Candy Raymond, television, stage and film actress best known from Number 96, has died at age 75.
She had early ambitions to become an architect, and was accepted into a school of architecture in London. While she was working to earn enough money to study, she discovered an interest in acting. She instead trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 1969-70 with classmates including Pamela Stephenson, John Hargreaves and Grigor Taylor.
She played some early guest roles in Skippy The Bush Kangaroo, Riptide, Matlock Police and Division 4. In 1973, she joined the cast of Number 96 as Jill Sheridan, the promiscuous sister of Helen (Carmen Duncan), and starring alongside her real-life sister Vicki Raymond. Billed as the show’s new sex symbol following the departure of Abigail, the role of Jill called for various nude scenes.
Despite the criticisms aimed at the series, she regarded her stint as valuable experience. “No matter what criticisms one can lay on the serial, it did wake a lot of people up to Australian TV and performers,” she told TV Times in 1977. “There’s no denying the service Number 96 gave to Australian TV in its first two years.”
She went on to feature with a number of former soap stars, including some Number 96 alumni, in “The Check Out Chicks”, a soap opera parody in The Norman Gunston Show.
Later TV credits included Silent Number, The Sullivans, Bluey, Young Ramsay, The Young Doctors, Chopper Squad, Kingswood Country, MPSIB, telemovie The Plumber, children’s series Cornflakes For Tea, and a short run in Prisoner as journalist Sandra Hamilton.
She played Maureen O’Keefe, the second wife of Johnny O’Keefe in the mini-series Shout! The Story Of Johnny O’Keefe, and starred in the mini-series The Great Bookie Robbery.
Her last TV appearances included guest appearances in Hey Dad!, The Flying Doctors and Rafferty’s Rules and represented Number 96 in a “Battle Of The TV Classics” on Sale Of The Century.
Movie credits included Don’s Party, Alvin Rides Again, The Getting Of Wisdom, Money Movers, Ginger Meggs, The Journalist, Monkey Grip, Freedom and A Case Of Honour.
Source: Number 96 Homepage, IMDB, TV Tonight. TV Times, 18 October 1975, 29 January 1977. TV Week, 5 April 1986, 17 June 1995.
