Susan Prior
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present

Susan Prior is an Australian actress.

Early life and education

Susan Prior graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.[1]

Career

Prior has worked extensively with the Sydney Theatre Company, including Riflemind, as well as acting in films and television series.[2]

In early 2022 Prior played one of the lead roles, as Martha, in a State Theatre Company South Australia production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, to acclaim by critics.[3][4]

On 24 November 2023, Prior was named in the cast for Foxtel series The Last Anniversary.[5]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref
1994 Muriel's Wedding Girl at Wedding Feature film
1996 Idiot Box Luce Feature film
1997 Heaven's Burning Sharon Feature film
1998 Praise Sophie Feature film
War Story Mother Short film
1999 Doctor By Day Kay
2000 A Wreck, A Triangle Eleanor
2002 Little Blue Mum Short film
2003 A Cold Summer Phaedra Feature film
2005 A Divided Heart Millie Vickery
Monster Mother Short film
The Saviour Carmel Short film
Still Time Sue Short film
2006 Suburban Mayhem Christine Andretti Feature film
2007 The Uncertainty Principal Sue Short film
Nothing Lasts Forever Woman Short film
2008 The View from Greenhaven Kate Feature film
2010 Animal Kingdom Alicia Henry Feature film
2012 Not Suitable for Children Marcie Feature film
Careless Love Lee Feature film
2013 The Twin Annie / Sarah Short film
My Mother Her Daughter Susan Short film
2014 The Orchard Rachel Short film
The Rover Dorothy Peeples Feature film
Snowblind Gene Short film
Handyman Melinda Short film
2015 Second Hand Gabby Short film
Reg Makes Contact Susan Short film
Bunny New Girl Alice Dunn Short film
2017 Jasper Jones Gwyn Wishart Feature film
2018 Book Week Lee Issen
Riot Norma Gowland TV movie
2020 Cube Season Mirren Cube Short film
Groundhog Night Cheryl Short film
Mukbang Sandra Short film
2021 Chopin's Piano George Sand
Ascendant Barbara Wolf [6]
2024 The Deb Tish
Just a Farmer Kathryn [7]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref
1995 G.P. Linda Swanson 1 episode
1996 Police Rescue Debra 1 episode
House Gang Lucy's Mum 1 episode
2000 Water Rats Rosie Callahan 2 episodes
2002 Farscape Kirayh 1 episode
Young Lions Christine Malouf 1 episode
2005 All Saints Beth Chandler 15 episodes
2006 The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films: Live Action Herself TV special
Two Twisted Nurse Hughes Anthology series, 1 episode
2012 Rake Barbara 1 episode
Home and Away Margaret Henderson 6 episodes
2012–2014 Puberty Blues Yvonne Hennessey 17 episodes [8]
2015 Love Child Geraldine Donnelly 1 episode
2017 Doctor Doctor Minnie 3 episodes
Top of the Lake Beccy 1 episode
2018 Fighting Season Dr. Linda 1 episode
Bite Club Tricia 1 episode
The Second Detective [9]
Safe Harbour Renee 3 episodes
2019 The Commons Lena Gordon 1 episode
The Other Guy Sharon 1 episode
Frayed Ruth George née Nelligan 2 episodes
Glitch Anna Donohue 3 episodes [10]
Les Norton Chenille 4 episodes
Jade of Death Donna 2 episodes
2020 The Gloaming Susan Kelly 2 episodes
2021 The Moth Effect Staff Member 1 episode
2021–2022 Aftertaste Denise 12 episodes [11]
2024 Bump Mara 1 episode
2025 The Last Anniversary Margie

