Penny Cook, best known for her role as Vicky the vet in A Country Practice, has died at the age of 61.
She was surrounded by family when she passed away from cancer on Boxing Day.
Graduating from NIDA in 1978, Cook first came to fame in the series The Restless Years. Three years later she was one of the founding cast members of the Seven Network series A Country Practice.
The role of Vicky Dean made Cook a household name and the 1983 episode which featured the wedding of Vicky and Simon Bowen (Grant Dodwell) was a ratings highlight. For two years running she won the TV Week Logie Award for Most Popular Female Personality In New South Wales.
Cook left the series by the end of 1985. She returned to television in 1989 as Dr Elly Fielding, the lead character in the new Network Ten series E Street. She played the role of Dr Fielding for over two years. Shortly after leaving E Street, she began an extended guest role in GP.
Other TV credits included Skyways, The Flying Doctors, Naked Under Capricorn, Joh’s Jury, All Saints, Young Lions, Neighbours, Laid, Rake and Pulse.
Cook also hosted the afternoon show Family Circle TV for Network Ten, and the long-running Seven Network lifestyle show The Great Outdoors.
Penny Cook is survived by husband David Lynch and daughter Poppy.
Source: ABC, IMDB. TV Week, 21 April 1984, 13 October 1984, 4 May 1991.
2 thoughts on “Obituary: Penny Cook”
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Vale Penny Cook. I had the absolute pleasure of working with her on Family Circle TV – she was a delight. Graeme Duckham.
Omitted from Penny Cook’s TV credits was an appearance on the ABC’s schools program, Upper Primary Media.
She played Maid Marion in an episode about how storyboards are used.