TV SOAP Vol 3 No 6

Reach for the Sky!

Amanda Muggleton has done her time on the inside - and she's proud of it, she tells IAN HORNER

These days Amanda Muggleton is arguably the most successful actor in Australia, however you measure these things.

She became an icon as Wentworth's beloved Chrissie Latham, then came a lengthy stint as Richmond Hill's Connie Ryan. The latest of her nine movies, Mr Reliable, is on video in May, on Polygram Filmed Entertainment.

After an extended stage run - in the nude - in Steaming, then another - nude again - as Shirley Valentine and several more years as Shirley, this time doubling as star (nude) and producer (clothed), she's back on stage as Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, singing for the first time. Shirley's adage, "Never live a little life", seems supremely apt. "I try to never live my life with regret," says Amanda, just before going on stage in Sydney. In this latest irreverent Gilbert and Sullivan update, Jon English tells her: "You are not doing Prisoner now you know!"

But many in the audience expect to see Chrissie Latham, nonetheless. "Do you really think so? The show's still popular. It's amazing. I just got mobbed by some drag queens! Prisoner has a big cult following with gays. Some actors think there's a stigma attached to being a soap star. They're silly, because soap opera, if you do it well, proves you're a very big actor. It's done under very difficult circumstances. Produced very quickly, all rush-rush, and done cheaply. If you end up doing a good job you should be proud."

And did you do a good job with Chrissie? "Of course I did. I was magnificent. I did somersaults and hurdles. And tell your readers I'm laughing." (She laughs) "I loved Chrissie. I could make people laugh and cry. All Kerry Armstrong had to do was burst into tears! But she was wonderful at bursting into tears."

Another Jon English line is "Faint heart never won fair maiden" - neither a career? "Yes, it still takes courage. It's all very good for kids picked up on the beach and tossed into soap and never heard of again. To struggle is better. I still get palpitations on opening night! If you've been around as long as I have, and had the successes I have, you think everyone is waiting for you to fail. You've got to believe in yourself. No-one else will!"

When HMS Pinafore ends later this year Amanda and her partner Stephen, will fly their Cessna 182 around Kakadu. No chance of a little life here.