Miriam Margolyes
Encyclopedia
Miriam Margolyes, OBE
(born 18 May 1941) is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence
(1993).
, England, the daughter of Ruth (née Walters), a real estate investor, and Joseph Margolyes, a Scottish-born physician. She grew up in a Jewish family, a descendant of immigrants from Belarus
. She attended the local Oxford High School, at which she also opened the new buildings in March 2011, and later Newnham College
, Cambridge where she read English. There, she began acting in her twenties, and also appeared in productions of the comedy troup Cambridge Footlights.
. She recorded a soft-porn audio called Sexy Sonia: Leaves from my Schoolgirl Notebook. She performed most of the supporting female characters in the dubbed Japanese action TV series, Monkey
. She also worked with the theatre company Gay Sweatshop and provided voiceovers in the Japanese TV series The Water Margin.
Margolyes' first major role in a film was as Elephant Ethel in Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977). In the 1980s, she made appearances in Blackadder
opposite Rowan Atkinson
: these roles include the Spanish Infanta in The Black Adder
, Lady Whiteadder in Blackadder II
and Queen Victoria
in Blackadder's Christmas Carol
. In 1986, she was cast as one of the major supporting characters in the BBC adaptation of the Fay Weldon
novel The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Flora Finching in the 1988 movie Little Dorrit
. On American television, she headlined the short-lived 1992 CBS
sitcom Frannie's Turn
. In 1993 she won a Best Supporting Actress
, BAFTA
for her role as Mrs Mingott in Martin Scorsese
's The Age Of Innocence
.
Margolyes came to the notice of younger audiences through two roles in 1996. The first was her comic take on the role of The Nurse
in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. The second when she starred as Aunt Sponge in James And The Giant Peach
; she also provided the voice of the Glow Worm in the same movie. Around this time, she voiced the female rabbit character in the animated commercials for Cadbury's
Caramel
bars and provided the voice of Fly the dog in the animated film Babe
. She played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
in 2002.
She was one of the original cast of the London production of the musical Wicked
in 2006, playing Madame Morrible opposite Idina Menzel
, a role she also played on Broadway in 2008.
In 2009, she appeared in a new production of Endgame
by Samuel Beckett
at the Duchess Theatre
in London's West End. She (along with Simon Callow) voiced one of the Blathereen creatures in the Doctor Who
spin off The Sarah Jane Adventures
in a story from the 3rd season called The Gift.
In 2010, she appeared in the British Television situation comedy Coming of Age, playing Doreen a delinquent pensioner with a penchant for kissing strangers and blowing up ducks. In the 2010 film Legend of the Guardians, she voices Mrs. Plithiver. Margolyes reprised her role as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Appears in ITV
series Doc Martin
's Desert Island Discs
in September 2008. She is a campaigner for a respite care
charity, Crossroads. She also supports Sense, a charity for deaf/blind people.
She appeared on the British television quiz University Challenge
in 1963, whilst at Cambridge University. As part of a BBC documentary University Challenge: The Story so Far she claimed that during her appearance, she swore after getting a question wrong, although the actual word was bleeped out
of the recording.
She has become an Australian citizen
.
Margolyes is a regular attender at the annual Dickens Universe scholarly conference, held each summer at UC Santa Cruz.
Margolyes is a Palestinian
human rights activist, having been a member of the British-based ENOUGH! coalition that seeks to end the "Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank."
Margolyes lives in Tuscany
, Italy.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 18 May 1941) is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence (film)
The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder....
(1993).
Early life
Margolyes was born in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England, the daughter of Ruth (née Walters), a real estate investor, and Joseph Margolyes, a Scottish-born physician. She grew up in a Jewish family, a descendant of immigrants from Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. She attended the local Oxford High School, at which she also opened the new buildings in March 2011, and later Newnham College
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
, Cambridge where she read English. There, she began acting in her twenties, and also appeared in productions of the comedy troup Cambridge Footlights.
Acting career
With her distinctive voice, Margolyes first gained recognition for her work as a voice artistVoice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. She recorded a soft-porn audio called Sexy Sonia: Leaves from my Schoolgirl Notebook. She performed most of the supporting female characters in the dubbed Japanese action TV series, Monkey
Monkey (TV series)
Monkey is the dubbed English language version of the Japanese television series , based on the classic sixteenth century Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. It was originally produced by Nippon Television and International Television Films in association with NHK.The series ran for...
