Judith Mary Stuart Farr (5 October 1938 – 30 June 2023), also credited as Judy Farr, was an Australian actress of theatre, film and television, with a career spanning some seven decades, she was best known locally for several situation comedy roles starting from the early 1960s to the early 1980s, in the early days of Australian television.
She later had small roles in the internationally successful drama series Please Like Me (2013) and A Place to Call Home (2013–2015).
Farr also appeared in Australian films such as Walking on Water, for which she won an AFI award and December Boys.
Early life
Farr was born in Cairns, Queensland in 1938, and was the first born child of Phyllis and Herbert 'Bert' Farr. Her father's death in Borneo during World War 2 prompted her mother to move the family to Bondi, Sydney, where Judi and her brother Michael, grew up by the beach in their grandmother’s unit.
At the age of nine Farr won an elocution competition, reciting William Shakespeare at Sydney Town Hall. She studied ballet for 10 years, quitting in her teen years. She attended Holy Cross School in Woollahra.
Farr enrolled in drama school for 3 months and soon after, joined The Colony Players, an amateur Sydney theatre group, and acted in satirical revues at the Phillip Street Theatre. At age 19, she had her lucky break at the Genesian Theatre in The Skin of Our Teeth.
Career Television Farr made her television debut in a 1962 live broadcast of The Taming of the Shrew on ABC TV.
Farr became well known for her role of Rita Stiller in the situation comedy My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? (1967–1968). She continued to play the character in that show's short-lived sequel series Rita and Wally in 1968.
Later she played a similarly high-profile regular role in a successful sitcom, portraying dizzy wife Thelma Bullpitt in Kingswood Country starting in 1980. She left the series in 1982, and in the script Thelma was sent off on a world cruise. She later sent word she would not be returning to her husband and Farr did not return to the series.
Aside from these roles Farr had a long and busy career acting in dramatic roles in film and theatre, and television. She had guest roles in drama series, television movies and miniseries. Television roles of the 1970s included guest spots on dramas including the Crawford Productions police shows, and a recurring role in soap opera Number 96 in 1974 and 1975, as April Bullock playing in comedy storylines. Later guest appearances include roles in A Country Practice, All Saints and CrashBurn.
Farr was also known for playing Aunt Peg in Please Like Me.
Film roles Her first film role was a brief appearance in They're a Weird Mob (1966). Later films include Fatty Finn (1980), The Year My Voice Broke (1987), Flirting (1991) and Oscar and Lucinda (1997). Her film and television roles of the 2000s include Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004) TV movie, The Alice (2004) TV movie, Thunderstruck (2004), Go Big (2004) TV movie, Walking on Water (2002) and Changi (2001) (miniseries).
Theatre work She toured nationally and internationally with Cloudstreet and has worked for all major theatre companies in productions which include Death of a Salesman, Lettice and Lovage (opposite June Salter) and Angels in America.
Honours and awards
Farr was awarded the 1992 Theatre Critics Award for her stage role in Women of Troy and was the winner of the 2002 AFI Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 2002 film Walking on Water.
She received a 2016 Sydney Theatre Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sydney Theatre Awards.
Farr was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "significant service to the performing arts as an actor" in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Personal life
In 1963, Farr married Derry Macgillicuddy, after meeting him while performing together in a Genesian Theatre production. The couple had three children – Sean, Sarah and Bridie.
Illness and death
Farr retired from the industry in 2015, after a cancer battle. She had been diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma in her parotid gland, during her time working on the A Place to Call Home. The operation to remove it resulted in unilateral facial disfigurement, which was cause for several reconstructive surgeries. Judi had a stroke in 2016.
