Abigail Biography

Abigail (born Abigail Rogan, 23 July 1946, to a Dutch Burgher mother from Ceylon/Sri Lanka in London, England, UK) was an Australian actress and sex symbol in the '70s and '80s. She immigrated to Australia in 1968.

After arriving in Australia, Abigail landed several minor roles on both stage and screen, including the female lead in a local production of the comedy There's a Girl in My Soup on stage. She became well known as a sex symbol through her role as Bev Houghton in the Network Ten sexed-up soap opera, Number 96 in 1972-1973. As the show's most famous sex-symbol many people assume that Abigail was the first woman to show her breasts on Australian television; actually it was her co-star Vivienne Garrett in the same series.

After leaving that series suddenly in 1973 she appeared in a Kings Cross revue in which she appeared nude, while struggling to find serious acting jobs. Apart from a series of brief cameo roles in a string of sex comedy films such as Alvin Purple (1973) its 1974 sequel Alvin Purple Rides Again, and a nude cameo in comedy Eliza Fraser (1976) the serious acting career never took off. She also made an attempt at popular music career in 1973 and scored a hit with a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Je t'aime... moi non plus". Although this debut was a success, follow-ups, including a comedic release with ventriloquist Chris Kirby, were not. Her initial success was attributed to her stardom and not her singing talent.

In 1975 she appeared in Class of '75 for three weeks as a prim French teacher in a black wig and frumpy spectacles, and in 1977 she appeared in The Young Doctors as super-efficient secretary/agent Hilary Templeton. In the mid 1980s she took a regular role in yet another soap opera Sons and Daughters, playing the role of Caroline Morrell from 1985 until the series ended in 1987. In 1989 she co-starred in Elly & Jools playing the crazy Country & Western Singer wannabe, Dulcie Dickson. In 1990 she was a regular cast member of short-lived soap opera Family and Friends and in 1991 appeared in Chances.

In 1977, she appeared as a guest star in Summer City, a film which is notable for being the first to have Mel Gibson in a major role.

Her 1973 autobiography Call Me Abigail sold 150,000 copies in its first two weeks of sale.

She now rarely appears in public, although she was interviewed on Sydney, Australia radio station 2GB on her 60th birthday. She currently lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland.