales for Grown-ups Herself Royal George Hotel, Kyneton 2018 Maggie Millar reads Molly Bloom Molly Bloom Cowes Uniting Church, Cowes, Victoria A Celebration of the Work of John Clarke Herself Torquay, Victoria with Torquay Theatre Troupe
References
External links
Talking Prisoner: interview with Maggie Millar (Marie Winter) Acting highlights 1 Acting highlights 2