Wendy Hughes (29 July 19528 March 2014) was an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, film and television. Her career spanned more than 40 years and established her reputation as one of Australia's finest and most prolific actors. In her later career she acted in Happy New Year along with stars Peter Falk and Charles Durning. In 1993 she played Dr. Carol Blythe, M. E. in Homicide: Life on the Street. In the late 1990s, she starred in State Coroner and Paradise Road.
Early life Born in Melbourne to English parents,ABC her father was born in Lancashire, but had relocated to Australia at the outbreak of World War II, where he served in the RAAF. He met her mother in London shortly after the war ended and they moved to Melbourne. Her father worked as a plasterer, and Wendy was raised in the suburb of Alphington.
Hughes originally studied ballet in Melbourne but, during her teenage years, she turned her focus to acting. She received a scholarship to attend National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and graduated from a two year course there in 1970.
Career Hughes' first television work was in Homicide; she had six guest roles in the show between 1967-73 playing different characters. She appeared in the pilot for The Group in the character of 'Laura' but was unable to continue with the show as she won the lead in Butterflies are Free at Melbourne's Playbox.David D. McNicoll, 'Wendy's Big Break' Sydney Sun-Herald, 26 September 1971 p. 115. Continuing to hone her skills with the Melbourne Theatre Company, she had her first film role in Petersen (1974). She later featured in the adaptation of Power Without Glory, a series first broadcast in 1976.
Called "one of the most important players in the development and productivity of Australian film", Hughes worked closely with prominent Australian artists such as the cinematographer John Seale and the writers David Williamson and Bob Ellis. She was one of the leading players in the 1970s' "New Australian Film" renaissance.
Hughes's first internationally known role was the character Patricia in Lonely Hearts (1982). That role began a decades-long collaboration with the Dutch-Australian director Paul Cox.
As one of the leading actresses in Australian cinema, Hughes's roles in the 1970s and 1980s included those in Newsfront, Kostas, My Brilliant Career, Lucinda Brayford, Touch and Go, Hoodwink, Lonely Hearts, Careful, He Might Hear You, My First Wife, I Can't Get Started, An Indecent Obsession, Echoes of Paradise, Boundaries of the Heart, Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train (1988) and Luigi's Ladies.
Hughes made her American debut in 1987 in John G. Avildsen's film Happy New Year, opposite Peter Falk and Charles Durning. In 1989, she starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in The Heist, a TV movie made by HBO. She continued to make occasional appearances on television, such as playing Jilly Stewart in the 1983 mini-series Return to Eden. During the early 1990s, she spent time in the United States, where she played medical examiner Dr Carol Blythe in the television series Homicide: Life on the Street. She also appeared in the miniseries Amerika and made a guest appearance as Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in the episode "Lessons", as one of the few love interests that Captain Jean-Luc Picard had on the show.
Back in Australia, Hughes played lead roles on television in The Man From Snowy River ("Snowy River: The McGregor Saga") and State Coroner. Hughes's film appearances at that time included the fact-based comedy-drama Princess Caraboo and Paradise Road. Her later film roles included Salvation (2007), The Caterpillar Wish (2006) and The Man Who Sued God (2001).
Stage appearances by Hughes during this time included as Mrs. Robinson in the 2001 Melbourne version of The Graduate, Martha in a 2007 staging of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by the Melbourne Theatre Company, the character of Honor in Honour in 2010, and Henry Higgins's mother in Pygmalion (2012).
Her last TV appearance was in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
Awards She was nominated for Australian Film Institute acting awards six times, and won the Best Lead actress award in 1983 for her performance in Careful, He Might Hear You.
Personal life and death Hughes married actor Sean Scully at the age of 21, after meeting on a touring production of Leonard Gershe's play Butterflies are Free in 1971. They divorced in 1973, but remained friends.
Hughes' next significant relationship was with actor Chris Haywood whom she met on the set of 1978 film Newsfront, a film now regarded as one of the best of that era. They had a daughter. The couple lived between Sydney and Melbourne, with Hughes much preferring Sydney.
Hughes was in a relationship with chef Patric Juillet beginning in 1980. Together they had a son. During this time, Juillet became a film producer, and Hughes starred in several of his films, including Remember Me (1985), Boundaries of the Heart and Warm Nights On a Slow Moving Train (both 1988) and Luigi's Ladies (1989).
