# Julie Forsyth

Julie Forsyth is an Australian actress best known for her stage performances, and as Lotis, the talking lift from Lift Off.

## Early life

In 1976, Forsyth left home to attend Monash University in Melbourne. She enrolled to do a BA with the intention of going on to study education and become a teacher of French and English. After watching student plays however, she auditioned and was cast in Brecht’s A Man’s a Man.
Forsyth started going to see shows at the Pram Factory, and after auditioning, was cast in the one-woman show A Banquet of Vipers. When the Pram Factory closed its doors a year later, she became a member of the Australian Nouveau Theatre in 1981, and decided not to continue her university studies.

## Career

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Forsythe worked closely with director Jean Pierre Mignon at the Anthill theatre company in Melbourne. Her solo performance as a schoolboy in Kids' Stuff for Anthill, (first performed in 1984), toured Australia and festivals in Europe and Singapore.
Her more recent work at Belvoir, Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre and other major Australian theatre companies has included roles in Patrick White’s The Ham Funeral and Night on Bald Mountain, Eugène Ionesco’s Exit the King, the stage adaptation of Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, and Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days and Endgame.
Forsyth has also appeared in many tv series and films. In 2010, she appeared in Dead Gorgeous in the main role as Haiwyn Sinclaire (a.k.a. Miss Sinclair). In 2013 she appeared in an episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (S2:E2), "Death Comes Knocking". More recently she appeared in the miniseries Joe vs Carole, based on Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin from the hit documentary Tiger King.
She co-starred alongside Paul Chubb in Stan and George's New Life as George (1992). More recently, she appeared in Academy Award-winning film The Power of the Dog (2021).
She has received multiple awards, including the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award and Helpmann Awards as both leading and supporting female actor in a play.