. She also worked with the theatre company Gay Sweatshop and provided voiceovers in the Japanese TV series The Water Margin.
Margolyes' first major role in a film was as Elephant Ethel in Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977). In the 1980s, she made appearances in Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
opposite Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
: these roles include the Spanish Infanta in The Black Adder
The Black Adder
The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
, Lady Whiteadder in Blackadder II
Blackadder II
Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986...
and Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
in Blackadder's Christmas Carol
Blackadder's Christmas Carol
Blackadder's Christmas Carol is a one-off episode of Blackadder, a parody of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It is set between Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth , and is narrated by Hugh Laurie...
. In 1986, she was cast as one of the major supporting characters in the BBC adaptation of the Fay Weldon
Fay Weldon
Fay Weldon CBE is an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrays contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.-Biography:Weldon was...
novel The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil is a 1983 novel by British feminist author Fay Weldon about a highly unattractive woman who goes to great lengths to take revenge on her husband and his attractive lover...
. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Flora Finching in the 1988 movie Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit (film)
Little Dorrit is a 1988 film adaptation of the novel Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. It was written and directed by Christine Edzard, and produced by John Brabourne and Richard B. Goodwin. The music, by Giuseppe Verdi, was arranged by Michael Sanvoisin.The film stars Derek Jacobi as Arthur...
. On American television, she headlined the short-lived 1992 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom Frannie's Turn
Frannie's Turn
Frannie's Turn is a short-lived American situation comedy on CBS that premiered on September 13, 1992 and ended on October 10, 1992.-Synopsis:...
. In 1993 she won a Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
, BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
for her role as Mrs Mingott in Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's The Age Of Innocence
The Age of Innocence (film)
The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder....
.
Margolyes came to the notice of younger audiences through two roles in 1996. The first was her comic take on the role of The Nurse
Nurse (Romeo and Juliet)
The Nurse is a major character in William Shakespeare's classic drama Romeo and Juliet. It is revealed later in the play by Lord Capulet that the Nurse's real name might be Angelica . She is the personal servant, guardian of Juliet Capulet, and has been since Juliet was born...
in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. The second when she starred as Aunt Sponge in James And The Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach (film)
James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation....
; she also provided the voice of the Glow Worm in the same movie. Around this time, she voiced the female rabbit character in the animated commercials for Cadbury's
Cadbury Schweppes
Cadbury is a confectionery company owned by Kraft Foods and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated. Headquartered in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide....
Caramel
Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel
Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel is a chocolate bar that is part of the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand and is made by Cadbury UK and Cadbury Ireland...
bars and provided the voice of Fly the dog in the animated film Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
. She played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
in 2002.
She was one of the original cast of the London production of the musical Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
in 2006, playing Madame Morrible opposite Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
, a role she also played on Broadway in 2008.
In 2009, she appeared in a new production of Endgame
Endgame (play)
Endgame, by Samuel Beckett, is a one-act play with four characters, written in a style associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. It was originally written in French ; as was his custom, Beckett himself translated it into English. The play was first performed in a French-language production at the...
by Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
at the Duchess Theatre
Duchess Theatre
The Duchess Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, London, located in Catherine Street, near Aldwych.The theatre opened on 25 November 1929 and is one of the smallest 'proscenium arched' West End theatres. It has 479 seats on two levels....
in London's West End. She (along with Simon Callow) voiced one of the Blathereen creatures in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
spin off The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
in a story from the 3rd season called The Gift.
In 2010, she appeared in the British Television situation comedy Coming of Age, playing Doreen a delinquent pensioner with a penchant for kissing strangers and blowing up ducks. In the 2010 film Legend of the Guardians, she voices Mrs. Plithiver. Margolyes reprised her role as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Appears in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Doc Martin
Doc Martin
Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Mark Crowdy, Craig Ferguson and Dominic Minghella. The show is filmed on location in the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, United Kingdom, with filming of most interior scenes...
Other work
Margolyes is a supporter of Sense (the National Deafblind and Rubella Association) and was the host at the first Sense Creative Writing Awards, held at the Dickens Museum in London in December 2006, where she read a number of works written by talented deafblind people.Personal life
Margolyes is openly gay and has been with her partner for 40 years. She described herself as "gay" rather than as lesbian and mentioned her relationships with women on several occasions when she appeared on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
in September 2008. She is a campaigner for a respite care
Respite care
Respite care is the provision of short-term, temporary relief to those who are caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home....
charity, Crossroads. She also supports Sense, a charity for deaf/blind people.