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1982 Fatal Johnny Royalty Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Festival of Arts [12][13]
1991 l Merrily We Roll Along NIDA, Sydney [12]
Tales from the Decameron / Serious Money NIDA, Sydney [12]
1992 The Will Harold Park Hotel, Sydney with Lounge Acts [12]
Last of the Earl Grey / A Surprise for Miffy Belvoir, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co [12]
Little Ragged Blossom / More About Cuddlepot and Snugglepie Stables Theatre, Sydney [12]
Like Whiskey on the Breath of a Drunk You Love / The Flaw / Spumante Romantica Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co [12]
Shorts at the Stables Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co [12]
Fractured Intimacies Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co [12]
Water Daughter / Glycerine Tears / The White Room Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co [12]
1993 The Gentleman's New Clothes (aka Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme) Belvoir, Sydney [12]
The Pitchfork Disney Belvoir, Sydney [12]
1994–1995 That Eye, the Sky Stanley Palmer Cultural Centre, Sydney, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Theatre, Perth, Space Theatre, Adelaide [12]
1995 Sydney Stories 1: The Ninth Wonder / The Price of Prayer / The Last Days of a Famous Mime / Family Running for Mr. Whippy Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC [12]
1995 The Jungle Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC [12]
1995–1997 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Honey Australian tour with STC [12]
1997 Wolf Lullaby Lizzie Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Griffin Theatre Co [12]
1998 Love for Love Sydney Opera House with STC [12]
The Surgeon of Honour St Stephens Church, Sydney [12]
La Dispute Hermaine St Stephen’s Church, Sydney with STC [12]
1999 Laughter on the 23rd Floor Sydney Opera House with Ensemble Theatre [12]
2000 The Ecstatic Bible Scott Theatre, Adelaide for Adelaide Festival of Arts [12]
Sweet Road Carla SBW Theatre, Sydney [12]
2001 King Lear The Fool / Cordelia STC
2002 The Soldiers Tale The Devil Australian Chamber Orchestra
2002–2003 Alone it Stands NSW/ACT tour [12]
2003 The Cavalcaders Nuala Ensemble Theatre, Sydney with O'Punksky's Theatre Co [12]
2004 Dreaming Transportation a singer Sydney Opera House with Performing Lines [12]
2005 Hurlyburly Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Stablemates [12]
2005 Top Shorts Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney [12]
2006 Constance Drinkwater & the Final Days of Somerset Constance Drinkwater Stables Theatre, Sydney with Tamarama Rock Surfers [12]
2007 Riflemind Lynn Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC
2008 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Blanche Dubois STC
2008–2009 Venus and Adonis Venus AUS/NZ tour with Bell Shakespeare & STC [12]
2009 The Web Ivy Playhouse, Perth, Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with Black Swan Theatre Co [12]
2010 Our Town Mrs. Gibbs Sydney Opera House with STC [12]
King Lear Cordelia Australian tour with Bell Shakespeare [12]
2011 The Libertine Elizabeth Malet Darlinghurst Theatre with Sport for Jove [12]
2013 Small and Tired Electra Belvoir, Sydney [12]
2014 Is This Thing On? Brianna Belvoir, Sydney [12]
2015 Suddenly Last Summer Mrs Grace Holly Sydney Opera House with STC [12]
Death and the Maiden Paulina Salaa Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC & MTC [12]
2015; 2017 The Present Sasha Sydney Theatre with STC & Barrymore Theatre, Broadway [12]
2016 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Peter Quince Sydney Opera House with STC [12]
The Distance Bea Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [12]
Kin (staged reading) Mrs Mignon Bloom STC
2018 Bliss Alice Dalton Belvoir, Sydney, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne [12]
2020 Dev Online, Australia [12]
Baroness Nihil Zalay Online [12]
2022 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA [12]
Chalkface Denise Hart Sydney Opera House, Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with STC & STCSA [12]

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated work Award Category Result Ref.
1998 Wolf Lullaby Green Room Awards Best Actress Nominated [13]
2001 Sweet Road Norman Kessell Memorial Awards Outstanding Performance Won [13]
2003 A Cold Summer Film Critics’ Circle Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [13]
2007 The Saviour Academy Awards Best Live Action Short Film Nominated [13]
2008 Riflemimd Helpmann Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [13]
2012 Puberty Blues AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actress Nominated [13]
2013 Small and Tired Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role Won [13]
2014 The Rover AACTA Awards Best Supporting Actress Won [13]
Small and Tired Helpmann Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role Nominated [13]
2015 The Present Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Mainstream Nominated [13]
The Rover Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role Nominated [13]

References

  1. ^ "Susan Prior". Broadway World. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. ^ Eeles, Matthew (22 February 2018), "Interview: Susan Prior", Cinema Australia
  3. ^ Mead, Rachael (30 January 2022). "Theatre review: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". InDaily. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ Bleby, Peter (2 February 2022). "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". State Theatre Company of South Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  5. ^ Knox, David (24 November 2023). "Filming underway on The Last Anniversary | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  6. ^ Slatter, Sean (7 April 2021). "Samuel Goldwyn Films secures worldwide rights to Antaine Furlong's 'Ascendant'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  7. ^ Slatter, Sean (9 August 2023). "Leila McDougall puts the spotlight on rural mental health with 'Just a Farmer'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  8. ^ Knox, David (1 April 2012). "Top cast joins Puberty Blues on TEN". TV Tonight.
  9. ^ Knox, David (24 May 2018). "Airdate: The Second". TV Tonight.
  10. ^ Knox, David (25 July 2019). "Returning: Glitch". TV Tonight.
  11. ^ Knox, David (3 February 2021). "Aftertaste". TV Tonight.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at "Susan Prior". AusStage.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Susan Prior". Showcast.