Abigail

Abigail (known mononymously as Abigail; born 23 July 1948 is an English-born former actress particularly of television soap operas and film who was also briefly a vocalist.

She emigrated from London in 1968 and became one of Australia's significant sex symbols of the early 1970s, promoted as a sultry blonde siren in the vein of Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot.

She appeared in numerous soap operas including, Number 96, Sons and Daughters. Family and Friends and Chances.

Despite having shied away from the spotlight, in 2022 Abigail wrote the foreword to the book Number 96: 50th Anniversary Album. In this book it states for the record that her surname is not and never was Rogan. It also states that her year of birth is 1948. while struggling to find serious acting jobs.

In 1975, she appeared in Class of '75 as a prim French Senior Mistress. Also in 1975 she played Esmerelda in The True Story of Eskimo Nell and in 1976 appeared in another bawdy comedy Eliza Fraser.

Abigail appeared in a recurring sketch in The Norman Gunston Show called "The Checkout Chicks". This sketch, a send-up of melodramatic soap operas set in a supermarket, mostly featured other former Number 96 actresses. The show was cancelled in July 1977. Around the same time, she appeared in Glenview High. In 1977, Abigail appeared in The Young Doctors as super-efficient secretary Hilary Templeton. Also in 1977 she had a cameo role in the film Summer City, which is notable for being the first to have Mel Gibson in a major role.

In 1984 Abigail appeared in Melvin, Son of Alvin. In 1985, she scored a regular role in another soap opera Sons and Daughters, playing Caroline ‘The Cat’ Morrell, a role for which she became well known, and continued in until the series ended in 1987.

In 1988, she appeared in the film Breaking Loose, followed by a co-starring role in Elly & Jools playing Country & Western singer wannabe, Dulcie Dickson. In 1990 she appeared in Sher Mountain Killings Mystery followed by roles in soap operas Family and Friends and Neighbours. She then appeared in Chances as Bambi Shute, the host of a TV sex show, for most of 1992.

Theatre Abigail had some success in the theatre, specialising in comedy roles. She toured New South Wales and Queensland with the stage farce A Bedfull of Foreigners in 1983.

Publishing and music

In 1973, after leaving Number 96, she published her autobiography, Call Me Abigail which sold 150,000 copies in its first two weeks of sale. Although this debut was a success, follow-ups, including a comedic release with ventriloquist Chris Kirby, were not.

Commercials

In 2002, she briefly became a spokesperson for weight-loss company Jenny Craig. She claimed to have lost 17 kilograms in seven weeks.

Personal life

Abigail was married twice; first to Belgian businessman Pierre de Valmont, whom she divorced. Later she married actor Adrian Wright.

In March 2011, Australian current affairs program Today Tonight produced a story on Abigail, claiming that she had fallen on hard times and was living as a squatter in a derelict church. A rebuttal story was aired the following evening by rival current affairs program, A Current Affair. In fact she and her husband had been living there only temporarily, with permission, as their home had been partially destroyed in the 2011 floods. Her damaged home was being prepared for rebuilding. The Today Tonight story captured some hidden camera footage of Abigail. She did not appear on camera consensually.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type Les enfants de dieu Feature film Descente a la plague Feature film Imagination Feature film 1970 Play 543 Film short 1973 Alvin Purple Girl in see through blouse Feature film 1973 The Wicked City TV movie 1974 Alvin Rides Again Mae Feature film 1975 The True Story of Eskimo Nell Esmerelda Feature film 1976 Murcheson Creek Donna Lewis TV movie 1976 Eliza Fraser Buxom Girl Feature film 1977 All at Sea Denise Demour TV movie 1977 Summer City Woman in Pub Feature film 1984 Melvin, Son of Alvin Melvin's Mother, Mrs. Simpson Feature film 1988 Breaking Loose: Summer City II Helen Feature film 1990 Sher Mountain Killings Mystery Muriel Cordeaux Feature film 1990 Friday on My Mind TV movie 1995 The Final Stage The Woman Feature film 1999 Liang Po Po Film short 2000 Gitano Gypsy (voice) Animated film short