She appeared on the British television quiz University Challenge
University Challenge
University Challenge is a British quiz programme that has aired since 1962. The format is based on the American show College Bowl, which ran on NBC radio from 1953 to 1957, and on NBC television from 1959 to 1970....
in 1963, whilst at Cambridge University. As part of a BBC documentary University Challenge: The Story so Far she claimed that during her appearance, she swore after getting a question wrong, although the actual word was bleeped out
Bleep censor
A bleep censor is the replacement of profanity or classified information with a beep sound , in television or radio...
of the recording.
She has become an Australian citizen
Australian nationality law
Australian nationality law determines who is and who is not an Australian, and is based primarily on the principle of Jus soli. The status of Australian citizenship was created by the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 which received Royal Assent on 21 December 1948 and came into force on...
.
Margolyes is a regular attender at the annual Dickens Universe scholarly conference, held each summer at UC Santa Cruz.
Margolyes is a Palestinian
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
human rights activist, having been a member of the British-based ENOUGH! coalition that seeks to end the "Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank."
Margolyes lives in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy.
Filmography
- The Wedding Video (2012) (filming)
- Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012) (filming)
- My Mother's CurseMy Mother's CurseMy Mother's Curse is a 2012 American comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Dan Fogelman, and starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen.-Plot:...
(2012) (filming) – Anita - Doc MartinDoc MartinDoc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Mark Crowdy, Craig Ferguson and Dominic Minghella. The show is filmed on location in the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, United Kingdom, with filming of most interior scenes...
(2011) (guest appearance) - Shirley - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – Professor Pomona Sprout
- Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) – Mrs. Plithiver (voice only)
- Tinga Tinga TalesTinga Tinga TalesTinga Tinga Tales is a Kenyan/British 78 episodes children's series based on African folk tales and aimed at 4- to 6-year olds. It was commissioned by the BBC for its CBeebies channel, and by Disney Channel for its Disney Junior block....
(2010) – Giraffe and Squirrel (voice only) - MerlinMerlin (TV series)Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
(2010) – Grunhilda in episode "The Changeling" - How To Lose Friends and Alienate People (2008) – Mrs. Kowalski
- KingdomKingdom (TV series)Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions for the ITV network. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk solicitor who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal...
– Henny (1 episode, 2008) - The Dukes (2007) – Aunt Vee
- Jam & Jerusalem – Mrs. Midge (1 episode, 2006)
- Happy FeetHappy FeetHappy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
(2006) (voice) – Mrs. Astrakhan - Flushed AwayFlushed AwayFlushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
(2006) (voice) – Rita's Grandma - Sir Billi the Vet (2006) (voice) – Baroness Chantal McToff
- Wallis and EdwardWallis and EdwardWallis & Edward is a 2005 British made-for-TV movie, dramatising the events of the Edward VIII abdication crisis. It was billed as the first scripted account of the romance between Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII of the United Kingdom to view events from Wallis Simpson's point of view...
(2005) (TV) – Aunt Bessie - Inconceivable – Malva (1 episode)
- MarpleMarple (TV series)Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced...
: The Murder at the Vicarage (2004) (TV) – Mrs. Price-Ridley - Being JuliaBeing JuliaBeing Julia is a 2004 drama film with comic undertones directed by István Szabó and starring Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons. The screenplay by Ronald Harwood is based on the 1937 novel Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham...
(2004) – Dolly de Vries - Ladies in LavenderLadies in LavenderThe film's original music was written by Nigel Hess and performed by Joshua Bell and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hess received a Classical BRIT Awards nomination for Best Soundtrack Composer....
. (2004) – Dorcas - The Life and Death of Peter SellersThe Life and Death of Peter SellersThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers is a 2004 film about the life of English comic actor Peter Sellers, based on Roger Lewis' book of the same name...
(2004) – Peg Sellers - ModiglianiModigliani (film)- Plot :Set in Paris in 1919, biopic centers on the life of late Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, focusing on his last days as well as his rivalry with Pablo Picasso. Modigliani, a Jew, has fallen in love with Jeanne, a young and beautiful Catholic girl. The couple has an illegitimate child, and...
(2004) – Gertrude Stein - End of the Line (2004) – Bag Lady
- Chasing LibertyChasing LibertyChasing Liberty is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff, and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.-Plot:Anna Foster is the daughter of President James Foster and First Lady Michelle Foster . After Secret Service agents ruin a first date, Anna demands some freedom...
