Denise Scott, star of Mother and Son, reveals cancer battle
Cherished Australian entertainer, comedian, and author Denise Scott has unveiled her private battle against cancer that has spanned several months.
In an intimate conversation with the Australian Women's Weekly, Scott, who was honored with an Order of Australia earlier this year, candidly discussed receiving a breast cancer diagnosis just as she was gearing up to commence filming her inaugural leading role in a new television series. This role marked her portrayal of one of the central figures in the revived version of Mother and Son, a show where she is starring alongside comedian Matt Okine.
Recounting the moment, Scott shared: "The night I noticed the rash, I thought, 'This is breast cancer'... Then, when the GP said mastitis, there was a momentary sigh of relief. But she also said, 'You've got to have a mammogram as soon as possible.' And then I think I knew."
Medical advice informed Scott that she was confronting an aggressive cancer variant necessitating prompt intervention.
Scott assumed the character Maggie in the reimagined rendition of Mother and Son, while Okine is taking on the role of her on-screen son, Arthur. These roles had been originally played by Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald during the 1980s to much acclaim, and it remains one of the most beloved TV shows of all time.
As a result of the shock diagnosis, Scott embarked on chemotherapy and filming simultaneously. For scenes where she didn't need to face the camera directly, a stand-in body double was employed.
"This production meant a lot to me," Scott told AWW. "But the doctors were making it clear: 'You have to start chemotherapy within days.' I don't know who first suggested I try to do both, which in hindsight was insane. I think it was me. I was thinking, I don't want to shut this whole production down, and I was also thinking, I want to live!"
Okine, the visionary behind the show's revival, collaborated closely with the original creator, Geoffrey Atherden, to actualise the project. He said in an interview with ABC News that Scott showed remarkable bravery throughout the entire filming process, lauding her for her award-worthy depiction of Maggie.
"I mean, ask anyone on the set and they'll tell you that the performance that Denise put into this show is nothing short of a world-class achievement," Okine said.
"What she was going through personally and the character that she was able to build, and the moments that she was able to make, I mean, we joked but we were like 'you deserve the Gold Logie already'.
For more on Denise Scott's journey, the September edition of AWW features an exclusive interview that you can also read here.
Images: YouTube / ABC