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Penny Cook

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Penny Cook
Cook on A Country Practice in 1984
Born
Penelope Cook

(1957-07-13)13 July 1957
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died26 December 2018(2018-12-26) (aged 61)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • television presenter
  • stage director
  • writer
Years active1979−2018
Known forA Country Practice (1981–1985)
E Street (1989–1991)
The Great Outdoors (1992–1996)
Neighbours (2007–08, 2010)
All Saints (2007–2008)
Pulse (2017)
Spouse(s)David Lynch
Clive Robertson (divorced)
Children1
Websitepennycook.com.au

Penelope Cook[1] (13 July 1957 – 26 December 2018) was an Australian actress, stage director, TV presenter and writer. She played roles in the soap opera A Country Practice, as Vicki Dean Bowen from 1981 to 1985, E Street as lead anchor-character, Dr Elly Fielding, between 1989 and 1991, and Neighbours in the recurring role of Prue Brown from 2007 to 2010. She was also a presenter on travel show The Great Outdoors[2][3]

Early life

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Cook was born in Melbourne and grew up in Woollahra, Sydney. Her mother was a physiotherapist and her father served in the Royal Australian Navy based at Garden Island Naval Precinct. After completing high school, Cook auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) but failed to gain a place. Instead, her mother helped her obtain a radiography traineeship at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. A year later, Cook auditioned for NIDA again and was successful.[3] She graduated in 1978.[4]

Career

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Television

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Cook made her debut on television in 1979 as Susie Denning in soap opera, The Restless Years.[4] Her most well-known role was as veterinarian Vicky Dean Bowen in the drama series, A Country Practice, and was one of the longest serving early actors in that series appearing from its inception in November 1981 until 1985, and 330 episodes, a role for which she won Logie Awards in 1984 and 1985. Her relationship and wedding in A Country Practice to Dr Simon Bowen, played by Grant Dodwell, became one of the highest rated and most popular storylines of that series.[5] After a break from television for over two years, Cook returned in 1989 to play Dr Elly Fielding in a new Ten Network soap opera, E Street. This role had been especially created for her, and Cook remained in the series from 1989 to early 1991.[6] She went on to a guest role in ABC's medical drama G.P..

From 1992 to 1996 Cook was a presenter on the Australian travel show The Great Outdoors. She appeared in the police drama Young Lions in 2002.[7] From June 2007 until late 2010, she joined the cast of Australian soap opera Neighbours in the recurring role of Prue Brown, mother of Frazer Yeats (Ben Lawson) and Ringo Brown (Sam Clark).[8][9] Cook also guest starred in episodes of All Saints in 2007 and 2008. In 2017, she played a supporting role in the ABC hospital drama Pulse.[10]

Theatre

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Cook had a long involvement in the theatre, both as an actress and director. She was involved in nearly 40 stage productions, including at the Ensemble Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company, and helped establish the Griffin Theatre Company in 1979.[4][7] Her most notable stage appearances included the John Bell–Richard Tognetti production of The Soldier's Tale[11] with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian tour of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, directed in Sydney by English director Sir Peter Hall.[5]

She served on the board of Sydney's Monkey Baa Theatre and worked extensively with the Australian Theatre for Young People.[3][5]

Personal life and death

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Cook was married twice; first to radio broadcaster and television personality Clive Robertson and subsequently to businessman David Lynch. In 1998 they had a daughter, Poppy.[7]

