Age forces actress Annie Whittle to quit

One of New Zealand's best-known actresses is working as a veterinary nurse because acting roles for older women are so scarce.

The move has been a major comedown for Annie Whittle, 59, who last year starred in the Roger Donaldson movie The World's Fastest Indian, playing Burt Munro's girlfriend Fran opposite Oscar-winner Sir Anthony Hopkins. She also starred in the Roger Hall play Taking Off last year and appeared on Shortland Street as Barb Heywood.

Whittle has one last acting role to complete, in a production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, in rehearsal at the Glen Eden Playhouse. But when that finishes, she will start working every afternoon at a veterinary surgery in Oratia.

"I feel not a dread but a sadness. Once I start working at this place, I can't just leave and do the odd show. I'll be out of circulation."

Whittle said that she did not think working overseas would help. "I am in the same market as Judi Dench or Maggie Smith, so who are you going to go for? There's more work there for older women but here it's a very small pool," she said.

The competition to get the part for The World's Fastest Indian contributed to her decision.

"I was very lucky to get the Fast Indian role and that is when I realised what a lot of actresses there were all going for the same roles. There is so little work."

Although the Roger Donaldson film was high profile, Whittle said she was paid less for the part than she was earning on Shortland Street.

"Tony (Sir Anthony Hopkins) did the role because he really wanted to. I think he gets $30 million a film. But who's going to turn it down? I was so lucky to get that part.

"Acting ... is either feast or famine. I love my acting work, I love it ... It's such a shame but what can you do?"

Graham Dunster, from Auckland Actors, which represents Lucy Lawless and Karl Urban, said Whittle's decision to leave acting was a loss to the profession.