Vale: Maxine Klibingaitis

Actor Maxine Klibingaitis, best known for Prisoner and Neighbours, has died aged 58.

Her sudden passing was announced through Prisoner fan club Partners in Crime yesterday: “We regrettably announce that actress Maxine Klibingaitis has passed away today. Maxine played the much-loved character of Bobbie Mitchell in Prisoner, Terri Inglis in Neighbours and many other roles in Australian TV. Maxine was only 58. We send our sincere condolences to her son, Zane and Maxine’s family & friends. RIP Maxine.”

Klibingaitis played teen punk Bobbie Mitchell in Prisoner from 1983 – 1985. The character was charged with shoplifting, escaped, was caught stealing a walkman (!), was returned to Wentworth, kidnapped, loses a baby, bashed, cut by razor blades, and attempted suicide…. Bobbie was eventually parolled and returned as a guest for a wedding -a rare happy ending in a show not known for such.

She also featured as Terry Inglis in Neighbours, a “boyish apprentice plumber”, in 1985, becoming the first wife to Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). According to Wikipedia, their relationship ended in “heartache, attempted murder and inevitable divorce.” Terry was sent to prison, taking her her own life off screen in 1986 – the only Neighbours character to have died this way. The BBC said Terry’s most notable moment was “Trying to shoot Paul Robinson.”

Klibingaitis, who married actor Andrew Friedman, worked solidly through the 1980s / 90s and into the early 2000s featuring in other Australian dramas, Home, Special Squad, Fields of Fire, The Flying Doctors, Home & Away, Family & Friends, Hampton Court, Col’n Carpenter, All Together Now, Blue Heelers, Round the Twist, Marshall Law, MDA and indie films including Boronia Boys.

She also appeared at the Prisoner 40th Reunion event in Melbourne in 2019, attended by fans from around the world.