Joan Olive Bruce (; 29 February 1928 – 26 April 2014) was a British actress who appeared in theatre, radio, television and film.
Bruce was best known for her role in the television series Certain Women (1974-1977) and for voicing the Kangaroo in the children's animation live action film Dot and the Kangaroo (1977)
Biography Bruce was born as Joan Thompson in Surrey, England to George and Olive Thompson and took her stage name after her maternal grandmother.
She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, before launching her performance career in repertory theatre in northern England from 1948, after marrying first husband actor, director, stage manager and theatre entrepreneur Frank Baden-Powell. They immigrated the following year to Australia and toured Oceania with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in plays Separate Tables and Sleeping Prince, with her husband taking on the role of stage manager and Bruce acting.
After returning to Perth to give birth to her daughters, she appeared in plays The Anniversary, Entertaining Mr. Sloane and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Lauded for her performances, she was considered one of Perth's finest actors. In Adelaide she featured in the production of Patrick White's The Ham Funeral, and was awarded as actress of the year. Before taking the show to Sydney, she also was in the cast of Night on Bald Mountain, another play by Patrick White, before moving with her daughters to Sydney in 1968, and spending the next ten years working numerously including roles in The Entertainer, Travelling North, Heartbreak House, The Life and Times of Nicholas Appelby and Something Afoot.
Bruce was best known for her role in the television series Certain Women and for voicing the Kangaroo in the children's animation/live film Dot and the Kangaroo
She married her second husband Kenneth William in 1978, and subsequently appeared on television in guesting roles in series Chopper Squad and A Country Practice.
She retired in 1988 and died several weeks after her husband on the New South Wales Central Coast in April 2014, aged 86.
Filmography
Films YearTitleRoleType 1962 The Good Oil Role unknown TV film 1974 Lindsay's Boy Role unknown TV film 1976 Is There Anybody There? Jamie TV film 1977 Dot and the Kangaroo The Kangaroo / Mother (Voice) Feature animated film 1978 The Newman Shame Betty Newman TV film 1981 Film Continuity Herself - Performer Short documentary film 1982 Sarah and the Squirrel Voice Animated TV film 1982 Brothers Mrs. Williams Feature film, NZ 1987 The Facts of Life Down Under Mrs. Winters TV film (US/Australia)
TV series YearTitleRoleType 1967-1968 In Perth Tonight Presenter TV series 1971;1972 Homicide Marge Hayes / June Hutchinson TV series, 2 episodes 1972 Division 4 Mrs. Davies TV series, 1 episode 1972;1973 Matlock Police Gladys Turner / Betty TV series, 2 episodes 1973-1976 Certain Women Jane Stone TV series, 166 episodes 1976 The Emigrants Peggy Nicholls TV series (UK/Australia), 1 episode 1978 Glenview High Guest role TV series, 1 episode 1978 Chopper Squad Mrs. Hayle TV series, 1 episode: "A Dream Before Dying" 1979 Doctors Down Under Sister Cummings TV series, 8 episodes 1980 Cop Shop Mrs. Keen TV series, 1 episode 1980 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 1983 A Country Practice Daisy Hatfield TV series, 2 episodes 1987 Melba Mrs. Doyle TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 The True Believers Pattie Menzies TV miniseries, 7 episodes
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