Frances Hargreaves

Career Hargreaves began her acting career in theatre in the UK. After marrying Australian actor and singer David Gilchrist, they settled in Australia in 1973. Their daughter Amelia was born in 1989.

In January 1974, Hargreaves scored the role in Number 96 as rebellious teenager Marilyn McDonald after the original actress who was cast in the role Judy McBurney had to withdraw after only six episodes due to peritonitis. Hargreaves had to re-shoot all of McBurney's scenes. Marilyn was the adopted daughter of Edie and Reg (Mike Dorsey and Wendy Blacklock), whom she always called "Mummy and Daddy" and was primarily a comedy character, but her most dramatic storyline was when she discovered the identity of the infamous Number 96 pantyhose strangler. Hargreaves left the series in June 1975 when she fell pregnant.

During a subsequent visit to her native South Africa with newborn son Samuel David, she acted in theatre productions of The Sound of Music, Stop the World I Want to Get Off and Cinderella.

She subsequently returned to Australia and resumed her role in Number 96 from April 1977 until its demise later that year.

She later appeared in The Young Doctors as Emma Dixon in 1979 and Who Killed Baby Azaria? (1984) and the serial E Street

In 2007 Hargreaves appeared in the retrospective program Where Are They Now? with fellow Number 96 cast members for a reunion special.

Death Frances Hargreaves died in Sydney, New South Wales on 3 March 2017, aged 62, after a long unspecified illness.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1984 Who Killed Baby Azaria? Documentary film

Television Year Title Role Type 1975 Behind the Legend Lucy (TV series) 1975–75 1977 Number 96 Marilyn McDonald Bordello TV series 1979 The Young Doctors Emma Dixon TV series 1982 Metal Mickey Phyllis 1991 E Street Heather Spencer TV series 2007 Where Are They Now? Herself (with cast of Number 96) TV series

Theatre Year Title Role Location / Venue 1975 The Sound of Music 1975 Stop the World I Want to Get Off 1977 The Gold Rush; Or the Corruption of Dickie Araballa The Speakeasy, Sydney with J.K. James Productions 1986 Cinderella Cinderella Glen Street Theatre, Sydney