Talking Prisoner EP 11 (Part 2) Interview with Val Lehman (Queen Bea)

Welcome to Part 2 of Episode 11 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down for part 2 of our interview with Val Lehman who played Iconic Top Dog Bea Smith. As we ran out of time in part 1, Val graciously came back for part 2 to answer all the fan questions that had been posted to the Talking Prisoner Facebook Page. We spoke about why Sheila Florence left the series, working with Carole Skinner, what it was like to have her real life daughter work with her, working with Wayne Jarratt, and lots more fan questions.
#vallehman #beasmith #wentworth #prisoner

[@ramabaiapparao8801]

She really rocked.her attitude..my my gosh....talented actress

[@pcclucas1429]

Another fantastic interview with ‘Queen Bea!’

[@TalkingPrisoner]

We all LOVE Val. I am happy you enjoyed the interview.

[@chrisreynolds3700]

Another great episode, i enjoyed it. Good to see Bea Smith again!!👍

[@123billydog]

Fantastic, Val just says it how it is and Matt looked terrified half the time.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

HAHA Thanks Billy

[@jonathanbuxton6991]

Thank you for the mention..Was great to hear Val talk about the Nola McKenzie scene.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thank you for the support

[@daybyday442]

Great job folks. I'd love to see Val being filmed watching clips from later eps including Bea's death and her reaction.

[@calummurray6105]

Would love to see Val's reaction watching some post Bea highlights of the show. The announcement of her death, the Freak's final comeuppance, the strikingly similar storylines Myra was given at times.

[@bdchiaccio]

She is so together and entertaining. Ty for treating us to a second helping

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thanks Bonnie, and I hope we are pronouncing your sure name right

[@leejohnson6448]

I wish you had got these actors to react to some scenes, it was so long ago that I understand why some storylines are not remembered, but I think seeing some of the scenes and how the actors react would be so so interesting.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

It would be very cool.

[@JPPILL]

Along with Maggie Kirkpatrick, Val Lehman to me is Prisoner. I loved her character, and her wonderful and emotive portrayal of Bea still stands out to me as one of the best on Australian television. However, when Prisoner screened in the early 80s I was in primary school and my attitude was quite different. I went to Pymble Public in Sydney and we had a cleaner working there that looked very much like Val, and all the kids were very scared of her as we associated her with Bea. I genuinely thought should might lash out and slap me if I did something wrong!

[@teralmiles]

So thrilled my question got asked. And yes I’m a gentleman thanks Val. Lol.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thanks for the support Teral

[@JulieSavage-g5r]

Just discovered your channel ...absolutely amazing to be watching this. making me so emotional 😢 how time goes so quickly as it seems like just a few years since watching and loving prisoner ...love you Queen Bea!! Just watching them all again i'm on episode 489❤❤❤

[@KIEV7385]

Great Interview....Hard for Fans to realize that the Actors are just doing a Job and don't really follow beyond their part in a show....Val Lehman did a role & entertained us and via DVD & KZbin she still Entertains us in Prisoner anytime we desire...I have viewed the series about 4 Times...I take a few Months between viewings in order to prepare for the next Go around...I do see things I missed in every viewing....The first time through I got to Episode 400 and stopped after Bea was out...took me a while before I finally got back but I did and enjoyed the remaining 292 episodes although the storylines got a little Outlandish......Wish Bea had been bought back but that's History now....Val was available but the producers couldn't match her requests...Thanks again for the Great Interview Parts 1 & 2 appreciate your efforts.....!!!

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thanks for the support Kiev

[@deborahcolebourne5828]

What a lovely lady❤

[@markwilson4040]

This was such a fantastic interview. Great insight into the show once again. Thanks Val and to you both. Keep them coming.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thanks for your kind words Mark, hope you enjoy all the other interviews also, please subscribe to our channel 😀

[@traciepearce1888]

Her Character Bea Smith was one of my favourites.👍

[@TalkingPrisoner]

A big fan favourite

[@johnwalters4792]

Cannot wait to see who you lads have got lined up next🙂 Tell Ken his camera work showing Chrissie Latham's legs gets my approval 😁

[@TalkingPrisoner]

I will let Ken know haha

[@GeorgiePotter]

This interview was dropped whilst I was at work this afternoon and I have been looking forward to finishing work and pouring myself a drink and watching it all day! And thank you! I throughly enjoyed it! I met Val and Danielle McCormack in England at Prisoner's 40th Anniversary, both beautiful people, and I love Val's honesty when being interviewed or talking to her in person, she just says it like it is, and her respect for behind the scenes crew in Television, I respect HER for that so much.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Glad you could enjoy with a drink. Thanks for the support.

[@andrews6341]

Great two interviews with Val , Ken and Matt great job! Really enjoying these very much . Each interview has been excellent.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thanks Andrew

[@ryanmfoster6630]

Whatever people think of val ...she played a brillant and just in my opinion the best top dog.

[@lindzy39]

Wonderful chat thank you all

[@josephd.2725]

Great interview. Good to hear the answers to fellow fan questions, and it's always great to hear about the off screen camaraderie between some of these iconic actors like Val Lehman, Maggie Kirkpatrick, and Carole Skinner, where their on screen characters had some great hate chemistry going on! From their performances, it's hard to believe that they were all big friends in between takes. Shows what talented performing artists they are! They seem to have a lot of admiration and respect for one another, which is wonderful.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

That is very true. That is one thing I have learned since doing these interviews is the friendship and respect that cast and crew had for each other (Matt)

[@josephd.2725]

​@@TalkingPrisoner Yes, it is great to see such professionalism indeed. And most of the time, the Prisoner cast genuinely seemed to like each other. There didn't seem to be much bad blood, apart from what Val mentioned about her issue with a director that caused her to quit. But that wasn't between cast mates and the other crew in general. Maybe that's partly why the show worked out so well and attracted such an audience, because it really was a big family inside and outside of the show.

