Biography
Ruth Cracknell was an Australian actress whose career spanned radio, theatre, television and film from the mid-1940s until her death. She was born Ruth Winifred Cracknell on 6 July 1925 in Maitland, New South Wales, and died in Sydney on 13 May 2002.
She trained in Sydney and performed with companies including the John Alden Company, appearing in Shakespearean roles such as those in King Lear, Measure for Measure and The Tempest. Her film credits include Smiley Gets a Gun (1958), The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) as Mrs. Heather Newby, The Night the Prowler (1978) and Lilian's Story (1996). On television she was best known for playing Maggie Beare in the ABC series Mother and Son (1984–1994).
Cracknell was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and was the first woman inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame. She published two autobiographical books, A Biased Memoir (1997) and Journey from Venice (2000).
