Maggie Millar
Maggie Millar is an Australian actress, artist and writer. She has a distinguished acting career in theatre and in radio and television, she is best known for her roles in television series including cult drama Prisoner as Marie Winter and Neighbours as Reverend Rosie, among many.
Early life and education
Millar was born in Strathfield, [New South Wales], Australia. She was an adopted child, though not aware of the fact until she was 17.After winning a scholarship to a small drama school in Sydney, Millar toured Australia with a professional theatre company. In 1961, she joined the English Old Vic Company when they toured Australia with Vivien Leigh.
Moving to London, England, Millar won a further scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.gaining the Gertrude Lawrence award in her graduation year. and the Erik Award for Best Actress in 1967.
Career
Television
Millar is best-known for playing tough, long-term inmate Prisoner characters – inmates|Marie Winter] in Prisoner, and Reverend List of [Neighbours characters introduced in 2002#Rosie Hoyland|Rosie Hoyland] in Neighbours.Millar started her career in Australia with appearances on the numerous Crawford Production police dramas including Hunter, Division 4 ''Matlock Police, and Cop Shop.
After several guesting roles, she was given the more long-term role as Dr. Georgia Moorhouse in the local ABC rural series Bellbird, and then as Elizabeth Bradley in The Sullivans.
She had guest roles also in A Country Practice, and Blue Heelers.
Millar won the 1976 Logie Award for Best Individual Performance by an Actress for Homicide episode "The Life and Times of Tina Kennedy". The same performance earned her the 1976 Sammy Award for Best Actress in a Single Television Performance.
The BBC reported in 2002 that more than 700 people backed a campaign to keep Millar's character Rosie Hoyland in Neighbours'' after producers announced the character was to be written out.
In addition to her TV work, Millar has been a part of many ABC Radio programmes.
She has worked in theatre productions including role with the Melbourne Theatre Company
Film
Millar appears in several Australian feature films. Her first, in 1977, was The Mango Tree, with Geraldine Fitzgerald and Robert Helpmann. Others include 1983 racehorse biopic Phar Lap, and 1988 film Evil Angels, the story of Lindy Chamberlain, starring Meryl Streep and Sam Neill.Television films include unconventional murder drama Pieta, and Nicole Kidman comedy The Bit Part.
Personal life
Millar has been married twice. Her first husband was from Germany. Together they had a son, Benjamin. After divorcing in 1976, Millar met theatre critic-turned-primary school teacher Ian Robinson, and they married in 1984.A 1981 magazine article reported that Millar at one stage quit showbusiness to work for Jigsaw – an organisation that aims to reunite natural parents with their adopted offspring – the organisation having enabled her to make contact with her own birth mother.
In 2000, Millar held a first art exhibition of her pastel works at Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne.
In 2001, Millar was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The diagnosis prompted her to approach writer and actor Alan Hopgood with a storyline about diabetes, which Hopgood turned into a play titled A Pill, A Pump and A Needle.
Millar was inducted into the Victorian [Honour Roll of Women] in 2007. Alongside her acting career, Millar's community and campaigning contributions were recognised. Her experience of being an adopted child led her in adult life to take an active part in a long campaign to change the law in Australia to give adoptees access to their birth records. She did volunteer work at a support system for young drug addicts, and she served for several years on advisory committees in NSW and Victoria with the aim of helping women experiencing difficulties with body image and ageing. Millar has published articles about issues connected with her community work.