Margaret Christensen (8 January 1921âÂÂ30 November 2009), also credited as Margaret Caristensen and Peg Christensen, was an Australian radio hostess and character actress, who appeared in numerous television series, primarily in guesting roles.
Christensen was more the Ausutalia's first radio DJ's and was best known for her role during The Golden Age of Radio for her role of Emmie Lawson, starring alongside Queenie Ashton, Gwen Plumb and Ethel Lang in the long-running Gwen Meredith radio series Blue Hills, iconically her role represented a transition of featuring woman in the early years of radio, at a time when the industry was prominently dominated by man.
Christensen was born on 8 January 1921 in Adelaide, to Herbert and Nell Christensen. Her siblings were Bertie and Chris. The family relocated to Sydney when she was three, where Christensen began speech and drama classes at the age of six. At the age of 16, she earned a diploma in teaching, with honours in voice production and literature.
When she was 18, Christensen earned a scholarship to study at Trinity College London, but World War II put an end to her plans. Instead, she moved to Brisbane where her brother Chris worked as a radio announcer.
Christensen gained radio experience in Brisbane, presenting shows on 4BH for three years. After marrying and starting a family, she relocated to Sydney in 1943, where she initially landed small roles in radio, most notably as Jane Bennet in a serial of Pride and Prejudice, alongside Lyndall Barbour.
She next landed the titular role in radio serial, Josephine, Empress of Sorrows, after which time she appeared in nationally-broadcast Sunday night radio plays and had consistent roles in radio serials, including playing Jessie, Dexter's wife, in 2GB sitcom, Life with Dexter.
She appeared on stage in a 1945 production of They Came to a City, playing the role of waitress, Alice. She also performed at the Mercury Theatre and Independent Theatre. From 1949 to 1954, she played Lois Lane in a radio adaptation of Superman, while presenting commercials and sketches in Calling the Stars and other variety shows.
In 1956, Christensen began working in film, playing the mother of the titular character in Smiley, before reprising the role in the 1958 sequel Smiley Gets a Gun.
Christensen appeared in long-running radio series Blue Hills as Emmie Lawson and played opposite John Gray as Lucienne in The Fiends in 1958. She also worked as 'The Side Saddle DJ' on Sydney radio station, 2UE.
In 1959, Christensen moved to London for seven years, where she worked in radio and stage, including the premiere production of Noël Coward's Sail Away on the West End. While there, her son Sean followed her into acting. Returning to Sydney in 1966, Christensen appeared in stage productions of Funny Girl and Fiddler on the Roof.
In her later years, Christensen worked as a voice-over artist and had guest roles in television shows including Stingers, All Saints and Blue Heelers. She also had a minor role in 1998 film ', the sequel to Babe.
In 2008, Christensen was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.
Christensen met violinist Dan Scully in Brisbane. The couple were married and had a daughter, Wendy, before moving to Sydney. In 1947, the couple had a son, actor and singer Sean Scully, but later divorced.
Christensen lived in London from 1959 to 1966, taking son Sean with her. In the early 1970s, she moved to Japan, where her daughter Wendy was living and raising a family. While there, she taught English and dubbed Japanese films.
Christensen died in hospital on 30 November 2009, at the age of 88. She was survived by her two children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.