Australian actress Wendy Hughes has died at the age of 61.

The Melbourne-born star of My Brilliant Career and longtime actor in the Network Ten drama State Coroner is understood to have died of cancer in Sydney early on Saturday morning.

Actress Wendy Hughes has died. Credit:Roger Cummins

Actor Bryan Brown announced the death to the audience of Sydney Theatre Company's Travelling North on Saturday afternoon, inviting theatregoers to honour the late actress with a standing ovation.

Working across TV, film and the stage, Hughes was one of Australia's best recognised actresses, sensationally appearing in The Graduate in Sydney in 2001 and in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2007.