Lois Ramsey
Lois June Ramsey (née Dickson; 18 June 1922 – 22 January 2016) also billed as Lois Ramsay, was an Australian actress, best known for her regular roles on television series The Box and Prisoner as two different characters. As a character actress of both drama and comic roles in numerous serials, she often played quirky, eccentric old ladies on television soap operas.
Lois Ramsey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lois June Dickson 18 June 1922 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Died | 22 January 2016 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1954–2012 |
| Spouse | Cuthbert Ward Ramsey |
| Children | Penny Ramsey Stephen Ramsey |
Career
The Box and Prisoner
She was a major cast member of the 1970s soap opera The Box as tea lady Mrs. Hopkins, appearing for the entire run of the serial.[1] She also had 2 prominent stints in Prisoner—firstly as dotty social worker Agnes Forster in 1980 in 1985 as an elderly inmate Ettie Parslow, who thought that the Second World War was still going on.
Television and film roles
She had numerous roles in TV soap opera/serials including Crawford Productions serials Homicide, The Sullivans, Cop Shop, as well as A Country Practice, E Street, Home and Away, and Blue Heelers, Always Greener and All Saints and the films Crackerjack and BoyTown.[2]
AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Television Drama Series for a performance in the television series Grass Roots.
Stage roles
Also a stage actress, she was one of the founders of the Flinders Street Revue Company in 1961 and appeared later she appeared in numerous productions with both the Sydney Theatre Company and the Melbourne Theatre Company.
Personal life
Born to Bill and Maud Dickson, she married Cuthbert Ward Ramsey on 25 September 1943.[3] They had two children: writer/director Stephen Ramsey and the late actress Penny Ramsey.
Filmography
FILM
| Title | Year | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Box | Mrs. Hopkins | Feature film |
| 1983 | Undercover | Landlady | Feature film |
| 1984 | One Night Stand | Salvation Army Woman | Feature film |
| 1993 | Shotgun Wedding | Voice (as Lois Ramsay) | Feature film |
| 1996 | River Street | Edna Davis | Feature film |
| 1996 | Roses | Dawn | Film Short |
| 1997 | Road To Nhill | Carmel | Feature film |
| 1998 | Tulip | Margaret | Short film |
| 1999 | Fresh Air | Mrs. Beck | Feature film |
| 2002 | Crackerjack | Gwen | Feature film |
| 2006 | BoyTown | Gran | Feature film |
| 2007 | Cool White | Grace | Short film |
TELEVISION
| Title | Year | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962;1963 | Consider Your Verdict | Recurring Guest role: Marjorie Buxton (as Lois Ramsay) | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Adventures of the Seaspray | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1967-1974 | Homicide | Guest roles: Ivy Young / Mrs. Hubble / Mrs. Jones | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1968 | The Battlers | Regular role | TV series |
| 1969 | Riptide | Guest role: Anastasia Burns | TV series, 1 episode 4: "Surprise Surprise" |
| 1970 | The Link Men | Guest role: Mother | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974-1977 | The Box | Regular role: Mrs. Hopkins / Mrs. Hawker (as Lois Ramsay) | TV series, 197 episodes |
| 1975 | Pot of Gold | Herself - Guest Judge | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | The Young Doctors | Recurring Guest role: Winnie Parsons | TV series |
| 1977 | Young Ramsay | Guest role: Maisie O'Brien (as Lois Ramsay) | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977-1978 | The Sullivans | Recurring Guest role: Mrs. Patterson | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | Guest role: Mrs. Blair | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | The Truckies | Regular role: Dora | ABC TV series, 12 episodes |
| 1980;1986 | Prisoner | Recurring role: Agnes Forster | TV series |
| 1981 | Air Hawk: Star of the North | Support role: Dorcas (as Lois Ramsay) | TV movie |
| 1981 | A Town Like Alice | Recurring role: Mrs. Driver | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1982-1990 | A Country Practice | Guest roles: Gladys Carter / Pearl Murray / Irene Sinclair / Nellie Dickinson | TV series, 8 episodes |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | Guest role: Mrs. Griffin | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | The Harp in the South | Support role: Mrs. Campion | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1986 | Prisoner | Recurring role: Ettie Parslow | TV series |
