Suzette Jones (born 10 April 1947) (known as Sue Jones) is a Welsh-born Australian actress best known for her television roles, in soap operas, sitcoms and telemovies, in particular for playing the regular roles of Pam Willis in Neighbours and Kathy Hall in Prisoner.
Career After a guest role in Division 4 in 1974, Jones had a role in Power Without Glory, a hugely successful 1976 serialised adaptation of the historical Frank Hardy novel. This was followed by a recurring role in period drama The Sullivans in 1977 and a role as one of the titular tea ladies in short-lived situation comedy The Tea Ladies the following year.
In 1979, Jones played the role of Eddie’s landlady, Joyce Smith in the Australian version of British sitcom Love Thy Neighbour. In 1980, she played the recurring role of Kathy Hall in Prisoner and appeared as mother Lindy Parkes in six-part ABC children's drama series Sam's Luck.
Jones' early film credits included Dead Man's Float (1980), Blood Money (1980), Emerging (1985) and Bachelor Girl (1987). In 1988, she appeared in the drama film Mullaway, alongside Nadine Garner and Bill Hunter, which saw her nominated for an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress.
After attending a screen test, Jones secured a main role in Neighbours, as Pam Willis, mother to Adam (Ian Williams), Gaby (Rachel Blakely), Brad (Scott Michaelson) and Cody (Amelia Frid / Peta Brady). She initially rejected the offer to appear in the series, as she was worried that she would be "selling her theatrical soul", but after losing a part in a play, she changed her mind. She played the role from 1990 to 1994, before returning briefly in 1996.
During her tenure on Neighbours, Jones also appeared in 1995 miniseries Correlli, playing Sister Pat Riley, opposite Hugh Jackman in an early role and Deborra-Lee Furness.
In 2001, Jones appeared in crime thriller feature film The Bank, with David Wenham and Anthony LaPaglia.
Jones appeared in the short film Piñata, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2009. She also performed the lead role of Holocaust survivor, Magda in 2011 short film Adam's Tallit.
From 2013 to 2014, Jones began playing the regular role of Tivolli family matriarch Rosa in two seasons of ABC drama series The Time of Our Lives, alongside Claudia Karvan and Justine Clarke. During the same time period, she had a recurring role in the ABC comedy series Upper Middle Bogan as Pat. In 2014, she also reprised her role as Pam Willis on Neighbours for a guest stint, and then again in 2016, after Pam's husband Doug (played by Terence Donovan) lost his life in an explosion.
In 2017, Jones had a small role in independent comedy film That's Not Me. The following year, she appeared in drama miniseries The Cry as Mrs Wilson, alongside Asher Keddie and Ewen Leslie. Jones then had a guest role as Bev, opposite Tim Minchin, in the second season of comedy drama series Upright, in 2019.
Jones' further television credits include roles in Bluey, Cop Shop, The Flying Doctors, G.P., Halifax f.p., Good Guys, Bad Guys, Blue Heelers, City Homicide, Stingers, SeaChange, MDA, Winners & Losers, The Librarians, Underbelly, Last Man Standing and Satisfaction.
Jones has also had an extensive career in theatre, beginning with a performance in a 1976 production of The Foursome for Melbourne Theatre Company. Later in her career, she appeared in Anthony Crowley's Shadow Passion at Chapel Off Chapel in September 2007, in which she played the role of Margaret. Throughout her career, she has also performed in productions for Playbox Theatre, La Mama and State Theatre Company of South Australia.
Awards and nominations YearWorkAwardCategoryResultRef. 1988 Mullaway Australian Film Institute Awards Best Supporting Actress 1996 Kid Stakes Green Room Awards Best Female Supporting Actor 2014 The Time of Our Lives Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Death of a Salesman Green Room Awards Life After George Green Room Awards
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleTypeRef. 1980 Blood Money Doctor Feature film short 1980 Nightmares Fay Feature film Dead Man's Float (aka Smuggler's Cove) Shirley Bell Feature film 1983 Break-in Jan Film short 1984 Opal: The Rainbow in the Rock Opal Film short 1986 The Humpty Dumpty Man Adele Shadlow Feature film 1987 Bachelor Girl Audrey Feature film 1988 Mull (aka Mullaway) Deborah Mullens Feature film 1993 My Forgotten Man (aka Flynn) Elsa Chauvel Feature film 2001 The Bank Bank Barrister Feature film 2007 The Bloody Sweet Hit Glenda Film short 2009 Pinata Jill Film short 2010 Adam's Tallit Magda Film short 2017 That's Not Me Virginia, a cinema patron Feature film 2021 Some Happy Day Sue Feature film
