Penny Cook (13 July 1957 – 26 December 2018) was an Australian actress, stage director and writer.

She appeared in the television series A Country Practice, E Street, The Restless Years and The Flying Doctors.

Spouses

David Lynch
Clive Robertson (divorced)

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Early life

Cook was born in Melbourne, and grew up in Woollahra, Sydney. Her mother was a physiotherapist and her father served in the Royal Australian Navy, based at Garden Island Naval Precinct. After completing high school, Cook auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) but failed to gain a place. Instead, her mother helped her get a radiography traineeship at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. A year later, Cook auditioned for NIDA again and was successful. She graduated in 1978.

Career

Television

Cook made her debut on television in 1979 as Susie Denning in soap opera The Restless Years. Her most well-known role was as veterinarian Vicky Dean Bowen in the drama series A Country Practice from 1981 to 1985, a role for which she won Logie Awards in 1984 and 1985. Her relationship and wedding in A Country Practice to Dr. Simon Bowen, played by Grant Dodwell, became one of the highest rated and most popular storylines of that series. She also played the original Dr. Elly Fielding in the Ten Network soap E Streetfrom 1989 to 1991, before being replaced in that role by actress Diane Craig.

From 1992 to 1996 Cook was a presenter on the Australian travel show The Great Outdoors. She appeared in the police drama Young Lions in 2002. From June 2007 until late 2010, she joined the cast of Australian soap opera Neighbours in the recurring role of Prue Brown, mother of Frazer Yeats (Ben Lawson) and Ringo Brown (Sam Clark). Cook also guest starred in episodes of All Saints in 2007 and 2008. In 2017 she played a supporting role in the ABC hospital drama Pulse.

Theatre

Cook had a long involvement in the theatre, both as an actress and director. She was involved in nearly 40 stage productions, including at the Ensemble Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company, and helped establish the Griffin Theatre Company in 1979. Her most notable stage appearances included the John Bell-Richard Tognetti production of The Solder's Tale with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian tour of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, directed in Sydney by English director Sir Peter Hall.

She also served on the board of Sydney's Monkey Baa Theatre and worked extensively with the Australian Theatre for Young People.

Personal life

Cook was married twice; first to broadcaster Clive Robertson and subsequently to David Lynch. In 1998 they had a daughter, Poppy.

Death

Cook died from cancer on 26 December 2018, aged 61.