Vivean Gray, who brought a sharp tongue to the sunny, happy-go-lucky Ramsay Street as Mrs Mangle on long-running Australian soap Neighbours, has died aged 92.
The British-born actress played the meddling matriarch from 1986 to 88, appearing in nearly 300 episodes. She also played Ida Jessops in Australian wartime soap The Sullivans for its entire run and had roles in Prisoner: Cell Block H and Power Without Glory.
Gray was born Lancashire in 1924 but moved to Australia with her parents in 1952, where she worked in radio and theatre before landing roles in the 1970s and 1980s on popular Australian TV shows.
She also appeared in Peter Weir's haunting 1975 movie about the disappearance of a group of schoolgirls in the outback, Picnic at Hanging Rock.
🙁 Vivean Gray has died age 92. Better known as Mrs Mangel from Neighbours.. another part of my youth gone. RIP x pic.twitter.com/uWKDsIg58l
— Paul (@PWLJones) July 28, 2016
But it was as the love-to-hate-her harridan Mrs Mangle that she made her name. However, some viewers found it hard to distinguish between fact and fiction.
In a 1989 interview, Gray said: "I could barely set foot outside my own door without someone screaming abuse at horrid old Mrs Mangel. People didn't seem to appreciate it was acting. So I decided to take a break."
Mark Little, who played her on-screen son Joe Mangel in Neighbours, paid tribute to Gray on Twitter on Friday morning, calling her a "legend many times over".
Network Ten’s Head of Drama Rick Maier told Australia’s 9 News: “Mrs. Mangel and Mrs. Jessup were two of our most iconic characters from one our very best character actors.
“Ramsay Street changed forever, and certainly no secret was ever safe, with Mrs. Mangel on the lookout.
“Vivean’s contribution to Australian drama will never be forgotten. It is a very sad day for the Neighbours’ family.”