| 1987 | Poor Man's Orange | Support role: Mrs. Campion | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Willing and Abel | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Guest role: Miss Mitford | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | E Street | Recurring role: Lillian Patchett | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1989;1993 | G.P. | Recurring role: Lily Cartwright | ABC TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1994;1999 | Blue Heelers | Guest role: Nora Sharpe | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Mother and Son | Guest role: Butcher #1 (as Lois Ramsay) | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Heartbreak High | Guest role: Ethel | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | An Unexpected Drama: The Making of the Feature film Road To Nhill | Herself - Actress | Video |
| 1999;2004 | All Saints | Guest role: Norma Blunt | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Water Rats | Guest role: Shirley Martin | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1999 | Blue Heelers | Guest role: Eileen Hart | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2000 | Above the Law | Recurring role: Flo Price | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Home and Away | Guest role: Mrs. Trent | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2000 | Grass Roots | Guest role: Mrs. Robbins (as Lois Ramsay) | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001 | My Husband My Killer | Support role: Mrs. May Carmichael | TV movie |
| 2001 | Always Greener | Guest role: Old Woman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2004 | All Saints | Recurring role: Thelma Franklin | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2007 | BoyTown Confidential | Gran | Video |
| 2012 | Rake | Guest role: Dolores | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 2015 | Studio 10 | Herself & Judy Nunn | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2015 | Judith Lucy Is All Woman | Herself | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| Year | title | role |
| 1962-1963 | Consider Your Verdict | Marjorie Buxton |
| 1965 | The Adventures of the Sea Spray (TV series) | 1 episode |
| 1968 | The Battlers (TV series) | unknown |
| 1969 | Riptide (TV series) | Anastasia Burns |
| 1970 | The Link Men (TV series) | Mother |
| 1967, 1968, 1974 | Homicide | 3 roles Mrs Jones/Mrs Hubble/Ivy Jones |
| 1975 | The Box | Mrs. Hopkins |
| 1976 | The Young Doctors | Winnie Parsons |
| 1976 | The Sullivans | Mrs. Patterson |
| 1977 | Young Ramsay (TV series) | Maisie O'Brian |
| 1974-1977 | The Box (TV series) | Mrs. Hopkins (197 episodes) |
| 1978 | Cop Shop (TV series) | Mrs. Bair |
| 1978 | The Truckies (TV series) | Dora |
| 1981 | A Town Like Alice (TV miniseries) | Mrs. Driver |
| 1981 | Star of the North (TV movie) | Dorcas (as Lois Ramsay) |
| 1983 | Return to Eden (TV mini series) | Dot |
| 1983 | Carson’s Law (TV series) | Mrs. Griffin |
| 1983 | Undercover | Landlady |
| 1984 | One Night Stand | Salvation Army Woman |
| 1980, 1985,1986 | Prisoner | Agnes Forster, Ettie Parslow | |
| 1987 | The Harp in the South (TV mini-series) | Mrs. Campion |
| 1987 | Poor Mans Orange (TV mini-series) | Mrs. Campion, |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules (TV series) | Miss. Mitford |
| 1989 | E Street (TV series) | Lillian Patchett |
| 1986, 1988, 1990 | A Country Practice | Irene Sinclair, Pearl Murray, Gladys Carter |
| 1989, 1992, 1993 | G.P. (TVseries) | Lily Cartwright |
| 1993 | Shotgun Wedding (Voice, credited as Lois Ramsay | |
| 1994 | Mother and Son | Butcher (as Lois Ramsay) |
| 1996 | River Street | Edna Davies |
| 1996 | Roses (film short) | Dawn |
| 1997 | Road to Nhill | Carmel |
| 1999 | Fresh Air | Mrs . Beck |
| 1999 | Water Rats (TV series) | Shirley Martin |
| 1994, 1999 | Blue Heelers | Eileen Hart, Nora Sharpe |
| 2000 | Above the Law | Flo Price |
| 2000 | Tulip (film short) | Margaret |
| 2000 | Home and Away | Mrs. Trent |
| 2000 | Grass Roots (TV series) | Mrs. Robbins (as Lois Ramsay) |
| 2001 | My Husband, My Killer (TV movie) | Mrs. May Carmichael |
| 2001 | Always Greener (TV series) | Old Woman |
| 2002 | Crackerjack | Gwen |
| 1999, 2004 | All Saints | Thelma Franklin, Norma Blunt |
| 2006 | BoysTown | Gran |
| 2007 | Boystown Confidential | Gran |
| 2007 | Cool White (film short) | Grace |
| 2012 | Rake (TV series) | Dolores |
| 2015 | Studio 10 | Herself & Judy Nunn |
References
- "Out of The Box!". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- Vale: Lois Ramsey, TV Tonight, 16 January 2016.
- "ITEMS FROM EVERYWHERE". The News. Adelaide. 23 September 1943. p. 5. Retrieved 23 January 2016 – via National Library of Australia.