{"id":35503,"date":"2025-12-15T00:03:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T00:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=35503"},"modified":"2025-12-15T00:03:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T00:03:29","slug":"remember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-65","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=35503","title":{"rendered":"Remember Meggie Cleary from \u2018The Thorn Birds\u2019? \u2014 this is her today, age 65"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It wasn\u2019t certain that Rachel Ward was going to get the role of her lifetime, as she starred as Meggie Cleary in the classic mini-series\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"vfyzi69f5714901706\" ><div style=\"width:100%; max-width:1200px; margin:0 auto;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bolt-casino.com?r=0BFDBF1283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n    <img \n      src=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f8693ebb-2018-480f-a2f7-0096810c07f0.jpg\" \n      alt=\"200% Deposit Bonus + 10% Cashback\" \n      style=\"width:100%; height:auto; display:block; border-radius:8px; cursor:pointer;\"\n    \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.vfyzi69f5714901706 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.vfyzi69f5714901706 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.vfyzi69f5714901706 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.vfyzi69f5714901706 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.vfyzi69f5714901706 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<p><strong>The British actress and model has had a long and varying career, spanning decades. Now, she\u2019s settled in Australia with her husband, whom she fell in love with on set.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So what really happened on\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>? And why did the mini-series become such a huge success?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This is Rachel Ward today, at 65.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72707\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211032\/rachelward2.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Ward\" width=\"630\" height=\"337\" \/><figcaption>Youtube\/Vmutsuki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you were to debate which television series is the best of all time, you\u2019d probably get a different answer from every person you talk to. Firstly, there are so many different kinds of series, and of course, we all like different things.<\/p>\n<p>But usually, the most popular television series are those that aired for many years, broadcast on television with several seasons and many strong and independent characters.<\/p>\n<p><em>Bonanza,<\/em>\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/?s=little+house+on+the+prairie\">Little House on the Prairie<\/a>, Friends, Sopranos\u00a0<\/em>or<em>\u00a0Twin Peaks.\u00a0<\/em>The answer to which one reigns supreme will probably never be decided, and to be honest, that is also one of the most fantastic things about television.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>The Thorn Birds<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>There will always be a series that sticks closer to the heart than others.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-847111727\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-5dedcf38f25423381c1ed77774f8a9d0\" class=\"newsner-5dedcf38f25423381c1ed77774f8a9d0 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>Even though we have more established series that last for years, there are several examples of miniseries that weren\u2019t meant to stick around long, but still reached cult status.<\/p>\n<p>One of those was\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>, starring Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, and Bryan Brown.<\/p>\n<p>It was first broadcast in March 1983, and over 30 million people in the US watched the ten-hour miniseries, based on Colleen McCullough\u2019s 1977 Australian novel\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72704 entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211033\/thornbirds.jpg\" alt=\"Thorn Birds\" width=\"630\" height=\"337\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211033\/thornbirds.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><figcaption>Youtube\/Vmutsuki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The mini-series gained huge interest and was praised by both the audience and critics, winning several awards, both for its story as well as the actors\u2019 performances.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rachel Ward<\/h2>\n<p>Ten hours long and spread over five nights,\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>\u00a0is still to this day considered a classic that will live on for many years to come.<\/p>\n<p>Rachel Ward starred as Meggie Cleary in\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>, but at the time, it was pretty much a surprise when she got it. It turned out that the producers had difficulties in finding the perfect person for the role, but in the end, Ward was the perfect choice.<\/p>\n<p>Not only did Ward get her big breakthrough by starring in the television mini-series, she also found the love of her life on set.<\/p>\n<p>This is the story of Ward \u2013 and how she travelled the world to keep her passion for films and television series alive.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-639172920\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-574580ae0f1d587e6ffa6677aca171d0\" class=\"newsner-574580ae0f1d587e6ffa6677aca171d0 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-0\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B8j9vbuHtoq\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=704&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fcelebrity%2Fremember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-63%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOsLwNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTTWJKQU9ob3d2WUd4Qkwzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHragFTW-ziBHCA#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A893.5%7D\" height=\"988\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rachel Ward \u2013 early life<\/h2>\n<p>Born on September 12, 1957, in Cornwell, Oxfordshire, England, Ward studied at the Hatherop Castle School in Hatherop before attending the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. However, at just 16 years of age, she left school to pursue a career in fashion.