Home And Away and Prisoner: Cell Block H star Wendy Playfair dies aged 99 as tributes pour in for TV legend The television world is pausing to remember Wendy Playfair, the beloved actress whose long career left a lasting mark on generations of viewers. Known for memorable appearances in iconic shows like Home and Away and Prisoner: Cell Block H, Playfair spent decades quietly becoming one of the familiar faces audiences never forgot. News of her passing at 99 quickly sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans and colleagues who grew up watching her performances on screen. Many remembered not just the characters she portrayed, but the warmth and presence she brought to every role, no matter how big or small. But behind the flood of tributes now appearing across social media is a story about her remarkable career and the unexpected way she stayed connected to television for so many years. And as more memories surface, fans are beginning to rediscover just how influential her work truly was.
ICONIC Australian TV and soap star Wendy Playfair has passed away aged 99.
Playfair, who was known for her role as Minnie Donovan in Prisoner: Cell Block H and her stints on Home and Away, was just five months away from turning 100.
Playfair played two roles on Home and Away, one in 2005 and one in 2009
Playfair as Minnie Donovan, Top Dog of Wentworth Detention Centre in Prisoner
She played two roles on the long running Aussie soap – in 2005 when starred as Evelyn Grey, and then returned as Audrey Long in 2009.
Playfair’s career spanned fifty years, consolidating her as one of Australia‘s most successful actresses.
Her death was announced on Instagram by podcast host Matt Batten, who had previously interviewed the star about her acclaimed career.
“The Playfair family have just advised me of the passing of the beautiful and incredibly talented Wendy Playfair, who has died peacefully at the age of 99,” he wrote.
“Wendy enjoyed a remarkable career that spanned many decades across Australian theatre, television and radio.
“She was a highly respected performer who contributed enormously to the Australian performing arts industry.”
Playfair’s role as Minnie Donovan was “one of the memorable characters in the show’s history”, Batten wrote.
Born in Woollahra, Sydney, Playfair began her career in radio in morning serials and plays.
She eventually got her break on TV in the 1960s.
Playfair appeared in countless cameo and guest starring roles in popular series such as Homicide, Hunter, The Young Doctors, Return to Eden, Spirited and Rake.
Her acting abilities were proven when she played dual roles in All Saints and Home and Away, and three roles on A Country Practice.
She also had parts in telemovies and films, including Ride a Wild Pony (aka Harness Racing) – the only Walt Disney film ever produced in Australia – and a pivotal role in the film Accidents Happen, opposite Geena Davis, in 2009.
She most recently played Moira Beckett in an episode of Packed to the Rafters before she retired from acting in 2013.
Playfair was five months shy of turning 100