## Acting credits
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1984 | Strikebound | Women’s Auxilary | Feature film |
| 1987 | Feathers | Olila | Feature film |
| 1988 | Pleasure Domes | Voiceover | Feature film |
| 1990 | Catch of the Day | Jane | Animated short film |
| 1990 | Aya | Mandy | Feature film |
| 1992 | Stan and George's New Life | George | Feature film |
| 1994 | Babe | Sheep (voice) | Feature film |
| 1994 | Trapped | Lead | Short film |
| 1995 | What I Have Written | Doctor | Feature film |
| 1996 | Caleopy's Lorikeet | Laurie | Feature film |
| 1996 | The Sound of One Hand Clapping | Mrs Heaney | Feature film |
| 1998 | Edithvale | Edith | Feature film |
| 2003 | Harvie Krumpet | Lilliana Krumpetzki / Baby Harvie / Church singer | Animated short film |
| 2004 | Tom White | Tania | Feature film |
| 2006 | Three Dollars | Tailor. | Feature film |
| 2007 | Romulus, My Father | Nurse | Feature film |
| 2009 | Piñata | Funeral Director. | Short film |
| 2009 | Mary and Max | Additional voices | Animated feature film |
| 2010 | Seamstress | Enid | Feature film |
| 2012 | Kath & Kimderella | Queen Christina | Feature film |
| 2015 | Holding the Man | Aunty Gae | Feature film |
| 2021 | The Power of the Dog | Mrs Mueller | Feature film |
| 2023 | Foe | Junior’s Mum | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1990 | One Summer Again | Annie McCubbin | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | Waterfront | Miss Hipple | TV miniseries |
| 1991–94 | Lift Off | Lotis (voice) | TV series |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Yvonne | TV miniseries |
| 1995 | Gettin' On | Prue | TV series |
| 1995–96 | Mercury | Tess MacDonald | TV series |
| 1996 | Hospital | Narrator | Documentary |
| 1997 | Li'l Monsters | Morbidda | |
| 1998 | Small Tales & True | Sara Donovan | |
| 2000 | Eugénie Sandler P.I. | Desk Officer | TV series |
| 2003 | Fat Cow Motel | Penny | TV series |
| 2003 | Kath & Kim | Sheila | TV series, season 2 |
| 2003 | MDA | Karen Rees | TV series |
| 2004 | The Brush Off | Bernice Kaufman | TV movie |
| 2007 | Real Stories | Janice | TV series |
| 2010 | Dead Gorgeous | Haiwyn Sinclaire | TV series |
| 2012 | Winners & Losers | Mrs Judy Faine | TV series |
| 2013 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Mrs Bolkonsky | TV series, season 2, episode 2: "Death Comes Knocking" |
| 2014 | Wentworth | Lorraine Evelyn | TV series, season 2 |
| 2021 | Joe vs. Carole | Anne McQueen | TV miniseries |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1980 | Banquet of Vipers | | Pram Factory, Melbourne, Parks Community Centre for Adelaide Festival |
| 1981 | Quick Death to Infinity | The Woman | La Mama, Melbourne, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart, Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1981 | Pour en Finir avec le Jugement de Dieu (aka To Have Done with the Judgment of God) | | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1981 | Exiles | Mrs Gower | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1982 | Ruins | The Old Woman | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1982 | The Hamletmachine | MC | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1982 | The White Door | Solo performance | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1982 | The Condemned of Altona | Leni | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1982 | The Stranger in the House | The Mother | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1983 | Tartuffe | Dorine | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1983 | Slow Love | | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1983 | Tengul | | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1983 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1984 | Don Juan | Charlotte | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, St. Vincent de Paul's Girls' Orphanage, Melbourne |
| 1984 | Romeo and Juliet | | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1984 | The Time Is Not Yet Ripe | Lady Pillsbury | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1984; 1985; 1987; 1988; 1989 | Kids' Stuff | Schoolboy | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Brown's Mart Theatre, Darwin, Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide Festival, Donmar Warehouse, London, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, Singapore Festival, Aarhus Denmark & Tasmania |
| 1985 | The Misanthrope | Celimene | Anthill Theatre, Wharf Theatre with STC |
| 1985 | Macbeth | Lasy Macbeth | Warehouse, South Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre |
| 1987 | The Cherry Orchard | Madame Ranevskaya | Anthill Theatre |
| 1987 | Uncle Vanya | Sonia | Anthill Theatre |
| 1987 | The Thief / The Drought | | Anthill Theatre |
| 1987 | An Ordinary Dream about a Journey North | | Anthill Theatre |
| 1987 | Three Sisters | Olga | Anthill Theatre |
| 1988 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Olive | Melbourne Athenaeum, SLF Auditorium / Singapore Festival of the Arts |
| 1989–90 | The Imaginary Invalid | Toinette | New Fortune Theatre for Perth Festival, Anthill Theatre, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Armoury Lawns, Adelaide |
| 1989 | Joan of Arc at the Stake | | Melbourne Concert Hall |
| 1989 | Happy Days | Winnie | Anthill Theatre |
| 1990–91 | The Wooden Child | Voiceover artist | Castlemaine Library Hall, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House |
| 1990 | Peer Gynt | | Universal Theatre |
| 1991 | In the Cold Cold Morning Light | Bebe | Anthill Theatre |
| 1991 | Endgame | | Anthill Theatre for Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
| 1991 | The Marriage of Figaro | Suzanne | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1992 | The Crimson Island | Metelkin / Passepartout / Parrot | Royalty Theatre, Adelaide with Anthill Theatre for Adelaide Festival |
| 1992 | The Chairs | | Anthill Theatre |
| 1992 | Life is a Dream | | Gasworks Theatre for Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 1992 | The School for Wives | Georgette | Gasworks Theatre |
| 1993 | The Stranger in the House | The Mother | Anthill Theatre |
| 1993 | Mother Courage and her Children | Mother Courage | Gasworks Theatre |
| 1993 | The Force of Habit | | Gasworks Theatre |
| 1993 | Kids' Stuff | | Victorian regional tour & Gasworks Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1995 | The Ham Funeral | Mrs Lusty | Budinskis Theatre of Exile, Melbourne |