Hughes died of cancer on 8 March 2014, aged 61. Actor Bryan Brown announced her death to an audience attending the play Travelling North in Sydney that afternoon, asking the audience to join him in a standing ovation in tribute to the late actress.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type1974 Petersen Dr. Patricia 'Trish' Kent / Charles’ wife Feature film1975 Sidecar Racers Lynn Carson Feature film1977 High Rolling Barbie Feature film1978 Newsfront Amy Mackenzie Feature film1979 For a Child Called Michael Film short1979 My Brilliant Career Aunt Helen Feature film1979 Kostas Carol Feature film1980 Touch and Go Eva Feature film 1981 Hoodwink Lucy Feature film 1982 Duet for Four Barbara Dunstan Feature film 1982 Partners Feature film1982 A Dangerous Summer Sophie McCann Feature film 1982 Lonely Hearts Patricia Curnow Feature film 1983 Careful, He Might Hear You Vanessa Feature film 1984 My First Wife Helen Feature film1985 An Indecent Obsession Honor Langtry Feature film 1985 Can't Get Started Margaret TV film1987 Echoes of Paradise (aka Shadows of the Peacock) Maria Feature film1987 Happy New Year Carolyn Feature film1988 Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train Jenny Nicholson aka The Girl Feature film1988 Boundaries of the Heart Stella Marsden Feature film 1989 Luigi's Ladies Sara Feature film 1991 Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue Elle Feature film1994 Princess Caraboo Mrs. Worrall Feature film1996 Lust and Revenge George's advisor Feature film 1997 Paradise Road Mrs. Dickson Feature film 2001 The Man Who Sued God Jules Myers Feature film 2006 The Caterpillar Wish Elizabeth Roberts Feature film 2007 Salvation Gloria Feature film 2008 The View from Greenhaven Dorothy Feature film 2008 Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! Herself Feature film documentary2009 Just Desserts Judy Film short2011 On Borrowed Time Self Feature film documentary
Television Year Title Role Type 1967–1972 Homicide Barbara Carlisle / Jan Smith / Rosalind Eyre / Helen Raynor / Darlene Sadler / Julie Smith 6 episodes 1968 Hunter Sue Gallagher 1 episode 1971 The Group Guest role: Laura Bent 1 episode 1971–1976 Matlock Police Jill Perry / Joanna / Fran Carmody / Patti Anderson 5 episodes 1972 A Time For Love 1974 A Touch of Reverence Miniseries, 3 episodes 1974 Eye of the Spiral (aka The Spiral Bureau) TV film 1974 The Cherry Orchard Teleplay 1974 Essington TV film 1975 Behind the Legend Season 3, episode 10: 'Christopher Brennan' 1975 Number 96 Vanessa Harrison 1 episode 1975 The Company Men Jill Freeman 3 episodes 1976 Rush Emma 1 episode 1976 Is There Anybody There? Marianne Dickinson TV film 1976 The Outsiders Susan Mayfield 1 episode 1976 The Alternative Melanie Hilton TV film 1976 Power Without Glory Mary West Miniseries, 12 episodes 1978 A Woman in the House TV film 1978 Puzzle Claudine Cunningham TV film 1980 Cop Shop Marian McCall 1 episode 1980 Australian Theatre Festival: Coralie Landsdowne Says No Coralie Landsdowne Teleplay 1980 Lucinda Brayford Lucinda Brayford Miniseries, 4 episodes 1983 Return to Eden Jilly Stewart Miniseries, 3 episodes 1984 Sunday Australian Movies Presenter Anthology series 1984 Five Mile Creek Arabella 1 episode 1985 I Can't Get Started Margaret TV film 1985 Remember Me Jenny TV film 1985 Promises to Keep Uncredited TV film 1987 Amerika Marion Andrews Miniseries, 7 episodes 1989 The Heist Sheila TV film 1990 Donor Dr. Farrell TV film 1991 Sukeban deka: Gyakushu-hen Additional voices Video game 1991 A Woman Named Jackie Janet Lee Bouvier Miniseries, 3 episodes 1993 Homicide: Life on the Street Dr. Carol Blythe, M.E. 5 episodes 1993 Star Trek: The Next Generation Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren Sixth season, episode 19: "Lessons" 1994 Blue Seed Additional voices Animated TV series 1994–1996 Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River (aka Snowy River: The McGregor Saga) Kathleen O'Neil/McGregor 52 episodes 1995 Golden Boy: Sasurai no o-benkyo yaro Employee C (voice) TV series 1996 State Coroner State Coroner Kate Ferrari TV pilot 1997–1998 State Coroner State Coroner Kate Ferrari TV series, 28 episodes 2005 MDA Gabrielle Bromley TV film series, 4 episodes 2006 Two Twisted Barber's Wife TV film series, episode 5: 'Von Stauffenberg's Stamp 2007 A Wire Through the Heart Narrator Documentary 2007 Constructing Australia Narrator Documentary series, 3 episodes 2007 The Fabric of a Dream: The Fletcher Jones Story Narrator TV documentary 2007 City Homicide Victoria Semple 1 episode 2007 The Bridge Narrator Documentary 2008 The Saddle ClubLouise Lomax (as Wendy Hughs) 1 episode 2009 All Saints Annalise Lang 1 episode 2009 Darwin's Brave New World Narrator 3 episodes 2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Adele Freeman 1 episode
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