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Jeanie Drynan

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Jeanie Drynan
Born
Jean Julia Drynan

(1940-05-05) 5 May 1940 (age 85)
Alma materEdinburgh College of Speech and Drama
National Institute of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active1961–present
Known forMuriel's Wedding
Prisoner
SpouseAntony Bowman[1] (m. 1989)
Children1

Jean Julia "Jeanie" Drynan (5 May 1940) is an Australian actress well known for her roles in the television series Class of '74, as Muriel's mother in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and as solicitor Angela Jeffries in the cult classic television series Prisoner Cell Block H.

Early life

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Jean Julia Drynan was born in 1940 to parents James Joseph and Muriel Drynan.[2] She grew up in the regional NSW towns of Lithgow and Coffs Harbour. She moved to the UK at the age of 15 with the intention of going to finishing school and instead studied acting at Edinburgh College of Speech and Drama (which was later absorbed into Queen Margaret University) in Scotland. She later trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Australia, graduating with a Diploma of Dramatic Art in 1961.[3][4]

Career

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Drynan started out in guest roles in numerous Australian television series including Hunter, Skippy, Riptide, The Rovers, Division 4, The Link Men, Delta, Matlock Police, Spyforce, Boney, Homicide and Ryan. She also had early roles in 1966 comedy film They’re a Weird Mob, and 1967 television play The Schoolmistress.

She then starred in high school-based soap opera Class of ‘74 as English teacher Mary Dunstan, and 1976 political-themed film Don’s Party (based on the play of the same name by David Williamson) as Kath Henderson. Further guest roles followed in Bluey, The Young Doctors and Chopper Squad, before she secured the part of solicitor, Angela Jeffries in cult classic television drama Prisoner in 1979, endearing her to international viewers.

Further guest roles followed, in series such as Cop Shop, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, Rafferty's Rules, The Girl from Tomorrow and G.P. before she landed her best-known role as the ill-fated Betty Heslop, mother of the title character in 1994 hit film Muriel's Wedding, alongside Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths and Bill Hunter.

She starred in numerous other films including the 1999 romantic comedy Paperback Hero (as Suzie, opposite Hugh Jackman), drama film A Kind of Hush (as Beryl) and comedy/drama Soft Fruit (in the lead role of Patsy), before appearing as Vanessa in 6 episodes of comedy series Dossa and Joe (2002) and Leanne in 4 episodes of The Cooks (2003–2005).

Drynan has been nominated three times for Australian Film Institute Awards – Best Supporting Actress in 1977 for Don’s Party, [5] Best Supporting Actress in 1994 for Muriel's Wedding and Best Actress in 1999 for Soft Fruit.[6][7]

Personal life

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Drynan met her husband, director Antony Bowman, in 1987, when she played the part of Maggie in his film Cappuccino. She also appeared in his film Relatives (1985) and Paperback Hero (1999).[8]

In 1990, Drynan moved from Sydney to Los Angeles with Bowman and their daughter, actress Ella Bowman-Gibson, to further Bowman's directing career.[9]

Filmography

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Film

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Title Year Role Type
1966 They're a Weird Mob Betty Feature film
1967 The Schoolmistress Teleplay
1969 2000 Weeks Jacky Lewis Feature film
1969 Skippy and the Intruders Margaret 'Meg' Curtis Feature film
1970 Single File Film documentary short
1973 The Black Arrow Voice Animated TV movie
1973 The Swiss Family Robinson Voice Animated TV movie
1976 Don's Party Kath Henderson Feature film
1976 Cromwell M.D. TV movie
1976 The Understudy TV movie
1977 The Picture Show Man Mrs. Duncan Feature film
1977 Hospitals Don't Burn Down! Sister Film short
1978 Money Movers Dawn Jackson Feature film
1979 Saint Therese Therese Film short
1980 Touch and Go Gina Feature film
1982 Wilde's Domain Liz TV movie
1983 The Body Corporate Janine Fox TV movie
1984 Fantasy Man Liz Bailey Feature film
1985 Relatives Catherine Taylor Feature film
1989 Cappuccino Maggie Feature film.
Also associate producer[10]
1994 Muriel's Wedding Betty Heslop Feature film
1998 Paperback Hero Suzie Feature film
1999 A Kind of Hush Beryl Feature film
1999 Soft Fruit[11] Patsy Haft Feature film
2002 The... Film short
2015 Skin Deep Anna Davies Feature film
2017 Zelos Lynn Feature film
TBA Arrivederci Izzy Feature film
In development

