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Friday Flashback: Sheila Florance on Homicide

Before she became famous as Lizzie Birdsworth, Sheila Florance was a favourite of the Homicide producers.

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Years before she became much-loved as Lizzie Birdsworth in Prisoner, the great Sheila Florance was a favourite of  Homicide. producers.

Florance was aged around 58 when she did this scene in 1974.

Over the 10 year life of Homicide she undertook the following roles.

Homicide Laura Wishart TV series, 1 episode S2E26 (guest)
Mrs. Miller S2E36 (guest)
Mrs. Nugent S5E29 (guest)
Annabelle Tompkins S6E18 (guest)
Jane Cochrane S6E29 (guest)
Edna Kane S7E6 (guest)
Mrs. Wakefield S7E14 (guest)
Mrs. Galbraith S7E21 (guest)
Neighbour S7E26 (guest)
Mrs. Greenfield S7E38 (guest)
Motel Owner S8E6 (guest)
Sister Ignatius S8E25 (guest)
Edna Jones S8E36 (guest)
Mrs. Trainer S9E31 (guest)
Miss Gregory S9E33 (guest)
Grace Walker S9E35 (guest)
Emma Perkins S12E10 (guest)
Margaret S12E41 (guest)

8 Responses

  1. My Favourite line was the one
    Ferguson said to Lizzie once only
    Lizzie said I want to go to the loo
    Ferguson said Back
    Bake it Birdworth classic Prisoner

  2. Sheila helped me out as a new camera operator on prisoner. She said that I’ll be good with my focus on her because of ‘all the lines on me face’ She also seemed to enjoy a bit of the ‘invalid stout’ during the long studio days and would every now and then let out a huge burp!! What a character.

  4. It was rare to have someone perform such comedy and drama within one show and one character as Sheila did on ‘Prisoner’. When there was a scam or a prank, she was glorious; and when it was her reality she was heartbreaking and incredibly moving. I’m so glad she won two Logies for it, and then in her final months an AFI for that Paul Cox movie. Sheila Florance was a complete one off.

  5. Lizzy Birdsworth character was the glue that held Wentworth together..…she was also a farmer in Mad Max as May Swaisey wielding a bloody big shotgun nearly the size of her where she broke her knee but the trooper she was she turned up days later and finished the screen….what a legend…. Sheila Florence was the best…sadly they just don’t make them like her now.

      1. Sheila Florance was also in the first episode of Matlock Police, playing the rich town matriarch with the full plummy accent. About a million miles away from Lizzie!

        Fast Forward did a Prisoner skit with the full on ocker accents and bloody this and mongrel that, but as soon as the director yells “cut” the actors in their prisoner garb all start speaking their refined English and talking about Shakespeare and the like.

      2. My favourite saying of Sheila in Prisoner was always the way she said “bugger” and the part where she was up for parol but was wearing her last pair of clean knickers and the governor suggested try hand washing them then they might dry overnight ….. What a gem she was.

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