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Joy Westmore

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Joy Westmore
Born
Joy Grisold

1932
Melbourne, Australia
Died5 November 2020 (aged 88)
Melbourne, Victoria[1]
Occupation(s)Actress (radio, stage, television), voice-over artist[1]
Years active1950–2013
Known forPrisoner also known as Prisoner Cell Block H aka Caged Women – Officer Barry/Joyce Pringle
Notable work

Joy Westmore (née Grisold; 1932 – 5 November 2020)[1][2] was an Australian actress on radio, stage and television, and in voice-over. She was best known to local and international television viewers for her long-running role in Prisoner as the friendly but highly ineffectual bespectacled officer Joyce Barry, appearing from the first season in 1979 until the final episode in 1986 and smaller roles in Neighbours in 1991 and 2003.

Career

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Westmore had been an actress since 1950. She read commercials on radio and was particularly known for her performances opposite Barry Humphries's alter ego Dame Edna Everage. She also appeared in early television comedy sketches with Graham Kennedy and Ernie Sigley. She made her small-screen debut in the TV movie The Sentimental Bloke, and subsequently had roles in the soap The Sullivans and in Bellbird, before taking on the longer-lasting role of Officer Joyce Barry in Prisoner. She was a recurring cast member throughout the first five years of the show, but became a regular in 1984 and continued until the series' finale in 1986. Entertainment reporter Peter Ford stated that "Joyce Barry was probably the world's worst prison officer, because she was too overly nice and trustworthy, although she provided a lot of comic relief in the series".[1]

After Prisoner she played Mrs Blanche White in an Australian version of the TV game show Cluedo, and had two brief roles in Neighbours, as Mrs Forster in 1991 and as Dee Bliss's grandmother, Nancy Bliss, in 2003. She also played various small roles in one-off and long-running dramas, including Waiting at the Royal, Fergus McPhail and Blue Heelers.

She also was narrator in audio books.[3][4][5]

Personal life and death

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Westmore was married to dentist Brian Westmore on 13 March 1960. They had four children together.[6]

Joy Westmore died from dementia in an aged care facility in Melbourne, on 5 November 2020, aged 88.[1][7]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Summerfield Mrs. Shields Feature film
1979 The Odd Angry Shot Bill's Mum Feature film
1980 Nightmares Matron aka 'Stage Fright' Feature film
1983 A Slice of Life Receptionist No. 1 Feature film
1984 Annie's Coming Out Receptionist aka 'A Test of Love' Feature film
1985 The More Things Change... Mrs. Degan Feature film
1987 Les Patterson Saves the World Lady Gwen Patterson Feature film
2011 The Op Shop Claudia Film short
2012 Echo Mother Film short
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1959 The Teenage Show Herself (as Joy Grisold) Unknown episode(s)
1959 Press Gang Unnamed/unknown role (Joy Grisold) Short
1959 Saturday Party Herself (as Joy Grisold) 2 episodes (dated 18 July 8 August)
1959 Bandwagon Herself (as Joy Grisold) Unknown episode(s)
1960 With a View to Revue Herself (as Joy Grisold) TV special (dated 20 February)
1960 Once More with Fooling Herself (as Joy Grisold) TV special (dated 27 February)
1972–1975 The Graham Kennedy Show Herself – Regular TV series, 121 episodes
1974–1976 The Ernie Sigley Show Herself – Regular TV series, 125 episodes
1976 Ernie Herself – Regular TV seriesUnknown episode(s)
1976 The Sullivans Guest role TV series, Unknown episode(s)
1976 The Sentimental Bloke Unknown role ABC Telelay
1977 Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks Herself – Panelist Unknown episode(s)
1977 Bellbird Guest roles: Bella / Stella ABC TV series, 3 episodes (guest)
1979 Taxi Mrs. Peters TV film
1979–1986 Prisoner Regular role: Joyce Barry / Joyce Pringle Seasons 1–5 (recurring)
Seasons 6–8 (regular)
246 episodes
1981 Cop Shop Guest role: Beth Amess TV series, Season 5 (guest, 1 episode)
1983 Carson's Law Guest role: Mrs. Hetherington TV series, 1 episode (guest)
1986 Punchlines Herself TV special
1991 Col'n Carpenter Guest role TV series, 1 episode
1991;2003 Neighbours Guest role: Mrs. Forster TV series, Season 7, 1 episode)
1991 The Worst Day of My Life Guest role: Miss Neil TV series, Season 1, 1 episode
1992 In Sydney Today Herself – Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992–1993 Cluedo Regular role: Mrs. Blanche White TV series Seasons 1–2, 21 episodes
1994 The Damnation of Harvey McHugh Guest role: Head Warder ABC TV series, 1 episode
1994;2000 Blue Heelers Guest role: Mrs. Buchanan TV series, Season 1, 1 episode
2000;2005 Blue Heelers Guest role: Anne Duffy TV series, Season 7, 1 episode
2000 Waiting at the Royal Diana's Mother TV film
2003 Neighbours Guest role: Nancy Bliss TV series, Season 19, 2 episodes
2004 Fergus McPhail Recurring role: Mrs. Vance TV series, Season 1, 5 episodes
2005 Blue Heelers Guest role: Dora Tufnell TV series, Season 12, 1 episode
2013 It's A Date Guest role: June ABC TV series, Season 1, 1 episode

Awards

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  • Penguin Award – Joyce Barry in Prisoner

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Cartwright, Darren (5 November 2020). "Joy Westmore from TV hit series Prisoner dies".
  2. ^ Richard Lane. "Prisoner:Cell Block H".
  3. ^ Hill, Patti; Westmore, Joy., (narrator.) (2007), Always green a novel, CBM Australia, retrieved 22 March 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Berthelsen, Jo-Anne (2008), All the days of my life, Ark House Press, ISBN 978-0-9804523-2-7
  5. ^ Wick, Lori (1992), Whatever tomorrow brings, Harvest House Publishers, ISBN 978-0-7369-1945-6
  6. ^ "TV Week article, issue published 17 May 1986, p.13.
  7. ^ Knox, David (6 November 2020). "Vale: Joy Westmore". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
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