Frances Hargreaves (6 January 1955 – 3 March 2017[1]) was an Australian actress, who became famous in the 1970s through her long-running role of Marilyn McDonald in soap opera Number 96.

Frances Hargreaves
Born6 January 1955
South Africa
Died3 March 2017 (aged 62)
Sydney, Australia
OccupationActress
Known forNumber 96 as Marilyn McDonald

Early life

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Hargreaves was born in South Africa, of British descent and prior to Number 96 she had studied in London,[2] and began acting on the stage in the UK. After marrying Australian actor and singer David Gilchrist, they settled in Australia in 1973. Their daughter Amelia was born in 1989.

Career

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In January 1974, Hargreaves scored the role of rebellious Marilyn McDonald at the last-minute when the original actress, Judy McBurney, had to withdraw due to peritonitis after only six episodes. Hargreaves had to re-shoot all of McBurney's scenes.

Marilyn was the adopted daughter of Edie and Reg (Mike Dorsey and Wendy Blacklock), whom she always called "Mummy and Daddy". Marilyn was primarily a comedy character, but her most dramatic storyline was when she discovered the identity of the infamous Number 96 pantyhose strangler.[3]

Hargreaves left the series in June 1975 when she fell pregnant. During a subsequent visit to her native South Africa with newborn son Samuel David, she acted in theatre productions of The Sound of Music and Stop the World I Want to Get Off.

She subsequently returned to Australia and resumed her role in Number 96 from April 1977 until its demise later that year. She later appeared in The Young Doctors as Emma Dixon in 1979 and Who Killed Baby Azaria? (1984).

In 2007 Hargreaves appeared in Where Are They Now? with fellow Number 96 cast members for a reunion special.

Death

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Frances Hargreaves died in Sydney on 3 March 2017, aged 62, after a long illness.[4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1984 Who Killed Baby Azaria? Documentary film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1974–75; 1977 Number 96 Marilyn McDonald TV series
1979 The Young Doctors Emma Dixon TV series
2007 Where Are They Now? Herself (with cast of Number 96) TV series

Theatre

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Year Title Role Location / Venue
1975 The Sound of Music
1975 Stop the World I Want to Get Off
1977 The Gold Rush; Or the Corruption of Dickie Araballa The Speakeasy, Sydney with J.K. James Productions
1986 Cinderella Cinderella Glen Street Theatre, Sydney

[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Vale:Frances Hargreaves". Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Frances Hargreaves". 8 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Pantyhose Strangler strikes in September". 27 July 2008.
  4. ^ David Knox (7 March 2017). "Vale:Frances Hargreaves". Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  5. ^ "AusStage".
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