SeaChange: profiles


Kerry Armstrong as Heather Jelly

Heather Jelly

Heather Jelly, Bob's wife, fulfils her role as First Lady of Pearl Bay. Like Bob, she has a hand in everything. Nothing business-oriented of course, but all things that require a bit of niceness are the First Lady's domain. Beautifully presented, she is the miracle of makeovers, manicures and mannequin-poise a la Pearl Bay. She is the perfect complement to Bob and he owes a great deal of his success to her super-hostess skills and unerring support.

Kerry Armstrong's first television performance was on the multi-award-winning ABC TV drama series Marion. She was 12 years old. At 14 she performed in the J.C. Williamson production of The Mating Season and at 16 she starred in her first feature film, The Getting Of Wisdom, directed by Bruce Beresford. Kerry then created the role of Lyn Warner in Prisoner and starred in the TV series Skyways and The Sullivans. At 20, Kerry travelled to the United States and the Herbert Bergof Studios. She studied under Uta Hagen the creator of Martha in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf. Kerry was invited to join the Arena Stage in Washington. She appeared on stage in Los Angeles, New York and Washington and worked with leading actors and directors, including playwright Tom Stoppard, who directed her in the New York premiere of Dalliance, and Anthony Hopkins, with whom she performed in Hamlet. Contracted by Universal Studios, Kerry's overseas credits include Murder She Wrote with Angela Lansbury, The Lingrens, Land Of Little Rain, Tales From The Darkside and a season with Dynasty.

A highlight of Kerry's career was an invitation by Tim Robbins (The Player) to form a theatre company. Joined by a core group of actors including Helen Hunt, John Cusack and Anthony Edwards they formed The Actors Gang. Kerry returned to Australia in 1988. She has appeared in the feature Grievous Bodily Harm with Colin Friels, starred in the award winning ABC series Come In Spinner and Altogether Now, and will soon be seen in the mini-series 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with Brian Brown and Michael Caine. Her recent screen credits include Amy with Ben Mendelsohn and Rachel Griffiths, and Justice with Marcus Graham, both due for release later this year.