Angela Scoular
Encyclopedia
Angela Margaret Scoular (8 November 1945 – 11 April 2011) was an English
actress.
and RADA
.
films, made by different production companies. Scoular played Buttercup in the 1967 comedy Casino Royale
and then two years later made an appearance in the EON Productions
-produced Bond film series playing Ruby
in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service
.
Her other film credits include A Countess from Hong Kong
, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, Doctor in Trouble
, Adventures of a Private Eye
and Adventures of a Taxi Driver
.
Her television credits included playing Cathy in a 1967 BBC production of Wuthering Heights
, Doctor in the House
, The Avengers
, Coronation Street
, Penmarric, As Time Goes By
and You Rang, M'Lord?
in the recurring role of Lady Agatha Shawcross.
. She moved in with
actor Leslie Phillips
in 1977, at which time she was pregnant by another man. She raised her son with Phillips, and, following Phillips' wife's death in 1981, she married him in 1982.
in 1992 by slashing her wrists with a knife. It was revealed in March 2009 that she was suffering from colorectal cancer
; she was eventually declared cancer-free, but in the months preceding her death she had feared its return. She died on 11 April 2011 after ingesting acid
drain cleaner and pouring it on her body, causing lethal burns to her digestive tract and skin. She was survived by Phillips and her son Daniel. An inquest at Westminster
Coroner's Court on 20 July 2011 established that Scoular had been an alcoholic
and suffered from depression and anxiety about debts; she was on medication for bipolar disorder
at the time of her death. The coroner recorded that Scoular had "killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed", and stated that her death was not suicide.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress.
Early life
Her father was an engineer and she was born in London. She attended St.George's School, Harpenden, Queen's College, Harley StreetQueen's College, London
Queen's College is an independent school for girls aged 11–18. It is located in central London at numbers 43-49, Harley Street. Founded in 1848 by F. D. Maurice, Professor of English Literature and History at King's College London along with a committee of patrons, the College was the first...
and RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
.
Career
Scoular was among a small group of actors to have appeared in two James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films, made by different production companies. Scoular played Buttercup in the 1967 comedy Casino Royale
Casino Royale (1967 film)
Casino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre, and is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
and then two years later made an appearance in the EON Productions
EON Productions
Eon Productions is a film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom...
-produced Bond film series playing Ruby
Ruby Windsor
Ruby Windsor is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The character was adapted in 1969 for the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, starring George Lazenby as James Bond; however, her name in the film was changed to Ruby Bartlett...
in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
.
Her other film credits include A Countess from Hong Kong
A Countess from Hong Kong
A Countess from Hong Kong is a 1967 British comedy film and the last film directed by Charlie Chaplin. It was one of two films Chaplin directed in which he did not play a major role , and his only color film. Chaplin's cameo marked his final screen appearance...
, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, Doctor in Trouble
Doctor in Trouble
Doctor in Trouble is a 1970 British comedy film, the last of the long-running Doctor in the House series of British comedy films. It was directed by Ralph Thomas it stars Leslie Phillips as a doctor who gets accidentally trapped on an outgoing cruise ship while it begins a round the world trip...
, Adventures of a Private Eye
Adventures of a Private Eye
The Adventures of a Private Eye is a 1977 British sex comedy film starring Christopher Neil, Suzy Kendall, Harry H. Corbett and Liz Fraser. It was the second in the trilogy of 'Adventures' films after the 1976 film Adventures of a Taxi Driver...
and Adventures of a Taxi Driver
Adventures of a Taxi Driver
Adventures of a Taxi Driver is a 1976 British sex comedy film starring Barry Evans, Judy Geeson and Adrienne Posta. There were two sequels, Adventures of a Private Eye and Adventures of a Plumber's Mate.-Cast:* Barry Evans as Joe North...
.
Her television credits included playing Cathy in a 1967 BBC production of Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
, Doctor in the House
Doctor in the House (TV series)
Doctor in the House is the syndicated title given, by the United States, to a British television comedy series , based on a set of books and a movie of the same name by Richard Gordon about the misadventures of a group of medical students — and their later misadventures as doctors.The first...
, The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, Penmarric, As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By (TV series)
As Time Goes By is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1992 to 2005. Starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, it follows the relationship between two former lovers who meet unexpectedly after not having been in contact for 38 years....
and You Rang, M'Lord?
You Rang, M'Lord?
You Rang M'Lord? is a British television series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Hi-de-Hi! It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC...
in the recurring role of Lady Agatha Shawcross.
Personal life
She was a niece of actress Margaret JohnstonMargaret Johnston
Margaret Johnston was an Australian-born British actress. Johnston was most widely admired for her stage performances, but also appeared in 12 films and a handful of TV productions before retiring from acting in 1968 to devote herself to running a theatrical agency.-Early life:Johnston was the...
. She moved in with
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
actor Leslie Phillips
Leslie Phillips
Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
in 1977, at which time she was pregnant by another man. She raised her son with Phillips, and, following Phillips' wife's death in 1981, she married him in 1982.
Illnesses and death
Throughout her adult life, Scoular suffered from depression. She attempted suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1992 by slashing her wrists with a knife. It was revealed in March 2009 that she was suffering from colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
; she was eventually declared cancer-free, but in the months preceding her death she had feared its return. She died on 11 April 2011 after ingesting acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
drain cleaner and pouring it on her body, causing lethal burns to her digestive tract and skin. She was survived by Phillips and her son Daniel. An inquest at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
Coroner's Court on 20 July 2011 established that Scoular had been an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and suffered from depression and anxiety about debts; she was on medication for bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
at the time of her death. The coroner recorded that Scoular had "killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed", and stated that her death was not suicide.