Angela Punch McGregor (born 21 January 1953) is an Australian stage and film actress.

Early life Punch McGregor fell in love with theatre, while acting in school plays from the age of 13. Her first role was as the 'Spoon' in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. She studied at Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting) in 1973.

Career Punch McGregor has starred in numerous television series including a regular role as Jane Potter in Class of '75 (1975). She played Ros Parrish (mother of series regulars Shane and Nick Parrish) in soap opera Home and Away from 1994 to 1995. Other roles included guest appearances in Rafferty's Rules (1988), crime series Halifax f.p. (1994), Fire (1995), medical drama All Saints (1998), police procedural series White Collar Blue (2002), drama Love My Way (2004–2005) and miniseries The Principal (2015).

Her film credits include The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1978) and Newsfront (1978), both of which won her AFI Awards. She also received AFI nominations for her roles in We of the Never Never (1982) and Annie's Coming Out (1984). She appeared in The Delinquents (1989) with Kylie Minogue, Spotswood (1991) opposite Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn and Russell Crowe, Tom White (2004) alongside Colin Friels and Savages Crossing (2010) with John Jarratt. She also appeared in the TV biopic Mary: The Making of a Princess (2015), about the courtship of Australian Mary Donaldson and Frederik X of Denmark (who at the time was Crown Prince).

Punch McGregor has also worked for most of Australia's major theatre companies, in plays including The Importance of Being Earnest (1975/1993), Othello (1976), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1985), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1987–1988), A Streetcar Named Desire (1988), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1991), Dial M For Murder (1991–1992), Long Day's Journey into Night (2004), Festen (2005) and Equus.

She played Juliet to Mel Gibson’s Romeo in a 1979 production of Romeo and Juliet, fresh off the heels of Gibson's success in Mad Max. In 2002, she played Miss Havisham in an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

In 1995, she was appearing in Nick Enright’s play Blackrock, when she fell ill. Her illness, combined with insecurity and burnout led her to take a hiatus from acting, during which time she studied a four-year course in natural medicine. For a year, she practised Orthomolecular medicine full-time and she still runs a clinic part-time from her home.

Punch McGregor was Lecturer in Acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts from 2006 to 2014. She also taught young people getting into the theatrical business at The HubStudio in Sydney. One of her classes was titled Angela Punch McGregor Master Class – Series 1.The Hub Studio AustraliaTheHubStudio; Angela Punch McGregor Master Class – Series 1

Personal life Punch McGregor is married to director and screenwriter Ross McGregor, who is also her former drama teacher. Together, they have a son.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1976 A Handful of Jelly Babies Film short1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Gilda Marshall Feature film Newsfront Fay Feature film 1979 D'Arcy Film short 1980 The Island Beth Feature film 1981 The Survivor Beth Feature film1982 The Best of Friends Melanie Feature film We of the Never Never Jeannie Gunn Feature film 1983 Double Deal Christine Sterling Feature film 1984 Annie's Coming Out Jessica Hathaway Feature film 1985 Double Sculls Edwina Larkin Feature film 1986 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Esmerelda (voice) TV movie (animated) 1988 Alterations Ann TV movie 1989 The Delinquents Mrs. Lovell Feature film 1991 Spotswood (aka The Efficiency Expert) Caroline Wallace Feature film 1995 Halifax f.p.: Lies of the Mind Anthea TV movie 1998 Terra Nova Margie Feature film 2000 Grace Film short 2003 Ash Wednesday Film short 2004 Tom White Irene Feature film 2010 Savages Crossing Sue Feature film 2015 Mary: The Making of a Princess Queen Margrethe TV movie2022 Violett Laura Feature film Y Film short

Television Year Title Role Type1975 Shannon's Mob Prostitute 1 episode Class of 75 Jane Potter 98 episodes 1976 Alvin Purple Lucy 1 episode 1978 Case for the Defence Ruth 1 episode 1979 Patrol Boat Sue Halloran 2 episodes 1980 The Timeless Land Ellen Miniseries, 7 episodes1986 Tusitala Fanny Stevenson Miniseries, 3 episodes Whose Baby? Gwen Morrison Miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 Rafferty's Rules Christine Stanton 1 episode 1994–1995 Home and Away Ros Parrish 20 episodes 1995 Law of the Land Angela Goodman TV series, 1 episode 1996 Fire Dr Prudence Eberhardt 4 episodes 2002 Bad Cop, Bad Cop Evelyn Bowers Miniseries, 1 episode2003 All Saints Carmen Shaw 6 episodes White Collar Blue Win Absolom 1 episode 2004–2005 Love My Way Angela Morris 4 episodes 2015 The Principal Sue Longworthy 3 episodes 2022–2024 Troppo Dr Val 10 episodes 2025 The Last Anniversary Connie 6 episodes

