Colleen Anne Fitzpatrick

This article is about the Australian actress. For the American pop singer born Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick, see Vitamin C (singer).

Colleen Anne Fitzpatrick (5 January 1938 – 12 August 2017) was an Australian model, actress and filmmaker.

Colleen Anne Fitzpatrick
Born	(1938-01-05)5 January 1938 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died	12 August 2017(2017-08-12) (aged 79)
Occupation(s)	Model, actress, filmmaker
Spouse	Max Cullen (1973–1987)
Children	Katharine Cullen

Early life

Fitzpatrick was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and was of Irish descent. Fitzpatrick trained as an actor with American Hayes Gordon at The Ensemble Studios of Sydney's Ensemble Theatre. Later in life, she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Communications) majoring in film at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).

Career

Modelling

A prominent international catwalk, television and photographic model from 1959 to 1972, Fitzpatrick appeared in over 200 commercials, on countless magazine covers, and was contracted for various campaigns including Ford cars, becoming famous for her comedic flair working with the likes of John Cleese.

Theatre

She was a company member of The Sydney Theatre Company, formerly The Old Tote Theatre Company from 1972 to 1974 appearing in productions of King Lear, Threepenny Opera, Playboy of the Western World, Richard II, Macbeth and David Williamson's What If You Died Tomorrow? opening at the Sydney Opera House in 1973. Other theatre work included Pride and Prejudice, The House of Bernarda Alba, In the Boom Boom Room, Crimes of the Heart for the Ensemble Rep, When in Rome for the Ensemble Theatre, and 'night, Mother and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg for Belvoir St Theatre.

Film and television

Film and television work includes lead roles in The Pleasure Girls made in 1965 about a model finding herself swept up in swinging sixties London, Games for Parents and Other Children, A Girl's Own Story by Jane Campion, Rebel, starring Matt Dillon, the Bodyline (miniseries) as Don Bradman's mother, Police Rescue, 12 episodes of Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series) as the evil Jean Hopkins, Home and Away, Outbreak of Hostilities, The Four Minute Mile, A Country Practice, Whipping Boy and Soldier Soldier.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1965	The Pleasure Girls	Cobber	Feature film
1975	Games for Parents and Other Children		TV movie
1983	Outbreak of Hostilities	Barbara Benton	TV movie
1984	A Girl's Own Story by Jane Campion	Mother	Short film
1985	Rebel	Nosy neighbour's wife	Feature film
1996	Whipping Boy	Cass's mother	Feature film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Bodyline	Mrs Bradman	TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1985	A Country Practice	Mrs Kirby	TV series, 2 episodes
1986	Sons and Daughters	Jean Hopkins	TV series, 12 episodes
1988	Home and Away	Helen Patterson	TV series, 1 episode
1988	The Four Minute Mile	Elva Landy	TV miniseries
1992-93	Police Rescue	Fay McClintock	TV series, 2 episodes
1994	Heartbreak High	Bibi Taggart	TV series, 1 episode
1995	Soldier Soldier	Mary Jane Harvey	TV series, 1 episode

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	King Lear	Cordelia / Regan	Sydney Theatre Company
1973	Threepenny Opera		Sydney Opera House for Old Tote Theatre Company
1973	Playboy of the Western World		Sydney Opera House for Old Tote Theatre Company
1973	Richard II	Queen Isabel	Sydney Opera House for Old Tote Theatre Company
1973	What If You Died Tomorrow?		Sydney Opera House for Old Tote Theatre Company
1974	Macbeth		Sydney Opera House for Old Tote Theatre Company
	Pride and Prejudice		Ensemble Rep
	The House of Bernarda Alba		Ensemble Rep
	In the Boom Boom Room		Ensemble Rep
	Crimes of the Heart		Ensemble Rep
1976	Falling Apart		New Theatre, Sydney
1981	When in Rome	Margaret Reilly	Phillip Street Theatre & Ensemble Theatre
1990	The Compositor & Twenty Minutes With an Angel		Lookout Theatre
1992	'night, Mother		Belvoir St Theatre
	A Day in the Death of Joe Egg		Belvoir St Theatre

Personal life

Fitzpatrick was formerly married to actor Max Cullen from 1973 to 1987. Together they have one daughter, actress Katharine Cullen (born 9 June 1975), and a grandson William Richards (born 17 August 2013).

Fitzpatrick died peacefully on 12 August 2017 from Motor Neurone Disease.