Advanced search

Accomplished, extremely versatile Australian character actress, who has appeared mainly on stage and TV. Despite her relatively few roles on the big screen, Jaffer has won an AFI Award as Best Supporting Actress (tied with Jacki Weaver) for her performance as a barmaid in Caddie (1976). Other noteworthy roles have included Vi, a woman with a dark past, in Weekend of Shadows (1978); the ballet teacher in The Gold and the Glory (1984); and the 'Keeper of the Seeds', eldest of the warrior women in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) (amazingly, she also did her own stunt work!).

Melissa Jaffer was one of two siblings, born in the rural town of Gladstone in South Australia. Her father served in the RAAF during the Second World War. After his demobilization, he bought a hotel and became a publican in Kyneton, Victoria. Her mother provided financial support for the family during the war, holding down a senior clerical position in a munitions factory. Both Melissa and her sister Juanita were brought up in the Catholic faith and attended Loreto College in Ballarat from 1948 to 1950. Upon leaving school, Jaffer was able to obtain her first role on the stage as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream following an introduction to William Carr, head of the National Theatre School and Company in Melbourne. In the course of her lengthy theatrical career she has appeared in numerous classic plays, including Pygmalion, As You Like It, Oliver!, Uncle Vanya, Richard III, Hedda Gabler and The Glass Menagerie.

Jaffer made her screen debut in 1967 on the early Australian soap opera Bellbird (1967). Her subsequent guest appearances in iconic shows have included Homicide (1964), Division 4 (1969) and Matlock Police (1971). She starred opposite Ed Devereaux as the matriarch of a Sydney working-class family in the TV drama Kings (1983). In a 1985 miniseries, Jaffer played Thelma O'Keefe, the mother of Aussie rock'n'roll legend Johnny O'Keefe. The Harp in the South (1987) saw her as a woman struggling with the stigma of having an illegitimate, mentally handicapped son in late 1940s Sydney. Jaffer has made repeat appearances as different characters in A Country Practice (1981), in the highly acclaimed sitcom Mother and Son (1984) (as Maggie's sister Aunty Lorna), G.P. (1989) (as Dr. Maureen Riordan), Grass Roots (2000) and All Saints (1998).

Internationally, she is probably best known as Utu-Noranti Pralatong, the ancient, idiosyncratic mystic who joined the crew of Moya during seasons three and four of Rockne S. O'Bannon's groundbreaking sci-fi series Farscape (1999). Though Jaffer's character could be described as loopy at the best of times, she proved well-intentioned, her knowledge of alchemy and botany getting Crichton and Co. out of trouble on more than one occasion.

A splendid actress, often memorable, even in smaller supporting roles.

Taya Kyle was born on 4 September 1974 in Gladstone, Oregon, USA. She was previously married to Chris Kyle.

Paul Bishop was born on 23 September 1964 in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia. He is an actor, known for Blue Heelers (1994), Paradise Road (1997) and In Her Skin (2009). He is married to Elise Parups. They have four children.

Melana Scantlin was born on 4 December 1977 in Gladstone, Missouri, USA. She is an actress, known for They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping (1993), Days of Our Lives (1965) and Average Joe (2003).

Shannon spent her formative years moving around Queensland and up and down the east coast wherever her father could find construction work. In her early teens she settled in the NSW coastal town of Ballina. Soon after her 16th birthday she moved to Sydney, took up modeling and landed an immediate success as a Playmate in the Australian edition of Playboy in September 1985. She was a smash with readers of the Australian edition. Shannon did an encore pictorial in late 1986, and represented Australia in the Playboy International Pageant in 1988. She caught the eyes of the US Playboy editors and became the first ever Australian to appear as a Playmate in the US edition in October 1988. This is in turn lead to an unprecedented second centerfold in the Australian edition in December 1988. Australian edition readers couldn't get enough of her, leading to encore pictorials in 1989 and 1992. She toured the USA in the early 1990s promoting Australian beer. She returned to Australia in the mid 1990s and wound down her modeling career in favor of becoming a computer specialist while doing occasional glamor modeling for local magazines.

Daniel Yost is a writer, director and producer, known for A Star For Rose, Shooting Nick and Drugstore Cowboy. His background in journalism has led to projects dealing with social, political and environmental issues, but always in the context of entertaining stories. Upcoming projects include Melody's Tune, about a young girl with a fantasy mother, Cunning Little Vixen, about a school for opera singers preparing to perform Leos Janacek's masterpiece of the same name, and Hope And Fear, about one woman taking her friend on a road trip to get her out of an abusive relationship and rebuild her sense of self worth.

Trevor Kent was born on 24 April 1940 in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia. He was an actor, known for Prisoner (1979), A Cry in the Dark (1988) and Cop Shop (1977). He died on 4 November 1989 in Australia.

Frank Smith was born on 31 August 1911 in Gladstone, Michigan, USA. He is a director, known for Gulliver's Travels (1939), Mister Magoo (1960) and Snoopy Come Home (1972).

Patrick Laffoon was born in Gladstone, Missouri, USA. Patrick is an actor and writer, known for And Then (2021), Red Light, Green Light (2021) and Bless the Harts (2019).

Peter Yeldham was born on 25 April 1927 in Gladstone, New South Wales, Australia. He was a writer and producer, known for Weekend of Shadows (1978), The Liquidator (1965) and Harriet's Back in Town (1972). He was married to Marjorie Yeldham. He died on 20 September 2022.

The youngest of three girls, Katherine was born in Gladstone, Queensland, but grew up in a small country town in the heart of the "Food Bowl of Australian." She began to pursue her passion for acting at the age of 14 after moving to Australian's capital city. There, she studied at one of the best high schools for drama, while taking part in acting programs with NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts). Once graduated, she studied Opera in the Bel Canto style with London's Trinity College for five years. However, her passion for acting drew her back to study with CADA (Canberra Academy of Dramatic Arts). While studying, Katherine has acted in numerous short films and theatre performances. In 2012, she was cast in her first feature film, the Australian zombie horror movie "Theatre of the Dead." Katherine has also spent time over the years pursuing other talents. Notably in modeling, she competed in Miss FTV in 2009, gaining second runner up. She has earned her black belt in Haidong Gumdo & studies with a private tutor in her spare time to gain Japanese as a second language.

Ken O'Dowd was born on 30 June 1950 in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.