Chantal Contouri (born 1950; sometimes credited as Chantal Cantouri, Greek: Σαντάλ Κοντούρη^[1]) is a Greek Australian television and film actress and former dancer, best known for her role in the 1970s soap opera Number 96, as nurse Tracy Wilson, later revealed to be the serial killer known as the infamous "pantyhose strangler".^[2]

Biography

Contouri was born in Agios Georgios, Greece in 1950, the first of five children to Fotini and Konstantinos, the family emigrated to Australia aboard an Italian ship Castel Felice in 1954; and settled in Adelaide, where Contouri attended Adelaide High School, where she learned English, after leaving home she started her career as a dancer, and appeared on music show Kommotion, before venturing into acting. She was the first Greek actress to win a Logie Award. She has had guest and recurring roles in series and soap opera and Australian films.

She featured in The Sullivans as Melina Tsangarakis, who married Norm Baker before her death by firing squad. Contouri appeared in US daytime soap opera General Hospital in 1988 and played a guest role in the Australian soap E Street in 1993.^[3]

She played leading roles in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974) and the sex comedy film Alvin Purple Rides Again (1974), and later had a guest role in the Alvin Purple television series produced in 1976. Contouri had starring roles in horror-suspense films Thirst (1979) and Snapshot (aka The Day After Halloween) (1979). She featured in Timothy Spanos' series Celebrity House Cleaner playing an alcoholic acting agent and her most recent role was in a remake of Stormboy in 2019.

Contouri remains best known however as Nurse Tracey Wilson in serial Number 96 and in 2007 discussed her time on the series in an episode of Where Are They Now?, and revealed that she runs the family's restaurant in Adelaide.^[4] The restaurant closed in 2014, she currently resides in Torrensville, South Australia.^[5] Contouri recorded an audio commentary for a 2008 DVD boxed set release of 32 Number 96 episodes, entitled The Pantyhose Strangler.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage