Judith Ann Morris (born 17 February 1947) is an Australian character actress, as well as a film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 58 different television shows and films, starting her career as a child actress and appearing on screen until 1999, since then she has worked on film writing and directing, most recently for co-writing and co-directing a musical epic about the life of penguins in Antarctica which became Happy Feet, Australia's largest animated film project to date.

Early career Morris's first role came at the age of 10 when she was part of the cast of the television episode "Picture of the Magi" a Family Theater production which aired about 1957 on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the United States. She then performed in two other roles in the US, at the age of 10 on the Loretta Young Show, and in 1960, at the age of 13, on The Chevy Mystery Show hosted on that occasion by Vincent Price.

Career Returning to Australia, Morris's next role was not to come until she reached the age of 20 when, in 1967, she worked on the ABC television series, Bellbird. Impressing casting agents, she was cast in numerous well known television series, including seven episodes of Division 4, four episodes of Matlock Police and three episodes of Homicide, Over There (24 episodes) and Certain Women (26 episodes).

In 1970, she starred in the portmanteau film 3 to Go. During this time she also moved to more provocative (for its time) television, especially in the sexually charged series Alvin Purple, and then under the direction of Tim Burstall as Sybil the babysitter in Libido: The Child (one of four parts of a portmanteau film that showed various aspects of human sexuality). In her role, Morris awakens the sexuality of the boy that she is babysitting. For her part, Morris won the 1973 Australian Film Industry (AFI) Best Actress in a Lead Role. Morris then played the part of Sam in the 1978 movie In Search of Anna, before receiving top billing as the wife Jill Cowper in the 1979 black comedy The Plumber, which began its life as a small 6 week television series directed by Peter Weir, but following its success was produced as a DVD titled The Mad Plumber.

The 1980s brought further success. She starred in Maybe This Time (1980), Strata (1983), Phar Lap (1983) as Bea Davis, the wife of Phar Lap's owner David J. Davis, and played the part of Catherine Faulkner, the mother of the main character, Kat Stanton, (played by Nicole Kidman) in Bangkok Hilton (1989). In 1986 Morris was cast as Margaret 'Meg' Stenning in the miniseries The Last Frontier, which also starred Jason Robards as her father Edward Stenning, fellow Australian Jack Thompson as her brother, the black sheep of the family, Nick Stenning, and American actress Linda Evans as Kate Adamson-Hannon. During and after this work she also played the role of Liz Beare, the daughter-in-law of Maggie Beare (played by Ruth Cracknell) in the series Mother and Son, which ran from 1984 to 1994. She also starred as an American photographer in Ozploitation film Razorback.

Following this, she was cast in the role of Mrs Muggleton in eight episodes of Spellbinder (1995), amongst other work.

In 1996, she voiced Melba the Crocodile for the animated TV show Crocadoo.

Writing and directing Morris wrote and directed the comedy film Luigi's Ladies in 1989. She later teamed up with George Miller and Dick King-Smith to write Babe: Pig in the City in 1998.

She wrote an episode of Dinotopia in 2002, and then co-wrote Happy Feet (along with Warren Coleman, John Collee, and once again, George Miller). Happy Feet was the first Australian animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and for her part in writing it, Morris was nominated for an Annie Award.

She later wrote the screenplay for Fred Schepisi's 2011 film, The Eye of the Storm, based on the novel of the same title.

Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref 1973 Libido: The Child. Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role 1977 The Picture Show Man Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role 1980 Maybe This Time Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role 1986 The More Things Change Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role 2007 Happy Feet Annie Award Best Writing in an Animated Production 'Annie Awards' List of Award Nominees and Winners

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1968 Nights Out Lead role Film short 1968 Juke Box Lead role Film short19713 to GoJudySegment: "Judy" Feature film1972The Final ComedownFeature film (US)1973LibidoSybil / Nanny Feature film (Segment: The Child)1973Avengers of the ReefAirline hostessFeature film1974Between WarsDeborah TrenbowFeature film1975The Great MacarthyMiss RussellFeature film1975Scobie Malone (aka Murder at the Opera House)Helga BrandFeature film 1976 Dee Feature film 1977 Miss Lockhart Feature film 1978In Search of Anna Sam Feature film 1980...Maybe This Time Fran Feature film 1980 The Girl Who Met Simone de Beauvoir In Paris Lead role Film short 1982StrataMargaretFeature film (NZ) (aka Checkmate)1983Phar LapBea DavisFeature film1984RazorbackBeth WintersFeature film1985Niel Lynne (aka Best Enemies)PatriciaFeature film1985The More Things ChangeConnieFeature film1987Going SaneAinslee BrownFeature film 1987Resuscitation (aka You've Probably Saved His Life) Voice Film short1989Luigi's LadiesDirectorFeature film2008Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!HerselfFeature film documentary

Television Year Title Role Notes 1967 Bellbird TV series, recurring role 1968 Rita and Wally TV series, 1 episode 1969 Delta Girl TV series, 1 episode 1969 Australia, The Biggest Island in the World Herself Film documentary 1970 Stirring the Pool TV movie 1970 Mrs. Finnegan Receptionist TV series, 1 episode 1970 Bachelor Gaye TV series, regular role 1970 Barrier Reef Gail Smith TV series, 1 episode: "Sea Fever" 1970–1975 Division 4 Policewoman Kim Baker / Lynne Clark / Evie Morris / Helen Roche / Helen Ford / Judy Sutton / Liz Chandler / Sandra Morris (as Judith Morris) TV series, 10 episodes 1970–1971, 1974 Homicide Margaret Gillespie / Caroline Murray / Prue Fletcher TV series, 3 episodes: "Wheels", "Thursday's Child", "The Last Season" 1971 The Comedy Game TV series, 1 episode: "Arthur" 1971–1972; 1975 Matlock Police Jenny Fisher / Bel Harris / Sheila Kelly / Jill Thompson TV series, 4 episodes: "Early One Morning", "The Milk & Honey Man", "Cat & Mouse", "Baby Doll" 1971 Spyforce Jill TV series, 1 episode 1972 The Lady and the Law Marion Hall TV pilot 1972 The Spoiler Fancy TV series, 1 episode: "Catch as Catch Can" 1972; 1973 Boney Kathy Markham / Jill Madden TV series, 2 episodes: "Boney and the Claypan Mystery", "Boney and the Paroo Bikeman" 1972–1973 Over There Elizabeth Kirby TV series, 24 episodes 1973 Ryan Jan Taylor TV series, 1 episode: "The Little Piggy Went to Pieces" 1973–1974 Certain Women Marjorie Faber TV series, 26 episodes 1975 Cash and Company Mary Fincham TV series, 1 episode: "Dolly Mop" 1976 Luke's Kingdom Ellen TV miniseries, 1 episode: "The Land Lovers" 1976 Alvin Purple Sophie TV series, 1 episode: "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?" 1976Master of the World Voice TV movie 1976 The Outsiders Karen TV series, 1 episode: "Bad Dream Town" 1976 Mama's Gone A-Hunting Tessa Goodman TV movie 1977 The Dave Allen Show in Australia Various character roles TV series, 1 episode 1978 Lee Teleplay 1978 Cass Margo TV movie 1978 Heidi TV series, guest role 1979 Patrol Boat TV series, 1 episode 1979 The Plumber Jill Cowper TV movie 1979 Tickled Pink TV series, 1 episode 1979 Skyways Robyn Davies TV series, 12 episodes 1979 The First Christmas Voice TV short 1980 Ultraman 80 Aoyama Milly TV series, 1 episode: "The Beautiful Transfer Student" 1981 Trial By Marriage Mary TV series, 1 episode 1982 Spring & Fall Anne Lawrence TV series, 1 episode: "Jimmy Dancer" 1984–1994 Mother and Son Liz Beare TV series, 18 episodes 1985 Make It Your Business Herself Video documentary 1985 Colour in the Creek Ellen Fletcher TV miniseries, 10 episodes 1985 Time's Raging Lauren TV movie 1986 Meg Stenning TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 The Last of the Mohicans Voice TV movie 1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty Frances Eastwick TV miniseries, 5 episodes 1989 Bangkok Hilton Catherine Faulkner TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1991 Letters from Home Voice TV series 1991 Eggshells Kathy Rose TV series, 13 episodes 1992 The Other Side of Paradise Miss Sowerby TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1993 Crocadoo Melba (voice) Animated TV series, season 1 1994 Review Guest presenter TV series, 1 episode 1995 Spellbinder Mrs. Muggleton TV series, 9 episodes 1997 Heartbreak High Fiona TV series, 2 episodes: "6.37", "6.38" 1998 Twisted Tales Veronica TV film series, 1 episode: "The Test" 1998 Crocadoo II Melba (voice) Animated TV series, season 2 1999 Ballykissangel Laurie Woskett TV series, 1 episode: "Eureka"

Writing and directing Year Title Role Notes 1989 Luigi's Ladies Writer, director Feature film 1998 Babe: Pig in the City Writer Feature film 2002Dinotopia Writer TV series, episode: "The Matriarch" 2006 Happy Feet Writer, co-director, co-producer Animated feature film2008Meerkat Manor Writer TV series 2009 Legend Writer 2010 Before the Rain Writer Feature film 2011 The Eye of the Storm Writer Feature film 2011 Happy Feet Two Writer Feature film 2012 1st AACTA Awards Writer TV special 2013 Adoration Script editor Feature film 2013 Goddess Musical director Feature film 2021 Chasing Wonders Writer Feature film

References

External links

Information on Judy Morris