Joanne Samuel Explained

Joanne Samuel
Birth Place:Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Education:Independent Theatre
Occupation:Film and television actress
Years Active:1979-present

Joanne Samuel is an Australian film and television actress, who is best known for her role as the screen wife of Mel Gibson's title character in the 1979 film Mad Max.

Early life and education

Joanne Samuel was born in Camperdown, Sydney, Australia. She studied dance with Honeybrooks and drama at the Independent Theatre.

Career

Prior to her appearance in Mad Max, Samuel had made guest appearances in police procedurals Matlock Police and Homicide. She was then a regular cast member in television soap operas Class of '74, The Sullivans and The Young Doctors. She left The Young Doctors after the producers wrote her out of the show when she was offered the Mad Max role after a fellow Young Doctors actress who had been due to take the role fell ill.[1] [2]

Samuel later returned to television in the regular role of Kelly Morgan-Young in Skyways.

Samuel's other film appearances included roles in Alison's Birthday (1981), Early Frost (1982), Queen of the Road (1984), The Long Way Home (1985), Nightmaster (1987, opposite Nicole Kidman), Gallagher's Travels (1987), and Spook (1988). She later guest starred in Hey Dad..! as Jeanette Taylor and All Saints, and played Ms. Bingle in The Wiggles Movie (1997).

Samuel is the vice chairman of BOOMPAA, Blue Mountains Performing Arts Association. She appeared as Doris Mercher in the 2017 family film My Pet Dinosaur, directed by Matt Drummond.

Filmography

Film

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
1979Mad MaxJessieFeature film
1981Alison's BirthdayAlison FindlayFeature film
1982Early FrostChrisFeature film
1983The City's EdgeProstitute 1Feature film
1984Queen of the RoadRosy CostelloTV film
1985The Long Way HomeJulieTV film
1986Gallagher's TravelsSallyTV film
1988Nightmaster (aka Watch The Shadows Dance)Sonia SpaneTV film
1988SpookCarole BradlyFeature film
1993You and Me and Uncle BobRosieFeature film
1997The Wiggles MovieMrs. Rosemary BingleFeature film
2008HerselfFeature film documentary
2017My Pet DinosaurDoris MercherFeature film
2018Acute MisfortuneMagistrateFeature film
2019Smoke Between TreesThereseFeature film
2019The Greatest of TheseNanFilm short
2021Christmas Down UnderBarbara ParkerFeature film
2023What About SalAliceFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1973; 1974Matlock PoliceJenny / Cathy PhillipsTV series, 2 episodes
1974Class of '74Sue TaylorTV series, 2 episodes
1974HomicideLynn FisherTV series, 1 episode : I Keep Going Back to Be Certain
1974The BoxMr. Baker's daughterTV series, episode #1.6
1975Shannon's MobFelicity MaitlandTV series, episode: Trip to Nowhere
1975–1976Certain WomenCaroline StoneTV series, 29 episodes
1976The SullivansCynthia CavanaughTV series, 1 episode
1976–1978The Young DoctorsJill GordonTV series, 255 episodes
1978Case for the DefenceAmyTV series, episode: Second Time Around
1979Cop ShopMaureen Hamilton / Kenneth WillisTV series, 2 episodes
1979–1980SkywaysKelly Morgan YoungTV series, 136 episodes
1981RatbagsVarious charactersTV series, 12 episodes
1986Five Times DizzyChris BrookingTV series, 12 episodes
1988–1990Hey Dad..!Jeanette TaylorTV series, 7 episodes
1997Fallen AngelsHelen BaderTV series, episode: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
2001All SaintsIngrid ClementsTV series, spisode: Skeletons in the Closet
2006Where Are They Now?GuestTV series, 1 episode
2008Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted and Extended ScenesHerselfVideo
2014RakeNurseTV series, episode #3.7
2015Bev MoulsonTV miniseries, 2 episodes
Mad Max: Cast and Crew InterviewsHerselfVideo
The Madness of MaxHerselfFilm documentary
2016BrockLouise KraftTV miniseries, 2 episodes
2018Stinson CreekLegal AidTV series, episode: "The Witness"
2019Kapow!HerselfTV series, 1 episode
2022Mad Max Fans: Beyond The WastelandHerself as Joanne SamuelFilm documentary

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rayner . Jonathan . Contemporary Australian Cinema: An Introduction . Rayner . Jonathan R. . 2000 . Manchester University Press . 978-0-7190-5327-6 . en.
  2. Web site: freddyinspace . 2015-02-27 . Full Details on Scream Factory's Ass-Kicking Mad Max Collector's Edition Blu-ray . 2022-04-21 . Dread Central . en-US.