Television Year Title Role Type Robin Hood Young Child 1 episode Continental Theatre 1 episode 1969 Delta 2 episodes 1972–1973; 1976 Number 96 Bev Houghton / Eve 77 episodes 1974 This Love Affair Helen Episode 2: 'Tilting at Windmills' 1975 Class of '75 Angelique Dupree 98 episodes 1975 The Norman Gunston Show The Checkout Chicks sketch Joan Bygraves 6 episodes 1976 Fair Game Eve TV pilot 1976 The Bluestone Boys 1 episode 1976 Up The Convicts Charlotte 1 episode 1977 The Young Doctors Hiliary Templeton 1978 Glenview High 1 episode 1978 The Zodiac Girls Miss Leo TV pilot 1979 Chopper Squad Alison Burns 1 episode 1980 Home Sweet Home Patient 1 episode 1981 Trial By Marriage Lavinia 1 episode 1981 Are You Being Served? Perfume Saleswoman 1 episode 1984 Special Squad Mrs. Quinn 1 episode 1985–1987 Sons and Daughters Caroline Morrell 410 episodes 1987 Discovering Australia Narrator Film documentary 1989 Neighbours Betty Bristow 3 episodes 1989 Rafferty's Rules Michelle Dobbs 1 episode 1989 Bodysurfer Mrs. James Miniseries, 2 episodes 1990 Elly & Jools Dulcie Dickson 12 episodes 1990 Family and Friends Doreen Stubbs 1991 Col'n Carpenter 1 episode 1991 The Miraculous Mellops Iron Peg Miniseries, 1 episode 1992 Chances Bambi Shute 26 episodes 1993 Time Trax Georgette 1 episode 1996 Wedlocked Radner 1 episode

Television (as self) YearTitleRoleType 1975 Celebrity Squares Contestant TV series 1994 Number 96: And They Said It Wouldn't Last Presenter TV special 2016 RealTVFilms Host 2 episodes

Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1969 There's a Girl in My Soup Hole in the Wall Theatre, Perth 1970 Rookery Nook Playhouse, Perth with National Theatre Inc. 1975 Saga of San Peel 1977 Wild Oats Jane Seymour Centre, Sydney with Old Tote Theatre Company 1981–1982 A Bedfull of Foreigners Simone Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Marian St Theatre, Sydney, Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney with Peter Williams Productions 1987 My Fat Friend Civic Theatre Restaurant, Perth 1988 Rattle of a Simple Man Cyrenna Hyatt Kingsgate Hotel, Auckland 1990 Storm in a D Cup 1990 Lunatic Soup Cassy Glen St Theatre, Sydney with Theatre of Comedy 1991–1992 Charley's Aunt Sydney Opera House, Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Laycock St Theatre, Gosford with Peter and Ellen Williams

Discography

Singles Year Title Label Highest chart position 1973 "Je T'aime" / "Last Tango in Paris" Festival Records (Australia) No. 10, 11 weeks 1973 "Do It Again" / "Please Terry, Do It One More Time" (feat. Chris Kirby) Festival Records (Australia) No chart position 1974 "(Just As) I Am" / "These Dreams" Festival Records (Australia) No. 96, 1 week 1976 "Biting My Nails" / "Stay a While" Festival Records (Australia) No chart position

Album Year Title Label Tracklisting 1973 Abigail Festival Records (Australia) Side A: 1. "An Occasional Man" 2. "My Baby Does it Good" 3. "New Fangled Tango" 4. "These Dreams" 5. "Do It Again" 6. "Je T'aime" Side B : 1. "Sugar Me" 2. "The Man I Love" 3. "(Just As) I Am" 4. "Pillow Talk" 5. "Last Tango in Paris" 6. "Please Terry, Do It One More Time" (feat. Chris Kirby)