| Julie Forsyth | |
| Birth Place: | Australia |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1984–present |
Julie Forsyth is an Australian actress best known for her stage performances, and Lotis, the talking lift from Lift Off.
In 1976, Forsyth left home to attend Monash University in Melbourne. She enrolled to do a BA with the intention of going on to study education and become a teacher of French and English. After watching student plays however, she auditioned and was cast in Brecht’s A Man’s a Man.
Forsyth started going to see shows at the Pram Factory, and after auditioning, was cast in the one-woman show A Banquet of Vipers. When the Pram Factory closed its doors a year later, she became a member of the Australian Nouveau Theatre in 1981, and decided not to continue her university studies. [1]
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Forsythe worked closely with director Jean Pierre Mignon at the Anthill theatre company in Melbourne. Her solo performance as a schoolboy in Kids' Stuff for Anthill, (first performed in 1984), toured Australia and festivals in Europe and Singapore.[2]
Her more recent work at Belvoir, Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre and other major Australian theatre companies has included roles in Patrick White’s The Ham Funeral and Night on Bald Mountain, Eugène Ionesco’s Exit the King, the stage adaptation of Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, and Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days and Endgame.[3]
Forsyth has also appeared in many tv series and films. In 2010, she appeared in Dead Gorgeous in the main role as Haiwyn Sinclaire (a.k.a. Miss Sinclair). In 2013 she appeared in an episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (S2:E2), "Death Comes Knocking". More recently she appeared in the miniseries Joe vs Carole, based on Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin from the hit documentary Tiger King.
She co-starred alongside Paul Chubb in Stan and George's New Life as George (1992). More recently, she appeared in Academy Award-winning film The Power of the Dog (2021).
She has received multiple awards, including the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award and Helpmann Awards as both leading and supporting female actor in a play.
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Strikebound | Women’s Auxilary | Feature film |
| 1987 | Feathers | Olila | |
| 1988 | Pleasure Domes | Voiceover | |
| 1990 | Catch of the Day | Jane | Animated short film |
| 1990 | Aya | Mandy | Feature film |
| 1992 | Stan and George's New Life | George | |
| 1994 | Babe | Sheep (voice) | |
| 1994 | Trapped | Lead | Short film |
| 1995 | What I Have Written | Doctor | Feature film |
| 1996 | Caleopy's Lorikeet | Laurie | |
| 1996 | The Sound of One Hand Clapping | Mrs Heaney | |
| 1998 | Edithvale | Edith | |
| 2003 | Harvie Krumpet | Lilliana Krumpetzki / Baby Harvie / Church singer | Animated short film |
| 2004 | Tom White | Tania | Feature film |
| 2006 | Three Dollars | Tailor. | |
| 2007 | Romulus, My Father | Nurse | |
| 2009 | Piñata | Funeral Director. | Short film |
| 2009 | Mary and Max | Additional voices | Animated feature film |
| 2010 | Seamstress | Enid | Feature film |
| 2012 | Kath & Kimderella | Queen Christina | |
| 2015 | Holding the Man | Aunty Gae | |
| 2021 | The Power of the Dog | Mrs Mueller | |
| 2023 | Foe | Junior’s Mum |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | One Summer Again | Annie McCubbin | TV miniseries | |
| 1990 | Waterfront | Miss Hipple | ||
| 1991–94 | Lift Off | Lotis (voice) | TV series | |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Yvonne | TV miniseries | |
| 1995 | Gettin' On | Prue | TV series | |
| 1995–96 | Mercury | Tess MacDonald | ||
| 1996 | Hospital | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 1997 | Li'l Monsters | Morbidda | ||
| 1998 | Small Tales & True | Sara Donovan | ||
| 2000 | Eugénie Sandler P.I. | Desk Officer | TV series | |
| 2003 | Fat Cow Motel | Penny | ||
| 2003 | Kath & Kim | Sheila | TV series, season 2 | |
| 2003 | MDA | Karen Rees | TV series | |
| 2004 | The Brush Off | Bernice Kaufman | TV movie | |
| 2007 | Real Stories | Janice | TV series | |
| 2010 | Dead Gorgeous | Haiwyn Sinclaire | ||
| 2012 | Winners & Losers | Mrs Judy Faine | ||
| 2013 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Mrs Bolkonsky | TV series, season 2, episode 2: "Death Comes Knocking" | |
| 2014 | Wentworth | Lorraine Evelyn | TV series, season 2 | |
