Myra De Groot

Myra Tania de Groot (4 July 1937 – 4 April 1988) was a British-born theatre and television actress, and agent. She performed in the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and Australia.

With a passion for doing Shirley Temple impressions as a child, her parents enrolled her at the Italia Conti Stage School at the age of 10. At the age of 13, de Groot appeared in Annie Get Your Gun at the London Coliseum which was her first professional West End show.

Arriving in America from Britain in 1958 she appeared in roles for most of the 1960s there, appearing on TV series including Bewitched, The Monkees, Perry Mason, and Here Come the Brides.

Her latter career was based in Australia, after having emigrated there in 1980, with roles in serials The Sullivans, two roles in Prisoner and a few telemovies.

Her final role was in Neighbours as Eileen Clarke - a role in which De Groot appeared onscreen in the United Kingdom for fifteen months after she had died due to the fact the show aired significantly far behind the Australian airdate.

Filmography

FILM Year Film Role Type 1976 The Park Terrace Murder Mrs. Robinson TV movie 1978 Angel Mine Nun Short film 1981 Air Hawk Recurring role: Aunt Ellie TV movie / TV pilot 1982 Norman Loves Rose Mother Feature film 1983 Zero Zero Guest role: Mother 210 TV movie

TELEVISION Year Film Role Type 1967 Bewitched Guest roles: Hazel Carter / Receptionist TV series, 2 episodes 1968 The Monkees Guest role: Mary Friar TV series, 1 episode Perry Mason TV series 1969 Here Come the Brides Guest role: Maude TV series, 1 episode 1974-75 Buck House Lead role: Mrs. Platt TV series, 14 episodes 1978 Fuller's Earth Regular role: Natalie TV series 1979 The Sullivans Recurring guest role: Laura Watkins TV series 1979, 1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 1980 Lucinda Brayford Guest role: Lady Susannah Crittenden TV miniseries, 1 episode 1980; 1984 Prisoner Recurring guest roles: Barbara Krantz / Sheila Hawkins TV series, 5 episodes 1982; 1983 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 1983; 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 1984 Special Squad Guest role: Grace Kiddell TV series, 1 episode 1984 Carson's Law Guest role: Mrs. Cameron TV series, 1 episode 1985 Palace of Dreams Recurring role: Sima TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1985 Barmitzvah Starring role TV drama 1985-88 Neighbours Recurring role: Eileen Clarke TV series, 167 episodes 1987 The Far Country Recurring role: District Nurse TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 In Between Guest role: Lil TV series, 1 episode

Theatre De Groot acted in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia in a variety of roles on stage:

Frome Here and There - Royal Court Theatre, London (1955) Mister Venus - Prince of Wales Theatre, London (1958) - as "Married woman" Ulysses in Nighttown - Arts Theatre, London (May 1959) - as Kitty Pieces of Eight - Apollo Theatre, London (September 1959) Seven Come Eleven - Upstairs at the Downstairs, New York (August 1962) Riverwind - Westport Country Playhouse, Wesport, CT (July 1966) Mame - Honolulu Concert Hall, HI (June 1968) - as Agnes Gooch Mame - San Bernardino, CA (November 1970) - as Agnes Gooch There's a Leek in your Hat - Mercury Theatre, Auckland (October 1972) Tarantara! taranatara! - Mercury Theatre, Auckland (February 1976) Viva Mexico - North Shore Operatic Society, Auckland (March 1977) Noel & Cole - The Blue Cockatoo, Sydney (1982) Torch Song Trilogy - Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney (1984) - as Mrs Beckoff Spookhouse - Playbox Theatre, Melbourne (1987) Nunsense - Comedy Theatre, Melbourne (1987) - as Sister Hubert

Personal life and death De Groot was Jewish.

De Groot died from cancer, aged 50 on 4 April 1988. De Groot had been undergoing treatment for eight weeks prior to her death.

Following her death, the Myra de Groot Foundation was established. De Groot had wanted the foundation to be established for the Peter McCallum Hospital, in a bid to encourage more doctors to specialise in cancer research.