(2004) – Maria - Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
(2002) – Professor Pomona Sprout - Plots with a ViewPlots with a ViewPlots with a View, released internationally as Undertaking Betty, is a 2002 British dark comedy written by Frederick Ponzlov, directed by Nick Huran, starring Brenda Blethyn, Alfred Molina, Naomi Watts, Lee Evans and Christopher Walken. The film began filming in Caldicott, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK...
(2002) – Thelma & Selma - Alone (2002) – Caseworker
- Cats & DogsCats & DogsCats & Dogs is a 2001 American-Australian action-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. The screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra centers on the relationships between cats and dogs. It was shot in Victoria and Vancouver. The film was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros...
(2001) – Sophie the Castle Maid - Not Afraid, Not Afraid (2001)
- Dharma & GregDharma & GregDharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
– Chloe (1 episode, 2000) - House! (2000) – Beth
- MagnoliaMagnolia (film)Magnolia is a 1999 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, narrated by Ricky Jay, and starring Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, and Jason Robards in his last feature film appearance...
(1999) (uncredited) – Faye Barringer - End of Days (1999) – Mabel
- Dreaming of Joseph Lees (1999) – Signora Caldoni
- SunshineSunshine (1999 film)Sunshine is a 1999 historical film written by Israel Horovitz and István Szabó, directed and produced by István Szabó. It follows three generations of a Jewish family during the changes in Hungary from the beginning of the 20th century to the...
(1999) – Rose Sonnenschein - Babe: Pig in the CityBabe: Pig in the CityBabe: Pig in the City is a 1998 sequel to the 1995 film Babe. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter , the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally...
(1998) (voice) – Fly the Female Sheepdog - Vanity FairVanity Fair (1998 TV serial)Vanity Fair is a BBC television drama serial adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name broadcast in 1998. The screenplay was written by Andrew Davies....
(1998) TV mini-series – Miss Crawley - RugratsRugratsRugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
– Shirley Finster (1 episode, 1998) - MulanMulanMulan is a 1998 American animated film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney...
(1998) (voice) – The Matchmaker - Left Luggage (1998) – Mrs. Goldman
- The First Snow of WinterThe First Snow of WinterThe First Snow of Winter is an animated television film produced by Hibbert Ralph Entertainment and Link Entertainment and first aired on the BBC on December 25, 1998 It features the voices of Miriam Margoyles, Dermot Morgan, Kate Sachs, Sorcha Cusack, and Neil McCaul.- Synopsis :On a winter day in...
(1998) – Sean Seamus Aloisious Dermot McDuck - Candy (1998/I) – Gisella
- Supply & Demand (1998) TV mini-series – Edna
- The IMAX Nutcracker (1997) – Sugar Plum
- Castle Ghosts of Wales (1997) – Hag ghostHagA hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or...
- The Phoenix and the Carpet (1997) TV mini-series – Cook
- The Place of Lions (1997) (TV) – Miss Cole
- Different for Girls (1996) – Pamela
- Romeo + Juliet (1996) – The Nurse
- James and the Giant PeachJames and the Giant Peach (film)James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation....
(1996) (voice) – Aunt Sponge / The Glowworm - BaltoBalto (film)Balto is a 1995 American animated comedy-drama film directed by Simon Wells and produced by Amblimation, and the first of the overall trilogy. The film is based on a true story about the dog of the same name who helped save children from the diphtheria epidemic in the 1925 serum run to Nome...
(1995) – Grandma Rosy/Extra Voices - BabeBabe (film)Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
(1995) (voice) – Fly the Female Sheepdog - Cold Comfort FarmCold Comfort FarmCold Comfort Farm is a comic novel by Stella Gibbons, published in 1932. It parodies the romanticised, sometimes doom-laden accounts of rural life popular at the time, by writers such as Mary Webb...
(1995) (TV) – Mrs. Beetle - Just WilliamJust WilliamJust William is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for numerous television series, films and radio adaptations...
– Miss Polliter (1 episode, 1994) - Immortal Beloved (1994) – Nanette Streicherová
- Moonacre (1994) TV series – Old Elspeth
- The Age of Innocence (1993) – Mrs. Mingott
- The Comic Strip Presents... – Mother (1 episode, 1993)
- The Thief and the CobblerThe Thief and the CobblerThe Thief and the Cobbler is an animated feature film, famous for its animation and its long, troubled history. The film was conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams, who worked 28 years on the project. Beginning production in 1964, Williams intended The Thief and the Cobbler to be his...
