Elspeth Ballantyne

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Elspeth Ballantyne
Born (1939-04-20) 20 April 1939
Adelaide, South Australia
Other names Elly Ballantyne.
Occupation Film and television actor
Spouse(s) Dennis Miller
Children 2

Elspeth Ballantyne (born 20 April 1939 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian actress known in theatre, film and television, she is perhaps best known for the role of the firm but compassionate prison officer Meg Jackson later Meg Morris in the international cult hit soap opera Prisoner, better known as Prisoner: Cell Block H in the USA and UK.

Career

Elspeth is the daughter of Colin Ballantyne, an Australian actor and playwright and head of the South Australian theatre company . Having started her career as a laboratory Technician with the Royal Adelaide Hospital, she then attended the prestigious drama school, the National Institute for Dramatic Arts. She went on to act in the rural soap opera, Bellbird, as librarian Lori Chandler screened on ABC.

Ballantyne subsequently played compassionate prison officer Meg Jackson in the soap opera, Prisoner. Ballantyne was the only actor to stay with the series for its entire eight-year run. She would later reprise her famous role of Meg in the original stage tour of Prisoner: Cell Block H – The Stage Play, which toured the UK in 1989.

In the early 1990s, she had a stint in Channel Ten soap opera, Neighbours, playing Cathy Alessi. She later appeared in feature films 'The Caterpillar Wish' as Mrs. Woodbridge, and in 'Moonlight & Magic' as a thrift shop owner Desma. In this latter film, she was reunited with former Prisoner co-stars Maxine Klibingaitis and Reylene Pearce. Ballantyne also appeared in the drama short, Twenty Five Cents, in 2007, and the short The Last Tupper in 2011 Ballantyne features as wheelchair bound bogan matriac, Maxine in the Boronia movies, Boronia Boys (2009) and 'Boronia Backpackers (2011).

Personal life

Ballantyne has two children from her marriage to actor Dennis Miller. She is the sister of film producer Jane Ballantyne.

Filmography

External links

Authority control
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