THIS year, original Prisoner star Mary Ward Breheny marked an amazing milestone when she turned 102. And while the centenarian is no longer a star of the screen, she shone at a huge birthday party in Melbourne.
As the oldest guest at the party for residents at BlueCross aged care and residential services aged 97 and over, Mary was given the honour of cutting the cake.
Speaking to The Senior after the shindig in Murrumbeena, the well-known actor said while she loved her time on TV she had no plans to return to the screen.
“No I don’t think so, darling. I really enjoyed acting very much. But I’ve left my acting days behind me and I am enjoying my retirement,” she said.
Last appearing in Blue Heelers in 2000, Mary also starred in Sons and Daughters, Neighbours and The Henderson Kids.
But it was her memorable role as garden-loving inmate Mum (Jeanette) Brooks in Prisoner in 1979 that brought her most recognition.
Appearing for just 13 episodes initially, she reprised her role occasionally until her character died off-screen in 1983.
“It was groundbreaking,” Mary said of the cult TV soap opera set in Wentworth Detention Centre, adding that people still recognise her.
But she said despite appearing in other shows and on stage, it is mainly for her role as Mum that people remember her.
“People usually forgot what I played in and they would only remember that I played Mum in Prisoner,” she said.
In fact, for Mary a real highlight of her extensive career was cutting her teeth as an ABC radio announcer during World War II.
“We had to be very careful what we said and we couldn’t give too much away, because the Japanese were always listening,” she remembered.
Nowadays Mary likes to spend her time reading and watching TV “and enjoying my retirement while I have time”.
And as for being master of the cake ceremony at the annual BlueCross 97-plus birthday celebrations, she said it was “so much fun”.
“I’ll be back again to cut the cake next year.”
