Betty Bobbitt

Bobbitt was born in Manhattan, New York and grew up in Norristown, a suburb of Philadelphia.[1] She attended a Catholic grammar school and Norristown High School.

Working in Los Angeles in a production of Auntie Mame, she was approached by an Australian television producer who asked her if she 'wanted to come to Australia and be funny'.[2] She was contracted for six months, and appeared as a regular on a Melbourne television variety show, Daly at Night, 'a female Victor Borge, singing off-key and just plain acting like a dumb brunette'.[3] She was known in Australia in the early 1960s as 'Betty Bobbitt from Big Bear', referencing a fictitious place ostensibly in Pennsylvania.[4]

She subsequently married an Australian artist, Robin Hill,[5] and had a son, Christopher, in England.[6]Returning to Australia she appeared in many theatre productions with the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Bobbitt has been a fixture on Australian television since the 1970s with guest roles in serials including Matlock Police, Homicide, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, All Saints, Marshall Law and Blue Heelers. She became best known for her portrayal of lesbian character Judy Bryant, a series regular on the popular Australian television program Prisoner. She first appeared in the series in February 1980. After it started to gain a cult status in the US, billed as Prisoner: Cel Block H, an American actress was suggested by producers as a nod to local audiences. Her character was intended only for a short-term appearance, but she became immensely popular, and was retained in the series. Bobbitt continued in the role until May 1985, making her the show's second-longest serving actor, at 429 episodes, second only to Elspeth Ballantyne as officer Meg Morris, an original who appeared at the series' inception.

During her time in Prisoner Bobbitt performed with fellow Prisoner cast members Colette Mann and Jane Clifton in a three-woman troupe named "The Mini Busettes" in the 1980s. They performed around Australia in RSL and similar clubs.

After leaving Prisoner, she continued with theatre roles, made several guest-starring television appearances, and appeared in a few films. She had cameo roles in Crocodile Dundee II and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (a.k.a.Crocodile Dundee III). She appeared in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of Cruel & Tender by Martin Crimp. She was the sole performer in a production of The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau under the aegis of Tributary, a Melbourne Theatre Company offshoot.[7]

In 2004, Bobbitt made a brief uncredited appearance in the American television remake of the Stephen King classic, Salem's Lot, and in 2010 in a thriller, Torn.

In 2011, Bobbitt self-published her book From the Outside, which documents her life and career playing the role of Judy Bryant on Prisoner.

Bobbitt is an English teacher, and taught English to Vietnamese students.

Bobbitt appeared in Australian soap opera Neighbours on 27 February 2019, in which former Prisoner star Colette Mann is now a regular as Sheila Canning, she appeared in a special episode alongside former Prisoner cast members Jane Clifton, Jentah Sobott and Jenny Lovell, featured as members of Sheila's bookclub, in a storyline that commemorated the 40th anniversary of Prisoner.[8]

• Betty Bobbitt on IMDb
• Hear Betty talk about her life and career on The Soap Show
• Interview with Betty Bobbitt

• Betty Bobbitt official website