Vale: Joy Westmore

Veteran actress Joy Westmore, best known for Prisoner, Cluedo and Neighbours has died, aged 88.

She played Officer Joyce Barry for 246 episodes of Prisoner from 1979 – 1986. She was initially cast as a recurring cast member before becoming one of the ensemble, with her character marrying Mervyn Pringle (Ernie Bourne). The role led to a win at the Penguin Awards.

In Nine’s mystery series Cluedo she played Mrs White and she had two roles in Neighbours as Mrs. Forster in 1991 and as Dee Bliss’ (Madeleine West) grandmother, Nancy Bliss, in 2003.

Westmore appeared in many TV productions including Bellbird, The Sullivans, The Sentimental Bloke, Cop Shop, The Worst Day of My Life, Col’n Carpenter, Embassy, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, Waiting at the Royal, Fergus McPhail, Blue Heelers, The Librarians, It’s a Date and films A Slice of Life, The Odd Angry Shot and the film Les Patterson Saves the World.

Westmore worked several times with Barry Humphries.

“I was his long suffering wife, Lady Patterson,” she once said. “A very lovely lady she was.”

She added, “A revue I did was in 1956, an Olympic year, and the name of the sketch was Olympic Hostess. That was one of the first times Barry Humphries ever did Edna Everage.”

Westmore was also a regular on The Ernie Sigley Show and The Graham Kennedy Show and worked across theatre including the Melbourne Theatre Company, plus Radio 3UZ, shorts and voice work.

Here is a special treat for Prisoner fans! Joy Westmore’s daughter Emily has allowed me to share this lovely recent pic of her Mum who died yesterday. She was still getting fan mail from overseas just yesterday! Prisoner fans are nothing if not devoted & they loved Officer Barry! pic.twitter.com/bGQ5pAlOvT

— Peter Ford (@mrpford) November 6, 2020