Wendy Hughes

Wendy Hughes (29 July 1952 – 8 March 2014) was an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, film and television. Born of English parents, she made her film debut in 1974. Her biggest role was in Lonely Hearts, played in 1982 (this film was the beginning of a long collaboration with director Paul Cox). In her later career she acted in Happy New Year along with stars Peter Falk and Charles Durning. In 1993 she played Dr. Carol Blythe, M. E. in Homicide: Life on the Street. In the late 1990s, she starred in State Coroner and Paradise Road.

Career

Born in Melbourne, Australia to English parents, Hughes was an award-winning actress. Her career spanned more than forty years and established her reputation as one of Australia's most prolific and finest actors. Hughes originally studied to become a ballerina but during her teenage year she turned her focus to acting and later graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and, after honing her skills with the Melbourne Theatre Company, had her first film role in Petersen (1974). During the early 1970s she also had her first television parts, including appearing in Power Without Glory, a television series first broadcast in 1976.