Kate Fitzpatrick is an Australian television, film, and theatre actress.
Early life Fitzpatrick was born in Nedlands WA . The oldest of 5 children to an acknowledged exploration geologist father, and a celebrated artist/writer mother. She started school in Perth aged 4. When her father finished University they moved to Adelaide and she went to St Aloysius College, the same school her mother and grandmother had attended. She also studied ballet at Joanne Priest’s School. Her Adelaide grandmother had been an opera singer very briefly, and loved the ballet. Her grandfather, a doctor, was a cricket and movie fanatic who had permanent seats for every orchestral concert performed in Adelaide. From the age of 10 she was his theatre/cricket companion. At 14 she was chosen by the great painterJeffrey Smart (as Phidias in the ABC’s Argonauts) to be one of a group of students granted a travelling art scholarship to Japan. The ABC made a documentary about the trip.
Aged 15 her father was so annoyed with her exam results he sent her to be IQ tested for 4 days of the holidays. The psychologists suggested she do medicine and become a psychiatrist. At 18 she auditioned for NIDA and was accepted. She moved to Sydney, graduated and two years later returned to do the first third year course. She later converted her Diploma into an Arts Degree, and served two terms on the NIDA Board.National Library of Australia Archive
Career Fitzpatrick's stage roles include The Lady of the Camellias, Hamlet, Celluloid Heroes, The Ride Across Lake Constance, Shadows of Blood, Rooted, Kennedy's Children. With the Old Tote Theatre Company she acted in The Legend of King O'Malley, The Season at Sarsaparilla, The Misanthrope, The Threepenny Opera, and Big Toys by Patrick White, who wrote the play for Fitzpatrick. She appeared in Visions for the Paris Theatre Company, and in The Recruiting Officer for the Melbourne Theatre Company. She played Magenta in the original Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show in 1974. In 2017, she appeared in Cabaret as Fraülein Schneider. She most recently toured Australia in Gas Light.
Fitzpatrick's film roles included appearances in Homesdale (1971), The Office Picnic (1972), Promised Woman (1975), The Great Macarthy (1975), The Removalists (1975), The Night Nurse (1977), police drama Goodbye Paradise (1983), superhero film The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), A World Apart (1988) and action thriller Heaven's Burning (1997). In 2025, she appeared in Renny Harlin's film, Deep Water.
Her early television appearances included Serpent in the Rainbow, Birds in the Bush, Certain Women, Rush, Ben Hall, Boney, and Homicide. Further television credits included Something in the Air, Scooter: Secret Agent, Blue Heelers, Marshall Law, Always Greener and All Saints. In 2006, Fitzpatrick briefly joined the cast of soap opera Neighbours in the role of Loris Timmins. In 2009, she appeared in Packed to the Rafters in a reprising guest role. In 2010, Fitzpatrick did a short film called Stay Awake and also appeared in the drama series Satisfaction.
In 1983, Fitzpatrick became the world's first female cricketing commentator on television, when she joined the Nine Network cricket commentating team, a gamble by Channel Nine to add a more female approach to the game and attract a larger audience. Allegedly, Fitzpatrick was not welcomed with open arms by the (until then) male bastion of cricket commentators, according to Angela Pippos. Nine's tactical move, in placing a female in a cricket commentator role, was not successful and Fitzpatrick didn't return for the following season.
Fitzpatrick has also performed numerous voiceover roles, including television commercials for brands such as Aldi, Moderna, Uber Reserve and Mazda.
Fitzpatrick is a published author, essayist, and humourist whose work has appeared in numerous major newspapers and journals over the last 30 years, including a column in The Sydney Morning Herald in the 1980s.
She has had three books published, including "Name Dropping" (2004) and "Air Mail" (2005). She was a political speech writer during the 1990s, spending four years working for the NSW Arts Minister. She has also worked as a florist.
Fitzpatrick was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for services to the theatre. Artist Florence Broadhurst painted her portrait for the Archibald Prize in 1975.
Personal life Fitzpatrick has a son named Joe Fitzpatrick with French architect José Albertini. Joe, an Australian commercial real estate professional, is well known in Sydney social circles. Before her marriage, she had a two-year close relationship with Imran Khan.
In her memoir "Name Dropping: An Incomplete Memoir", Fitzpatrick also recounts having had romantic relationships with actors Sam Neill and Jeremy Irons. She lived with barrister Charles Waterstreet, between 1978 and 1982, whom she took to court in 1996 for 'deceit and breach of contract', but lost the case. She declined eight offers of marriage, including one from Australian politician Tom Hughes when she was 29.
Fitzpatrick's memoir cites friendships with playwright Patrick White, prominent legal figure Michael McHugh, theatre director Jim Sharman, English former cricket captain Mike Brearley and actor Jack Nicholson. She also details feuds with Robyn Nevin (for whom she was bridesmaid at her wedding to playwright, Jim McNeill), Barbara Hershey and feminist Germaine Greer.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1971HomesdaleMiss GreenoakShort film1972Shirley Thompson vs. the AliensNurseMara1975Promised WomanMargeAndreaKate Mason1976Summer of SecretsRachel Adams1979The AuditionRoslynShort film1980Gary's StorySecretaryShort film1982Goodbye ParadiseMrs. McCreadiePatty Patria1984Fantasy ManBetty Skin Deep Maggie Peters 1988June Abelson 1993The Nostradamus Kid'General Booth Enters Heaven' Strolling Player1997Heaven's BurningGloriaEmmerdale: The Dingles Down UnderSylvia GibsonVideo2010Stay AwakeMumShort film2017Serving JoySueShort film2020The RetreatSamShort film2026Deep WaterBecky
Television Year Title Role Notes 1967 Bellbird 1970 The Rovers Connie Episode: "My Millions for a Meal" 1970, 1973, 1976 Homicide Rachel Hayes-Manning / Chris Green / Bunny Rogers 3 episodes: "Peter's Party", "The Adventurer", "Bunny" 1970–1971, 1972 Division 4 Suzanne Potter / Elaine / Lorraine Hunt 3 episodes: "Marvels of Reproduction", "The Monkey Chased the Weasel", "Voice of the Gun" 1971 The Comedy Game Airy Fairy Episode: "Aunty Jack's Travelling Show"1972 Behind the Legend Nellie Melba Episode: "Nellie Melba" Redheap Hetty 3 episodes Birds in the Bush Michelle Main cast; 13 episodes The Aunty Jack Show Airy Fairy Episode: "Unaired Pilot: Aunty Jack's Travelling Show" Quartet 1973 Boney Constable Alice McGorr Main cast (Season 2); 13 episodes Serpent in the Rainbow Helen Quigg Miniseries; 4 episodes 1975 Certain Women Paula Coburn 1 episode1976 Luke's Kingdom Emily Episode: "The Dam and the Damned" The Bushranger Jane TV film The Haunting of Hewie Dowker TV film King's Men Episode: "1.9" 1978 The Night Nurse Prudence Simpson TV film 1979 Miss USA Pageant Miss Oregon USA (as Katie Fitzpatrick) TV special1980 Big Toys Teleplay Stages: Peter Brock and the C.I.C.T in Australia Presenter TV special Players to the Gallery Kate Harris Miniseries; 3 episodes 1981 Summer Spectrum Presenter 1982 Runaway Island Elene Costard TV film 1983 World Series Cricket Commentator 1983 Flashback Panelist 1984 Skin Deep Maggie Peters TV film 1984; 1985 Runaway Island Elene Costard 2 episodes 1985 The Perfectionist Su TV film1986 Call Me Mister Ingrid Episode: "Long Shot" The Three Musketeers Milady de Winter (voice) TV film 1988 The Last Resort Elizabeth Parker Main cast 1991 Chances Maggie Episode: "1.64" 1992 The Resting Place Myra TV film 1996 Twisted Tales Elizabeth Bishop Episode: "Directly from My Heart to You"1998 Murder Call Madeleine Gault Episode: "Many Unhappy Returns" House Gang Astra Episode: "Ambition" Bullpitt! Helga Hansen Episode: "Too Many Teds" 1998–1999 Ketchup: Cats Who Cook Madame Courgette (voice) 1998; 2008 All Saints Natasha Reece / Margaret Coolage 2 episodes: "Heart to Heart", "When Tomorrow Comes"1999 Dog's Head Bay Trish Fairweather Episode: "Fairweather Friends" The Lost World Garza Episode: "Creatures of the Dark" Mumbo Jumbo Dorothy TV film 