Carole Skinner (born 8 May 1944) is an Australian retired actress, particularly known for her performances in theatre and television, although she has had small parts in films. She is perhaps best known internationally for her soap opera roles as Nola McKenzie in the soap opera, Prisoner, and Sons and Daughters, as Doris Hudson, as well as miniseries, The Harp in the South, and its sequel, Poor Man's Orange, as Delie Stock.
Biography
Early career Skinner began her acting career in 1966, and first rose to prominence as an established theatre performer. Her performance as Olive in a production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll for the Melbourne Theatre Company in 1977 was met with high regard.
She became well known for her screen roles, particularly in television, making her debut in 1971, when she made a guest appearance in the Australian series, Dynasty, (not related to the American series of the same title) before going on to play a regular in Lane End (a spin-off series to the serial, Bellbird), and further guest roles in Certain Women, The Evil Touch, Ryan, Behind the Legend, and The Young Doctors.
Television soap opera Prisoner, Sons and Daughters and Neighbours Skinner became best known locally and internationally for her six-month stint as Nola McKenzie in the Network 10 soap opera, Prisoner (known outside of Australia as Prisoner: Cell Block H), during its fifth season in 1983. She later admitted that it was her choice to leave the series after producers offered to extend her contract to continue playing Nola. The character was killed-off in one of the series most iconic scenes, when she was shot in the forehead with a zip gun. This was followed by guest roles in soap operas and drama series', including Sons and Daughters, as Doris Hudson, a house-keeper obsessed with her boss, in which she attempted to smother toddler Robert Palmer in the series' 1985 season cliffhanger episode, as Laura Dennison in Neighbours in 1986, and briefly appearances in The Flying Doctors and A Country Practice.
Miniseries and later roles She is also known for her role as Delie Stock in the miniseries, The Harp in the South, based on the novel by Ruth Park, and the sequel miniseries, Poor Man's Orange, also based on Park's second novel of the same name.
She continued to appear in high-profile drama series', including, two different roles in the Seven Network soap opera, Home and Away, as Mary O'Brien during the show's eighth season in 1995, and as Annie Matthews in the twelfth season in 1999, E Street, Minder (when episodes were filmed in Australia), Murder Call, All Saints, and McLeod's Daughters.
Film appearances Skinner is also a credited film actress, having appeared in several minor roles, including, her feature debut in the sex comedy, Alvin Purple, which spawned two sequels, and a short-lived television series. She continued with roles during the 1970s, in Eliza Frazer, co-starring with Susannah York and John Waters, and the critically acclaimed, My Brilliant Career, with Judy Davis and Sam Neill, before going on to appear in films, such as, Heatwave, Monkey Grip, Goodbye Paradise, The Umbrella Woman, Howling III, the second sequel to the classic 1981 film, and the 2001 blockbuster, Moulin Rouge! starring Nicole Kidman.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Maybe Tomorrow TV movie 1973 Alvin Purple Mother Superior Feature film 1974 Parent Teacher Interviews Parent Short film (segment: "A Stranger") 1976 Eliza Fraser Mrs. Shortland Feature film 1979 My Brilliant Career Mrs. McSwatt Feature film 1980 Going Home Molly TV movie 1982 Deadline Sybil TV movie 1982 Heatwave Mary Ford Feature film 1982 Monkey Grip Waitress Feature film 1982 The Mystery at Castle House Aunt Josephine Feature film 1982 A Most Attractive Man Frances Short film 1982 Goodbye Paradise Landlady Feature film 1983 The Weekly's War Nurse TV movie 1984 On the Loose Mrs. Jones Feature film 1985 After Hours Mother Short film 1987 The Umbrella Woman Mrs. Gibson Feature film 1987 Howling III: The Marsupials Yara Feature film 1991 Gotcha Wilma Short film 1993 Don't Touch Wood! Scott's Mum Film (developed by ANZ Bank and Small Business Victoria) 1994 Unacceptable Behaviour Angela Short film 1995 Napoleon The Cat Feature film 1996 Passion Short play 1996 Whipping Boy Sex Store Wife TV movie 1998 Never Tell Me Never Dusty TV movie 2001 Moulin Rouge! Landlady Feature film 2002 Hetty Hetty Short film 2008 The View from Greenhaven Bonny Feature film
Television Year Title Role Notes 1971 Dynasty Mavis Patterson TV series, S2E13 1972 Lane End Peggy Dunlop TV series, 7 episodes 1973 Certain Women TV series 1973; 1974 The Evil Touch Hortense / Madge TV series, S1E4 & S1E18 1974 Ryan Jane Moore TV series, S1E31 1975 Behind the Legend TV series, S3E10 1979 Ray Lawler's The Doll Trilogy Other Times Kid Stakes Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Olive Leech TV production (filmed 1977) 1980 Trial By Marriage TV series 1980 Spring & Fall Jamie's Mother TV series, S1E6 1980 The Young Doctors Dr Judith Ann Napier TV series, episodes 846-878 1983 Prisoner Nola McKenzie TV series, S5, 40 episodes 1984 The Cowra Breakout Mrs. Davidson Miniseries 1985–1986 Sons and Daughters Doris Hudson TV series, S4–5, 14 episodes 1986 A Fortunate Life Shalagh Phillips Miniseries, 1 episode 1986 The Flying Doctors Joan Morgan TV series, S1E20 1986 Neighbours Laura Dennison TV series, S2, 19 episodes 1987 The Harp in the South Delie Stock Miniseries, 3 episodes 1987 Poor Man's Orange Delie Stock Miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 A Country Practice Jean Brown TV series, S7E59–60 1990 G.P. Pat Kennedy TV series, S2E36: "Crossover" 1992 E Street Cathy Norman TV series, 1 episode 1993 Minder Mary Maguire TV series, S9E13 1993 A Country Practice Betty Birchgrove TV series, S13E65–66 1995 Home and Away Mary O'Brien TV series, S8, 6 episodes 1998 Murder Call Mickey Lane TV series, S2E10–11: Deadline (parts 1 & 2) 1999 Home and Away Annie Matthews TV series, S12, 9 episodes 1999 All Saints Sandra Gillespie TV series, S2E40 2000 Bondi Banquet Judy Trembath TV series 2002 Don't Blame Me Weird Wanda TV series, S1E5 & 15 2003 White Collar Blue Mrs. Simms TV series, S1E6 2006 HeadLand Supervisor TV series, 3 episodes 2009 McLeod's Daughters Helga TV series, S8E14 2015 Catching Milat Margaret Milat Miniseries
Television (as self) Year Title Role Notes 1995 At Home Guest TV series, 1 episode 1996 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode
Theatre