(1993) (voice) – Maiden from Mombassa - Ed and His Dead Mother (1993) – Mabel Chilton
- StalinStalin (1992 film)Stalin is a 1992 television film, produced for HBO, starring Robert Duvall portraying Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The film won three Golden Globe Awards among various awards including cinematography awards for Vilmos Zsigmond...
(1992) (TV) – Krupskaya - As You Like It (1992) – Audrey
- Frannie's Turn (1992) TV series – Frannie Escobar
- The Butcher's WifeThe Butcher's WifeThe Butcher's Wife is a 1991 romantic comedy film, in which a clairvoyant woman thinks that she's met her future husband , who she has seen in her dreams and is a butcher in New York. They marry and move to the city, where her powers tend to influence everyone she meets while working in the shop...
(1991) – Gina - Dead AgainDead AgainDead Again is a 1991 psychological thriller/neo-noir directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Branagh and his then-wife Emma Thompson. Andy García, Derek Jacobi and Robin Williams are also featured.-Plot summary:...
(1991) (uncredited) – Lady - Tonight at 8.30 – Mrs. Wadhurst (2 episodes, 1991)
- The FoolThe Fool (film)The Fool is a British film, produced and directed by Christine Edzard in 1990 from a script by Edzard and Olivier Stockman.The plot examines the double life of a humble clerk posing as a businessman and moving in upper social circles...
(1990) – Lady Isabel - Pacific Heights (1990) – Realtor
- Orpheus Descending (1990) (TV) – Vee Talbot
- The Finding (1990) (TV) – Poll
- I Love You to Death (1990) – Joey's Mother
- Old Flames (1990) (TV) – Nellie
- The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (1990) (TV) (voice)
- Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989) (TV) – Mrs. Rajzman
- Little DorritLittle DorritLittle Dorrit is a serial novel by Charles Dickens published originally between 1855 and 1857. It is a work of satire on the shortcomings of the government and society of the period....
(1988) – Flora Finching - BlackadderBlackadderBlackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
's Christmas Carol (1988) (TV) – Queen Victoria - Mr MajeikaMr MajeikaMr Majeika is the title of a series of children's books, written by Humphrey Carpenter, and also a children's television series starring Stanley Baxter. The stories have also been broadcast on radio...
(1988) TV series – Wilhelmina Worlock (Seasons 1 and 2) - Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryPoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryPoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story is a 1987 television biographical drama starring Farrah Fawcett. The film chronicles the life of Barbara Hutton, who was one of the richest American socialite women, but was never happy. Released in two versions, as a TV miniseries and TV movie, the...
(1987) (TV) – Elsa Maxwell - Body Contact (1987) – Tony's Mother
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986) – Dental Nurse
- The Life and Loves of a She-Devil – Nurse Hopkins (1 episode, 1986)
- Blackadder IIBlackadder IIBlackadder II is the second series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986...
– Lady Whiteadder (1 episode, 1986) - A Little PrincessA Little PrincessA Little Princess is a 1905 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a revised and expanded version of Burnett's 1888 serialized novel entitled Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's Boarding School, which was published in St. Nicholas Magazine.According to Burnett, she...
(1986) (TV) – Miss Amelia - Scotch & Wry (1986) (V) – Various
- The Good FatherThe Good FatherThe Good Father is a 1985 British film directed by Mike Newell and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Fanny Viner, Simon Callow, Joanne Whalley, and Michael Byrne....
(1985) – Jane Powell - Oliver TwistOliver Twist (1985 TV miniseries)Oliver Twist is a 1985 BBC TV serial. It was directed by Gareth Davies, and adapted by Alexander Baron from the novel by Charles Dickens. It follows the book very closely.- Cast :*Eric Porter - Fagin*Michael Attwell - Bill Sikes...
(1985) TV mini-series – Mrs. Corney
- Morons from Outer SpaceMorons from Outer SpaceMorons from Outer Space is a 1985 comedy/science-fiction film directed by Mike Hodges.-Plot:The story begins on a small spaceship docking with a refueling station. On board are a group of four aliens, Bernard, Sandra, Desmond, and Julian...
