Robina Beard has had an illustrious career on stage and television but it was her character Madge the manicurist that endeared her to many people in a TV commercial lasting 20 years."You know you're soaking in it," was the line anybody over 40 would instantly recognise as the Palmolive liquid detergent ad."People think it was one ad but it was constantly updated between 1968 and 1988 and of course went from black and white to colour," Ms Beard said.
See full coverage of the region's Australia Day award winners in the Illawarra Mercury"As it evolved my accent went from broad strine to a far more polished delivery which suited me fine."Now 72, Ms Beard, who has lived in Corrimal for nine years, said she was delighted with her OAM for services to the arts, particularly through dance."The ad may be my claim to fame but I've been in theatre and on television since I left school at age 16," she said."I started as a dancer with JC Williamson's theatre company and progressed to singing and acting before I went on to television and nightclubs - in those days work in the industry was plentiful."But her most lucrative deal was by far the detergent commercial."I didn't want to do it initially ... I'd just got back from overseas and my agent told me he'd lined up an audition."I told him 'I don't do ads, I'm an actress'."But when she heard that Sir Laurence Olivier started out in an ad for Kodak she quickly changed her mind."It ended up a very good move financially and as time went on they even paid me not to appear in other commercials on television," Ms Beard said."And I still think it's the best dishwashing detergent around even though I'm no longer paid to say that," she said with a smile.She has been married for 42 years and has two children, and is still actively involved in the arts.Ms Beard said this award was the icing on the cake. VOTE: Do you celebrate Australia Day?