| 2021 | Joe vs. Carole | Anne McQueen | TV miniseries |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Banquet of Vipers | Pram Factory, Melbourne, Parks Community Centre for Adelaide Festival | ||
| 1981 | Quick Death to Infinity | The Woman | La Mama, Melbourne, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart, Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1981 | Pour en Finir avec le Jugement de Dieu (aka To Have Done with the Judgment of God) | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | ||
| 1981 | Exiles | Mrs Gower | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1982 | Ruins | The Old Woman | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1982 | The Hamletmachine | MC | ||
| 1982 | The White Door | Solo performance | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1982 | The Condemned of Altona | Leni | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1982 | The Stranger in the House | The Mother | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1983 | Tartuffe | Dorine | ||
| 1983 | Slow Love | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | ||
| 1983 | Tengul | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | ||
| 1983 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne | ||
| 1984 | Don Juan | Charlotte | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, St. Vincent de Paul's Girls' Orphanage, Melbourne | |
| 1984 | Romeo and Juliet | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA | ||
| 1984 | The Time Is Not Yet Ripe | Lady Pillsbury | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA | |
| 1984; 1985; 1987; 1988; 1989 | Kids' Stuff | Schoolboy | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne, Brown's Mart Theatre, Darwin, Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide Festival, Donmar Warehouse, London, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, Singapore Festival, Aarhus Denmark & Tasmania | |
| 1985 | The Misanthrope | Celimene | Anthill Theatre, Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 1985 | Macbeth | Lasy Macbeth | Warehouse, South Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre | |
| 1987 | The Cherry Orchard | Madame Ranevskaya | Anthill Theatre | |
| 1987 | Uncle Vanya | Sonia | Anthill Theatre | |
| 1987 | The Thief / The Drought | Anthill Theatre | ||
| 1987 | An Ordinary Dream about a Journey North | Anthill Theatre | ||
| 1987 | Three Sisters | Olga | Anthill Theatre | |
| 1988 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Olive | ||
| 1989–90 | The Imaginary Invalid | Toinette | New Fortune Theatre for Perth Festival, Anthill Theatre, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Armoury Lawns, Adelaide | |
| 1989 | Joan of Arc at the Stake | Melbourne Concert Hall | ||
| 1989 | Happy Days | Winnie | Anthill Theatre | |
| 1990–91 | The Wooden Child | Voiceover artist | Castlemaine Library Hall, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House | |
| 1990 | Peer Gynt | Universal Theatre | ||
| 1991 | In the Cold Cold Morning Light | Bebe | Anthill Theatre | |
| 1991 | Endgame | |||
| 1991 | The Marriage of Figaro | Suzanne | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 1992 | The Crimson Island | Metelkin / Passepartout / Parrot | Royalty Theatre, Adelaide with Anthill Theatre for Adelaide Festival | |
| 1992 | The Chairs | Anthill Theatre | ||
| 1992 | Life is a Dream | |||
| 1992 | The School for Wives | Georgette | ||
| 1993 | The Stranger in the House | The Mother | Anthill Theatre | |
| 1993 | Mother Courage and her Children | Mother Courage | Gasworks Theatre | |
| 1993 | The Force of Habit | Gasworks Theatre | ||
| 1993 | Kids' Stuff | Victorian regional tour & Gasworks Theatre, Melbourne | ||
| 1995 | The Ham Funeral | Mrs Lusty | Budinskis Theatre of Exile, Melbourne | |
| 1995 | Shorts Programme 1: Ned / The Flying Doctor / The Bear / Out at Sea | Fairfax Studio with MTC | ||
| 1995 | Shorts Programme 2: This Property is Condemned / Love / Family Running For Mr Whippy / Like Whiskey on the Breath of a Drunk You Love | Fairfax Studio with MTC | ||
| 1995–96 | Daze of Our Lives | Housewife | Fairfax Studio, Glen Street Theatre, Space Theatre, Adelaide with Handspan Theatre | |
| 1996 | A Cheery Soul | Mrs Watmuff / Little Girl #2 | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 1997 | The Comedy of Errors | Courtesan | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 1997 | After Magritte and The Real Inspector Hound | Mother / Felicity | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 1997 | Mr September | Old Courthouse Building, Geelong with Back to Back Theatre Company | ||
| 1998 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | Grusha | ||
