Pat Bishop

Pat Bishop
Born
Patricia Mary Bishop

(1946-06-13)13 June 1946
Died28 March 2000(2000-03-28) (aged 53)
OccupationActress
SpouseBill Hunter (m. 1976, divorced)
Children1

Patricia Mary Bishop (13 June 1946 – 28 March 2000) was a northern Irish-born Australian actress, noted for her performances in theatre, film and television series.

Early life

Bishop was born on 13 June 1946 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to parents Lloyd and Dorothy and had two brothers, Ross and Howard.[1]

Career

Bishop appeared frequently on television, but is probably best known for her role in Prisoner as gangster's wife Antonia McNally, in 1979. She appeared in Dynasty in the regular role of Patricia Mason from 1970 to 1971. Other recurring roles included that of Melissa Hobson in Number 96 in 1976 and Maggie Gould in Cop Shop in 1980.

She appeared in the miniseries A Fortunate Life (1986), Edens Lost, Cassidy (both 1989), Come in Spinner, The Paper Man, Ring of Scorpio (all 1990), Brides of Christ (1991) and Bordertown (1995).

She also had guest roles in numerous television series including Contrabandits, Homicide, Delta, The Link Men, Division 4, Matlock Police, Catwalk, Spyforce, Ryan, Certain Women, Shannon's Mob, Spring & Fall, Menotti, Five Mile Creek, A Country Practice, Special Squad, Rafferty's Rules, The Flying Doctors, Boys from the Bush, Police Rescue, Law of the Land, Correlli, Water Rats, The Genie from Down Under, Bullpitt!, Blue Heelers and All Saints.

Bishop received an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her representation of Jenny in the 1976 film Don's Party, based on the David Williamson play of the same name. She played the role of Maude White in the 1995 film Dad and Dave: On Our Selection, opposite Leo McKern, Geoffrey Rush and Noah Taylor, and was a nursing sister in the 1999 film Soft Fruit.

She also appeared in numerous TV plays and TV movies including Volpone (1968), The Voyage Out (1969), Tilley Landed On Our Shores (1969), Eden House (1970), Chimes at Midnight, Human Target (1974), A Step in the Right Direction (1981), Man of Letters (1984), Barracuda (1988), The Time Game (1992), Reprisal (1997) and Without Warning (1999).

Bishop acted extensively for the stage, including productions for NIDA, Old Tote Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre, STC, MTC, QTC, Phillip Street Theatre, Belvoir and Hunter Valley Theatre Company.[2]

Personal life and death

Bishop was married to renowned Australian actor Bill Hunter in 1976, however, according to writer Bob Ellis, the marriage was short-lived after Hunter ran off with their wedding celebrant.

She had a daughter, Onagh.[3]

Bishop died on March 28, 2000 after a battle with cancer.[1]

After Bishop's death, Onagh moved in with actress Fiona Spence and writer Denise Morgan in Sydney, who saw her through her HSC.[3]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Don's Party Jenny
1978 Cries from a Cold Aquarium (undisclosed role) Short
1980 The Quick Brown Fox Miss Trent Short
1986 Scorpion Spain: Cab Driver
1987 The Right Hand Man (undisclosed role)
1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection Maude White
1999 Soft Fruit Nursing Sister

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1968 Volpone Celia TV movie
Contrabandits Hazel Reeves Season 2, episode 15
1969–1972 Homicide Rhonda Season 6, episode 1
Clair Neil Season 9, episode 15
Beverly Smith Season 9, episode 31
1969 The Voyage Out Kathy Harper TV movie
Tilley Landed On Our Shores Miss... Er... TV movie
Delta Mother Season 1, episode 11
1970 The Link Men (undisclosed role) Season 1, episode 3
Eden House Portia TV movie
Chimes at Midnight (undisclosed role) TV movie
Division 4 Lenise Bingham Season 2, episode 7
Paula Season 2, episode 29
1970–1971 Dynasty Patricia Mason Seasons 1–2, 22 episodes
1971 Matlock Police Jocelyn Season 1, episode 41
1972 Catwalk Peggy Ellis Season 1, episodes 8 & 12
1973 Spyforce Island Woman Season 1, episode 39
Ryan Elaine Duncan Season 1, episode 20
1974 Human Target (undisclosed role) TV movie
1975 Certain Women (undisclosed role) TV series, 1 episode
1976 Shannon's Mob Miss Warwick Season 1, episode 13
Number 96 Melissa Hobson Season 5, 4 episodes
1979 Prisoner Antonia 'Toni' McNally Season 1, 8 episodes
1980 Cop Shop Maggie Gould 4 episodes
Spring & Fall Psychologist Season 1, episode 2
1981 Menotti (undisclosed role) Season 1, episodes 4 & 5
A Step in the Right Direction (undisclosed role) TV movie
1982–1993 A Country Practice Helen McNeil Season 2, episodes 7 & 8
Margot Reynolds Season 4, episodes 39 & 40
Pauline Kitchener Season 5, episodes 51 & 52
Janet Strauss Season 13, episodes 21 & 22
1984 Five Mile Creek Muriel Bostock Season 1, episode 11
Man of Letters Ann Turtle TV movie
Special Squad Barbara Prowse Season 1, episode 16
1986 A Fortunate Life Alice McCall Miniseries, 2 episodes
1988 Barracuda Sgt. Whitten TV movie
Rafferty's Rules Mrs. Annie Hartnoll Season 4, episode 13
1989 Edens Lost Muffet Miniseries
Cassidy Clare Cassidy Miniseries
1990 Come in Spinner Mrs. D'Arcy-Twining Miniseries, 4 episodes
The Paper Man Marjorie Stack Miniseries, 4 episodes
The Flying Doctors Evelyn Murray Season 7, episode 20
1991 Boys from the Bush Grace Season 1, episode 9
Police Rescue Cath Adams Season 1, episodes 6 & 10
Ring of Scorpio Beth Rogers Miniseries, 4 episodes
Brides of Christ Mary Maloney Miniseries, 2 episodes
1992 The Time Game Gran Johnson TV movie
1994 Law of the Land Sharon Jobling 1 episode
1995 Correlli Sister Margaret Season 1, episode 9
Bordertown Cora Miniseries, 2 episodes
1996 Water Rats Miranda Lathem Season 1, episode 15
The Genie from Down Under Madge Season 1, episode 5
1997 Bullpitt! (undisclosed role) Season 2, episode 11
Reprisal Edith TV movie
1998 Blue Heelers Andrea Dean Season 5, episode 37
1999 All Saints Hazel Masterton Season 2, episode 19
Without Warning Cecile Bannerman TV movie

