# Jeanie Drynan

Jeanie Drynan is an Australian film and television actress well known for her roles in the television series Class of '74, as Muriel's mother in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and as solicitor Angela Jeffries in the cult classic television series Prisoner Cell Block H.

## Early life

Jean Julia Drynan's parents were James Joseph and Muriel Drynan. She grew up in the regional NSW towns of Lithgow and Coffs Harbour. She moved to the UK at the age of 15 with the intention of going to finishing school and instead studied acting at Edinburgh College of Speech and Drama (now Queen Margaret University) in Scotland. She later trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Australia, graduating with a Diploma of Dramatic Art in 1961.

## Career

Drynan started out in guest roles in numerous Australian television series including Hunter, Skippy, Riptide, The Rovers, Division 4, The Link Men, Delta, Matlock Police, Spyforce, Boney, Homicide and Ryan. She also had early roles in 1966 comedy film They’re a Weird Mob, and 1967 television play The Schoolmistress.
She then starred in high school-based soap opera Class of ‘74 as English teacher Mary Dunstan, and 1976 political-themed film Don’s Party (based on the play of the same name by David Williamson) as Kath Henderson. Further guest roles followed in Bluey, The Young Doctors and Chopper Squad, before she secured the part of solicitor, Angela Jeffries in cult classic television drama Prisoner in 1979, endearing her to international viewers.
Further guest roles followed, in series such as Cop Shop, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, Rafferty's Rules, The Girl from Tomorrow and G.P. before she landed her best-known role as the ill-fated Betty Heslop, mother of the title character in 1994 hit film Muriel's Wedding, alongside Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths and Bill Hunter.
She starred in numerous other films including the 1999 romantic comedy Paperback Hero (as Suzie, opposite Hugh Jackman), drama film A Kind of Hush (as Beryl) and comedy/drama Soft Fruit (in the lead role of Patsy), before appearing as Vanessa in 6 episodes of comedy series Dossa and Joe (2002) and Leanne in 4 episodes of The Cooks (2003–2005).
Drynan has been nominated three times for Australian Film Institute Awards – Best Supporting Actress in 1977 for Don’s Party, Best Supporting Actress in 1994 for Muriel's Wedding and Best Actress in 1999 for Soft Fruit.

## Personal life

Drynan met her husband, director Antony Bowman, in 1987, when she played the part of Maggie in his film Cappuccino. She also appeared in his film Relatives (1985) and Paperback Hero (1999).
In 1990, Drynan moved from Sydney to Los Angeles with Bowman and their daughter, actress Ella Bowman-Gibson, to further Bowman's directing career.

## Filmography
### Film

| Title | Year | Role | Type |
| 1966 | They're a Weird Mob | Betty | Feature film |
| 1967 | The Schoolmistress | | Teleplay |
| 1969 | 2000 Weeks | Jacky Lewis | Feature film |
| 1969 | Skippy and the Intruders | Margaret 'Meg' Curtis | Feature film |
| 1970 | Single File | | Film documentary short |
| 1973 | The Black Arrow | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1973 | The Swiss Family Robinson | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1976 | Don's Party | Kath Henderson | Feature film |
| 1976 | Cromwell M.D. | | TV movie |
| 1976 | The Understudy | | TV movie |
| 1977 | The Picture Show Man | Mrs. Duncan | Feature film |
| 1977 | Hospitals Don't Burn Down! | Sister | Film short |
| 1978 | Money Movers | Dawn Jackson | Feature film |
| 1979 | Saint Therese | Therese | Film short |
| 1980 | Touch and Go | Gina | Feature film |
| 1982 | Wilde's Domain | Liz | TV movie |
| 1983 | The Body Corporate | Janine Fox | TV movie |
| 1984 | Fantasy Man | Liz Bailey | Feature film |
| 1985 | Relatives | Catherine Taylor | Feature film |
| 1989 | Cappuccino | Maggie | Feature film. Also associate producer |
| 1994 | Muriel's Wedding | Betty Heslop | Feature film |
| 1998 | Paperback Hero | Suzie | Feature film |
| 1999 | A Kind of Hush | Beryl | Feature film |
| 1999 | Soft Fruit | Patsy Haft | Feature film |
| 2002 | The... | | Film short |
| 2015 | Skin Deep | Anna Davies | Feature film |
| 2017 | Zelos | Lynn | Feature film |
| TBA | Arrivederci | Izzy | Feature film In development |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1965 | Adventure Unlimited | | TV series, episode 7: "The Silver Backed Brushes" |
| 1965 | My Brother Jack | | TV series |
| 1966-1973 | Homicide | Sandra O'Brien / Pauline Shearer / Glenys Watts | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1966 | The Story of Making the Film: They're a Weird Mob" | Herself | TV special |
| 1968 | Hunter | Anna Polanski | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968; 1969 | Skippy the Bush Kangaroo | Iris Temple / Dulcie Condon | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1969–1974 | Division 4 | Paula Klein / Sally Irving / Cindy Thompson / Lettie Ward / Barbara Bennett / Meg Reagan / Sandra Black / Vivienne Gunnerson / Faith Cameron / Patti Regan | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1968; 1969 | Riptide | Val Wells / Penny Waring | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1969 | Pastures of the Blue Crane | Amaryllis 'Rhyll' Mereweather | TV miniseries |
| 1970 | The Rovers | Ann Fraser | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Link Men | Marguerita Costello | TV series, 1 episode 10: "The Quiet One" |
| 1970 | Delta | Jennifer McKenzie | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971–1972 | Matlock Police | Alice Price / Carol Marsh / Gail Marsh | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Spyforce | Kathy Reilly | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972–1973 | Boney | Sally Forrest / Isobel Matthews | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Ryan | Tricia | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Elephant Boy | Jane Shorter | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Class of '74 | Mary Dunstan | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Silent Number | Denise | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Bluey | Shirley Watson | TV series, 1 episode: "The Changeling" |
| 1977 | The Young Doctors | Sister Margaret Evans | TV series, 15 episodes |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | Dimitra Coogan / Vanessa Montgomery | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Dr Georgia Beattie | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1979–1980 | Prisoner | Angela Jeffries | TV series, 11 episodes |
| 1981 | Holiday Island | Julie-Anne Tucker | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1982 | A Country Practice | Audrey Matthews | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Winners | | TV series, Season 1, episode 2: "Quest Beyond Time" |
| 1987 | The Flying Doctors | Sal Cleary | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | Rafferty's Rules | Carol Taylor | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1991 | The Girl From Tomorrow | Miss Durkin | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1995 | G.P. | Hannah Hardigan | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | A Season in Purgatory | | TV miniseries |
| 2002 | Dossa and Joe | Vanessa | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 2004–2005 | The Cooks | Leanne Smith | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2010 | Rake | Carmen | TV series, 1 episode |

## Stage
### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| | The Importance of Being Earnest | | Theatre Royal Sydney |
| 1961 | Peer Gynt | | NIDA, Sydney |
| 1963 | The Playboy of the Western World | | UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1967 | The Schoolmistress | | UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1967 | The School for Scandal | | UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1967 | Hedda Gabler | | UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1970 | The One Day of the Year | | Independent Theatre Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra |
| 1971 | Big Brother Dragon | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1971 | There Is Nothing More Wonderful than a Glorious Sunset | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1973 | A Voyage Round My Father | Elizabeth | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, UNSW, Sydney with J. C. Williamson's |
| 1977 | Boeing, Boeing | | J. C. Williamson's |
| 1979 | Makassar Reef | Beth Fleetwood | Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney |
| 1985 | Same Time, Next Year | Doris | Playhouse, Newcastle with Hunter Valley Theatre Company |
| 1986 | Gulls | | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney with HMQ Productions |
| 1992 | Men Should Weep | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 2010 | Bedroom Farce | Delia | Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney |
| 2011 | Nothing Personal | Carla | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2012 | Biddies | | |

### As director

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | Somewhere… | Director | Meta Theatre, Los Angeles |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
| 1977 | Don’s Party | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actress in a Lead Role | Nominated |
| 1994 | Muriel's Wedding | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1999 | Soft Fruit | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2000 | Soft Fruit | Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Actor – Female | Nominated |