Cook died from cancer on 26 December 2018, aged 61.[7][10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1987 Lay Off Narrator Film documentary
1988 The Dreaming Cathy Thornton Feature film
1993 Joh's Jury Penny TV movie
1995 Midnight Expresso Film short
2003 The Waltz May Film short
2018 The Merger Fran Barlow Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1979 Patrol Boat TV series, 1 episode
1979 The Restless Years Susie Denning TV series, 4 episodes
1979 Skyways Joanna Whicker TV series, 1 episode
1980 Spring & Fall Refuge Worker TV series, 1 episode
1980 The Young Doctors TV series
1981 Bellamy TV series, 1 episode
1981 Menotti TV series, 1 episode
1981-85; 1993 A Country Practice Vicky Dean / Vicky Bowen / Victoria 'Vicky' Dean TV series, 330 episodes
1982-1986 Channel 7 Perth Telethon Herself TV special
1985 Star Search Guest Judge TV series, 1 episode
1986 It's a Knockout Guest Referee TV series, 1 episode
1986 Password Herself TV series
1987 Coda Kate Martin TV movie
1987 Have a Go Guest Judge TV series, 4 episodes
1987 The Flying Doctors Susan Fowler TV series, 1 episode
1988 Swap Shop Herself TV series
1988 Life Education Television Appeal Herself TV special
1989-1991 E Street Dr. Elly Fielding TV series, 210 episodes
1989 Naked Under Capricorn Peggy Delaney TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1990 Hands Up for a Story Herself Training film
1990 TV Celebrity Dance Party Herself (singing "Another Done Somebody Wrong Song") TV special
1991 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Herself - Contestant with Bob Shearer, Paul Jennings & John Howard TV series, 1 episode
1991 G.P. Beth Paige TV series, 8 episodes
1991 Burke's Backyard Celebrity Gardener TV series, 1 episode
1991 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1991; 1993 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Guest TV series, 1 episode
1991 The Main Event Herself TV series, 1 episode
1991 'Til Ten Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Morning Show Regular Presenter TV series
1992 What's Cooking? Guest TV series, 1 episode
1993 A Country Practice: The Final Night Dr. Vicky Bowen TV series, 1 episode
1993-1996 The Great Outdoors Presenter TV series
1993 Tonight Live Guest host TV series, 1 episode
1994 Midday with Derryn Hinch Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994; 1995 Denton Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1994-2000; 2005 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 8 episodes
1995 Funniest People Guest TV series, 3 episodes
1996 Ally and Doc Ally TV pilot
1996 Passion Presenter TV series
1997 Good News Week Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1997 Midday with Kerri-Anne Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1997 Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1997 Cliptomaniacs Herself TV series
1998 FCTV Host TV series
1998 The Ten Out-Take Files Host TV series, 7 episodes
2002 Young Lions Chief Inspector Sharon Kostas TV series, 22 episodes
2003 Page to Screen Herself - Performance Director TV documentary
2003 This Is Your Life: The Australian Women's Weekly 70th Birthday Party Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
2005 Good Morning Australia Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
2006 The Book Club Book Reviewer TV series, 1 episode
2006 Where Are They Now? Herself TV series, 1 episode
2007-2008 All Saints Rhonda Goldman TV series, 5 episodes
2007 Neighbours Prue Brown TV series, 28 episodes
2010 Dance Academy Caroline TV series, 1 episode
2011 Laid Nun TV series, 1 episode
2014 Rake Alice Kendall TV series, 1 episode
2015 Heidi Grandmamma TV series, 2 episodes
2016 The Daily Edition Herself TV series, 1 episode
2016 The Morning Show Guest (with Benita Collings & Lex Marinos) TV series, 1 episode
2017 Pulse Carol Little TV series, 8 episodes

References

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  1. ^ "Penelope Cook". acnc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  2. ^ "A Country Practice actor Penny Cook dies aged 61". ABC News. Abc.net.au. 27 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Taffel, Jacqui (6 September 2017). "Acting still a passion for Penny Cook". The Daily Telegraph. News Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "A Country Practice star Penny Cook dies". Blue Mountains Gazette. 27 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Idato, Michael (27 December 2018). "The Cook's tale: Australian TV legend dead at age 61". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Elly Fielding played by Penny Cook". Edenstreet.net. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d Australian Associated Press (27 December 2018). "Penny Cook, A Country Practice star, dies aged 61". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  8. ^ The Sunday Telegraph (18 March 2007). "Ramsay Street's ratings slump". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  9. ^ Knox, David (15 April 2008). "Soapie mums play 'monsters-in-law'". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b Noyes, Jenny (27 December 2018). "Australian actor Penny Cook dead at 61". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Putting a sting in the devil's tale". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 September 2002. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
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