# Peta Toppano

Peita Margaret Toppano (born 1952) known as Peta Toppano is a British-born Australian actress, singer and dancer. She is most widely known for her roles in television soap opera's including The Young Doctors as Dr. Gail Henderson, Prisoner, as Karen Travers, Return to Eden as Jilly Stewart, and briefly Home and Away as Helen Poulos.
Toppano was married to her Prisoner co-star Barry Quin who portrayed Dr. Greg Miller and subsequently TV executive and billionaire business mogul Kerry Stokes.

## Early life

Toppano was born in Finsbury Park, London, England in 1952, and grew up in Cammeray, New South Wales. The daughter of Enzo Toppano, a child performer and musician of Italian descent and Margaret Joan "Peggy" (nee Mortimer) (1927-2003), a vaudevillian, singer, dancer and actress, who also excelled as a composer and lyricist, they married in 1950. she has two younger brothers: Lorenzo and Dean. At 16 she won a ballet scholarship to study in Cannes, Southern France. She returned to Australia to study drama at the Ensemble Theatre under director Hayes Gordon.

## Career
### Television and film

Toppano's television credits include Lena in Piccolo Mondo for SBS, in Prisoner, as original character Karen Travers (a role created for her by producer/writer Reg Watson); in All the Rivers Run, as Eunice Pyke; and in Fields of Fire, as Gina Agostini. Other appearances include Heartbreak High as Stella on Network Ten and in Bordertown for ABC Television as Diomira.
She also appeared in A Country Practice, G.P., E Street and The Flying Doctors. She played Kate in the ABC miniseries The Paper Man with Oliver Tobias, John Bach and Rebecca Gilling (her co-star from Return to Eden), and starred with John Waters and Cybill Shepherd in the 1991 miniseries Which Way Home. Toppano played a recast Jilly Stewart in Return to Eden and starred in Home and Away as Helen Poulos.
Film credits include Seeing Red, Harbour Beat and Echoes of Paradise, directed by Phillip Noyce. Toppano was nominated for an AFI Award for her work in Street Hero, directed by Michael Pattinson with Vince Colosimo. Other nominations include The Sydney Theatre Critic's Award for her performance in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Toppano received two Logie nominations for her work in Fields of Fire as Gina Agostini, and Uke in Water Under the Bridge.

### Stage (drama and musicals)

Toppano she played Juanita in Sue Woolf’s multi-award-winning novel Leaning Towards Infinity in 1997, adapted for stage at the Ensemble Theatre.
While living in Perth, Toppano played Coral and later Gwen in Michael Gow’s Away, Ruth in Louis Nowra’s Così for the Black Swan Theatre Company and Blood Moon for Theatre West.
She starred in a one-woman play written by Heather Nimmo, directed by Leith Taylor called One Small Step. Toppano played Countess De Lage in The Women by Clare Boothe Luce with students from Theatre Nepean, directed by Mary-Ann Gifford.
She played Beth in Merrily We Roll Along for the Sydney Theatre Company.
Toppano played Fantine in Les Misérables for the Cameron Mackintosh organisation in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, Diana Morales in A Chorus Line for two years in Sydney and Melbourne. She played Sonia in They're Playing Our Song in the UK, and celebrated her 21st birthday in Godspell.
She played Claudia in the musical Nine, Eliza Doolittle (with Stuart Wagstaff) in My Fair Lady, Monica in I Love My Wife, Roberta in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and Leonarda in Love and Magic in Mama's Kitchen at the Belvoir St Theatre directed by Teresa Crea.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Program | Character | Notes |
| 1968 | Homicide | Marika Lucas | TV series |
| 1975 | Class of '75 | Gina Ferrari | TV series |
| 1976 | Rush | Drusilla | TV series |
| 1976 | Alvin Purple | Angelica | TV series |
| 1976 | King's Men | Policewoman | TV series |
| 1976 | The Outsiders | Sally Gower | TV series |
| 1976–1977 | The Young Doctors | Dr. Gail Henderson | TV series |
| 1979–1980 | Prisoner | Karen Travers | TV series |
| 1979 | The Franky Doyle Story | Karen Travers | TV series |
| 1979 | Skyways | Sister Theresa | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Water Under the Bridge | Uke | TV miniseries |
| 1981 | Sara Dane | Alison Barwell | TV miniseries |
| 1981 | Bellamy | Meredith | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | Holiday Island | Madeleine Powell | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1982 | M.P.S.I.B. | Lisa Hesse | TV series |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | Judith Taylor | TV series |
| 1985 | Return to Eden | Jilly Stewart | TV series |
| 1987 | The Flying Doctors | Carol Brett | TV series |
| 1987 | Fields of Fire II | Gina | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | Fields of Fire III | Gina | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | | TV series |
| 1989 | E Street | Miki Fallon | TV series |
| 1989 | G.P. | Anna Carrelli | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1989 | All the Rivers Run II | Eunice Pike | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | Kate Cromwell | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | Harbour Beat | Mrs. De Santos | |
| 1991 | Which Way Home | Annie | TV miniseries |
| 1991 | A Country Practice | Colleen Nicholls | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Six Pack | Lena | TV miniseries, episode: "Piccolo Mondo" |
| 1994 | The Feds: Seduction | Brandy | TV movie |
| 1994 | Heartbreak High | Stella Ioannou | TV series, 20 episodes |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Diomira | TV miniseries |
| 1998 | Never Tell Me Never | M.C. | TV film |
| 2000 | Above the Law | Mrs Giovanelli | TV series |
| 2000–09 | Home and Away | Helen Poulos | TV series |