(1985) – Doctor Wallace - Freud (1984) TV mini-series – Baroness
- Electric Dreams (1984) – Ticket Girl
- YentlYentlYentl is a play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer.Based on Singer's short story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," it centers on a young girl who defies tradition by discussing and debating Jewish law and theology with her rabbi father...
(1983) – Sarah - The Black AdderThe Black AdderThe Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
– Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain (1 episode, 1983) - ScrubbersScrubbersScrubbers is a 1983 British drama film directed by Mai Zetterling and starring Amanda York and Chrissie Cotterill. It was shot primarily in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. It was inspired by the success of the 1979 film Scum.-Plot:...
(1983) – Jones - Crystal Gazing (1982) – Newsreader
- Crown Court – Marilyn Munro / ... (2 episodes, 1976–1982)
- Reds (1981) (uncredited) – Woman writing in notebook
- Take a Letter Mr. Jones – Maria (6 episodes, 1981)
- A Kick Up the Eighties (1981) TV series – Various Roles
- The History Man (1981) (TV) – Melissa Tordoroff
- The Apple (1980) – Landlady
- The Lost Tribe (1980) TV mini-series – Queenie
- The Awakening (1980) – Dr. Kadira
- Tales of the Unexpected (TV seriesTales of the Unexpected (TV series)Tales of the Unexpected is a British television series originally aired between 1979 and 1988, made by Anglia Television for ITV. Filming began in 1978.The series was an anthology of different tales...
– Mary Burge (1 episode, 1980) - Saiyûki (1978) TV series
- On a Paving Stone Mounted (1978)
- Play for Today – Veronica (1 episode, 1977)
- Spasms (1977) (TV) – Rose Finn
- Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977) – Elephant Ethel
- Christmas Box (1976) (TV)
- Angels – June Morris (2 episodes, 1976)
- Kizzy – Mrs. Doe (2 episodes, 1976)
- The Glittering Prizes (1976) TV mini-series – Olive Wise
- The Battle of Billy's Pond (1976) – Tour Guide
- Rime of the Ancient MarinerRime of the Ancient Mariner (1975 film)Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a 1975 film by director Raúl daSilva. It is a photoanimated-live action visualization of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem of the same name, featuring a direct reading given by renowned British actor Sir Michael Redgrave...
(1975) – Dorothy Wordsworth - The Girls of Slender Means (1975) (TV) – Jane Wright
- World of Laughter (1974) TV series – Various parts
- Fall of EaglesFall of EaglesFall of Eagles is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge....
(1974) TV mini-series – Anna Vyrubova - Doctor in ChargeDoctor in ChargeDoctor in Charge is a British television comedy series based on a set of books by Richard Gordon about the misadventures of a group of Doctors...
– Doris (1 episode, 1973) - JackanoryJackanoryJackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,...
– Storyteller (5 episodes, 1968) - Dixon of Dock GreenDixon of Dock GreenDixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
– Anna (1 episode, 1968) - Boy Meets Girl – Maria (1 episode, 1967)
- Theatre 625 – Rita (1 episode, 1965)
Theatre
- A Day in the Death of Joe EggA Day in the Death of Joe EggA Day in the Death of Joe Egg is a 1967 play by English playwright Peter Nichols, first staged at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland before transferring to London's West End theatres in 1968.-Plot summary:Characters* Bri* Grace* Joe* Freddie...
(Citizens Theatre, Glasgow) - Me and My GirlMe and My GirlMe and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
(Crucible Theatre, Sheffield) – The Duchess - The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
(BAM Harvey Theatre, New York) – Miss Prism - Wicked (Apollo Victoria, London / Gershwin Theatre, New York) – Madame Morrible
- The Way of the WorldThe Way of the WorldThe Way of the World is a play written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London...
(Sydney Theatre CompanySydney Theatre CompanyThe Sydney Theatre Company is one of Australia's best-known theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Theatre and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre....
) - The Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
(Arts TheatreArts TheatreThe Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It now operates as the West End's smallest commercial receiving house.-History:...
, London) - Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
(Ahmanson TheatreAhmanson TheatreThe Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that comprise the Los Angeles Music Center.Through the generosity of philanthropist Robert H. Ahmanson, construction began on March 9, 1962. The theatre opened on April 12, 1967 with a production of More Stately Mansions starring Ingrid Bergman,...