<\/p>\n<p>Ward became a fashion and photography model, appearing on covers for\u00a0<em>Vogue<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Cosmopolitan<\/em>, as well as\u00a0<em>Harper\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0&amp;\u00a0<em>Queen<\/em>. She slowly made her way into the acting scene after she was featured in several commercials.<\/p>\n<p>Years later, in 1995, she would earn her Graduate Diploma of Communications and a Graduate Certificate in Writing from University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.<\/p>\n<p>In 1979, Rachel Ward appeared in her first television movie<em>, Christmas Lilies of the Field.\u00a0<\/em>In the years that followed she would have a number of smaller roles, but in 1983, she would become a well-known actress all over the US.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-1\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CJxzmV7AXDt\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=704&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fcelebrity%2Fremember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-63%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOsLwNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTTWJKQU9ob3d2WUd4Qkwzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHragFTW-ziBHCA#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A895.5%7D\" height=\"1132\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Casting \u2018The Thorn Birds\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Stan Marguiles was one of the producers on\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>. But casting the right people to appear in the show wasn\u2019t the easiest task.<\/p>\n<p>In 1982, he explained the difficulty.<\/p>\n<p>However, when they saw Rachel Ward, they were sure that they\u2019d found the right one for the role of Meggie Cleary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has to go from 18 to her early 50s. From a rather na\u00efve, overly romantic young girl to a bitter woman in her 30s, to a woman who finally understands where she took the wrong turn when she reaches her 50s. There\u2019s an enormous range of emotions and colors,\u201d he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfsa.gov.au\/latest\/rachel-ward-thorn-birds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-198098613\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-8f17ea219a205a79a007b0ac4ba9f2fe\" class=\"newsner-8f17ea219a205a79a007b0ac4ba9f2fe newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThey first started to age me, it was kind of scary,\u201d Ward recalled. \u201cI had these endless double chins. I sort of had a body suit underneath the clothes, I remember liking it when I grew older, I liked the outfits, there was slightly more masculine than they were in the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over 200 women were considered for the role of Meggie Cleary, and a total of 40 actresses auditioned.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Ward recalled her audition.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CLiDwe6HScW\/<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cMy audition was quite light and I had a sense of humor\u201d she\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfsa.gov.au\/latest\/rachel-ward-thorn-birds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">said<\/a>. \u201cI remember I was taking it seriously but I wasn\u2019t acting with a capital A. It is so subjective, performances pieces, and I was probably spot on the first time. I got like 10\/10 for looks and 4\/10 for acting.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Golden Globe nominated<\/h2>\n<p>They sent Ward to work with an acting coach, and it was a great match. Starring alongside Richard Chamberlain as Father Ralph, Ward became a beloved actress, praised by viewers as well as critics.<\/p>\n<p>In 1982, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.<\/p>\n<p>Chamberlain received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television. The show itself won four Golden Globes, including\u00a0Best Miniseries, as well as six Emmy awards.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72708 entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211031\/rachelward1.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Ward\" width=\"630\" height=\"337\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211031\/rachelward1.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><figcaption>Youtube\/Vmutsuki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt was the absolute top of the heat of a soap opera,\u201d Chamberlain\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/celebrity\/richard-chamberlain-today\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>. \u201cI am often surprised when I think about how it remains so successful, because there was one tragedy after another, after another, after another. Nobody came out on top of that show. It was so sad but had such wonderful characters\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-2131005520\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-000c4d5a5a9e5997d8c057ba11f6eb6b\" class=\"newsner-000c4d5a5a9e5997d8c057ba11f6eb6b newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rachel Ward: \u201cFelt terribly\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Ward wasn\u2019t an actress that crafted her skills through school, but rather she learned as time went by. As the show aired, she saw herself as the weaker link. She suffered from insecurity for years after she received some negative reviews\u00a0<em>(The New York Times\u00a0<\/em>said she was \u201cmiscast\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt terribly like I\u2019d disappointed,\u201d she told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.closerweekly.com\/posts\/the-thorn-birds-cast-secrets-165839\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Closer<\/a>. \u201cI felt that despite me it was a success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, years later, her grown daughter watched\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>, and told her mother, \u201c\u2018Mom, you were fabulous,&#8217;\u201d Ward recalled. \u201cThat was, for me, the most important response that I could\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201dIt was soap opera. I think of it differently now,\u201d Ward said. \u201cActing styles have changed and mine was always quite natural. And I think they tried to make me something that I wasn\u2019t naturally. So that\u2019s the excuse that I\u2019ve made for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72706 entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211032\/rachelwardhusband.