Beth Buchanan
Encyclopedia
Beth Buchanan is an Australian actress. She is best known for the television roles of Gemma Ramsay
in Neighbours
, in the early '90s, and Susan Croydon in Blue Heelers
from 1994. She is also a long-standing member of the Ranters Theatre company.
are also actors.
, Runaway Island, Island Trader A Country Practice
, Home and Away
, Stingers
, Hey Dad..!
and The Brittas Empire
. Her longest running part, between 1994 and 2006, was the recurring role of Susan Croydon, the daughter of Tom Croydon
, in the popular series Blue Heelers
. Major storylines included becoming a school teacher; attempting to take the blame when drugs were planted in her and Tom's home; and losing her baby as a result of a hit-and-run targeted at her father. Buchanan is currently starring as Rita Heywood in ABC1
's comedy series Lowdown
.
Film roles have included Newsfront
, Flute Man, A Good Thing Going, Fortress
(1986) – based on the Faraday School kidnapping
– and The King
. She also played the title character in Peter Long's short "A Telephone Call for Genevieve Snow" (2000). Adapted from the story by Carmel Bird
, it won the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival
in 2000.
Gemma Ramsay
Gemma Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Beth Buchanan. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 June 1990 and departed on 25 July 1991.-Storylines:...
in Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, in the early '90s, and Susan Croydon in Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
from 1994. She is also a long-standing member of the Ranters Theatre company.
Early life
Buchanan is the daughter of musician Tony Buchanan and teacher Jo Buchanan. She is the youngest of three children; her brother Miles and sister SimoneSimone Buchanan
Simone Louise Buchanan is an Australian actress best known for her television roles as Debbie Kelly in the situation comedy Hey Dad..! and Samantha Fitzgerald in the soap opera Neighbours....
are also actors.
Career
Buchanan's television work includes appearances in Secret ValleySecret Valley
Secret Valley was an Australian children's television adventure series from 1980 made by the Grundy Organisation and first shown on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, Runaway Island, Island Trader A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
, Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
, Stingers
Stingers
Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program...
, Hey Dad..!
Hey Dad..!
Hey Dad..! was an Australian sitcom produced by Gary Reilly Productions, originally airing from 1987 to 1994 on the Seven Network.-Synopsis:Architect Martin Kelly singlehandedly raises his children Simon, Debbie and Jenny...
and The Brittas Empire
The Brittas Empire
The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Richard Fegen and Andrew Norriss. Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas, the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre....
. Her longest running part, between 1994 and 2006, was the recurring role of Susan Croydon, the daughter of Tom Croydon
Tom Croydon
Thomas Arthur Croydon is a fictional character in the long running Australian television police drama Blue Heelers. He is one of two characters to appear in all thirteen seasons, 1994 to 2006, and is an original character...
, in the popular series Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
. Major storylines included becoming a school teacher; attempting to take the blame when drugs were planted in her and Tom's home; and losing her baby as a result of a hit-and-run targeted at her father. Buchanan is currently starring as Rita Heywood in ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
's comedy series Lowdown
Lowdown (TV series)
Lowdown is an award-winning Australian television comedy series set in the world of celebrity journalism. Created by Amanda Brotchie and Adam Zwar, it stars Zwar, Paul Denny, Beth Buchanan, Dailan Evans, Kim Gyngell and is narrated by Geoffrey Rush...
.
Film roles have included Newsfront
Newsfront
Newsfront is a 1978 Australian drama film starring Bill Hunter, Wendy Hughes, and Bryan Brown, directed by Phillip Noyce. The screenplay is written by David Elfick, Bob Ellis, Philippe Mora, and Phillip Noyce. The original music score is composed by William Motzing...
, Flute Man, A Good Thing Going, Fortress
Fortress (1986 film)
Fortress is a 1986 film directed by Arch Nicholson and written by Everett De Roche. It is based on Gabrielle Lord's novel of the same name, which was loosely based on the 1972 Faraday School Kidnapping....
(1986) – based on the Faraday School kidnapping
Faraday School kidnapping
The Faraday School kidnapping occurred on 6 October 1972 at a one-teacher school in the village of Faraday in Victoria, Australia.- Incident :...
– and The King
The King (2007 film)
The King: The Story of Graham Kennedy is an Australian telemovie examining the life of Australian entertainer Graham Kennedy.Produced in Australia by the Sydney based independent production company Crackerjack Productions for TV1 and the Nine Network, The King was first shown on 20 May 2007 on TV1...
. She also played the title character in Peter Long's short "A Telephone Call for Genevieve Snow" (2000). Adapted from the story by Carmel Bird
Carmel Bird
-Life:Carmel Bird is an Australian novelist. She lives in Central Victoria, having grown up in Tasmania.She has written nine literary novels and six collections of short fiction. She has also written three...
, it won the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
in 2000.
Personal life
Buchanan has two sons (born 2004 and 2007) with her partner, playwright Raimondo Cortese, and is expecting a third child in May 2010.External links
- Ranters Theatre (official website) RantersTheatre.com