Anne Charleston was born on 30 December 1942 and is an Australian-born actress prominent in television, radio and theatre, notable for her career locally and in the United Kingdom in both England and Ireland.
25 Facts About Anne Charleston
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Anne Charleston began her career on the stage in the mid-1950s before moving onto the small screen in the early 1960s, appearing in various telefilms and series including several guest roles on various series by Crawford Productions.
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Anne Charleston had recurring roles in local soap opera's including the ABC series Bellbird, Class of 74 and briefly Number 96.
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Anne Charleston is best known for her television roles in soap opera's including Neighbours, as matriarch Madge Bishop, opposite co-star Ian Smith then Agnes Adair in 2025, and the British soap Emmerdale, playing Lily Butterfield.
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Anne Charleston first became widely recognisable in Australia starting from the late 1960s on television, taking various guest roles in the Crawford Productions police dramas including Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police.
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Anne Charleston was in TV plays such as Man of Destiny and The Shifting Heart.
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Anne Charleston had continuing roles in soap operas Bellbird and Class of '75, and appeared in Number 96 as a deranged woman named Stella who kidnapped Alf and Lucy Sutcliffe's baby in late 1975.
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Anne Charleston appeared in the feature film version of Bellbird, Country Town, playing a different character from that which she had played in the series.
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Anne Charleston briefly played the original Lorraine, the brusque daughter of released prisoner Jeanette "Mum" Brooks in 1979, and mother of Judith-Ann, the role was erecast in subsequent appearances, but Charleston however returned to the series for several appearances portraying a policewoman through the early 1980s before taking the larger recurring role of Deidre Kean, mother of prison toughie Reb Kean, in 1984.
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Anne Charleston had enjoyed a busy career acting in the Australian theatre.
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Anne Charleston appeared in J C Williamson's Woman in a Dressing Gown starring Googie Withers, Juggler's Three for the Melbourne Theatre Company Workshop, and The Secretary Bird starring Patrick Macnee.
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In 1986, Anne Charleston was cast as Madge Mitchell in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
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In 1992, Anne Charleston left the series and emigrated to the Republic of Ireland.
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Anne Charleston returned to Neighbours in 2015 alongside co-star Ian Smith to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the serial.
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Anne Charleston appeared in a documentary celebrating the anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.
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On 2 December 2024, it was announced that Anne Charleston would be returning to Neighbours in a new role as part of Harold's departure storyline, following Ian Smith's cancer diagnosis.
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Anne Charleston debuted as Agnes Adair in March 2025 during Neighbours' 40th anniversary week, and was added to the show's opening credits.
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In 2013, Anne Charleston played a role in the Prisoner remake, Wentworth.
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Anne Charleston has undertaken theatre and radio work in the UK and Ireland since leaving Neighbours in 2001, and is a regular performer in pantomime.
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Anne Charleston took the role of Dossa in comedy series Dossa and Joe, and then had the regular role of Betty Waddell in the relaunched series of Crossroads in 2003.
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In late 2006, Anne Charleston joined the cast of Emmerdale, originating the character of Lily Butterfield, the estranged sister of Edna Birch, who arrives to attend her great niece Eve's wedding blessing.
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Anne Charleston quit in April 2009 and the character was written out of the serial and made her last appearance on 3 August 2009.
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Anne Charleston has appeared in theatre roles both locally and internationally in her native Australia; her theatre credits go back to the mid-1950s.
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In January 2010, it was announced that Anne Charleston would be joining the touring production of Calendar Girls as Jessie.
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In July 2012, it was revealed that Anne Charleston would appear alongside Mischa Barton in an Irish stage production of Steel Magnolias, playing Ouiser Boudreaux in the production.