| 1995 | Shorts Programme 1: Ned / The Flying Doctor / The Bear / Out at Sea | | Fairfax Studio with MTC |
| 1995 | Shorts Programme 2: This Property is Condemned / Love / Family Running For Mr Whippy / Like Whiskey on the Breath of a Drunk You Love | | Fairfax Studio with MTC |
| 1995–96 | Daze of Our Lives | Housewife | Fairfax Studio, Glen Street Theatre, Space Theatre, Adelaide with Handspan Theatre |
| 1996 | A Cheery Soul | Mrs Watmuff / Little Girl #2 | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1997 | The Comedy of Errors | Courtesan | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1997 | After Magritte and The Real Inspector Hound | Mother / Felicity | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1997 | Mr September | | Old Courthouse Building, Geelong with Back to Back Theatre Company |
| 1998 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | Grusha | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 1998-99 | Cloudstreet | Red Lamb / various roles | Berth 9, Darling Harbour, Sydney with Company B Belvoir for Sydney Festival, Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, Malthouse Theatre, Black Swan Theatre Company for Perth Festival, Zurich, London, Dublin |
| 2000 | The Chairs | Old Woman | Fairfax Studio with MTC |
| 2000 | The Ham Funeral | The Landlady | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2000 | The Small Poppies | Mrs Walsh | The Butter Factory Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival, Belvoir Street Theatre for Sydney Festival, Dublin Festival |
| 2001 | Man the Balloon | Mayor Flummery / Dr Hindenburg | Fairfax Studio with MTC |
| 2001 | The Tempest | Trinculo | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC for Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 2001 | The Old Masters | Dorotea Fromm | Wharf Theatre with STC |
| 2002 | Great Expectations | Mrs Jo / Miss Skiffins / various roles | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC, Sydney Opera House]] with STC |
| 2003 | The Visit | Ottolie Schill / Frau Siementhofer | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2003 | Babes in the Wood | Boingle | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox, Melbourne |
| 2004 | The Miser | Froisine | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 2005 | A Journal of the Plague Year | Worgret | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2005 | The Ham Funeral | Landlady | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2005 | The Metamorphosis | Mrs Samsa | Wharf Theatre, Malthouse Theatre with STC |
| 2006; 2008 | Babes in the Wood | Boingle | Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House |
| 2007 | Exit the King | Juliette | Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2007 | The Madwoman of Chaillot | Mademoiselle Gabrielle | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2007 | Dimboola | Florence Delaney | Malthouse Theatre (Rehearsed Reading) |
| 2008 | Moving Target | Ensemble | Odeon Theatre, Norwood, Malthouse Theatre with Adelaide Festival |
| 2009 | Happy Days | Winnie | Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 2010 | Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman | Elizabeth | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2009; 2012–13 | The Book of Everything | Mrs Van Amersfoort | Belvoir Street Theatre, Seymour Centre, New Victory Theater, New York with MTC |
| 2011 | Return to Earth | Wendy Waster | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2013 | Phèdre | Oenone | Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2013 | Romeo and Juliet | Nurse | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 2014 | Private Lives | Louise | Southbank Theatre with MTC |
| 2014 | Night on Bald Mountain | Miss Quodling | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2014 | The Dream | Puck | Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2015 | The Unknown Man on Somerton Beach | | VCA Art Courtyard with MTC |
| 2015 | Endgame | Nell | Southbank Theatre with MTC |
| 2015 | Frogs Cry Wolf | | MTC |
| 2016 | ‘O’ The Play | All Roles | Big hART |
| 2015–17 | The Popular Mechanicals | Robin Starveling | Space Theatre, Adelaide & SA regional tour with STCSA, Wharf Theatre with STC, Canberra Theatre Centre |
| 2017 | The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man | Ensemble | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2018 | The House of Bernarda Alba | Penelope | Arts Centre Melbourne with MTC |
| 2018 | Accidental Death of an Anarchist | Inspector Bertozzo | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 2018 | Bottomless | Judith / various drunks | Fortyfivedownstairs |
| 2019 | Escaped Alone | Mrs Jarrett | Red Stitch Actors Theatre |
| 2020 | Do Not Go Gentle... | | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2024 | The President | Mrs Frolick | The Gate Theatre with STC |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
| 1993 | Kids’ Stuff | Green Room Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| 1999 | Cloudstreet | Green Room Awards | Best Ensemble Playing by a Cast of Actors | Won |
| 2000 | The Chairs | Green Room Awards | Female Actor in a Lead Role | Nominated |
| 2001 | The Tempest | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 2003 | Great Expectations | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated |
| 2005 | The Ham Funeral | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| 2007 | Exit the King | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 2008 | Moving Target | Green Room Awards | Best Ensemble Playing by a Cast of Actors | Won |
| 2008 | Exit the King | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Won |
| 2009 | Julie Forsyth | Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards | Individual Award | Won |
| 2009 | Happy Days | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actress in a Lead Role | Nominated |
| 2009 | Happy Days | Green Room Awards | Best Female Performer Lead Role | Nominated |
| 2010 | Happy Days | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | Won |
| 2013 | The Book of Everything | Green Room Awards | Best Ensemble Playing by a Cast of Actors | Won |
| 2013 | The Book of Everything | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor | Nominated |
| 2015 | Endgame | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor for Endgame | Nominated |
| 2015 | Endgame | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated |
| 2015 | Night On Bald Mountain | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Play | Nominated |