Bea Smith (Wentworth)
| Bea Smith | |
|---|---|
| Wentworth character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "No Place Like Home" |
| Last appearance | "Seeing Red" |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Portrayed by | Danielle Cormack |
| Duration | 2013 - 2016 |
| Status | Deceased; murdered by Joan Ferguson |
| Crime(s) | Attempted murder Manslaughter Murder Aggravated assault |
| Sentence | Life without parole |
| Information | |
| Full name | Beatrice Alice Smith |
| Nickname(s) | "Red" "Queen Bea" |
| Occupation | Hairdresser |
| Affiliation |
Will Jackson Maxine Conway Franky Doyle Vera Bennett Linda Miles Matthew Fletcher Kaz Proctor |
| Spouse(s) | Harry Smith |
| Significant other(s) | Allie Novak |
| Children | Debbie Smith |
| Nationality | Australian |
Bea Smith is a fictional character from the Australian television drama Wentworth, portrayed by Danielle Cormack. She was introduced in the first episode of the series "No Place Like Home", broadcast on 1 May 2013. Bea is notable for her storylines of being abused by her husband Harry, avenging the death of her daughter by murdering Brayden Holt and being top dog in Wentworth Prison. Bea has had rivalries with Franky Doyle, Jacs Holt, Kaz Proctor and Joan Ferguson. Bea is the centric character in Wentworth until her exit at the end of Season 4.
Tammy McIntosh was one of the favourites to play the role, but did not secure the part. She later joined the cast in Season 3 as vigilante Kaz Proctor. New Zealand actress Danielle Cormack was eventually cast as Bea. She commented that she was "absolutely rapt" to join the cast and hoped the show would be just as popular as Prisoner was.
During the last episode of the fourth season, Bea was killed off after being stabbed multiple times by Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe). Producers confirmed that the character had been written out "for dramatic purposes" and would not be returning for the show's fifth season. The show's executive producer, Jo Porter, stated: "It is always an incredibly difficult decision to say farewell to a much-loved and revered character like Bea Smith. Which is why this storyline has had such a huge impact on us all and we are sure fans will feel the same. This decision was particularly hard as it meant also saying goodbye to Danielle Cormack." Porter added that Bea's departure would allow for new characters and stories to take centre stage during the fifth season.
Bea was a devoted wife to Harry and loving mother to Debbie. Bea was being abused and raped by Harry but stayed because she didn’t want to upset Debbie. One day Bea tried to murder Harry and make it look like suicide which eventually led to her arrest.
Bea's arrival at Wentworth led to her needing to be sedated, after panicking about whether her daughter Debbie was safe. When she woke up in the morning, she was taken to her cell by Vera Bennett, and then shown around the place by Liz Birdsworth. Not long after her arrival, Bea started to have flashbacks about her home life, leading to her crime. She tried to kill her husband, Harry, after being beaten one morning. She knocked him out, and then dragged him to the car where she taped his hands to the steering wheel, head to the headrest and then put a hose, running from the exhaust, to suffocate him. Her daughter came home early and tried to get into the garage. Bea stopped her from opening the door, but Debbie got into the garage through the side door. Alarmed at the scene, she tried saving Harry. Bea stopped her, and then finally realising her actions, told Debbie to call for an ambulance as she took off the tape from his wrist and face. Bea was also accused of murdering Meg Jackson during the riot between Franky and Jacs' gangs, as she was found covered in blood after tripping over Meg's body. Police later cleared her of the charges.
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