# Jill Perryman

Jill Perryman (born 30 May 1933) is an Australian retired actress and singer, with a career that spanned 70 years. Perryman is from a family of show business performers; her sister was actress Diana Perryman and her son is media personality, radio and TV presenter and musician Tod Johnston.
Perryman, although a staple of theatre, appeared briefly in film; for her debut film role in Maybe this Time in 1980, she was awarded the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (known then as the AFI Awards) and has also appeared as a guest in numerous TV series and as herself.
She has been honoured with both the MBE (1979) and Member of the Order of Australia (1992), both with the citation "For service to the Performing Arts".

## Career

Perryman became a staple of Australian showbusiness, having performed on stage from the age of three in a production of the famed Austrian operetta The White Horse Inn.
Perryman in 1952, then aged 19, joined the company of J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd as a member of the chorus and in the following year was understudying leading roles in stage musicals, under Evie Hayes in a local production of Call Me Madam.
Perryman was strong in voice and personality, and a long series of understudy and small roles eventually led her, through the recommendation of John McCallum (who was then joint managing director of J. C. Williamson Theatres), to take the lead in the key Australian production of Funny Girl, a performance that won her an Erik Award for Best Actress and led to major roles in other productions. These included I Do! I Do! in 1969, and The Two of Us in 1971. No, No, Nanette in 1972 won her another Erik Award for Best Actress for her role as Lucille Early, then in 1973 she starred in A Little Night Music. In 1976 she played Gladys Zilch in Leading Lady, a musical production created especially for her. She also toured during 1977 in Side by Side by Sondheim. She played Miss Hannigan in Annie in 1978.
Perryman won the A.F.I. (Australian Film Institute) Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1980.
She toured in the musicals Chicago in 1988 and The Boy From Oz in 1998.

## Personal life

Perryman was born in May 1933 in Melbourne, Victoria, into a family of performers. Her father was Melbourne-born actor William Harland-Perryman and her mother was Adelaide-born actress and singer Dorothy Eileen Duval; they had married in 1923.
Perryman is married to choreographer Kevin Johnston, and they have a son and daughter. Their son Tod Johnston is an actor, musician and media personality, and their daughter is actress Trudy Dunn. Trudy's daughter McKenzie Dunn is also an actress.

## Theatre

| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | Call Me Madam | Ensemble (u/s Mrs Sally Adams) | Australian tour starring Evie Hayes |
| 1954 | Paint Your Wagon | Elizabeth Woodling | Australian tour |
| 1955 | Can-Can | Celestine | Australian tour |
| 1957 | The Pajama Game | Mabel | Australian tour starring Toni Lamond |
| 1962 | Carnival! | Rosalie | Australian tour |
| 1965 | Hello, Dolly! | Irene Molloy | Australian tour starring Carole Cook as Dolly Levi |
| 1966 | Funny Girl | Fanny Brice | Australian tour |
| 1969 | I Do! I Do! | Agnes | Australian tour |
| 1972 | No, No, Nanette | Lucille Early | Australian tour starring Cyd Charisse |
| 1973 | A Little Night Music | Countess Malcolm | Australian tour |
| 1977 | Side by Side by Sondheim | Herself | Australian tour |
| 1978 | Annie | Miss Hannigan | Australian tour |
| 1983 | Noises Off | Dotty Ottley | Australian tour |
| 1983 | Chicago | Mama Morton | Playhouse Theatre, Perth |
| 1984 | ‘night, Mother | Jessie Cates | Australian tour |
| 1985 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | Blanche | Australian tour |
| 1994 | Hello, Dolly! | Dolly Levi | Australian tour |
| 1998 | Follies | Carlotta Champion | Sydney Opera House concert |
| 1998 | The Boy from Oz | Marion Woolnough | Australian tour |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1980 | ...Maybe This Time | Mother | Feature film |
| 1986 | Windrider | Miss Dodge | Feature film |
| 1990 | The Swan | | Film short |
| 1993 | Love in Limbo | Aunt Dorry | Feature film |
| 2006 | Hidden Creatures | Doris | Film short |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1957 | Pantomime Quiz | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1962 | The Good Oil | Bunny | TV film |
| 1966 | BP Super Show | Guest Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1966 | The Mavis Bramston Show | Various characters | TV series |
| 1969 | Sydney Tonight | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | Dynasty | Jenny Farmer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Matt Flinders | Guest | TV series |
| 1972 | Kamahl | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Perryman on Parade | Guest | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1972 | Bobby Limb's Sound of Christmas | Guest | TV special |
| 1973 | Jill | Herself | TV special |
| 1974 | The Firm | | Film documentary |
| 1974 | The Ernie Sigley Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Graham Kennedy Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | Bellbird | Cheryl Turner (regular role) | TV series |
| 1976 | Homicide | Kate Holsworth | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | This Is Your Life | Special Guest | TV series, 1 episode: "Jill Perryman" |
| 1976 | Quest | Herself | TV series |
| 1977 | Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal | Guest | TV special |
| 1978 | Cappriccio! | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978; 1984; 1985 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest / singer | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1978 | Tickled Pink | Vera | TV series, 1 episode 4: "Palace of Dreams" |
| 1978 | The Peter Couchman Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979 | The Jill Perryman Show | Herself | TV special |
| 1979 | Saturday Special | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980; 1982 | Parkinson In Australia | Guest | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1980 | Home Sweet Home | Mother Superior | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | 1980 Australian Film Awards | Winner – Best Actress in Support Role (for Maybe This Time) | TV special |
| 1980 | John Singleton Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Carols By Candlelight | Herself/Performer | TV Special |
| 1981 | The World Around Us | Herself as Presenter | TV series, 1 episode "Africa The Dispossessed" |
| 1981 | The 1981 Australian Film Institute Awards | Performer | TV special |
| 1982 | Parkinson In Australia | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | Flight into Hell | Recurring role | TV miniseries |
| 1985-1993 | The Midday Show | Guest / singer | TV series |
| 1987 | Have a Go | Guest Judge | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1989 | In Melbourne Today | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Bert Newton Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Flying Doctors | Josie Sterling | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989-1990 | A Country Practice | Lois Gardiner | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1992 | In Sydney Today | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Clowning Around | Miss Gabhurst | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Legends In Cabaret | Singer | TV special |
| 1992 | The Morning Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | At Home | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994; 1995; 1998; 1999 | Good Morning Australia | Guest | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998; 1999 | Denise | Guest | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Changi | Older Kate | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2008 | Talking Heads | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2011 | The Helpmann Awards | Honouree – JC Williamson Award (with Nancye Hayes & Toni Lamond) | TV special |

## Honours and awards

| Association | Award | Year | Results |
| Australian Government | Order of the British Empire (MBE). | 1979 | Honoured |
| Australian Government | Order of Australia (AM). | 1992 | Honoured |
| AACTA Awards | AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role | 1980 | Won |
| Erik Award | Best Actress for Funny Girl | 1971 | Won |
| Erik Award | Best Actress for No, No Nanette | 1972 | Won |
| Helpmann Awards | JC Williamson Award | 2011 | Honoured |
| Mo Awards | Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year | 1995 | Won |
| Equity Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | 2013 | Honoured |