Tuesday, July 29, 2008

By Glen Williams

Pictures: Grant Turner

She still radiates that beautiful warmth we came to know and love when we met her as one of the original hosts of Play School. And we embraced Lorraine Bayly wholeheartedly as our favourite TV mum with her compelling portrayal of Grace in the '70s smash hit wartime series The Sullivans.

As Woman's Day celebrates its 60th birthday, Lorraine is marking her 50th year as one of the country's most loved and acclaimed actors. Here Lorraine reflects on her amazing life and her new obsession — playing tennis in the World Masters Games next year.

When you were 14 you had to make a tough decision. Would you pursue a career as a concert pianist or become an actor?
That's right! I had my heart set on becoming a concert pianist. I used to play a lot of concerts and when I was 11, I played classical piano on Saturday afternoons on Radio 2UE. There didn't seem to be much work for concert pianists, and I always loved acting from the age of three, and I eventually ended up at the Ensemble Theatre classes.

They sound very bohemian times. You even helped physically build Sydney's Ensemble Theatre?
They were great times. Reg Livermore was there. We were founding members. Jack Thompson came a short time later, and Max Cullen. I had to learn bricklaying and helped build the box office. I also rolled the bitumen for the stage. We had no money. I remember Reg dyeing the hessian for the walls a dark blue. We all worked very hard, and even took turns to work as ushers and serve in the coffee shop. It was the start of our careers, and I still feel a warm connection with all of them because it was such a special experience.

Your acting's great but you're quite famous for being a bad cook.
Yes. I've set the smoke alarm off twice with my cooking! I was heating up a pie and forgot about it. I don't look in ovens very much. All the neighbours came running. Then I cooked salmon a couple of nights later and the same thing happened. I ran outside and said, "It's OK, I'm just cooking again, but I won't be doing it any more."

You've won plenty of acting awards, and you were voted as having the most beautiful eyes in Australia, too.
Yay! Isn't that funny? I was thrilled. I beat Kylie Minogue! I've got 10 awards in the cabinet, but I've also got two Mickey Mouse statues to remind myself not to take it too seriously.

You met your soulmate, journalist Steve O'Baugh when he came to interview you?
Yes I was doing The Sullivans. He came to interview me and we just clicked. We got on so well. We didn't fall in love then. He wanted to see me again and said he had some wonderful photos he'd taken of my dog and could he bring them over. I said stupidly, "That would be lovely, but I won't be home, just drop them under the door." He persisted and we later went on a date.

There was an instant connection. I thought he was so nice. Our first date he nearly choked to death because he got a bone stuck in his throat. I didn't know about it at the time he went up to the men's room and banged his back against a wall to dislodge it.

We had 20 lovely years together. It was on and off every now and again, but there was a real bonding that went beyond romance. He was my soulmate, that phrase gets used so much but that's what he was. He was sent overseas for work and when he came back he was going to buy the house next door to me and we were going to make it into one big house. But sadly he died overseas.

You met the great train robber Ronald Biggs through Steve.
It was certainly an adventure with Steve. It was an interesting meeting and I ended up feeling sorry for the man. He had no choice but to live the life he lived. He wasn't one of the ringleaders of the Great Train Robbery. They just made an example of him.

And Play School must be one of your most cherished gigs?
The show was a joy. I did it for 12 years. Great fun and a great experience. You learned not to be afraid of making a fool of yourself and to extend what you had to do a little further than you would naturally because you were doing things that you wouldn't do naturally, especially with animals, but that sounds a bit rude doesn't it (roars with laughter).

John Hamblyn from Play School, what fun that was, working with John you never knew what you were going to get. I enjoyed going along with it. He was so incorrigible and so clever the way he could do all this double entendre. We enjoyed some wonderful mishaps together.

Acting has been very kind to you.
Yes. I'm 71 now and while Woman's Day is turning 60, I'm celebrating my 50 years as an actress. I think of the hundreds of people I've worked with over the years, there is only one that I would say I'll never work with that person again. That says a lot. The majority of actors are really good people, and most make really loyal friends.

The series Carson's Law took its toll on you physically?
I had to learn legal jargon over night. I'd be up at 4.30am on location at 6am. I'd finish in the studio about 11 o'clock at night. Then I'd have to start learning lines and legal speak for the next day. I was lucky to get one or two hours sleep. Sometimes I didn't get any sleep, I'd just have a shower and go back to work. Thinking I'd catch up on sleep. I never did. That took its toll. I had what is called a stress breakdown, it wasn't a nervous breakdown. It was stress where your body is pumping too much adrenaline over too long a period. I should have had rest. I had to take a year off after that.

What are your feelings about awards?
The first award I won was a Sammy and when I won my first Logie it was presented to me by Sammy Davis Jr and that was a highlight. I was proud to receive my Order of Australia in 2001 for services to theatre and community, the latter being very important to me. And a real thrill was being named in Variety's Top Hundred Entertainers Of The Century.

What are some of your Woman's Day memories?
I remember former editor Nene King very much with great affection. She was a lovely woman and I had a lot of respect for her. She did a great job with Woman's Day. She turned it around and made it number one. I still have admiration for her. I remember the articles I've done with the magazine actually quoting what I said. There have been other magazines where the stories have been so distorted that they were upsetting and annoying, especially when they affected other people. I never had that problem with Woman's Day.



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