Judy Morris facts for kids

Judith Ann Morris (born 17 February 1947) is an Australian actress, film director, and screenwriter. She is famous for playing many different characters in 58 TV shows and movies. Judy started acting as a child and continued until 1999. Since then, she has focused on writing and directing films.

One of her most well-known projects is co-writing and co-directing Happy Feet. This musical movie is about penguins in Antarctica. Happy Feet became Australia's biggest animated film ever.

Judy Morris's Early Acting Career

Judy Morris began acting when she was just 10 years old. Her first role was in a TV episode called "Picture of the Magi" around 1957. This show was part of Family Theater in the United States. She also appeared on The Loretta Young Show when she was 10. In 1960, at age 13, she was on The Chevy Mystery Show, which was hosted by Vincent Price.

Judy Morris's Acting Journey

After her early roles in the US, Judy returned to Australia. She didn't act again until she was 20 years old. In 1967, she joined the ABC TV series Bellbird. People in the casting industry were impressed by her talent. This led to many roles in popular Australian TV shows.

She appeared in seven episodes of Division 4. She also acted in four episodes of Matlock Police and three episodes of Homicide. Judy played a character in 24 episodes of Over There. She was also in 26 episodes of Certain Women.

In 1970, Judy starred in the movie 3 to Go. For her role in this film, she won the 1973 Australian Film Industry (AFI) Best Actress Award. Later, she played "Sam" in the 1978 movie In Search of Anna. In 1979, she was the main star as "Jill Cowper" in the comedy The Plumber. This movie was first a short TV series directed by Peter Weir. It became so popular that it was released as a DVD.

The 1980s were also a successful time for Judy. She starred in movies like Maybe This Time (1980) and Strata (1983). In Phar Lap (1983), she played Bea Davis. Bea was the wife of the famous horse Phar Lap's owner. Judy also played "Catherine Faulkner" in Bangkok Hilton (1989). Her character was the mother of "Kat Stanton," played by Nicole Kidman.

In 1986, Judy was in the TV miniseries The Last Frontier. She played Margaret 'Meg' Stenning. Her father in the show was played by Jason Robards. Her brother was played by fellow Australian actor Jack Thompson. During this time, she also played "Liz Beare" in the Mother and Son TV series. This popular show ran from 1984 to 1994. Judy also starred as an American photographer in the movie Razorback.

Later, she played "Mrs Muggleton" in eight episodes of the Spellbinder TV series in 1995. In 1996, she lent her voice to Melba the Crocodile in the animated TV show Crocadoo.

Judy Morris's Work as a Writer and Director

Judy Morris also has talents behind the camera. She wrote and directed the comedy movie Luigi's Ladies in 1989. Later, she worked with George Miller and Dick King-Smith. Together, they wrote Babe: Pig in the City in 1998.

She also wrote an episode of Dinotopia in 2002. Most recently, she helped write the story for the movie Happy Feet (2006). She worked with Warren Coleman, John Collee, and George Miller again. Happy Feet was the first Australian animated film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. For her writing work on Happy Feet, Judy was nominated for an Annie Award. She also wrote the screenplay for Fred Schepisi's 2011 film, The Eye of the Storm. This movie was based on a novel with the same name.

Awards and Nominations

Judy Morris has been recognized for her amazing work in film and television. She has been nominated for several awards throughout her career:

• In 1977, she was nominated by the AFI for Best Actress in a lead role for her work in The Picture Show Man.
• In 1980, she was nominated by the AFI for Best Actress in a lead role for Maybe This Time.
• In 1986, she was nominated by the AFI for Best Actress in a lead role for The More Things Change.
• In 2007, she was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Writing in an Animated Production for Happy Feet.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Other Creative Works