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Ward Bryan\" width=\"630\" height=\"337\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/02\/05211032\/rachelwardhusband.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><figcaption>Instagram\/RachelWard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Her performance in the 1983 miniseries\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>\u00a0was of course a very important step for Ward, career wise. However, the production of the show became much more important for her, since she met the love of her life.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown<\/h2>\n<p>During her work on\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>, Rachel Ward and Chamberlain\u2019s characters Meggie and Father Ralph had great passion between them, which kept the viewers coming back.<\/p>\n<p>Chamberlain recalled that it was difficult filming specific scenes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a microphone hidden in the armpit\u2026 and you\u2019re trying not to smear her lipstick,\u201d he told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.closerweekly.com\/posts\/the-thorn-birds-cast-secrets-165839\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Closer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-756980312\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-35a792ab926c1fc02b7bcf2b3c6c32bb\" class=\"newsner-35a792ab926c1fc02b7bcf2b3c6c32bb newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>Even though Ward and Chamberlain were in love on camera, the great love story was actually when the cameras were turned off.<\/p>\n<p>Bryan Brown starred as Meggie\u2019s husband Luke O\u2019Neill, and while shooting, they fell in love.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened on screen was happening off it \u2013 that\u2019s why our love scenes were so believable,\u201d Ward told the UK\u2019s\u00a0Daily Express.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-2\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B2BZo-BgOjp\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=704&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fcelebrity%2Fremember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-63%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOsLwNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTTWJKQU9ob3d2WUd4Qkwzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHragFTW-ziBHCA#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A896.3999999985099%7D\" height=\"744\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cEveryone on set realized they were falling for each other. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen two people more in love,\u201d Chamberlain said, adding that Brown even helped Ward calm her nerves before shooting. \u201cShe seemed to get happier and happier and her work got better and better.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Married months later<\/h2>\n<p>Ward and Brown obviously had \u201csexual chemistry\u201d on set. She really fancied him, however, when asked who made the first move, she made sure to throw her beloved husband under the bus.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018He as slow as a wet week. Really took forever. I think I probably did,\u2019 she\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/tvshowbiz\/article-7269749\/Rachel-Ward-says-not-thought-went-instant-attraction-Bryan-Brown-met.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Brown, however, insisted that he was just being a \u201ccunning Aussie bloke\u201d not approaching her at once.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd before they know it, they\u2019re hooked!\u201d the legendary actor joked.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-1919673983\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-47d08d097ac937da62e085d224c0682b\" class=\"newsner-47d08d097ac937da62e085d224c0682b newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>Rachel Ward and Brown got married months after the filming of\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds\u00a0<\/em>wrapped.<\/p>\n<p>The couple went on to have three children, Rose, Matilda and Joseph.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-3\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BnfyrZVh8Tu\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=704&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fcelebrity%2Fremember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-63%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOsLwNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTTWJKQU9ob3d2WUd4Qkwzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHragFTW-ziBHCA#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A1327.5999999977648%7D\" height=\"744\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-3\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>So what happened to Ward following\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>She and Brown moved to Australia, where Ward starred in several films and television series.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rachel Ward \u2013 this is her today<\/h2>\n<p>In 2001, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television following her performance in the film\u00a0<em>On the Beach.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Her other credits include\u00a0<em>The Big House, Martha\u2019s\u00a0New Coat<\/em>\u00a0and television series\u00a0<em>Rake, Devil\u2019s Playground\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0<em>The Straits<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Ward also went into producing and directing,<\/p>\n<p>Besides being an actress, wife, mother, and now grandmother, Ward also made sure to contribute to society.