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Jackie Woodburne facts for kids

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Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne.png
Woodburne in 2022 at the Neighbours Celebration Tour
Born
Jacqueline Ann Woodburne

(1956-02-05) 5 February 1956 (age 68)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1980–present
Known for Neighbours as Susan Kennedy
Notable work
  • Prisoner as Julie "Chook" Eggbert
  • The Young Doctors as Maggie Gordon
  • Sons and Daughters as Patricia Dunne
  • Cop Shop as Gina Rossi
  • The Flying Doctors as Elaine Dermody

Jacqueline Anne Woodburne (born 5 February 1956) is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress, who is notable for her roles in TV soap operas.

Since 1994, Woodburne has played teacher Susan Kennedy in Neighbours. She first became notable for her role in cult serial Prisoner as Julie "Chook" Egbert and also has featured in roles in soap operas including The Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters, Cop Shop and The Flying Doctors.

Early life

Woodburne was born in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. Her father was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. She has two older siblings: John and Stephen. At the age of three, she emigrated with her family to Australia. The family assumed that her father would be able to join the Australian police on arrival, but, owing to various rules and regulations, he was unable to do so. Woodburne grew up in Frankston, Victoria and attended Forest Hill Primary School, Monterey Secondary College, and Karingal High School.

Career

Alongside future Neighbours castmate Janet Andrewartha, Woodburne attended the National Theatre Drama School and graduated in 1980. She went onto play Maggie Gordon in The Young Doctors. In 1981, she appeared in the serial drama The Patchwork Hero. She also played Josie in the ABC television miniseries Outbreak of Love, which was adapted from Martin Boyd's novel of the same name. Woodburne starred in the ABC Film 1915 as Dianne, alongside Sigrid Thornton, Scott McGregor and Scott Burgess. Woodburne said the fighting is not the only focus of the miniseries, as it shows how the lives of the women were also affected by World War I. In 1983, Woodburne made the first of three appearances in A Country Practice.

In 1990, she auditioned for the role of Pippa Fletcher in TV soap Home and Away, the producers looking for a recast after original portrayer Vanessa Downing left the series, but she lost out the role to Debra Lawrance.

Woodburne is best known for two long-running soap opera roles. The first was Julie "Chook" Egbert in Prisoner, a role she played from 1985 to 1986. A poem read by Julie in episode 582 of Prisoner was penned by Woodburne herself. This was followed by the role of Susan Kennedy in Neighbours, a role she has played since 1994.

Woodburne previously played the sister of Alan Fletcher's character in Cop Shop in 1983, before they were cast as husband and wife Karl and Susan in Neighbours.

Other soap opera roles include a brief appearance in the very first episode of Sons and Daughters (playing the iconic Pat the Rat character - Patricia Dunne in flashbacks), several episodes of A Country Practice, and a larger role in The Young Doctors where she played Nurse Maggie Gordon from 1980 to 1981.

In 2005, she was nominated for the Best Female Performance in a Soap Opera award at the international Rose d'Or television festival, but was beaten by fellow British actress Lesley-Anne Down.

In 2014 she became the lead in Night Terrace, a narrative comedy audio series in which she told TVTonight she plays "basically a female Doctor Who". The series was produced by Splendid Chaps Productions, with the first season released at the end of 2014. It won the Convenors' Award for Excellence in the 2014 Aurealis Awards. A second season was released in February 2016, also starring Woodburne. Both seasons have been licensed for broadcast, with the first commencing on BBC Radio 4 Extra on Sunday 21 April 2019 as part of The 7th Dimension programming block.

Woodburne appeared in a documentary special celebrating Neighbours' 30th anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.

Filmography

Acting roles
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Skyways Marie Newman Episode: "Tahitian Roulette"
1980–1981 The Young Doctors Nurse Maggie Gordon Main cast
1981 The Patchwork Hero Marie Main cast
1981 Outbreak of Love Josie Von Flugel Miniseries
1982 Sons and Daughters Young Patricia Dunne Recurring role
1982 Sara Dane Elizabeth Miniseries
1982 1915 Dianna Bendetto Miniseries
1980 Cop Shop Gina Rossi Episodes: "#1.273" and "#1.274"
1983 A Country Practice Deborah Koonig Episodes: "A Woman's Place: Part 1 and 2"
1983 Cop Shop Christie Green Recurring role
1984 Carson's Law Fiona Hastings Recurring role
1984 A Country Practice Sarah Biggs Episodes: "Close to the Bone: Part 1 and 2"
1985 Special Squad Sharon Episode: "Mates"
1985 The Fast Lane Ruth Episode: "The Below Average Samaritan"
1985 The New Adventures of Blinky Bill Sue Episode: "Computer Capers"
1985–1986 Prisoner Julie "Chook" Egbert Main cast
1987 The Flying Doctors Elaine Dermody Episode: "Keeping Up Appearances"
1991 A Country Practice Kate Bartlett Episode: "Flying High: Part 1"
1992–1993 The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? Lavonda (uncredited) Television film
1994 Law of the Land Meg Porter Episode: "Death Before Dying"
1994–present Neighbours Susan Kennedy Main cast
2003 Ain't Got No Jazz ... Short film
2014 Neighbours vs Zombies Susan Kennedy Web series
2014–2016 Night Terrace Anastasia Black / The Queen Voice; radio drama
2015 Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite Self TV documentary
2016 Neighbours: Summer Stories Susan Kennedy Web series
2017 Neighbours vs Time Travel Susan Kennedy Web series

See also

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