From The Herald Sun:
April 04, 2007 12:00am
ROWENA Wallace says Neighbours has helped her up from the depths, writes Darren Devlyn
Rowena Wallace was wallowing in depression -- convinced her life was on an inexorable downward spiral.
Wallace, famous for playing Pat the Rat on Sons and Daughters and the 1985 winner of the Gold Logie, was tortured by the thought that charges resulting from social-security fraud could see her imprisoned for up to 20 years.
When she had her day in court 18 months ago, Wallace faced the indignity of being told by magistrate Margaret Quinn that her crime was one of ``great dishonesty''.
The actor, who is trying to resurrect her career in Channel 10 soap Neighbours, wept as she was convicted of defrauding Centrelink of more than $30,000 between 1999 and 2003.
She pleaded guilty to 20 charges of claiming disability support pensions while working on shows including Good Morning Australia, Beauty and the Beast and Water Rats and was given a six-month suspended jail sentence.
Wallace was told in court that she would remain free as long as she behaved herself and that any breach of her two-year bond would result in her going to jail.
Wallace, initially reluctant to rake over the coals of the past, pauses before offering comment on the case.
``It was just awful,'' she says.
``I needed a lot of help to get through it. It's like my soul has been stained and that it (shame of the case) will always be with me.
``It's a reminder of how we can go terribly wrong. I got off quite lightly in a way, but then it's not nice to have a criminal record.
``The public has been so fantastic about all this. When it was happening, people would come up to me in the street and be so sympathetic and encouraging. It's nice to be affirmed when you are feeling you've done something so dreadful.''
Her lawyer, Greg Goold, told the court she had claimed the money against a background of almost lifelong depression, exacerbated by an inability to face reality because she grew up in a dysfunctional family.
So low did Wallace become several years ago that she took an overdose of pills, forgetting she had arranged for a furniture removalist to come to her apartment that day.
If the removalist hadn't arrived she figures the outcome of the attempt would have been different.
Winston Churchill once described depression as ``the black dog'', which came unexpectedly, uninvited, sniffing at his door.
He would hide away, but the ``dog'' would inevitably find its way in and sit beside him in the dark.
Wallace has been working on methods to deal with the inevitable visits from the ``black dog''.
``It's on-going, but at least I've been fortunate enough to find the right medication for me,'' she
says.
``It's a process many people go through who have clinical depression. It can take years to find the right one. I've found the right one and the right dose and it's working extremely well. I'm also working hard on how I can monitor my depression and how I can play a bigger role in not allowing it to consume me. A lot of this is to do with the way one thinks and it's hard to change the way you've been thinking for 60 years. But it's worth a try.
``It's hardest when you're on your own. I'm not used to reaching out (to others for help) but I've had to learn to do that.''
Twenty years ago Wallace was at the height of her professional powers as the venomous Pat Hamilton in Sons and Daughters, but lost career momentum as a result of relationship dramas and the spinal condition scoliosis.
The pain of scoliosis led to three operations and an addiction to prescription painkillers.
She says there are further surgical options that could help the condition, but she won't be going under the knife again.
``It's a huge operation, I'm not convinced it would be successful, and there's no way I could afford the cost of them straightening my spine a bit,'' she says.
``I have to be very diligent about the way I take painkillers. I do need them. Abusing medication is a very stupid thing and I have a couple of specialists who monitor that. Taking some of those medications can add to the depression. I'd love to get off the medication and am looking at ways to do it.''
WALLACE has loved her guest role on Neighbours, playing a character dubbed Scary Mary, and would love to be invited back to the soap.
Mary is a long-time resident of Ramsay St and a bit of a loner. Confronting issues from her past causes Mary to do something that has disastrous consequences.
``It's difficult to get work in TV if you're a bit overweight or matronly, but this was a terrific role because I didn't have to worry that I wasn't a size 10,'' Wallace says with a laugh.
``When we began doing the studio scenes, it (workload) came as such a shock. I began to think,
`God, am I past it?' It takes time to settle in. By the time I finished work there, it was fabulous fun. They asked me if I'd consider coming back and I said I'd love to.''
Wallace's first Neighbours episode screens on April 10.
For more information on depression, visit
www.beyondblue.org.au ------------------------------------------------------------
Poor woman. At least she's honest about it. Okay we can put up with her rotten acting now we know it's caused by health problems and she hasn't just got lousy.
Patsy
why didn't they just push her over and take the key off her or just push past her,it would have been easy...instead of waiting till she had gone then setting the house on fire...bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut !!