Joy Westmore

{{Short description|Australian actress (1932–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}  {{Infobox person | name =  | image = Joy_westmore_joyce_barry.jpg | alt =  | caption = Joy Westmore as Officer Joyce Barry in ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'' | birth_name = Joy Grisold | birth_date = 1932 | birth_place = Melbourne, Australia | death_date = 5 November 2020 (aged 88) | death_place = Melbourne, Australia<ref name="perthnow" /> | other_names = | occupation = Actress (radio, stage, television), voice-over artist<ref name="perthnow" /> | years_active = 1950–2013 | known_for = ''Prisoner'' also known as Prisoner Cell Block H aka Caged Women – Officer Barry/Joyce Pringle | notable_works = {{hlist|''The Sentimental Bloke''|''Neighbours''|''Blue Heelers''|''Cluedo''}} }} '''Joy Westmore''' ({{nee|'''Grisold'''}}; 1932 – 5 November 2020)<ref name="perthnow">{{Cite web |last=Cartwright |first=Darren |title=Joy Westmore from TV hit series Prisoner dies |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/joy-westmore-from-tv-hit-series-prisoner-dies-ng-62cd8f7fedfaada33bbf22c0fdcf6ca5|date=5 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="book">{{cite web|url=https://bookfinder.com|title=Prisoner:Cell Block H|author=Richard Lane}}</ref> was an Australian actress on radio, stage and television, and in voice-over. She was best known to local and international television viewers for her long-running role in ''Prisoner'' as the friendly but highly ineffectual bespectacled officer Joyce Barry, appearing from the first season in 1979 until the final episode in 1986 and smaller roles in ''Neighbours'' in 1991 and 2003.

==Career== Westmore had been an actress since 1950. She read commercials on radio and was particularly known for her performances opposite Barry Humphries's alter ego Dame Edna Everage. She also appeared in early television comedy sketches with Graham Kennedy and Ernie Sigley. She made her small-screen debut in the TV movie ''The Sentimental Bloke'', and subsequently had roles in the soap ''The Sullivans'' and in ''Bellbird'', before taking on the longer-lasting role of Officer Joyce Barry in ''Prisoner''. She was a recurring cast member throughout the first five years of the show, but became a regular in 1984 and continued until the series' finale in 1986. Entertainment reporter Peter Ford stated that "Joyce Barry was probably the world's worst prison officer, because she was too overly nice and trustworthy, although she provided a lot of comic relief in the series".<ref name="perthnow"/>

After ''Prisoner'' she played Mrs Blanche White in an Australian version of the TV game show ''Cluedo'', and had two brief roles in ''Neighbours'', as Mrs Forster in 1991 and as Dee Bliss's grandmother, Nancy Bliss, in 2003. She also played various small roles in one-off and long-running dramas, including ''Waiting at the Royal'', ''Fergus McPhail'' and ''Blue Heelers''.

She also was narrator in audio books.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Hill, Patti | author2=Westmore, Joy., (narrator.) | title=Always green a novel | publication-date=2007 | publisher=CBM Australia | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35450777 | access-date=22 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Berthelsen, Jo-Anne | title=All the days of my life | publication-date=2008 | publisher=Ark House Press | isbn=978-0-9804523-2-7}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Wick, Lori | title=Whatever tomorrow brings | publication-date=1992 | publisher=Harvest House Publishers | isbn=978-0-7369-1945-6}}</ref>

==Personal life and death== Westmore was married to dentist Brian Westmore on 13 March 1960. They had four children together.<ref>"TV Week article, issue published 17 May 1986, p.13.</ref>

Joy Westmore died from dementia in an aged care facility in Melbourne, on 5 November 2020, aged 88.<ref name="perthnow" /><ref>{{cite web| last=Knox| first=David| title=Vale: Joy Westmore| url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/11/vale-joy-westmore.html| website=tvtonight.com.au| date=6 November 2020| access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref>

==Filmography== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |+ Film |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1977 | ''Summerfield'' | Mrs. Shields | Feature film |- | 1979 | ''The Odd Angry Shot'' | Bill's Mum | Feature film |- | 1980 | ''Nightmares'' | Matron | aka 'Stage Fright' Feature film |- | 1983 | ''A Slice of Life'' | Receptionist No. 1 | Feature film |- | 1984 | ''Annie's Coming Out'' | Receptionist | aka 'A Test of Love' Feature film |- | 1985 | ''The More Things Change...'' | Mrs. Degan | Feature film |- | 1987 | ''Les Patterson Saves the World'' | Lady Gwen Patterson | Feature film |- | 2011 | ''The Op Shop'' | Claudia | Film short |- | 2012 | ''Echo'' | Mother | Film short |}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |+ Television |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1959 | ''Press Gang'' | Unnamed/unknown role (Joy Grisold) | Short |- | 1976 | ''The Sentimental Bloke'' | Unknown role | ABC Telelay |- | 1977 | ''Bellbird'' | Guest roles: Bella / Stella | ABC TV series, 3 episodes (guest) |- | 1979 | ''Taxi'' | Mrs. Peters | TV film |- | 1979–1986 | ''Prisoner'' | Regular role: Joyce Barry / Joyce Pringle | Seasons 1–5 (recurring)<br />Seasons 6–8 (regular)<br />246 episodes |- | 1980 | ''The Sullivans'' | Guest role: Madame Florence | TV series, (guest, 2 episodes) |- | 1981 | ''Cop Shop'' | Guest role: Beth Amess | TV series, Season 5 (guest, 1 episode) |- | 1983 | ''Carson's Law'' | Guest role: Mrs. Hetherington | TV series, 1 episode (guest) |- | 1991 | ''Col'n Carpenter'' | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |- | 1991;2003 | ''Neighbours'' | Guest role: Mrs. Forster | TV series, Season 7, 1 episode) |- | 1991 | ''The Worst Day of My Life'' | Guest role: Miss Neil | TV series, Season 1, 1 episode |- | 1992–1993 | ''Cluedo'' | Regular role: Mrs. Blanche White | TV series Seasons 1–2, 21 episodes |- | 1994 | ''The Damnation of Harvey McHugh'' | Guest role: Head Warder | ABC TV series, 1 episode |- | 1994;2000 | ''Blue Heelers'' | Guest role: Mrs. Buchanan | TV series, Season 1, 1 episode |- | 2000;2005 | ''Blue Heelers'' | Guest role: Anne Duffy | TV series, Season 7, 1 episode |- | 2000 | ''Waiting at the Royal'' | Diana's Mother | TV film |- | 2003 | ''Neighbours'' | Guest role: Nancy Bliss | TV series, Season 19, 2 episodes |- | 2004 | ''Fergus McPhail'' | Recurring role: Mrs. Vance | TV series, Season 1, 5 episodes |- | 2005 | ''Blue Heelers'' | Guest role: Dora Tufnell | TV series, Season 12, 1 episode |- | 2013 | ''It's A Date'' | Guest role: June | ABC TV series, Season 1, 1 episode |}

=== Other appearances === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Team !Role !Notes |- |1992 |''In Sydney Today'' |Herself – Guest |TV series, 1 episode |- |1986 |''Punchlines'' |Herself |TV special |- |1977 |''Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks'' |Herself – Panelist |Unknown episode(s) |- |1976 |''Ernie'' |Herself – Regular |TV series Unknown episode(s) |- |1974–1976 |''The Ernie Sigley Show'' |Herself – Regular |TV series, 125 episodes |- |1972–1975 |''The Graham Kennedy Show'' |Herself – Regular |TV series, 121 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |1960 |''With a View to Revue'' |Herself (as Joy Grisold) |TV special (dated 20 February) |- |''Once More with Fooling'' |Herself (as Joy Grisold) |TV special (dated 27 February) |- | rowspan="3" |1959 |''Saturday Party'' |Herself (as Joy Grisold) |2 episodes (dated 18 July 8 August) |- |''Bandwagon'' |Herself (as Joy Grisold) |Unknown episode(s) |- |''The Teenage Show'' |Herself (as Joy Grisold) |Unknown episode(s) |}

==Awards== * Penguin Award – Joyce Barry in ''Prisoner''

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0922868|name=Joy Westmore}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westmore, Joy}} Category:Australian film actresses Category:1932 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Australian soap opera actresses Category:20th-century Australian actresses Category:21st-century Australian actresses