Vanessa Downing

Vanessa Downing (born 5 May 1958) is an Australian character actress of theatre and screen; she has also done recordings including singing and voice-over. She was educated in Sydney, attended the Australian theatre for young people, and after leaving school took a master's degree in English literature from the University of Sydney.

Vanessa Downing
Born (1958-05-05) 5 May 1958
Other namesVanessa Ryan
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
Occupation
  • Actress (stage, television and film)
  • singer
  • recording artist
  • voice artist
  • lawyer
Years active1976–present
Known forThe Restless Years (1977)
Home and Away (1988-1990)
Bullpitt!
Spouse(s)Rodney Fischer (Director/writer)

She graduated as a lawyer in 2006, and now juggles a law career with firm Craddock Murray Neumann and her acting roles, mostly on the stage[1]

Career

Theatre

Theatre roles include Three a Penny and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. She is a well-known and prominent stage actress and has featured in many productions[2]

Television

Television roles including All Saints, classic '80s soap opera Sons and Daughters, G.P., Water Rats, HeadLand and Packed to the Rafters. She had a role in the Kingswood Country re-boot series Bullpitt!, she has appeared in numerous mini-series and made for TV films.

Home and Away

She is best known however for her more regular role being an original cast member of the television soap opera Home and Away playing a role many years her senior as foster mother Pippa Fletcher, replacing Carole Willesee at short notice, the wife of newsreader Mike Willesee, who was originally cast as Pippa, with the casting news hitting the headlines, at the publicity launch of the soap. When Downing left the series in 1990, the part was recast, and taken over at short notice by Debra Lawrance who went on to play the character from 1990 to 1998, with subsequent guest appearances. The role had also been auditioned by future Neighbours star Jackie Woodburne. After Lawrence took over the role, the character remarried and now known as Pippa Ross was awarded a fictitious OAM for her services as a foster parent.

Post-Home and Away


Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1998 Reflections Mrs. O'Brien
2013 Felony Manny Summer
2015 Stationery Penny Wilkins Short
20?? The Immortal Lucy (age 50) Short, completed

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Sons and Daughters Cheryl Ryan Episodes: "1.44", "1.60"
1983 The Disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain Mrs. Lowe TV film
1986 Funeral Going Patricia TV film
1986 Double Sculls Sister Cathy TV film
1988 Melba Evie Doyle TV miniseries
1988–1990 Home and Away Pippa Fletcher Regular role
1991 A Country Practice Fiona Farrell Episode: "For the Good Times: Part 1"
1993 G.P. Pam Preston Episode: "Close to Her Chest"
1994 Mary: The Mary MacKillop Story Flora MacKillop Documentary
1997 Water Rats Margaret Hobbs Episode: "The Messenger"
1997 Big Sky Danielle Morgan Episode: "The Right Thing"
1997–1998 Bullpitt! Muriel Johnstone Main role
1998, 2002 All Saints Helen Lancaster, Claire Hobson Episodes: "Live Now, Pay Later", "Slings and Arrows"
2006 headLand Pamela Martin Episodes: "1.50", "1.51", "1.52"
2008 Packed to the Rafters Shirley Episode: "Removing the Block"
2014 The Moodys Robin Benson Episode: "Australia Day"
2019 Mr Inbetween Lorraine Episode: "I Came from Your Balls?"

References
  1. "Home and Away flashback! The original cast reunited". 10 May 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  2. "Vanessa Downing". AusStage.


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