### Television (as self)

| Year | Program | Character | Notes |
| 1970 | Bobby Limb's Sounds of the Seventies | Various | TV series |
| 1977-1978 | Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks | Panelist | TV series |
| 1977 | This Is Your Life: Enzo Toppano | Guest | TV series |
| 1980 | Celebrity Tattletales | Panelist | TV series |
| 1980; 1981 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1982 | Parkinson in Australia | Tribute to Cy Coleman | TV series |
| 1982 | The Don Lane Show | Herself | TV series |
| 1986 | Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten Telethon | Guest (with Return to Eden cast: Rebecca Gilling & Peter Cousens) | TV special |
| 1986 | Television: The First 30 Years | Herself | TV special |
| 1987 | Have a Go | Herself | TV series |
| 1988 | The Midday Show | Guest | TV series |
| 1989 | The Bert Newton Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | In Melbourne Today | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1990 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself ("Red Faces" segment) | TV series |
| 1991 | In Sydney Today | Herself | TV series |
| 1991 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Guest | TV series |
| 1996 | Midday | Herself | TV series |
| 1996 | This Is Your Life? | Herself | TV series |
| 1996 | Monday to Friday | Herself | TV series |
| 1997 | Good Morning Australia | Herself | TV series |
| 1999 | Laws | Guest | TV series |
| 2000 | Denise | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002 | 3–4 Ever | | |
| 2002 | The Best of Aussie Dramas | Herself | TV series |
| 2002 | The Best of Aussie Cop Shows | Herself | TV series |
| 2006 | Where Are They Now? | Guest (with Prisoner cast: Val Lehman, Amanda Muggleton, Carol Burns & Maggie Kirkpatrick) | TV series |
| 2009 | 9am with David & Kim | Guest (with Prisoner cast: Val Lehman & Amanda Muggleton) | TV series |
| 2016 | Studio 10 | Herself | TV series ( |

### Films

| Year | Film | Character | Director | Producer |
| 1984 | Street Hero | Vinnie's Mother | Michael Pattinson]] | Paul Dainty |
| 1986 | Echoes of Paradise (aka Shadows of the Peacock) | Judy | Phillip Noyce | Great Scott Productions |
| 1992 | Seeing Red | Vivian | | Goosey |
| 2008 | Footsteps in the Night (short film) | Mother | | |

### Theatre

| Year | Production | Role | Venue / Company |
| 1968 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Snow White | J. C. Williamson's |
| 1972 | Godspell | | Ken Brodziac Productions |
| 1976 | A Very Good Year | | |
| 1976 | Spats Back In Business at the Speakeasy | | Dinner theater |
| 1976 | In the Family Way | | |
| 1977–78 | A Chorus Line | Diana Morales | Sydney & Melbourne with Edgley International & J. C. Williamson's |
| 1980 | My Fair Lady | Eliza Doolittle | Delicado Production tour |
| 1982 | I Love My Wife | Monica | J. C. Williamson's |
| 1983 | They're Playing Our Song | Sonia | Canberra Theatre & UK tour |
| 1985 | You and the Night and the House Wine: the Party of a Lifetime | | Rose's Nightclub, Sydney |
| 1986–87 | Are You Lonesome Tonight? | Priscilla | Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Festival Theatre, Adelaide |
| 1987 | Danny and the Deep Blue Sea | Roberta | Globe Theatre, Sydney |
| 1987–88 | Nine | Claudia | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney with Nove Productions |
| 1990; 1991 | Love Letters | Melissa Gardner | Playhouse, Melbourne, TN Complex, Brisbane |
| 1990–91 | Les Misérables | Fantine | His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane with Cameron Mackintosh |
| 1991 | Love and Magic in Mamma's Kitchen | Leonarda | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 1992 | Away | Coral / Gwen | Hole in the Wall Theatre, Perth with STCWA |
| 1992; 1994 | One Small Step | Regina / various roles | Hole in the Wall Theatre, Perth with STCWA |
| 1993 | Blood Moon | | Sydney Opera House & Western Australia with Black Swan State Theatre Company & Theatre West |
| 1994 | Falsettos | | Sydney Opera House with STC for Sydney Festival |
| 1993 | The Girl's Gotta Eat | | |
| 1995 | Cosi | Ruth | Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 1996 | Merrily We Roll Along | Beth | University of Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1996 | Elegance | | Tilbury Hotel, Woolloomooloo |
| 1997 | The Women | Countess De Lage | Theatre Nepean |
| 1999 | Leaning Towards Infinity | Juanita | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2001 | The Women | | Q Theatre, Penrith with Railway Street Theatre Company |

## Footnotes

* 1 2 3 "Peta Toppano". National Film and Sound Archive.
* 1 2 Valerie Lawson. "Margaret Joan (Peggy) Toppano (1927-2003)". ANU.
* ↑ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps: Behind the Scenes of Australia's Best Loved TV Shows (2004): "Peta Toppano, once tagged as the nice girl, found herself typecast as a superbitch after screaming 'No!' so many times as Jilly."
* ↑ "Peta Toppano: Biography Archived 10 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine", petatoppano.com. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
* ↑ "AusStage".