Betty Bobbitt

Betty Ann Bobbitt, (born February 7 1939), is an American Australian television and film actress, director, singer, and playwright. She remains best known for her small screen role as the motherly Judy Bryant in cult series Prisoner (also known in the UK and US as Prisoner: Cell Block H and Canada as Caged Women) and for her cameo roles in the Crocodile Dundee films starring Paul Hogan including Crocodile Dundee II (1988) Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001) and The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020).

Betty Bobbitt
Born	Betty Ann Bobbitt (1939-02-07) February 7, 1939 Manhattan, New York City
Occupation	Actress singer playwright
Years active	1957–present
Known for	Prisoner (Prisoner: Cell Block H) as Judy Bryant
Spouse(s)	Robin Hill (artist) (divorced)

Early career in the United States and locally, singing and theatre

Bobbitt was born in Manhattan, New York and grew up in Norristown, a suburb of Philadelphia.[1] She attended a Catholic grammar school and Norristown High School.

Working in Los Angeles in a production of Auntie Mame, she was approached by an Australian television producer who asked her if she 'wanted to come to Australia and be funny'.[2] She was contracted for six months, and appeared as a regular on a Melbourne television variety show, Daly at Night, 'a female Victor Borge, singing off-key and just plain acting like a dumb brunette'.[3] She was known in Australia in the early 1960s as 'Betty Bobbitt from Big Bear', referencing a fictitious place ostensibly in Pennsylvania.[4]

She subsequently married an Australian artist, Robin Hill,[5] and had a son, Christopher, in England.[6]Returning to Australia she appeared in many theatre productions with the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Television productions and Prisoner: Cell Block H

Bobbitt has been a fixture on Australian television since the 1970s with guest roles in serials including Matlock Police, Homicide, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, All Saints, Marshall Law and Blue Heelers. She became best known for her portrayal of lesbian character Judy Bryant, a series regular on the popular Australian television program Prisoner. She first appeared in the series in February 1980. After it started to gain a cult status in the US, billed as Prisoner: Cel Block H, an American actress was suggested by producers as a nod to local audiences. Her character was intended only for a short-term appearance, but she became immensely popular, and was retained in the series. Bobbitt continued in the role until May 1985, making her the show's second-longest serving actor, at 429 episodes, second only to Elspeth Ballantyne as officer Meg Morris, an original who appeared at the series' inception.

Film, theatre and other performances

During her time in Prisoner Bobbitt performed with fellow Prisoner cast members Colette Mann and Jane Clifton in a three-woman troupe named "The Mini Busettes" in the 1980s. They performed around Australia in RSL and similar clubs.

After leaving Prisoner, she continued with theatre roles, made several guest-starring television appearances, and appeared in a few films. She had cameo roles in Crocodile Dundee II and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (a.k.a.Crocodile Dundee III). She appeared in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of Cruel & Tender by Martin Crimp. She was the sole performer in a production of The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau under the aegis of Tributary, a Melbourne Theatre Company offshoot.[7]

In 2004, Bobbitt made a brief uncredited appearance in the American television remake of the Stephen King classic, Salem's Lot, and in 2010 in a thriller, Torn.

Publication

In 2011, Bobbitt self-published her book From the Outside, which documents her life and career playing the role of Judy Bryant on Prisoner.

Teaching

Bobbitt is an English teacher, and taught English to Vietnamese students.

Cast reunion on Neighbours

Bobbitt appeared in Australian soap opera Neighbours on 27 February 2019, in which former Prisoner star Colette Mann is now a regular as Sheila Canning, she appeared in a special episode alongside former Prisoner cast members Jane Clifton, Jentah Sobott and Jenny Lovell, featured as members of Sheila's bookclub, in a storyline that commemorated the 40th anniversary of Prisoner.[8]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	The Clinic	Wilma
1988	Crocodile Dundee II	Tourist (Meg)
1991	Edens Lost	Mabel	Television film
1992	Survive the Savage Sea	Mrs. Haines	Television film
1997	Doing Time for Patsy Cline	Connie
2001	Crocodile Dundee III	American Lady
2003	The Cadet	The Addict	Short film
2010	Torn	Daniel's Mother
2020	The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee	Betty

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1966, 1975–1976	Homicide	Vicki Franklin, Blossom, Customs Officer	3 episodes
1975	Matlock Police	Mrs. Nelson, Valerie Praitt	2 episodes
1980–1985	Prisoner	Judy Bryant	429 episodes
1981	Prisoner in Concert	Judy Bryant	Television special
1984	Special Squad	Daisy	Episode: "Until Death"
1986	A Country Practice	Ellen Dainty	2 episodes
1991	The Flying Doctors	Jo Magee	Episode: "Johnno Be Good"
1992	Frankie's House	Surgeon	Miniseries
1998–1999	All Saints	Olivia McCreadie	2 episodes
2000	The Games	Betty, Media Liaison	Episode: "The End"
2002	Marshall Law	Wanda	Episode: "The Samovar"
2000	Blue Heelers	Madge Harcourt	2 episodes
2004	Salem's Lot		Uncredited
2019	Neighbours	Erica King	Episode: "Episode #1.8048"

References

1. Laura Lippstone, 'Life in the Land of Oz' Philadelphia Inquirer magazine 9 November 1986 p. 31
2. Laura Lippstone, 'Life in the Land of Oz' Philadelphia Inquirer magazine 9 November 1986 p. 31
3. Laura Lippstone, 'Life in the Land of Oz' Philadelphia Inquirer magazine 9 November 1986 p. 31
4. 'Unpredictable Bobbitt recalls other TV days' Melbourne Age 17 March 1966 p. 26
5. 'Unpredictable Bobbitt recalls other TV days' Melbourne Age 17 March 1966 p. 26
6. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0090301/bio
7. Neil Jillett, 'Repertoire Rounded Off in a Small Way', Melbourne Age, 30 March 1978 p. 8
8. "Neighbours spoilers: Leo Tanaka kisses Piper Willis!". What's on TV. Retrieved 27 February 2019.

External links

• Betty Bobbitt on IMDb
• Hear Betty talk about her life and career on The Soap Show
• Interview with Betty Bobbitt

• Betty Bobbitt official website