[@JockStrop]

I'm gutted I missed this. I'd love another Val interview even with other casts

[@helenapickering1440]

This brings back so many fond memories of you Ken..your awesome..❤

[@TalkingPrisoner]

You will find me on FaceBook

[@lexietuck501]

Another great interview. These interviews just get better and better. ❤️

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Thank you so much Lexie

[@DistantCousin]

The story about the cigarettes is priceless!!! 😆😆. Age has not mellowed Val that much!!

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Haha it was great.

[@allenmx]

I’ve just started from the very beginning and four episodes in. Already from Val / Bea, we’ve had a “you’re gonna be sorry for what you done to that little kid” and a “me and Franky”. Insisting on correct grammar indeed 😂🙈

[@allenmx]

I think Val's comments on Partners in Crime after she left are quite harsh, especially knowing some of the history from the other party. Partners put on great small scale events over the years - intimate events that show-cased some of the lesser-known cast and amazing extras. Barbara Jungwirth, Dorothy Cutts, Desiree Smith, Reylene Pearce, Maxine K, Kylie Foster and Lois Collinder to name but a few have attended over the years and these events were always well supported and loved.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

All brilliant cast members.

[@CoralD3158]

Very harsh but not really surprising

[@DistantCousin]

Have any of your interviewees been regular Wentworth viewers?! The only one I know who's confirmed she is, is Tina Bursill. I watched her being interviewed the other day and is clearly a big fan of it

[@josephd.2725]

Nice to see that Queen Bea also thought that the lighting on set was poor. It was really dark sometimes!

[@TalkingPrisoner]

We hope you enjoyed the interview Joseph. Who was your favourite top dog ?

[@josephd.2725]

​@@TalkingPrisoner Absolutely, it was great! Such a thrill to see these interviews. I picked the right year to re-visit all the episodes, before you started this up! Looking forward to Maggie Millar's interview too, and maybe you got a chance to ask her my question about Marie always calling Judy names. It's hard to say who my favourite top dog was, as the big 3 were all in different eras. But it might have to be Rita the Beater to be honest... she was so much fun and so caring. I also liked how she didn't need to act all tough to intimidate, because her towering presence was enough. However, Bea and Myra were more mature, wiser, and more experienced.

[@josephd.2725]

I always find it amusing how the fans ultimately know more about the show than the actors who took part in it... such as when Val said she basically never knew what happened to Prisoner in the 292 episodes after her departure, and didn't even know who the hell Rita the Beater was! Rita... who?? That's gold. LOL

[@dollyrawlins5470]

That was sarcasm!

[@josephd.2725]

@@dollyrawlins5470 Apparently not. She has said a few times that she never watched the show again after she left. But, we have seen photos with her, Anne Phelan and Glenda Linscott, so I imagine she does know deep down. Have you also seen Maggie Kirkpatrick's interview where she has no clue what Blackmoor is/was? heh

[@jefffloyd9470]

@@josephd.2725 She knows exactly who Myra and Rita are.

[@josephd.2725]

​@@jefffloyd9470 She might in reality because there's a photo of them all together. But not according to this interview! Heh. Maybe she knew Glenda Linscott, but didn't know her character's name in Prisoner was Rita?? And then later on Maggie Kirkpatrick apparently had no idea what Blackmoor was! I guess what happens in Blackmoor stays in Blackmore!

[@michelleevans4948]

@@dollyrawlins5470 I agree, she’s very sarcastic

[@DistantCousin]

Interesting she doesn't mention her cameo in Wentworth which has -as yet - not been broadcast...

[@TalkingPrisoner]

I have not seen this yet.

[@JockStrop]

Omg haha who wasn't invited hehe.

[@donnawimmer4579]

Too many ads during interviews!

[@JamesSmith-qy3eu]

Val didn't say much about Wayne Jarret.

[@kevincarlson668]

I started watching this religiously as a 14 y/o Yank.It was hugely popular here in Yankistan.Bea gave me this near fetish for big,badass redheads.The Aussie accent helped,too.

[@JockStrop]

Didn't Val win 3 Logies too

[@JayArgonauts]

To point out a person’s poor grammar whilst that individual is trying to communicate a message is extremely rude.

[@josephd.2725]

Poor Bert Newton, who passed away today.

[@TalkingPrisoner]

Such sad news. There will never be another Bert.

[@JockStrop]

Who got dibs haha

[@lamontbradford4630]

Val/Bea the idiot was Coral Drouyn

[@DaveyC95]

Coral Drouyn is vile The best writer's on the show were Denise Morgan, Michael Brindley, Sheila Sibley, Dave Worthington, Anne Lucas and Patrea Smallacombe Ian Bradley was the best producer on the show, and that is the general consensus with the original cast. Sue Masters and Marie Trevor were a joke. John McRae had his moments but Ian understood the series Drouyn was sacked from the show by Grundy's. The final season was a breath of fresh air without her

[@Summer21.]

If you’re talking about episode 342. No, Coral Drouyn did not write episode 342. That was Bryon Williams who played Dr. Karl/Eric Weismann. I checked the storyline writers in the end credits of that episode and Coral Drouyn was not credited at all. 😃

[@JockStrop]

100% I don't care about who is doing my role in a job from years ago lmao. I actually enjoy Val more than Bea

[@markwilks1896]

If she is so good How come she had hardly been in anything compared to others from the series 😂

[@dairinnally5912]

Please get your hair cut, by.our darlings in Melbourne or Sydney