This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2015) |
Joyce Mary Jacobs (née Penn; 15 April 1922 – 15 September 2013) was an English-born Australian character actress, and comedienne who had a successful career on the small screen, in soap opera and serials, after emigrating there from her native England in 1962.
Joyce Jacobs | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joyce Mary Penn 15 April 1922 |
| Died | 15 September 2013 (aged 91) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1962–2000 |
| Known for | A Country Practice (TV series) as Esme Watson (Seven Network and Ten Network) |
| Notable work |
|
| Spouse | David Ian Hutchinson Jacobs (m. 1946/1947 - 2011; his death) |
Early life
editJacobs was born one of three siblings in Carshalton, Surrey, England to Leonard Watson Penn and Dora Elsie (née Ferrett) Penn.
She did not embark on a professional acting career until arriving in Australia in 1962.
Career
editDuring the 1970s, Jacobs played the small, recurring role of Mrs. Carson in Number 96 and Muriel Palmer on The Young Doctors.
Joyce is best known for her portrayals of elderly gossips. She appeared in serial Number 96 as a speaking extra, often referred to as Mrs. Carson or Daisy, and appeared briefly in The Young Doctors as Muriel Cover
She appeared in the short film, Heaven on the 4th Floor, in 1998 opposite Bunney Brooke. She appeared in a guest episode on G.P., in the 1986 TV movie Hector's Bunyip and made a guest appearance on All Saints in 2000.
A Country Practice (Seven Network)
editJacobs remains best known for her more permanent long running role on soap opera A Country Practice, as Esme Watson. In 1981, she appeared on the pilot episode of A Country Practice, as a character in the medical clinic called Norma, after which she returned to the series donning Edna Everage style glasses and playing Esme Watson on the long-running Seven Network series. She was originally a semi-regular, but became a regular, starting with Episode 99 in 1982. Having worked on the series for 12 years (805 episodes), she was one of the show's longest-serving actresses. She normally appeared on screen alongside fellow veteran actors Syd Heylen and Gordon Piper, although, unlike the latter actors who were written out of the series toward the end of its run on Network Seven to make way for a younger revamped cast, she was retained in the series.[1]
A Country Practice (Network Ten)
editIn 1994, Network Ten continued the series under the same title, but with a new setting and a mostly new cast. Jacobs, however, along with Joan Sydney (as matron) and Andrew Blackman as Dr. Harry Morrison, reprised her role of Esme Watson. The new version was not as successful as the original and was cancelled after 30 episodes.
Personal life
editAfter retirement, in an interview with the magazine Woman's Day in 2012 she revealed that he had been battling Parkinson's disease for 10 years. After her husband of 64 years, David Ian Hutchinson Jacobs, died in 2011, she resided in a rest home facility, Goodhew Gardens, Taren Point, where she celebrated her 90th birthday with fellow cast members.[2]
Jacobs died aged 91, on 21 September 2013.[3]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Today Tonight | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2006 | TV Turns 50: The Events That Stopped A Nation | Guest - Herself with 'A Country Practice' cast: Lorrae Desmond, Brian Wenzel, Joan Sydney, Shane Porteous, Anne Tenney, Josephine Mitchell & Emily Nichol | TV Special |
| 1998-2000 | All Saints | Mavis Davis | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | G.P. | Jean Oswald | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Sale of the Century: Battle of the TV Classics | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Coverstory | Vriendin Denise | 1 episode |
| 1994 | A Country Practice | Esme Watson | 29 episodes (Network 10) |
| 1981-1993 | A Country Practice | Esme Watson / Norma | 805 episodes (Seven Network) |
| 1981 | The Young Doctors | Muriel Palmer | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Number 96 | Mrs Carson | 1 episode |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Heaven on the 4th Floor | Joyce Williams | Short film |
| 1986 | Hector's Bunyip | Ivy Clements | TV movie |
References
edit- ^ "Keneally sworn in as state's first female premier". Herald Sun. Australia. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ Interview Archived 16 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, jocksjournal.com; accessed 22 March 2015.
- ^ "A Country Practice star Joyce Jacobs who played Esme Watson dies aged 91", Herald Sun, 17 September 2013; retrieved 17 September 2013.
External links
edit- Joyce Jacobs at IMDb
- Notice of death of actress Joyce Jacobs, article.wn.com; accessed 22 September 2015.
- Notice of death of Joyce Jacobs, news.com.au; accessed 22 September 2015.