Joy Westmore
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, who goes on to marry prison chef Mervin Pringle (played by Ernie Bourne). She won a Penguin Award for her work in the show. 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]
Joy Westmore | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joy Grisold 1932 Australia |
| Died | November 5, 2020 (aged 88) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia[1] |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Actress (radio, stage, television), voice-over artist[1] |
| Years active | 1950–2013 |
| Known for | Prisoner also known as Prisoner Cell Block H aka Caged Women – Officer Barry/Joyce Pringle (maiden name Joyce Barry) |
Notable work | |
Career
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 in the recurring cast throughout the first five years of the show, but became regular in 1984 and continued until the series' finale in 1986.
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.
Joy Westmore was married to Dr Brian William Westmore from 1960 until his death in 2019. They had four children.
Joy Westmore died from dementia in an aged care facility in Melbourne, Victoria, on 5 November 2020, aged 88.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Sullivans (TV series) | |
| 1976 | The Sentimental Bloke (TV movie) | |
| 1977 | Bellbird | Guest roles - Bella - Stella |
| 1978 | Summerfield | Mrs. Shields |
| 1979 | The Odd Angry Shot | Bill's Mother |
| 1979 | Taxi | Mrs. Peters |
| 1980 | Stage Fright | Matron |
| 1983 | A Slice of Life | Receptionist 1 |
| 1984 | A Test of Love | Receptionist |
| 1986 | The More Things Change | Mrs. Deagan |
| 1987 | Les Patterson Saves the World | Lady Gwen Patterson |
| 1988 | Col'n Carpenter | |
| 1991 | The Worst Day of my Life (TV series) | |
| 1992 | Cluedo | Mrs. White |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Head Warder |
| 2000 | Waiting at the Royal | Diana's Mother |
| 1991–2003 | Neighbours | Mrs. Forster – Nancy Bliss |
| 2004 | Fergus McPhail | Mrs. Vance |
| 1994–2005 | Blue Heelers | 3 roles - Mrs. Buchanan - Anne Duffy - Dora Tufnell |
| 2011 | The Op Shop (short) | Claudia |
| 2013 | Echo (short film) | Mother |
| 2013 | It's a Date | June |
| 1979–1986 | Prisoner aka Prisoner: Cell Block H | Mrs. Joyce Barry |
Regular roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Bandwagon | |
| 1972–1975 | The Graham Kennedy Show | |
| 1974–1976 | Ernie Sigley Show | |
| 1976 | Ernie (hosted by Ernie Sigley) | |
| 1977 | Blankety Blanks | Panellist |
| 1986 | Punchlines (TV Special) | |
Awards
- Penguin Award – Joyce Barry in Prisoner
References
- Cartwright, Darren (5 November 2020). "Joy Westmore from TV hit series Prisoner dies".
- Richard Lane. "Prisoner:Cell Block H".