Television YearTitleRoleTypeRef. 1974 Division 4 Doctor 1 episode1976 Power Without Glory Bridget Miniseries, 4 episodes Bluey Night Nurse 1 episode 1977 The Sullivans Jenny 4 episodes 1978 The Tea Ladies Lead role 8 episodes1979 Love Thy Neighbour In Australia Joyce Smith 7 episodes Skyways Sue Bennett / Sandy 8 episodes 1979–1981 Cop Shop Karen Haywood / Virginia Royal / Bev Shields / Laura Coates / Nurse 6 episodes1980 Prisoner Kathy Hall 5 episodes Sam's Luck Lindy Parkes 6 episodes1981 Prisoner Sister Brookes 1 episode Holiday Island Susan Manton 1 episode Home Gaye Freeman 2 episodes 1984 Special Squad Nancy 1 episode1985 Emerging Haley Birchfield TV movie The Fast Lane Williams 1 episode1986 A Single Life Gynaecologist TV movie Neighbours Peggy O'Hara 1 episode Studio 86 Chris Faulkner Episode 6: "Many Are Called" 1987 The Far Country Betty Marshall Miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 The Flying Doctors Lorraine 1 episode1990 Col'n Carpenter Felicity 1 episode Skirts Actress 1 episode 1990–1995 Neighbours Pam Willis 327 episodes 1991 Boys From The Bush Daphne 1 episode 1994 Newlyweds Velda 1 episode1995 Halifax f.p. Nicki Onslow 1 episode Correlli Sister Pat Riley 10 episodes 1996 G.P. Beth Curtis 1 episode 1996–2001 Blue Heelers June Allenby / Jeanette Fleming / Janet Lennox 4 episodes1997 Good Guys Bad Guys Fay O'Malley 1 episode State Coroner Valerie Lowe 1 episode 1998 SeaChange Verna Miller 1 episode 1999–2003 Stingers Marilyn Harris / Judge / Alison Canning / Justice Balkin 5 episodes 2001 Something in the Air Judy 5 episodes2003 After The Deluge Landlady Miniseries, 1 episode MDA Magistrate Dianne Orchard 2 episodes2004 Stiff Woman Next Door TV movie Stories from the Golf Lorraine 1 episode 2005 Last Man Standing Gil Logan 5 episodes 2007 City Homicide Paulette Goddard 2 episodes 2008 Underbelly Medium 1 episode2009 Saved Claire Weston TV movie The Elephant Princess Isha 7 episodes2010 The Librarians Olwyn Slider 2 episodes The Librarians In Profile Herself 1 episode2011 Killing Time Helen Pritchet Miniseries, 1 episode Judith Lucy's Spiritual Journey Psychic (flashback) 1 episode 2012 Problems Claudia's Mum 1 episode 2013–2014 The Time of Our Lives Rosa 16 episodes 2013–2016 Upper Middle Bogan Pat 6 episodes 2015 The Beautiful Lie Mira Miniseries, 1 episode 2016 Winners & Losers Eileen Reeves 1 episode 2018 The Cry Mrs. Wilson Miniseries, 2 episodes 2019 Upright Bev 1 episode
Theatre Source:
As actor YearTitleRoleVenue / Co.Ref. 1976 The Foursome Victorian College of the Arts for MTC 1977 No Worries Joan La Mama, Melbourne Ravages: Heels Over Head / Dropping In Nilma / Edna Doctor in Love Mrs Tadwich Australian tour Blood Brothers Yesha La Mama, Melbourne 1978 How Are You Feeling? 1980 Pieties Hannah Vavaseur The Greatest Man on Earth Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Hoopla Theatre Foundation The Seagull Masha Monash University with Alexander Theatre Company 1981 The Two Headed Calf Mirabella / Hag Pram Factory Melbourne, University of Adelaide with APG A Night in the Arms of Raeleen Raeleen Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 1983 The Butterflies of Kalimantan Kathy Universal Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Pre-1986 Sorry Sold Out State Theatre Company of South Australia Pre-1986 The Perfectionist Pre-1986 Travelling North 1986 Some Night in Julia Creek Maggie Russell St Theatre Melbourne with MTC 1987 Wet and Dry Laura Shadowlands La Mama, Melbourne 1988 These Days Melbourne Athenaeum with Melbourne Ensemble Theatre 1995 Save Suvla Street Hilda La Mama, Melbourne 1996 Kid Stakes Emma Leech Playhouse, Melbourne, Gold Coast Arts Centre with MTC The Essentials Trades Hall, Melbourne with Zeal Theatre 1998 Macbeth VIC regional tour with MTC 2000 Elegy Susan Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Violet Inc Violet Death of a Salesman Linda Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC 2000–2001 Life After George Lindsay Australian tour with MTC 2003 God's Last Acre Christine Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox 2004 The Frail Man Jennifer Steel / Karen Mullen 2006 Sugar Mountain Cinema Nova, Melbourne 2007 Shadow Passion Margaret Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne 2010 Dead Man’s Cell Phone Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 2011 Don Parties On Jenny Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Theatre with MTC 2013 Other Desert Cities Silda Grauman Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 2014 Night on Bald Mountain Mrs Sibley Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne 2017 Minnie and Liraz Liraz Weinberg Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Geelong Arts Centre with MTC The House of Bernarda Alba Maria MTC Obsessive Behaviour in Small Spaces La Mama, Melbourne The One Day of the Year Monash University, Melbourne
As director/crew YearTitleRoleVenue / Co.Ref. 1980 Rites Director Wood St Theatre, Newcastle 1995 The Threepenny Opera Costume Designer Altona City Theatre, Melbourne 2009 Entanglement Director Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama Theatre 2010 Status Update Director La Mama, Melbourne for Melbourne Fringe Festival 2011 Strands Director La Mama, Melbourne
References
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