2000–2002 Something in the Air Julia Rutherford Main cast; 320 episodes 2001 Blue Heelers Naomi Burke 2 episodes: "The Blame Game: Parts 1 & 2"2002 Marshall Law Susan 2 episodes: "Mother's Day", "The Samovar" Always Greener Chantal Wilkinson 3 episodes 2005 Scooter: Secret Agent Taipan Main cast; 26 episodes 2005–2006 Neighbours Loris Timmins Recurring; 25 episodes2006 Mortified Mayor Episode: "Mother in the Nude" H2O: Just Add Water Dr. Holt Episode: "Under the Weather" 2008Double the Fist Birgit Episode: "Fist Furniture" 2008–2009 Packed to the Rafters Marjorie Stevens Recurring (Seasons 1–2); 8 episodes2010 Satisfaction Fran Episode: "Non Standard Package" Cops L.A.C. Meg Sinclair 3 episodes 2012 Guess How Much I Love You: The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare Blue Bird / Narrator (voice) Episode: "1.1" 2014 Guess How Much I Love You: Autumn's Here Blue Bird / Narrator (voice) TV film 2015 Heidi Barble (voice) 2 episodes 2016 Rake Judith Episode: "4.2"
Video game Year Title Role Notes 2002 Ty The Tasmanian Tiger Shadow of the Ghost Bat (voice)
Theatre Year Title Role Company Ref. 1964 The Importance of Being Earnest Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1968 Hamlet STCSA 1969 Ghosts Regina Engstrand St Martins Theatre Company Melbourne 1970 The Legend of King O'Malley Jane St Theatre, Sydney with Old Tote Theatre Company1971 Hamlet on Ice Hamlet Nimrod, Sydney The Recruiting Officer Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC1972 Little Murders Old Tote Theatre, Sydney Shadows of Blood Nimrod, Sydney Rooted 1973 The Threepenny Opera Jenny Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Company 1974 The Rocky Horror Show Magenta / Usherette New Arts Cinema, Sydney with Harry M. Miller The Ride Across Lake ConstanceNimrod, Sydney1975 Ginge’s Last Stand Kennedy's Children The Importance of Being Earnest Gwendolen Fairfax Sydney Opera House with AETT 1976 The Season at Sarsaparilla Nola Boyle Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1977 Big Toys Mag 1978 The Misanthrope Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Bedroom Farce Susannah Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney with AETT, Sydney Visions Madame Lynch Paris Theatre, Sydney 1979 The Lady of the Camellias Marguerite Gautier, the courtesan Sydney Opera House with STC 1980 Britannicus Junie Seymour Centre, Sydney Macbeth STCSA 1981 Celluloid Heroes Maggie Murnane Theatre Royal Sydney 1983–1984 Insignificance Marilyn Monroe Playbox Theatre, Melbourne & interstate tour 1984 Unsuitable for Adults Playbox Theatre Company, Melbourne, NIDA Studio Theatre, Sydney Scapin Playbox Theatre Company, Melbourne, NIDA Studio Theatre, Sydney, Hoyts Prince Theatre, Hobart 1985 A Spring Song Margaret Dennison NIDA Studio Theatre, Sydney, Playbox Theatre Company, Melbourne 1991 Don Juan Don Juan Seymour Centre, Sydney 2002 Post Felicity Madeleine James Playbox, Melbourne 2003 The Fat Boy Hope Playbox, Melbourne for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2004 Julia 3 Julia Playbox, Melbourne 2014 Cruise Control Silky Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2017 Cabaret Fraülein Schneider Melbourne Athenaeum with Hayes Theatre Company 2024Gaslight Elizabeth Australian national tour with Queensland Theatre
Bibliography Year Title Publisher ISBN Ref. 1986 "Sydney" (with Bernard Hermann) Hawthorn, VIC: Hutchinson of Australia 9780091571900 2004 "Name Dropping: an Incomplete Memoir" Pymble, NSW: HarperCollins 0-7322-7468-0 2005 "Air Mail: Three Women Letters from Five Continents" John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd 1740311272
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