Wendy Playfair

Wendy Playfair (born 28 August 1926)^[1] is an Australian radio, television and film character actress, best known for her roles in television serials.^[2]

Playfair started her career in radio serials, but became best known for her brief stint in TV serial Prisoner as inmate Minnie Donovan.^[3] Other important roles were in the television series Home and Away and the film Accidents Happen starring Geena Davis.^[3]

Playfair was born in Woollahra, Sydney, New South Wales to Edmund Strathmore Creer (Strath) Playfair (1894–1965) and Kathleen Ryrie (Babs) née Campbell (1899–1989).^[4] She was the third of four sisters, the youngest marrying Sir John Atwill.^[5] The Playfair family were well-to-do, socially prominent^[6] and in the meat trade.^[7] She married James Williams at All Saints Anglican Church on 6 July 1951.^[8] She is a direct descendant of the famous Sydney butcher, politician and philanthropist Thomas Playfair, and the niece of politician Thomas Alfred John Playfair. Playfair is the cousin of Olympic silver medalist Judy Playfair, aunt of Skye Leckie, grandmother of Kip Williams who was the Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company (2016-24) and life long friend of Pam Hornibrook and Ruth Triggs.^[9]

Playfair started her career in radio where she worked for the ABC and consistently in morning serials for Grace Gibson, as well as in many radio plays. Playfair received the radio Macquarie Award. Prior to television she had also appeared in a few stage roles, but was best known as a radio performer^[10]

She has been a staple on the small screen in character roles since 1960, when she appeared in the TV adaptation of a production of the play The Slaughter of St Theresa's Day.^[11]

Playfair has primarily appeared in cameo roles, with guesting roles in series starting from the late 1960s until 2013 such as Homicide, Hunter, The Young Doctors, Return to Eden, Spirited, Rake and Packed to the Rafters

However she has had several parts as different characters in serials A Country Practice (three roles), Home and Away (two roles) and All Saints (two roles).

She also has had parts in telemovies and films including Ride a Wild Pony, the only Walt Disney film ever produced in Australia, and a pivotal role in the film Accidents Happen opposite Geena Davis in 2009.^[3]

In 2022 Playfair gave a rare interview with the podcast series Talking Prisoner.

• Wendy Playfair at IMDb

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