Briony Behets

Behets was born in London, United Kingdom in 1951. Her father worked as a civil engineer, which took him around the world and as a result much of Behets' childhood was spent in Germany and Sierra Leone before returning to England. At age 17 she was accepted into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, studying there for three years.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-briony-a-bit/169230152/|title=Briony – a bit of Class|date=17 February 1975|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} After completing the course, she travelled to the United States as part of a student exchange project, working there as a nightclub dancer.

After moving to Australia, Behets lived in Melbourne. She was an experienced horsewoman and owned several horses in Mornington.

Behets made a few appearances in stage plays while she was in college. She came to Australia, aged 19, to travel around the country. She became a model, before securing a role in the comedy series Birds in the Bush in 1972. Behets subsequently enjoyed several high-profile television roles in Australia. She was an original cast member of soap opera Number 96 playing pregnant, young wife Helen Eastwood in 1972. Behets felt she was "terrible" in the role, as was inexperienced and she did not know anything about having a baby. She also appeared in a production of Don's Party as Sue, and a J. C. Williamson's production of Private Lives.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-beyond-the-so/169237550/|title=Beyond the 'soap' sex symbol|last=Ceresa|first=Maria|date=30 July 1992|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}

She was a member of the original cast of another adult soap The Box as Judy Donovan starting in 1974. The character was popular with viewers and Behets received a lot of fan mail from housewives and young men. After leaving The Box she appeared for a short stint in Bellbird, before taking an ongoing role in the school-based teen soap Class of '75 as sports mistress Jorja Jones.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-tv-tuesday/169229736/|title=TV Tuesday|date=23 January 1975|work=The Age|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}

Behets was also a longtime weather presenter on ATV-10 Melbourne's news bulletins during the mid-1970s. She also acted in television guest starring roles in Australian drama series, including Homicide, Matlock Police, Bluey, Cop Shop, The Young Doctors, Boney, and Chopper Squad, also in the 1970s. In 1979 in the women's prison soap opera Prisoner she portrayed Susan Rice, the unbalanced wife of a popular celebrity.

Her film roles include Night of Fear (1972), the joint lead with Judy Morris in The Trespassers (1976) for which she was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Raw Deal (1977), Inside Looking Out (1977), and Long Weekend (1978).{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/work/long-weekend-29950|title=Overview: Long Weekend|last=Armstrong|first=Derek|publisher=Allmovie|accessdate=16 March 2010}} In 1984, she starred in the Nine Network telemovie Skin Deep,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-the-1985-produ/169236570/|title=The 1985 production file|last=Stuart|first=Duncan|date=17 December 1984|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} followed by a role in Cassandra in 1986.

Later TV guest roles included Prime Time, A Country Practice and The Flying Doctors in the 1980s. Later soap roles included appearances in Possession as the mother of a spoiled child actor; Neighbours as Amanda Harris the mother of regular character Jane Harris (Annie Jones);{{cite magazine|title=Now mum's the word for Briony|magazine=TV Week|date=8 August 1987|page=25}} and in E Street as Margaret Bennett, popular character Lisa Bennett's mother, for six months, in 1989.

Starting in 1990, she was a regular lead in the British Granada Television soap Families. Behets returned to Australia in 1992 to star in black comedy play It's Ralph at the Marian Street Theatre. She also had a guest lead in Chances as Dr Christine Marquette.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-on-the-air/169239993/|title=On the Air|last=Anderson|first=Doug|date=10 December 1991|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} In 1996, Behets guest starred in Season 12 of the American television series Murder, She Wrote, in an episode titled "Southern Double-Cross". The episode was set in Australia, but filmed in the United States.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-green-guide-saturday/169240258/|title=Green Guide – Saturday|last=Farrant|first=Darrin|date=23 January 1997|work=The Age|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}

In the 2000s, she guest starred in some US drama series such as JAG.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-pick-of-the-day/169240807/|title=Pick of the day – JAG|last=Hooks|first=Barbara|date=2 November 2000|work=The Age|access-date=31 March 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} She returned to Neighbours in July 2008, in another role as Kate Newton a romantic interest for Harold Bishop (Ian Smith). She also appeared alongside Smith in Neighbours 21 years earlier in 1987 when she played Amanda Harris. She joined the regular cast of The Saddle Club during series three as the second actor to portray Mrs. Reg.{{cite web|url= http://www.saddleclubtv.com/series.php?m=characters&s=series_3&p=elizabeth_regnery2|title=Mrs Reg on the saddle club|publisher=The saddle club|accessdate=20 June 2010}} In April 2025, Behets will reprise her role of Amanda Harris in Neighbours.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a64332360/neighbours-spoilers-amanda-harris-return/|title=Neighbours to bring back character after 38-year absence|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|date=31 March 2025|publisher=Digital Spy|access-date=31 March 2025}}

{{cite web | url=https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/231115 | title=AusStage }}

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Category:1952 births

Category:Actresses from London

Category:Australian film actresses

Category:Australian soap opera actresses

Category:English film actresses

Category:English soap opera actresses

Category:English television actresses

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Category:English emigrants to Australia

Category:20th-century Australian actresses

Category:20th-century English actresses

Category:21st-century Australian actresses

Category:21st-century English actresses