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1965 The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield UNSW, Old Tote Parade Theatre with NIDA
1966 The Schoolmistress Jane Chipman / Mrs. Rankling UNSW, Old Tote Parade Theatre
No, No, Nanette Chorister Arts Theatre, Adelaide
An Inevitable Happening Madame Wayside Theatre, Sydney with The Group Theatre
The Maids Madame
1967 Hedda Gabler UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1968 This Old Man Comes Rolling Home Julie Dockerty
1969 The Rise and Fall of Boronia Avenue Jane St Theatre, Sydney
Rooted Sandy Jane St Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1971 Hoddel's Remarkable Handcart UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney
1972 The Beaux’ Stratagem Theatre 62, Adelaide
An Awful Rose Jane St Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
Don's Party Jane St Theatre, Sydney, UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra
1973 The Bear AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company
Ritual for Dolls
1974 One Season's King
1975 Down Under Stables Theatre, Sydney with King O'Malley Theatre Company
1976 The Tatty Hollow Story Jo Stables Theatre, Sydney
Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? Cheerleader / Lillian Hellman Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney
1976–1977 Otherwise Engaged Davina Saunders UNSW, Old Tote Parade Theatre, Sydney, SGIO Theatre, Brisbane
1977 What the Butler Saw Mrs Prentice Hunter Valley Theatre Company, Sydney
Sporting DoubleThe Les Darcy Show / The Roy Murphy Show Margaret Darcy / Sharon
Hamlet Gertrude
Confusions SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1978 Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi Stas Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth, Union Hall, Adelaide, Theatre Royal Sydney with MTC
The Homecoming Ruth Townsville Civic Theatre, Cairns Civic Theatre
The Cherry Orchard Charlotta Ivanovna SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1979 A Cheery Soul Mrs Custance / Miss Ferry / Little Girl Sydney Opera House with The Paris Company & STC
Hedda Gabler Hedda Tesman SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1980 Quadraphenia Mary Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre[4]
Born in the Gardens Queenie Theatre Royal Sydney with MLC Theatre Royal Company & Knightsbridge Theatrical Productions
1981 Mourning Becomes Electra Christine Mannon Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC
Sold in Marriage Lady Henrietta Barrington Sydney Theatre Music Hall Theatre Restaurant[5]
1982 Conundra Phillip St Theatre, Sydney with Ensemble Theatre
Macbeth Sydney Opera House with QTC
1987 Shadowland Bay St Theatre, Sydney
1988 Hate Eloise Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Company B & Playbox Theatre[4]
1990 Faith Healer Crossroads Theatre, Sydney
1991 The Revenger's Tragedy Sydney Opera House with STC
Diving for Pearls Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney with Company B
The Girl Who Saw Everything Liz Ransome Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1992 Mary Lives Various roles Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company, Monash University, Geelong Arts Centre[4]
1993 Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches Hannah Porter Pitt / Ethel Rosenberg Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1997 Dimetos Stables Theatre, Sydney with Productions en Attendant
The Memory of Water Marian St Theatre, Sydney with Northside Theatre Company

[2]

Radio

Year Title Role Notes
1979 Mrs. Warren's Profession Mrs Warren ABC Radio Brisbane
Thérèse Raquin Thérèse ABC Radio Melbourne

[2]"Pat Bishop". AusStage.</ref>

Awards

Year Title Award Category Result
1977 Don's Party Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Won
1991 The Paper Man Australian Film Institute Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Nominated

References