Susan Prior is an Australian actress, who has worked extensively in film, television and theatre.
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Early life and education
Prior attended a high school that specialised in music, where she took an interest in singing and playing the cello, as well as being heavily involved in sports. She was also chosen for the Student Representative Committee. She subsequently participated in dance with the Australian Dance Theatre 's youth group Mummy 's Little Darlings, including performing at the Adelaide Festival.
Prior travelled from Adelaide to Sydney to audition for National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney and was accepted into the school, graduating in 1991.
Career
Prior began her acting career on stage. After performing in productions with Belvoir Theatre Company and Griffin Theatre Company from 1992, she played Tegwyn in an Australian touring production of That Eye, the Sky, directed by Richard Roxburgh from 1994 to 1995.
Prior's first onscreen appearance was in a small part alongside Toni Collette, in 1994 comedy film Muriel's Wedding. She followed this with roles in 1996 comedy-drama Idiot Box with Ben Mendelsohn, 1997 action film Heaven's Burning with Russell Crowe and 1998 drama film Praise.
Prior's performance as Lizzie in a 1997 Griffin Theatre Company production of Wolf Lullaby earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Green Room Awards. Playing Carla in an SBW staging of Sweet Road saw her win an award for Outstanding Performance at the Norman Kessell Memorial Awards in 2001.
In 2000, Prior appeared in the film A Wreck A Tangle with Damian Walshe-Howling. In 2003, she co-wrote and starred in the film A Cold Summer, seeing her nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Film Critics' Circle Awards. She then landed a recurring guest role in medical drama All Saints in 2005, playing psychotic stalker Beth Chandler, who fixates on Vincent Hughes (Christopher Gabardi), before kidnapping Cate McMasters (Alexandra Davies). In 2006, she appeared in the comedy thriller film Suburban Mayhem, with Michael Dorman and Anthony Hayes.
In 2007, Prior starred in short film The Saviour which was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards. That same year, she performed in a Sydney Theatre Company production of Riflemind at The Wharf, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman which earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2008 Helpmann Awards.
Prior played Alicia Henry in David Michôd's 2010 crime drama feature Animal Kingdom, alongside Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton and Jacki Weaver. In 2012, she played opposite Ryan Kwanten and Sarah Snook in comedy drama film Not Suitable for Children, and also had a recurring guest role in long-running soap opera Home and Away, playing the role of Margaret Henderson. That same year, she also landed the recurring role of Yvonne Hennessey in drama series Puberty Blues, the series reimagining of the 1981 film of the same name. Her portrayal saw her nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama.
Prior's performance as Electra in a 2013 production of Small and Tired for Belvoir won her a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She was then cast in another Michôd feature film, the 2014 dystopian western drama The Rover, with Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. Her performance earned her an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
After playing Sasha, the wife of Richard Roxburgh 's Mikhail in a production of The Present for Sydney Theatre Company in 2015, Prior made her Broadway debut in the same production at the Barrymore Theatre. She then appeared opposite Angourie Rice, Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving in 2017 mystery drama film Jasper Jones, in the role of Gwyn Wishart, before playing head teacher, Ms Lee Issen in 2018 film Book Week, and Norma Gowland in docudrama film Riot, with Damon Herriman, Jessica De Gouw and Xavier Samuel.
In 2021, Prior landed a role in ABC comedy series Aftertaste, playing sister Denise, sister of the main character, celebrity chef Easton West (Erik Thomson). The series also starred Rachel Griffiths. In early 2022, Prior played one of the lead roles, Martha, in a State Theatre Company South Australia production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, to acclaim by critics.
In 2024, Prior played Tish in comedy musical film The Deb, with Rebel Wilson. The following year, she appeared in Foxtel comedy-drama series The Last Anniversary, based on Liane Moriarty's book of the same name. She played the role of Margie, alongside Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson and Danielle Macdonald.
Prior is set to appear in the upcoming biopic Fenech – The Jeff Fenech Story in the role of boxer Jeff Fenech's mother, Mary.