, Los Angeles) - Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
(Number One Tour) – Matchmaker - Canterbury Tales (Bristol Old VicBristol Old VicThe Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
) – Wife of Bath - Kennedy's Children (Arts TheatreArts TheatreThe Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It now operates as the West End's smallest commercial receiving house.-History:...
, London) - Threepenny Opera (Piccadilly TheatrePiccadilly TheatreThe Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A...
, London) – Whore - The White DevilThe White DevilThe White Devil is a revenge tragedy from 1612 by English playwright John Webster . A notorious failure when it premiered, Webster complained the play was acted in the dead of winter before an unreceptive audience. The play's complexity, sophistication and satire made it a poor fit with the...
(Old VicOld VicThe Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
, London) - Cloud Nine (Joint Stock / Royal Court)
- Flaming Bodies (ICA) – Psychiatrist
- 84 Charing Cross Road84 Charing Cross Road84, Charing Cross Road is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between her and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co, antiquarian booksellers located at the eponymous address in London, England.Hanff, in search of...
(Colchester) – Helen Hanff - Gertrude Stein and a Companion (International Tour) – Gertrude Stein
- Man Equals ManMan Equals ManMan Equals Man , or A Man's a Man, is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. One of Brecht's earlier works, it explores themes of war, human fungibility, and identity...
(Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, London) – Widow Begbick - Orpheus DescendingOrpheus DescendingOrpheus Descending is a play by Tennessee Williams. It was first presented on Broadway in 1957 where it enjoyed a brief run with only modest success. The play is basically a rewrite of an earlier play by Williams called Battle of Angels, which was written in 1940, but had been closed on its opening...
(Haymarket TheatreHaymarket TheatreThe Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
, London) – Vee Talbot - Dickens' WomenDickens' WomenDickens' Women is a one person show written by Miriam Margolyes and Sonia Fraser and starring Margolyes.The play includes 23 different characters based on or inspired by characters in Charles Dickens' novels....
(Duke of York's TheatreDuke of York's TheatreThe Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
and Hampstead TheatreHampstead TheatreHampstead Theatre is a theatre in the vicinity of Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. In 2009 it celebrates its 50 year anniversary.The original theatre was...
, London) - Blithe SpiritBlithe Spirit (play)Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
(Melbourne Theatre CompanyMelbourne Theatre CompanyThe Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
, Australia) - Realism (Melbourne Theatre CompanyMelbourne Theatre CompanyThe Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
, Australia) – 2009 - EndgameEndgame (play)Endgame, by Samuel Beckett, is a one-act play with four characters, written in a style associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. It was originally written in French ; as was his custom, Beckett himself translated it into English. The play was first performed in a French-language production at the...
(Duchess TheatreDuchess TheatreThe Duchess Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, London, located in Catherine Street, near Aldwych.The theatre opened on 25 November 1929 and is one of the smallest 'proscenium arched' West End theatres. It has 479 seats on two levels....
, London) – 2009 – Nell
Awards and nominations
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Drama 2001
- Winner: Theatregoer's Choice Awards 2007 Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Madam Morrible in WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
- Winner: Audiofile's Earphones Award 2001 for A Christmas CarolA Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
- Winner: Prix Jeunesse Best Children's Programme (0–6 fiction) 2000 for The First Snow of Winter
- Winner: The Talkies Performer Of The Year 1997 for Oliver TwistOliver TwistOliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
- Winner: Sony Radio Awards Best Actress On Radio 1993 for The Queen and I
- Winner: BAFTA Best Supporting Actress 1993 for The Age of InnocenceThe Age of InnocenceThe Age of Innocence is a novel by Edith Wharton published in 1920, which won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize. The story is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s. In 1920, The Age of Innocence was serialized in four parts in the Pictorial Review magazine, and later released by D...
- Nominated: Olivier Award for Best Entertainment 1991 for Dickens' WomenDickens' WomenDickens' Women is a one person show written by Miriam Margolyes and Sonia Fraser and starring Margolyes.The play includes 23 different characters based on or inspired by characters in Charles Dickens' novels....
- Winner: LA Critics Circle 1989 Best Supporting Actress for Little DorritLittle DorritLittle Dorrit is a serial novel by Charles Dickens published originally between 1855 and 1857. It is a work of satire on the shortcomings of the government and society of the period....
(shared with Geneviève BujoldGeneviève BujoldGeneviève Bujold is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the 1969 film Anne of the Thousand Days, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for best actress and was nominated for an Academy Award....
)