Penny Cook

Penelope Cook (13 July 1957 – 26 December 2018) was an Australian actress, TV presenter and writer. In theatre she worked in various capacities including as a stage director, narrator, voice over, publicist and technician. Her most well-known role was as veterinarian Vicky Dean Bowen in the drama series, A Country Practice, and was one of the longest serving early actors in that series appearing from its inception in November 1981 until 1985, and 330 episodes, a role for which she won Logie Awards in 1984 and 1985. Her relationship and wedding in A Country Practice to Dr Simon Bowen, played by Grant Dodwell, became one of the highest rated and most popular storylines of that series. After a break from television for over two years, Cook returned in 1989 to play Dr Elly Fielding in a new Ten Network soap opera, E Street. This role had been especially created for her, and Cook remained in the series from 1989 to early 1991. She went on to a guest role in ABC's medical drama G.P..

From 1992 to 1996 Cook was a presenter on the Australian travel show The Great Outdoors. She appeared in the police drama Young Lions in 2002. From June 2007 until late 2010, she joined the cast of Australian soap opera Neighbours in the recurring role of Prue Brown, mother of Frazer Yeats (Ben Lawson) and Ringo Brown (Sam Clark). Cook also guest starred in episodes of All Saints in 2007 and 2008. In 2017, she played a supporting role in the ABC hospital drama Pulse. with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian tour of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, directed in Sydney by English director Sir Peter Hall.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Type 1987 Lay Off Narrator Film documentary 1988 The Dreaming Cathy Thornton Feature film 1993 Joh's Jury Penny TV movie 1995 Midnight Expresso Film short 2003 The Waltz May Film short 2018 The Merger Fran Barlow Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1979 Patrol Boat TV series, 1 episode 1979 The Restless Years Susie Denning TV series, 4 episodes 1979 Skyways Joanna Whicker TV series, 1 episode 1980 Spring & Fall Refuge Worker TV series, 1 episode 1980 The Young Doctors TV series 1981 Bellamy TV series, 1 episode 1981 Menotti TV series, 1 episode 1981-85; 1993 A Country Practice Vicky Dean / Vicky Bowen / Victoria 'Vicky' Dean TV series, 330 episodes 1982-1986 Channel 7 Perth Telethon Herself TV special 1985 Star Search Guest Judge TV series, 1 episode 1986 It's a Knockout Guest Referee TV series, 1 episode 1986 Password Herself TV series 1987 Coda Kate Martin TV movie 1987 Have a Go Guest Judge TV series, 4 episodes 1987 The Flying Doctors Susan Fowler TV series, 1 episode 1988 Swap Shop Herself TV series 1988 Life Education Television Appeal Herself TV special 1989-1991 E Street Dr. Elly Fielding TV series, 210 episodes 1989 Naked Under Capricorn Peggy Delaney TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1990 Hands Up for a Story Herself Training film 1990 TV Celebrity Dance Party Herself (singing "Another Done Somebody Wrong Song") TV special 1991 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Herself - Contestant with Bob Shearer, Paul Jennings & John Howard TV series, 1 episode 1991 G.P. Beth Paige TV series, 8 episodes 1991 Burke's Backyard Celebrity Gardener TV series, 1 episode 1991 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode 1991; 1993 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Guest TV series, 1 episode 1991 The Main Event Herself TV series, 1 episode 1991 'Til Ten Guest TV series, 1 episode 1992 The Morning Show Regular Presenter TV series 1992 What's Cooking? Guest TV series, 1 episode 1993 A Country Practice: The Final Night Dr. Vicky Bowen TV series, 1 episode 1993-1996 The Great Outdoors Presenter TV series 1993 Tonight Live Guest host TV series, 1 episode 1994 Midday with Derryn Hinch Herself TV series, 1 episode 1994; 1995 Denton Guest TV series, 2 episodes 1994-2000; 2005 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 8 episodes 1995 Funniest People Guest TV series, 3 episodes 1996 Ally and Doc Ally TV pilot 1996 Passion Presenter TV series 1997 Good News Week Guest TV series, 2 episodes 1997 Midday with Kerri-Anne Guest TV series, 2 episodes 1997 Today Guest TV series, 1 episode 1997 Cliptomaniacs Herself TV series 1998 FCTV Host TV series 1998 The Ten Out-Take Files Host TV series, 7 episodes 2002 Young Lions Chief Inspector Sharon Kostas TV series, 22 episodes 2003 Page to Screen Herself - Performance Director TV documentary 2003 This Is Your Life: The Australian Women's Weekly 70th Birthday Party Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 2005 Good Morning Australia Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 2006 The Book Club Book Reviewer TV series, 1 episode 2006 Where Are They Now? Herself TV series, 1 episode 2007-2008 All Saints Rhonda Goldman TV series, 5 episodes 2007 Neighbours Prue Brown TV series, 28 episodes 2010 Dance Academy Caroline TV series, 1 episode 2011 Laid Nun TV series, 1 episode 2014 Rake Alice Kendall TV series, 1 episode 2015 Heidi Grandmamma TV series, 2 episodes 2016 The Daily Edition Herself TV series, 1 episode 2016 The Morning Show Guest (with Benita Collings & Lex Marinos) TV series, 1 episode 2017 Pulse Carol Little TV series, 8 episodes