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Type1971 The Trial of Lucullus Queen NIDA, Sydney Hippolytus UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney You Can't Take It With You Rheba Miss Jairus Jane St Theatre, Sydney1972 A Country Girl UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney The Creation NIDA Theatre, Sydney The Serpent Woollahra Arts Centre, Bondi Junction, Sydney1973 The Playboy of the Western World Sydney Opera House The Clandestine Marriage Mrs Heidelberg NIDA, Sydney The Devils Soeur Jeanne Des Anges Cooper and Borges Severina Cordello Jane St Theatre, Sydney Oh, What a Lovely War! New South Wales tour1974 The Owl and the Pussy Cat Went to Sea Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney The Cradle of Hercules Sydney Opera House Collaborators Independent Theatre, Sydney Little Eyolf Miss Asta Allmers UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney1975 Hotel Paradiso UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney & Playhouse, Canberra Chez Nous UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney The Importance of Being Earnest Sydney Opera House1976 Othello Desdemona Princess Theatre, Launceston & Theatre Royal, Hobart Absurd Person Singular Theatre Royal, Hobart The Gift Stables Theatre & VCA, Melbourne Family Lore The Daughter, Wendy NSW tour1977 Camille Theatre 3 with Canberra Repertory Society Thark Kitty Stratton Genesian Theatre, Sydney The Father Betha UNSW NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney1979 Mother Courage and Her Children Yvette Pottier / Peasant Woman Jane St Theatre, Sydney As You Like It Rosalind 1979 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Octagon Theatre, Perth & Nimrod, Sydney 1980 The Bride of Gospel Place Lily Jane St Theatre, Sydney 1982 The Suicide Maria Podsekalnikov Nimrod, Sydney 1983 The Circle Elizabeth Theatre Royal, Sydney & Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1984 The Blind Giant is Dancing Rose Draper Sydney Opera House 1985 A Midsummer Night's Dream Seymour Centre, Sydney Joan of Arc at the Stake Joan of Arc Canberra Opera Society 1987–1988 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Marquis de Merteuil Seymour Centre, Sydney & Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 1988 A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney & Lyric Theatre, Brisbane 1990 The Odd Couple Florence Comedy Theatre, Melbourne & Majestic Cinemas, Sydney 1991 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Pearl Seymour Centre, Sydney 1991–1992 Dial M for Murder Marian St Theatre, Sydney & Playhouse, Adelaide1992 For Julia Gloria Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC Barmaids Belvoir, Sydney 1994 The Gift of the Gorgon Helen Damson Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC1995 Good Works Acton St Theatre, Canberra Blackrock Diane Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 1999 Love Thoughts Sydney Opera House2001 Up for Grabs Felicity Sydney Opera House, IMB Theatre, Wollongong, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne & Newcastle Civic Theatre with MTC Doctor Akar's Women Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2002 Great Expectations Miss Havisham Playhouse, Melbourne & Sydney Opera House with MTC 2002–2003 The Credeaux Canvas Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2003 Festen Else Sydney Opera House 2004 Long Day's Journey into Night Mary Tyrone Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth 2005 Old Times Anna Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2008 Far Away Aunt Harper Playhouse, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Company 2010 The Swimming Club Kate the Anthropologist Southbank Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth

As director/crew Year Title Role Type1993 The Grace of Mary Traverse Director NIDA Theatre The Importance of Being Earnest Director Theatre 3 with Canberra Repertory Society 2003 Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Director / Set Designer 2004 Communicating Doors Director / Set Designer 2012 Lost in Yonkers Director

Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Result1978 The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith AFI Award for Best Actress Newsfront AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1982 We of the Never Never AFI Award for Best Actress 1984 London Daily Telegraph Award for Actress of the Year Annie's Coming Out AFI Award for Best Actress 1998 Terra Nova AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2003 Great Expectations Helpmann Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

References

External links

Urban Cine File: The World of Film in Australia – on the Internet(Wayback Machine)