Maggie Kirkpatrick

Maggie Kirkpatrick
Born	Margaret Ann Downs 29 January 1941 (1941-01-29) (age 70) Albury, New South Wales

Maggie Kirkpatrick (born Margaret Anne Downs on 29 January 1941 in Albury, New South Wales) is an Australian actress, who is best known for her portrayal of the iconic character Joan Ferguson, a sadistic and corrupt lesbian prison officer known to the prisoners as "The Freak" in the popular Australian television soap opera, Prisoner. She is currently performing as Madame Morrible in the Australian production of the musical Wicked.

Early years

She was born in Albury, a rural city on the border between New South Wales and Victoria, Australia to James and Chrissie Downs. When she was six months old her father was killed whilst on active service as a soldier in North Africa. Chrissie thus brought up Maggie and her older brother Adrian alone.

The family moved to Newcastle, on the east coast of Australia, where Kirkpatrick grew up. She had had an interest in acting from an early age and appeared in several school plays. By November 1955 Kirkpatrick became fed up with school and left. Her mother sent her to drama lessons.

In 1960, at the age of 19, Kirkpatrick took her first professional acting job, with John Alden's Shakespeare Company. After this initial production she promptly gave up acting.

Kirkpatrick subsequently took various jobs, working in dress shop, as a medical receptionist, compere of fashion parades, and had jobs in bars, restaurants and hotels.

Personal life

She married Norman Kirkpatrick, a merchant seaman born in Northern Ireland, in September 1963.

Five years later they moved to Sydney where Maggie decided to resume her acting career. After appearing in two plays she put her acting career on hold once again, this time due to the arrival of her daughter Caitlin. Kirkpatrick resumed theatre work as Caitlin got older, and eventually moved on to television and cinema.

She appeared in the music video for "Anthem for the Year 2000" by rock band Silverchair.

She is a strong supporter of gay rights, having made numerous appearances at "Fair Day", as part of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival.

Filmography

• The F.J. Holden (1977) – Betty Armstead
• The Getting of Wisdom (1977) – Sarah
• The Night, The Prowler (1978) – Madge Hopkirk
• The Pirate Movie (1982) – Ruth
• Jonah (1982) (mini) TV Series
• Prisoner (1979) TV Series – Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson (1982–1986)
• Richmond Hill (1988) TV Series – Ivy Hackett
• Betty's Bunch (1990) TV Series – Betty
• The Ham Funeral (1990) (TV)
• Home and Away (1988) TV Series – Jean Chambers (1991)/Viv "The Guv" Standish (2003, 2004)
• Encounters (1993) – Aunt Helen
• Billy's Holiday (1995) – Maureen O'Hara
• Welcome to Woop Woop (1997) – Ginger
• Hetty (2002) – Thelma

External links

• Maggie Kirkpatrick at the Internet Movie Database
• Aussie Actors profile

Persondata
Name	Kirkpatrick, Maggie
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	29 January 1941
Place of birth	Albury, New South Wales
Date of death
Place of death