Jeanie Drynan

Jean Julia "Jeanie" Drynan (5 May 1947) 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 Jean Julia Drynan was born in 1947 to parents James Joseph and Muriel Drynan. 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.

Career

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, Best Supporting Actress in 1994 for Muriel's Wedding and Best Actress in 1999 for Soft Fruit.

Personal life Drynan met her husband, director Antony Bowman, in 1979, when she played the part of Maggie in his film Cappuccino. She also appeared in his film Relatives (1985) and Paperback Hero (1999).

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

Filmography

Film 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 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 Patsy Haft Feature film 2002 The... Film short 2015 Skin Deep Anna Davies Feature film 2017 Zelos Lynn Feature film Arrivederci Izzy Feature filmIn development

Television Year Title Role Type 1965 Adventure Unlimited 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

As actor Year Title Role Notes The Importance of Being Earnest Theatre Royal Sydney 1961 Peer Gynt NIDA, Sydney 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 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 2010 Bedroom Farce Delia Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney 2011 Nothing Personal Carla Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2012 Biddies

As director Year Title Role Notes 2014 Somewhere… Director Meta Theatre, Los Angeles

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