Valerie Kathleen Lehman (née Willis; born 15 March 1943) is an Australian actress and director, best known locally and internationally for her role as the antagonist "Top Dog" and self-styled Queen Bea Smith in the Australian TV series Prisoner (known internationally as Prisoner: Cell Block H) for the first five series from 1979 until 1983 for 356 episodes.
Honours and awards
In 2021 she was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) "for significant service to the performing arts and wildlife conservation".
In 2018, Lehman joined former Prisoner co-stars Fiona Spence and Colette Mann for a cameo appearance in the series seven finale of Wentworth (TV series), but the cameo scene was scrapped when the series was renewed for a further 20 episodes.
Filmography
Television
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" | Network
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| 1967
| Bellbird
| Guest appearance
| ABC
| TV series
|-
| 1972
| Homicide
| Nurse
| Seven Network
| TV series, Season 9, 1 episode
|-
| 1976
| Tandarra
| Dinner Guest
| Seven Network
| TV series, 1 episode
|-
| 1976
| Power Without Glory
| Woman in Lane
| ABC
| TV miniseries
|-
| 1979–1983
| Prisoner
| Bea Smith
| Network Ten
| TV series, Seasons 1–5, 376 episodes
|-
| 1981
| Prisoner in Concert
| Herself / Bea Smith
| Network Ten
| TV special (Cast performance at Pentridge prison)
|-
| 1981
| Outbreak of Love
| Mrs. Montaubyn
| ABC
| TV miniseries
|-
| 1983
| Parkinson In Australia
| Guest
| Network 10
| TV series, 1 episode
|-
| 1985
| The Ernie Sigley Show
| Guest
| Nine Network
| TV series, 1 episode
|-
| 1985
| A Fortunate Life
| Bert's Mother
| Nine Network
| TV miniseries
|-
| 1986
| The Flying Doctors
| Val Bates
| Nine Network
| TV miniseries, 1 episode
|-
| 1994
| Ken Dodd: An Audience with Ken Dodd
| Audience member (uncredited)
|
| TV special UK
|-
| 1994
| Law of the Land
| Fran Weber
| Nine Network
| TV series, Season 3, 1 episode
|-
| 1996
| Wilderness
| Vet
| ITV
| TV miniseries UK
|-
| 1998
| Good Guys, Bad Guys
| Rose Kinsella
| Nine Network
| TV series, Season 2, 1 episode
|-
| 1998; 2001
| Blue Heelers
| Bonnie Crossing
| Seven Network
| TV series, Season 5, 1 episode
|-
| 2000
| Pizza
| Bea Smith
| SBS
| TV series, season 1, 1 episode
|-
| 2000–2002
| Something in the Air
| Joyce Cassidy
| ABC
| Seasons 1 & 3, 5 episodes
|-
| 2001
| Blue Heelers
| Ivy Henderson
| Seven Network
| TV series, Season 8, 1 episode
|-
| 2002
| MDA
| Rita O'Reilly
| ABC
| TV series, Season 1, 1 episode
|-
| 2009
| All Saints
| Maggie Brooks
| Seven Network
| TV series, Season 12, 1 episode
|-
| 2010
| City Homicide
| Dorothy Denzel
| Seven Network
| TV series, Season 4, 1 episode
|-
| 2012
| The Strange Calls
| Elaine
| ABC2
| TV miniseries, 1 episode
|-
| 2014
| Secrets & Lies
| Patricia
| Network Ten
| TV series, Season 1, 1 episode
|-
| 2017
| Neighbours
| Joanne Schwarz
| 10 Peach
| TV series, Season 33, 2 episodes
|-
| 2019
| Wentworth
| New Prisoner
| Fox Showcase
| Season 7 (cameo, scene deleted)
|-
| 2020
| The End
| Kelly
| Showcase
| Season 1 (recurring, 4 episodes)
|-
| 2022
| Irreverent
| Delaney
| Netflix
| TV series, Season 1, 10 episodes
|}
Film
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| 1977
| The Idyll
|
| Short film
|-
| 1979
| The Dolebludgers
| Mrs. Price
| TV movie
|-
| 1979
| The Franky Doyle Story
| Bea Smith
| TV movie
|-
| 1982
| Kitty and the Bagman
| Big Lil
| Feature film
|-
| 1985
| I Live with Me Dad
| Marge
| TV movie
|-
| 1987
| Army Wives
| Jill's Mother
| TV movie
|-
| 2002
| Secret Bridesmaids' Business
| Colleen
| TV movie
|-
| 2008
| Smitten
| Violet
| Short film
|-
| 2008
| Lapse
| Rose
| Short film
|-
| 2009
| Charlie & Boots
| Bowling Lady Driver
| Feature film
|-
| 2017
| The Veiled
| Edith
| Short film
|-
| 2018
| Holt
| Old Vyner Gillespie
| Short film
|-
| 2022
| The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay
| Wendy
| Feature film
|-
| 2022
| Hitched
| The Boss Lady
| Short film
|}
Other appearances
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
!
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
|I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
|Contestant
|Network Ten
|TV series, 31 episodes
|-
|All Star Family Feud
|Contestant
|Network Ten
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|2009
|9am with David & Kim
|Guest (with Amanda Muggleton & Peta Toppano)
|Network Ten
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|2008
|What a Year
|Herself
|Nine Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
| rowspan="2" |2007
|20 to 1
|Herself
|Nine Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|Bert's Family Feud
|Contestant
|Nine Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
|Temptation
|Contestant with Colette Mann
|Nine Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|Where Are They Now?
|Guest (with Prisoner cast: Peta Toppano, Amanda Muggleton, Carol Burns & Maggie Kirkpatrick)
|Seven Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|2005
|After They Were Famous
|Guest
|
|TV series UK, 1 episode
|-
|2003
|The Salon
|Herself
|
|TV series UK, 1 episode
|-
|2002
|The Best of Aussie Cop Shows
|Herself
|Seven Network
|TV special
|-
|2001
|I Love the 1980's
|Herself
|
|TV series UK
|-
|1998
|The Big Breakfast
|Herself
|
|TV series UK
|-
|1998
|Denise
|Herself
|Seven Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|1997
|Where Are They Now?
|Guest (with Carol Burns, Gerard Maguire, Lynne Hamilton & Lynda Stoner)
|Seven Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|1996
|40 Years of TV Stars... Then and Now
|Herself
|Nine network
|TV special
|-
|1995
|Burke's Backyard
|Celebrity Gardener
|Nine network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|1995
|Sale of the Century: Battle of the TV Classics
|Guest
|Nine network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|1991
|Ring My Bell
|Guest
|
|TV series UK
|-
|1990
|The Great Escape
|Guest
|
|Video UK
|-
|1989
|TV AM
|Guest (with Carol Burns & Fiona Spence)
|BBC1
|TV series UK, 1 episode
|-
|1989
|In Melbourne Today
|Guest - Herself
|Nine network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|1989
|The Bert Newton Show
|Guest - Herself with Bruce Ruxton, Sings "Flottsam Jettsam" (from 'Bea') with Jon Finlayson
|Seven Network
|TV series, 1 episode
|-
|1986
|Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten Telethon
|Guest - Herself as taped appearance with Prisoner cast: Colette Mann, Elspeth Ballantyne, Glenda Linscott & Jane Clifton
|TV special
|
|}
Awards and honours
{|class="wikitable"
! Association
! Award
! Year
! Work
! Results
|-bgcolor=pink
| Logie Awards
| Best Lead Actress in a Series
| 1982
| rowspan="2"|Prisoner
|
|- bgcolor=pink
| Logie Awards
| Most Popular Actress
| 2021
|
|
|}