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-506590978\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-f424b87a990e59c6df67c48da4dad8fd\" class=\"newsner-f424b87a990e59c6df67c48da4dad8fd newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>Therefore, in 2005, she was awarded the A.M (Member of the Order of Australia for \u201craising awareness of social justice through lobbying, mentoring and advocacy for the rights of disadvantaged and at-risk young people.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-4\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CBwsa-PFRDp\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=704&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fcelebrity%2Fremember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-63%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOsLwNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTTWJKQU9ob3d2WUd4Qkwzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHragFTW-ziBHCA#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A1354%7D\" height=\"934\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-4\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In May of 2019, Ward and Brown became first-time grandparents, when daughter Matilda Brown welcomed son Zan.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Work with daughter Matilda<\/h2>\n<p>Both Matilda\u2019s parents were present when she gave birth, which was truly special for her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I was pushing Zan out at the end, dad was stroking my head and mum was cheering me on, crying, saying, \u2018Come on, Till! He\u2019s so close,&#8217;\u201d Matilda\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oversixty.com.au\/entertainment\/movies\/bryan-brown-and-rachel-ward-become-grandparents-for-the-first-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">said<\/a>. \u201cIt was pretty special that both my parents got to be with me through such a monumental time in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Just days ago, Ward got to see her newborn granddaughter, which she shared on her Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>And on another note, isn\u2019t Matilda just the spitting image of her mother!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-5\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CLjIi2Ajebp\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=704&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fcelebrity%2Fremember-meggie-cleary-from-the-thorn-birds-this-is-her-today-age-63%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOsLwNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTTWJKQU9ob3d2WUd4Qkwzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHragFTW-ziBHCA#%7B%22ci%22%3A5%2C%22os%22%3A1374.7999999970198%7D\" height=\"744\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-5\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Ward and her daughter Matilda both chose acting as their job.<\/p>\n<p>However, when Matilda first said she wanted to become an actress, her mother wasn\u2019t that excited.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-901349503\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-0f818550041b945d6b715a38fd43d7e6\" class=\"newsner-0f818550041b945d6b715a38fd43d7e6 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spitting image of her mother<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cMum definitely said \u2018don\u2019t be an actress,&#8217;\u201d Matilda\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenewdaily.com.au\/entertainment\/movies\/2017\/03\/16\/rachel-ward-daughter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">recalled<\/a>. \u201cShe encouraged me to go to film school and get behind the camera, which I did and I\u2019m very glad I did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2016, they teamed up in the film\u00a0<em>The Death\u00a0and Life of Otto Bloom<\/em>. Rachel and Matilda play the same character\u00a0at different stages of her life<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe look alike so obviously there\u2019s a great bonus in that we share physical similarities and mannerisms,\u201d Rachel Ward\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenewdaily.com.au\/entertainment\/movies\/2017\/03\/16\/rachel-ward-daughter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">said<\/a>. \u201cPlus, as we know, women over the age of 40 are basically invisible in the media and in film \u2026 It\u2019s a treat when something comes along where it\u2019s ok to be in your 50s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rachel Ward was wonderful as Meggie Cleary in\u00a0<em>The Thorn Birds<\/em>, and we\u2019re so happy to see that she still is as passionate today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Please share this story on Facebook with friends and family to honor Rachel Ward!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It wasn\u2019t certain that Rachel Ward was going to get the role of her lifetime, as she starred as Meggie Cleary in the classic mini-series\u00a0The Thorn Birds. The British actress and model has had a long and varying career, spanning decades. Now, she\u2019s settled in Australia with her husband, whom she fell in love with&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,17,11,20,24,15,12,25,22,18,16,21,14,23,13],"class_list":["post-35503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-diseases","tag-fitness","tag-health-tips","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-healthy-living","tag-medical-advice","tag-medical-awareness","tag-medical-research","tag-mental-health","tag-nutrition","tag-patient-care","tag-preventive-care","tag-public-health","tag-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Remember Meggie Cleary from \u2018The Thorn Birds\u2019? \u2014 this is her today, age 65 - VM News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=35503\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Remember Meggie Cleary from \u2018The Thorn Birds\u2019? \u2014 this is her today, age 65 - VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It wasn\u2019t certain that Rachel Ward was going to get the role of her lifetime, as she starred as Meggie Cleary in the classic mini-series\u00a0The Thorn Birds. 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