Mary Charleston
Encyclopedia
Mary Charleston is an Australian choreographer, film and television actress. She guest starred on several television films and series during the 1970s and early 1980s, best remembered as playing Linda Goldman
in the cult soap opera Prisoner
, but also having appeared in the 1980 television miniseries The Last Outlaw
and the 1986 war film
Death of a Soldier
.
in 1977. She had a minor role in the 1978 film Mouth to Mouth
, playing a massage parlor girl
, and made another guest appearance on Skyways. In 1980, she appeared in the television miniseries The Last Outlaw
. The next year, she was cast college political activist Linda Goldman
in the soap opera Prisoner
. She and Kate Turner (Ricki Lee
) were both introduced as friends and fellow activists of Andrea Hennesey
, played by Bethany Lee
, who kidnap the prison warden Erica Davidson
(Patsy King
). The kidnapping fails resulting in Ricki Lee killed by the police and Linda Goldman being sent to prison where she eventually commits suicide.
Following this appearance, Charleston decided to concentrate on her dance choreography career. She played the younger Heather McKean in the 1984 documentary film The Slim Dusty Movie
. Her final acting role was in the 1986 war film
Death of a Soldier
. She was also the choreographer for director Alan Burrows' stage production of Cabaret with the Victoria
-based CLOC Musical Theatre Company that same year. In 2001, Charleston became the choreographer for the television series Shock Jock
.
Prisoner characters - Inmates
A list of all inmates of Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Note that episode numbers cited are for first and last appearances; many characters had spells where they were absent and subsequently returned....
in the cult soap opera Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
, but also having appeared in the 1980 television miniseries The Last Outlaw
The Last Outlaw
The Last Outlaw is a 1919 short Western film directed by John Ford. Part of this film survives in the British Film Institute film archive and in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.-Cast:* Edgar Jones* Lucille Hutton* Richard Cummings* Jack Walters...
and the 1986 war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
Death of a Soldier
Death of a Soldier
Death of a Soldier is a 1986 Australian film based on the life of American serial killer Eddie Leonski. The film was shot using locations around Melbourne, Victoria.The film is directed by Philippe Mora and stars James Coburn, Bill Hunter and Reb Brown....
.
Career
Charleston got her start working as a choreographer for Countdown and The Don Lane Show between 1974–75 and made her television acting debut as a guest star on the police drama Cop ShopCop Shop
Cop Shop was an Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday operations of both the uniformed police officers and the plain-clothes detectives of the fictional Riverside Police Station....
in 1977. She had a minor role in the 1978 film Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to mouth
Mouth to mouth may refer to:* Mouth to mouth resuscitation, a part of cardiopulmonary resuscitationIn music:* Mouth to Mouth Mouth to mouth may refer to:* Mouth to mouth resuscitation, a part of cardiopulmonary resuscitationIn music:* Mouth to Mouth Mouth to mouth may refer to:* Mouth to mouth...
, playing a massage parlor girl
Massage parlor
A massage parlor is a business where customers can receive a massage. Sometimes the term is synonymous with brothel as the term "massage" may be used as a euphemism for paid sexual favours....
, and made another guest appearance on Skyways. In 1980, she appeared in the television miniseries The Last Outlaw
The Last Outlaw
The Last Outlaw is a 1919 short Western film directed by John Ford. Part of this film survives in the British Film Institute film archive and in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.-Cast:* Edgar Jones* Lucille Hutton* Richard Cummings* Jack Walters...
. The next year, she was cast college political activist Linda Goldman
Prisoner characters - Inmates
A list of all inmates of Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Note that episode numbers cited are for first and last appearances; many characters had spells where they were absent and subsequently returned....
in the soap opera Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
. She and Kate Turner (Ricki Lee
Prisoner characters - Inmates
A list of all inmates of Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Note that episode numbers cited are for first and last appearances; many characters had spells where they were absent and subsequently returned....
) were both introduced as friends and fellow activists of Andrea Hennesey
Prisoner characters - Inmates
A list of all inmates of Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Note that episode numbers cited are for first and last appearances; many characters had spells where they were absent and subsequently returned....
, played by Bethany Lee
Bethany Lee
Bethany Lee is a retired Australian film and television actress. She guest starred on numerous television series during the 1970s, including recurring roles on The Long Arm, Number 96 and Skyways, but is best known for her role as Andrea Hennesey in the cult soap opera Prisoner Cell Block...
, who kidnap the prison warden Erica Davidson
Prisoner characters - Prison Staff
A list of all prison staff at the Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Listed in order of appearance:* Erica Davidson , the prison's governor...
(Patsy King
Patsy King
Patsy King, is an Australian charactor actress ,a Melbourne theatre performer who trained as a Shakespearean actress with the Melbourne National Theatre; she spent her early days in the United Kingdom...
). The kidnapping fails resulting in Ricki Lee killed by the police and Linda Goldman being sent to prison where she eventually commits suicide.
Following this appearance, Charleston decided to concentrate on her dance choreography career. She played the younger Heather McKean in the 1984 documentary film The Slim Dusty Movie
The Slim Dusty Movie
The Slim Dusty Movie is a 1984 Australian feature film directed by Rob Stewart and starring Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Jon Blake and Mary Charleston.-The Film:...
. Her final acting role was in the 1986 war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
Death of a Soldier
Death of a Soldier
Death of a Soldier is a 1986 Australian film based on the life of American serial killer Eddie Leonski. The film was shot using locations around Melbourne, Victoria.The film is directed by Philippe Mora and stars James Coburn, Bill Hunter and Reb Brown....
. She was also the choreographer for director Alan Burrows' stage production of Cabaret with the Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
-based CLOC Musical Theatre Company that same year. In 2001, Charleston became the choreographer for the television series Shock Jock
Shock Jock
Shock Jock was an Australian television comedy series, broadcast on TV1.The series lasted for two series and was created by comedian Tim Ferguson...
.