Farr died of respiratory failure in Sydney on 30 June 2023 after a long illness, at the age of 84.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type 1962 The Taming of the Shrew TV movie 1962 Family Album TV movie 1964 Split Level TV movie 1966 They're a Weird Mob Telephonist in Hotel (uncredited) Feature film 1979 Dawn! New Resident Feature film 1979 Just Out of Reach Mother Feature film 1980 Fatty Finn Mrs. Hogan Feature film 1982 Dingle and the Dip TV movie 1984 Who Killed Hannah Jane? Hannah Jane Peden TV movie 1985 Brides of the Gods Narrator Film documentary 1986 For Love Alone Aunt Bea Feature film 1986 Double Sculls Eilen Bayliss TV movie 1987 Right From Day One Herself Training film 1987 Go For It Role unknown Short film 1987 The Year My Voice Broke Sheila Embling Feature film 1991 Flirting Sheila Embling Feature film 1995 Mother's Requiem Mother Short film 1996 Turning April Mother Feature film 1997 Oscar and Lucinda Mrs. Smith Feature film 2000 My Mother My Son Mother Short film 2002 Walking on Water Margaret Feature film 2003 Page to Stage Herself - Performance Director TV film documentary 2004 Thunderstruck Mrs. Jones Feature film 2004 Go Big Marion Katz TV movie 2004 The Alice Lee TV movie 2006 Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst Florence Broadhurst Feature film documentary 2006 Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America Mrs. Koppel TV movie 2007 December Boys Reverend Mother Feature film 2008 The Sound of Shadows Christina Short film
Television Year Title Role Type 1964–1965 Here's Dawn TV series 1966 The Interpretaris Alys - Computer TV miniseries, 6 episodes 1966–1968 My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? Rita Stiller TV series, 88 episodes 1968 Rita and Wally Rita Stiller TV series, 8 episodes 1970 The Link Men Anna Seberg TV series, episode 11: "Somebody's Kid Is Missing" 1970, 1971 Division 4 Lillian Walker / Trish Carstairs TV series, 2 episodes 1972 A Nice Day at the Office Christine TV series, 1 episode 1972 Matlock Police Jill TV series, 1 episode 1973 The Comedy Game TV series, 1 episode: "The Engagement Party" 1973 The Evil Touch Anne Sullivan TV series, episode 6: "A Game of Hearts" 1974 Mac and Merle TV series, regular role 1974 The Fourth Wish TV miniseries, 1 episode 1974–1975 Number 96 Alderman Mrs April Bullock TV series, 10 episodes 1975 Behind the Legend Harriet TV series, episode 5: "George Coppin" 1976 Alvin Purple Slater TV series, episode 4: "Hospitality" 1978 Father, Dear Father in Australia Aunty Tom TV series, episode 3: "The Floating Housekeeper" 1978 Tickled Pink Rachel Benson TV series, episode 2: "Relative Air Pollution" 1980–1982 Kingswood Country Thelma Bullpitt TV series, 59 episodes 1983 Scales of Justice Mary Miles TV miniseries, episode 2: "The Game" 1983 A Country Practice Faye Simpson TV series, 2 episodes 1983 Learned Friends TV series, 1 episode 1985 Double Sculls Ellen Bayliss TV film 1985 Winners Abbatoir Manager's Wife TV film series, 1 episode 1986 A Country Practice Norma Hammond TV series, 2 episodes 1986 Mother and Son Matron TV series, 1 episode 1987 Vietnam TV miniseries, 1 episode 1987 Melba Amy Davidson TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 Rafferty's Rules Rhonda White TV series, 1 episode 1988 Mike Willesee's Australians Ma (Mrs. Lyell) TV film series, episode 5: "Lottie Lyell" 1989 G.P. Joan TV series, 1 episode 1990 Come In Spinner Mrs. Gartred TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1991 Boys from the Bush Phyllis TV series, 1 episode 1991 A Country Practice Grace Mullens TV series, 1 episode 1991 E Street TV series, 1 episode 1994 G.P. Helen Kendall / Kathleen Sutton TV series, 2 episodes 1997 Medivac Arch's Mother TV series, 1 episode 1997 Murder Call Mrs. Parkins TV series, 1 episode 1999 All Saints Kathleen O'Hara TV series, 4 episodes 2000–2003 Grass Roots Janice Corniglio TV series, 18 episodes 2000 Stingers Aunty Jan TV series, 1 episode 2001 Changi Older Joyce TV miniseries, 1 episode 2001 Water Rats Liz Cunio TV series, 1 episode 2003 CrashBurn Marg TV series, 1 episode 2004 Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars Scarran Doctor TV miniseries, 2 episodes 2011; 2012 Laid Nan / Pearl TV series, 2 episodes 2012 Jack Irish: Bad Debts Mrs. Bishop TV film, 1 episode 2013 Please Like Me Aunty Peg TV series, 4 episodes 2013 Twentysomething Marie TV series, 1 episode 2013 Camp Dorothy Jessup TV series, 1 episode 2013–2015 A Place to Call Home Peg Moloney TV series, 7 episodes
Television (as self) Year Title Role Type 1960 The Mobil-Limb Show Herself TV series, 1 episode 1965 The Mavis Bramston Show Herself - Various characters TV series 1979; 1983 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 3 episodes 1991 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode 1994 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode 1994 The Mavis Bramston 30th Anniversary Special Herself TV special 1996, 2006 Where Are They Now? Herself TV series, 2 episodes 1998 Denise Guest TV series, 1 episode 2007 Good As Gold! Herself TV series, 1 episode
Theatre
As actor