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1965 Adventure Unlimited[12] TV series, episode 7: "The Silver Backed Brushes"
1965 My Brother Jack TV series
1966-1973 Homicide Sandra O'Brien / Pauline Shearer / Glenys Watts TV series, 3 episodes
1966 The Story of Making the Film: They're a Weird Mob" Herself TV special
1968 Hunter Anna Polanski TV series, 1 episode
1968; 1969 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Iris Temple / Dulcie Condon TV series, 2 episodes
1969–1974 Division 4 Paula Klein / Sally Irving / Cindy Thompson / Lettie Ward / Barbara Bennett / Meg Reagan / Sandra Black / Vivienne Gunnerson / Faith Cameron / Patti Regan TV series, 10 episodes
1968; 1969 Riptide Val Wells / Penny Waring TV series, 2 episodes
1969 Pastures of the Blue Crane Amaryllis 'Rhyll' Mereweather TV miniseries
1970 The Rovers Ann Fraser TV series, 1 episode
1970 The Link Men Marguerita Costello TV series, 1 episode 10: "The Quiet One"
1970 Delta Jennifer McKenzie TV series, 1 episode
1971–1972 Matlock Police Alice Price / Carol Marsh / Gail Marsh TV series, 3 episodes
1972 Spyforce Kathy Reilly TV series, 1 episode
1972–1973 Boney Sally Forrest / Isobel Matthews TV series, 2 episodes
1973 Ryan Tricia TV series, 1 episode
1973 Elephant Boy Jane Shorter TV series, 1 episode
1974 Class of '74 Mary Dunstan TV series, 2 episodes
1975 Silent Number Denise TV series, 1 episode
1976 Bluey Shirley Watson TV series, 1 episode: "The Changeling"
1977 The Young Doctors Sister Margaret Evans TV series, 15 episodes
1978 Cop Shop Dimitra Coogan / Vanessa Montgomery TV series, 4 episodes
1978 Chopper Squad Dr Georgia Beattie TV series, 13 episodes
1979–1980 Prisoner Angela Jeffries TV series, 11 episodes
1981 Holiday Island Julie-Anne Tucker TV series, 1 episode
1982 A Country Practice Audrey Matthews TV series, 2 episodes
1985 Winners TV series, Season 1, episode 2: "Quest Beyond Time"
1987 The Flying Doctors Sal Cleary TV series, 1 episode
1989 Rafferty's Rules Carol Taylor TV series, 1 episode
1991 The Girl From Tomorrow Miss Durkin TV series, 2 episodes
1995 G.P. Hannah Hardigan TV series, 1 episode
1996 A Season in Purgatory TV miniseries
2002 Dossa and Joe Vanessa TV miniseries, 6 episodes
2004–2005 The Cooks Leanne Smith TV series, 4 episodes
2010 Rake Carmen TV series, 1 episode

Stage

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As actor

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Year Title Role Notes
The Importance of Being Earnest Theatre Royal Sydney[13]
1961 Peer Gynt NIDA, Sydney[14]
1963 The Playboy of the Western World UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1967 The Schoolmistress UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1967 The School for Scandal UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1967 Hedda Gabler UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1970 The One Day of the Year Independent Theatre Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra
1971 Big Brother Dragon Independent Theatre, Sydney
1971 There Is Nothing More Wonderful than a Glorious Sunset Independent Theatre, Sydney
1973 A Voyage Round My Father Elizabeth Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, UNSW, Sydney with J. C. Williamson's
1977 Boeing, Boeing J. C. Williamson's[15]
1979 Makassar Reef  Beth Fleetwood Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney
1985 Same Time, Next Year Doris Playhouse, Newcastle with Hunter Valley Theatre Company
1986 Gulls Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney with HMQ Productions
1992 Men Should Weep Independent Theatre, Sydney[16]
2010 Bedroom Farce[17] Delia Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney
2011 Nothing Personal Carla Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
2012 Biddies

As director

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 Somewhere… Director Meta Theatre, Los Angeles[18]

[19]

Awards and nominations

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Year Work Award Category Result
1977 Don’s Party Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role Nominated
1994 Muriel's Wedding Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
1999 Soft Fruit Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated
2000 Soft Fruit Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor – Female Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Bio". Rossgraysonbell.com. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  2. ^ Stephanie Bunbury 'A luvvie has the last laugh', Melbourne Age 30 October 1999 'Extra' section p. 3
  3. ^ Gerald Mayhead 'The making of a star' Melbourne Age 6 March 1968 p. 16
  4. ^ "All Alumni". National Institute of Dramatic Art.
  5. ^ "AACTA Awards Winners & Nominees". AACTA.
  6. ^ "1994 AFI Awards". Australian Television. 30 October 1998. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  7. ^ "smh.com.au - The Sydney Morning Herald". Newsstore.fairfax.com.au. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  8. ^ Stephanie Bunbury 'A luvvie has the last laugh', Melbourne Age 30 October 1999 'Extra' section p. 3
  9. ^ "Meet Antony J. Bowman: screenwriter and director". voyagela.com. 28 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Jeanie Drynan Biography ((?)-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  11. ^ "Urban Cinefile DRYNAN, JEANIE; SOFT FRUIT". Urbancinefile.com.au. 23 June 1999. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  12. ^ Vagg, Stephen (6 May 2023). "Forgotten Australian TV Series: Adventure Unlimited". FilmInk. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Jeanie Drynan". Showcast.
  14. ^ "Douglas Hall – In Memoriam". NIDA, Sydney. 4 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Jeanie Drynan". Showcast.
  16. ^ "Jeanie Drynan". Showcast.
  17. ^ "Bedroom Farce - theatre interview from". The Blurb. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  18. ^ "Somewhere – newest theater review for Stage Raw – Los Angeles theater review". www.artsbeatla.com.
  19. ^ "Jeanie Drynan". AusStage.
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