| 1998-99 | Cloudstreet | Red Lamb / various roles | Berth 9, Darling Harbour, Sydney with Company B Belvoir for Sydney Festival, Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, Malthouse Theatre, Black Swan Theatre Company for Perth Festival, Zurich, London, Dublin | |
| 2000 | The Chairs | Old Woman | Fairfax Studio with MTC | |
| 2000 | The Ham Funeral | The Landlady | Belvoir Street Theatre | |
| 2000 | The Small Poppies | Mrs Walsh | The Butter Factory Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival, Belvoir Street Theatre for Sydney Festival, Dublin Festival | |
| 2001 | Man the Balloon | Mayor Flummery / Dr Hindenburg | Fairfax Studio with MTC | |
| 2001 | The Tempest | Trinculo | ||
| 2001 | The Old Masters | Dorotea Fromm | Wharf Theatre with STC | |
| 2002 | Great Expectations | Mrs Jo / Miss Skiffins / various roles | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC, Sydney Opera House]] with STC | |
| 2003 | The Visit | Ottolie Schill / Frau Siementhofer | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 2003 | Babes in the Wood | Boingle | Malthouse Theatre with Playbox, Melbourne | |
| 2004 | The Miser | Froisine | Sydney Opera House with STC | |
| 2005 | A Journal of the Plague Year | Worgret | Malthouse Theatre | |
| 2005 | The Ham Funeral | Landlady | Malthouse Theatre | |
| 2005 | The Metamorphosis | Mrs Samsa | Wharf Theatre, Malthouse Theatre with STC | |
| 2006; 2008 | Babes in the Wood | Boingle | Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House | |
| 2007 | Exit the King | Juliette | ||
| 2007 | The Madwoman of Chaillot | Mademoiselle Gabrielle | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 2007 | Dimboola | Florence Delaney | Malthouse Theatre (Rehearsed Reading) | |
| 2008 | Moving Target | Ensemble | Odeon Theatre, Norwood, Malthouse Theatre with Adelaide Festival | |
| 2009 | Happy Days | Winnie | ||
| 2010 | Elizabeth | |||
| 2009; 2012–13 | The Book of Everything | Mrs Van Amersfoort | Belvoir Street Theatre, Seymour Centre, New Victory Theater, New York with MTC | |
| 2011 | Return to Earth | Wendy Waster | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC | |
| 2013 | Phèdre | Oenone | Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare | |
| 2013 | Romeo and Juliet | Nurse | Sydney Opera House with STC | |
| 2014 | Private Lives | Louise | Southbank Theatre with MTC | |
| 2014 | Night on Bald Mountain | Miss Quodling | ||
| 2014 | The Dream | Puck | Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with Bell Shakespeare | |
| 2015 | The Unknown Man on Somerton Beach | VCA Art Courtyard with MTC | ||
| 2015 | Endgame | Nell | Southbank Theatre with MTC | |
| 2015 | Frogs Cry Wolf | MTC | ||
| 2016 | ‘O’ The Play | All Roles | Big hART | |
| 2015–17 | The Popular Mechanicals | Robin Starveling | Space Theatre, Adelaide & SA regional tour with STCSA, Wharf Theatre with STC, Canberra Theatre Centre | |
| 2017 | The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man | Ensemble | ||
| 2018 | The House of Bernarda Alba | Penelope | Arts Centre Melbourne with MTC | |
| 2018 | Accidental Death of an Anarchist | Inspector Bertozzo | Sydney Opera House with STC | |
| 2018 | Bottomless | Judith / various drunks | Fortyfivedownstairs | |
| 2019 | Escaped Alone | Mrs Jarrett | ||
| 2020 | Do Not Go Gentle... | |||
| 2024 | The President | Mrs Frolick | The Gate Theatre with STC |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Kids’ Stuff | Best Actress | |||
| 1999 | Cloudstreet | Best Ensemble Playing by a Cast of Actors | |||
| 2000 | The Chairs | Female Actor in a Lead Role | |||
| 2001 | The Tempest | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role | |||
| 2003 | Great Expectations | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | |||
| 2005 | The Ham Funeral | Best Female Actor in a Play | |||
| 2007 | Exit the King | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | |||
| 2008 | Moving Target | Best Ensemble Playing by a Cast of Actors | |||
| 2008 | Exit the King | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | |||
| 2009 | Julie Forsyth | Individual Award | |||
| 2009 | Happy Days | Best Actress in a Lead Role | |||
| 2009 | Happy Days | Best Female Performer Lead Role | |||
| 2010 | Happy Days | Best Female Actor in a Play | |||
| 2013 | The Book of Everything | Best Ensemble Playing by a Cast of Actors | |||
| 2013 | The Book of Everything | Best Female Actor | |||
| 2015 | Endgame | Best Female Actor for Endgame | |||
| 2015 | Endgame | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | |||
| 2015 | Night On Bald Mountain | Best Female Actor in a Play |