Hazel Phillips
Hazel Julia Phillips (née Lovegrove) OAM (born 17 November 1929)[1][3][4] is an English Australian Gold Logie-award-winning singer, actress and television talk show personality, with a notable career in Australia spanning every facet of the industry, including radio, theatre, television and film, as well as journalism. She is also a playwright, composer and lyricist who has written numerously for the stage[2]
Hazel Phillips | |
---|---|
Born | Hazel Julia Lovegrove[1] 17 November 1929 (age 91) Battersea, County of London, England |
Nationality | British–Australian |
Citizenship | Australia |
Occupation |
|
Years active | 1956–2012, 2020 |
Television | Beauty and the Beast The Mavis Bramston Show Girl Talk |
Awards | Gold Logie (1967) |
Biography
Early life
Phillips was born as Hazel Lovegrove in Battersea (now Wandsworth), County of London (now south London). At the age of 20, she became engaged to her husband Bill, and they emigrated to Australia as "Ten Pound Poms" in 1950–51, marrying shortly afterwards and having two children, Mark (born 1953) and Scott (born 1955). In 1961, the family was involved in a serious car accident, with Phillips sustaining severe injuries to her chin. Her husband left them some time afterwards, with Phillips suggesting that the surgeries on her chin and an ectopic pregnancy contributed to the break-up of their marriage.
Early career
She started her career at radio 2UE, having won a talent contest for Miss television in Australia. Active in television since its inception in Australia, when she became one of the first personalities on Network Seven. in 1963, Phillips made her break into show business with a role on the talk show Beauty and the Beast opposite beast Eric Baume. She also began to appear on The Mavis Bramston Show, which she became a regular on after being told to choose between Bramston and Beauty and the Beast.[5]
Gold Logie, television, film and theatre
She had left the seven network and was hosting the midday talk show Girl Talk on the fledgling Network Ten, for which she won the Gold Logie Award for the most popular female personality on Australian television, jointly winning with Graham Kennedy who won the male award.[5]
Guest roles on numerous television shows including Number 96 (as a lesbian sharing a flat with Vera), Matlock Police, A Country Practice, G.P. and Pacific Drive, as well as mini-series Bride of Christ.
Films include The Set (as a nude swimmer), Midnight Dancer, Walking Emily Home. and Monster Problems
Theatre roles starting from 1956 include The Circle, Henry V, Pride and Prejudice and The Merry Wives of Windsor[2]
Honours
Phillips was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2005, for service to the entertainment industry, particularly in the areas of the performing arts and television, and to the community as a fundraiser for charitable groups.[6]
She was the second woman in Australian entertainment to win the Gold Logie, after singer and actress Lorrae Desmond
In 2008, her autobiography, Black River, Bright Star (ISBN 9781921406171), was published by Zeus Publications.[7]
Phillips is an activist for alternative medicine, she suffered a mild heart attack in 2009, and underwent a hip replacement
Phillips refers to herself as the Australian Betty White, and in 2011, she performed in the fifth series of Australia's Got Talent.[8] and performed the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young". She reached the semi-finals in the over-65 category, but however was eliminated in the public vote. She still performs with her sons quartet as a vocalist.
Filmography
Film and television
Year | Title | Role |
1970 | The Set (film) | Peggy Sylvester |
1972 | The Virgin Fellas (TV series) | |
1972 | Boney (TV series) | Candy Barr |
1972 | Matlock Police (TV series) | 2 roles -Thelma Brewster -Lucy McCain |
1973 | Number 96 (TV series) | Marie Crowther |
1973 | Ryan (TV series) | Lorna |
1975 | Until Tomorrow | Marge Stewart |
1978 | Chopper Squad (TV series) | Maurine McNair |
1987 | Midnight Dancer (film) | Doreen |
1989 | Fields of Fire III (miniseries) | Usherette |
1990 | A Country Practice (TV series) | Blanche Perkins |
1991 | Brides of Christ (TV miniseries) | Mrs. Purley |
1992 | G.P. (TV series) | Rita Edwards |
1995 | Fire (TV series) | Belle |
1996 | Pacific Drive (TV series) | |
1996 | Little White Lies | |
1997 | The Wayne Manifesto (TV series) | 2 roles -Dottie Fingleton |
2000 | Walking Emily Home (film) | Auntie |
2007 | Mortified (TV series) | Aunt Ally |
2012 | Trinkets (film short) | Rose Hayes |
2012 | Edna (film short) | Edna |
2020 | Monster Problems | Old Lady |
Appearances
Year | Title | Role |
1960 | Bentley's Bandbox (TV series) | |
1964 | The Mavis Bramston Show (TV series) | Various |
1964 | Beauty and the Beast (TV series) | Panellist |
1966 | The Barry Crocker Show (TV series) | Guest |
1969 | The Don Lane Show | Guest |
2007 | Beauty and the Beast | Panellist |
2011 | Australia's Got Talent | Performer |
References
- Phillips, Hazel (2008). Black River, Bright Star. Zeus Publications.
- "Hazel Phillips". AusStage.
- National Library of Australia record.
- Golden Girl Hazel Phillips makes mistakes, Gold Coast Bulletin, 29 November 2008.
- Hazel Phillips, Talking Heads with Peter Thompson (ABC TV), 16 April 2007.
- PHILLIPS, Hazel Julia, It's an Honour, 13 June 2005.
- Black river, bright star : an autobiography / Hazel Phillips, National Library of Australia, 2008.
- Byrne, Fiona (7 May 2011). "Golden voice of Logie winner Hazel Phillips still in the spotlight". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 April 2012.