Vale: Judi Farr

Veteran actress Judi Farr, best known for Please Like Me, Kingswood Country, A Place to Call Home and My Name’s McGooley What’s Yours? has died aged 84.

Farr enjoyed a long career across stage and screen.

Her career included productions with Sydney Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Marian Street Theatre, Old Tote Theatre Company, with films including Oscar and Lucinda, Flirting and Walking on Water.

Her early television roles in the 1960s included both My Name’s McGooley What’s Yours? and Rita and Wally alongside John Mellion whom she recalled as “a great actor.” In the 1970s she had a recurring role in Number 96 and famously performed alongside Ross Higgins in Kingswood Country.

In 2021 she told TV Tonight, “I remember the cast. We’re still friends, although Ross has died. But I don’t want to remember much about it.”

She admitted the sitcom wasn’t a memorable experience.

“Not really no. Apart from the cast and we were great close friends.”

Farr also appeared in Please Like Me as Aunt Peg then A Place to Call Home, retiring from acting in 2015 after a battle with cancer.

Further credits included They’re a Weird Mob, Fatty Finn, The Year My Voice Broke, December Boys, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, The Alice, Go Big A Country Practice, All Saints, CrashBurn and Changi.

But her fondest memories were for her stage work.

“I’m afraid the highlights don’t include film or television. It’s mainly theatre that I have enjoyed. Death of a Salesman, 84 Charring Cross Road, Women of Troy, but nothing in television has filled me with great memories,” she said.

She also taught acting and offered sage advice for young performers entering the profession.

“Have another job you can turn to. It’s a good idea to have another string to your bow,” she suggested.

“It is such an elusive profession and you cannot rely on it being constant. That’s just the power of the thing. I feel sorry for people who get retrenched from their jobs that they’ve had for years and expected to have for years. Because it comes as such a shock. But an actor says ‘Oh! Lost that job! I’ll try for another one, I guess.’”

In 2021 she was honoured with an AM for significant service to the performing arts.

Mark Humphries: “Sad to learn of the passing of actress Judi Farr. She taught acting classes along with Elaine Lee that I attended while I was in high school. Fond memories. Vale.”

Adam Zwar: “Loved Judi Farr – The Year My Voice Broke, Flirting, Alvin Purple, and lately, Please Like Me and Jack Irish. What an icon. Vale.”

ABC’s Todd Abbott: “What a smart, generous, fearless and hilarious performer was Judi Farr. Our Aunty Peg made an indelible impression on screen and off in Please Like Me. She was an absolute ripper, and she will be very sadly missed.”

Historian Andrew Mercado: Vale Judi Farr – so hilarious as Alderman Mrs Bullock trying to steal Daddy from Mummy in #Number96And her bravery in returning to play Aunt Peg in #APlaceToCallHome after a stroke left her disfigured.”

Jane Caro: “Oh! I loved Judi Farr! I met her a couple of times and was totally starstruck. She was lovely and brilliant.”