Stephanie Beacham
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Beacham is a British television, film and theatre actress. Making her film debut in 1971's The Nightcomers
opposite Marlon Brando
and becoming more well-known on British television in the BBC series Tenko
(1981–84) and the ITV series Connie (1985), her worldwide breakthrough came as a result of playing the very bitchy and very rich Sable Colby in the ABC series The Colbys
(1985–87) and in the final season of Dynasty
(1988–89).
, England, the daughter of Joan, a housewife, and a father who was an insurance executive and the managing director of the Grosvenor
estate.
Shortly after birth, she was diagnosed as being completely deaf in her right ear, as her mother had contracted chickenpox
during her pregnancy. She has about 75% of normal hearing capacity in her left ear. She attended a Catholic girls' school (although she was not raised Catholic) and later travelled to Boulogne-Billancourt
in Paris
, France to study mime
with Étienne Decroux
, before attending Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
(RADA) in London.
, where her favourite Bogart
/Bergman
film
was set.
After many appearances in television series such as The Saint
and Jason King
, Beacham's first major film role was opposite Marlon Brando
in 1971's The Nightcomers
directed by Michael Winner
. Beacham appeared nude in one scene, during the filming of which under the bed clothes Brando wore Y-fronts and wellington boot
s to ensure Winner did not film anything lower than was necessary. She was subsequently cast as Jessica Van Helsing in Hammer's Dracula AD 1972
alongside Peter Cushing
.
Beacham's next role was as a repertory player with the Nottingham Playhouse
, where she played several lead and feature roles, including the role of Nora in the Henrik Ibsen
play A Doll's House
. In 1973, she played Georgina Layton in Thames Television
's first daytime drama Marked Personal. The same year, she made an Italian film; Si può essere più bastardi dell'ispettore Cliff? The film was released in the US in 1977 as Mafia Junction and in the UK as Blue Movie Blackmail. It was later released on home video, now retitled as Super Bitch as the producers of the film attempted to capitalise on the success of the Joan Collins
film The Bitch
. Other genre movies Beacham made included And Now the Screaming Starts (1973), House of Mortal Sin (1974), Schizo (1976) and Inseminoid
(1981) – a film she admits taking for the fee.
From 1981–82, Beacham featured as a member of the ensemble cast of the BBC series Tenko
, a critically acclaimed series about a group of female prisoners of war held captive by the Japanese after their invasion of Singapore in 1942. Following this, Beacham won the lead role in the 13-part ITV
drama series Connie (1985). Her roles in Tenko and Connie helped to springboard her into one of her most well-remembered roles, that of the devious matriarch Sable Colby on the television series The Colbys
, for which she was paid a basic salary of £25,000 per week. The Colbys was a spin-off
of the opulent prime-time soap Dynasty
which had been the highest rating programme in the USA that year. Beacham was cast opposite Charlton Heston
as the tent-pole couple of the new show. The Colbys never experienced the success of its parent show and was cancelled after two seasons. In 1988, Beacham was invited to reprise the role of Sable on Dynasty, playing opposite Joan Collins
in a season-long "battle of the bitches".
After Dynasty was cancelled, Beacham landed the lead role in the children's fantasy film The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
, playing an evil governess. She was then cast in the series Sister Kate, taking the lead role as a nun taking care of children in an orphanage. The series lasted for one season and was cancelled in 1990, although she was nominated for a Golden Globe award. She then returned to Britain to play Mrs. Peacock in an ITV
game show version of the board game Cluedo (1990). Reuniting with Dynasty producer Aaron Spelling
, Beacham also had a recurring guest role in the popular teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210
, playing Iris McKay, the estranged mother of Luke Perry
's character. Beacham eventually appeared in at least six different television series produced by Spelling, including Dynasty, The Colbys, The Love Boat
, Beverly Hills, 90210
, Burke's Law
, and Charmed
. In 1993, Beacham signed on to play Dr. Kristin Westphalen in the NBC
science fiction series seaQuest DSV
, produced by Steven Spielberg
. Her character was the chief oceanographer and medical doctor for the submarine
seaQuest, however Beacham left the programme after its first series. Throughout the 1990s, Beacham continued to make guest appearances on television programmes, working in both the UK and the US. In 1996, she starred in the BBC wartime drama No Bananas which was set during the years of World War II
.
In 2003, Beacham returned to the UK to take a role in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls
. She played inmate Phyllida "Phyl" Oswyn for four years, partnered with Beverly "Bev" Tull (played by Amanda Barrie
) as the "Costa Cons", first appearing in series five, until the final series in 2006. She also appeared in the 2006
movie Love and Other Disasters
. She returned to stage work and toured the UK as a lead in the Noel Coward
play Hay Fever
. She competed in the 2007 series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
with professional partner Vincent Simone
; she was the first female celebrity voted out of the competition.
On 27 November 2008, it was announced that Beacham had joined the cast of ITV's Coronation Street
portraying Martha Fraser, a love interest for Ken Barlow
. She made her first appearance on 26 January 2009 her last appearance on 4 May 2009. Beacham was reportedly paid a six-figure sum for this 3-month stint.
On 17 February 2010 Beacham appeared in the final episode of Material Girl
broadcast on BBC One
as Sylvie Montrose. On 3 April 2010, Beacham made a guest appearance in the long-running BBC1 hospital drama series Casualty
as Monica Shapiro.
as a housemate; she was the only female to make it to the final and finished in 5th place on 29 January 2010.
Fill in the Gaps campaign which aims to give the elderly the support they need to maintain a good quality of life. She also attended a parliamentary launch of the campaign in June 2006.
, which was removed.
The Nightcomers
The Nightcomers is a 1971 British horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham, Thora Hird, Harry Andrews and Anna Palk. It is a prequel to The Turn of the Screw.- Plot :...
opposite Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
and becoming more well-known on British television in the BBC series Tenko
Tenko
Tenko may refer to:*Tenko , a BBC television drama*Princess Tenko, a Japanese magician, upon whom the cartoon Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic was based...
(1981–84) and the ITV series Connie (1985), her worldwide breakthrough came as a result of playing the very bitchy and very rich Sable Colby in the ABC series The Colbys
The Colbys
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...
(1985–87) and in the final season of Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
(1988–89).
Early life
Beacham, one of four children, was born in BarnetBarnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
, England, the daughter of Joan, a housewife, and a father who was an insurance executive and the managing director of the Grosvenor
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
estate.
Shortly after birth, she was diagnosed as being completely deaf in her right ear, as her mother had contracted chickenpox
Chickenpox
Chickenpox or chicken pox is a highly contagious illness caused by primary infection with varicella zoster virus . It usually starts with vesicular skin rash mainly on the body and head rather than at the periphery and becomes itchy, raw pockmarks, which mostly heal without scarring...
during her pregnancy. She has about 75% of normal hearing capacity in her left ear. She attended a Catholic girls' school (although she was not raised Catholic) and later travelled to Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Boulogne-Billancourt is a sub-prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France to study mime
Mime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
with Étienne Decroux
Étienne Decroux
Étienne Decroux studied at Jacques Copeau's Ecole du Vieux-Colombier, where he saw the beginnings of what was to become his life's obsession–Corporeal Mime...
, before attending Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(RADA) in London.
Career
Her initial goal was to teach dance movement to deaf children, but she began a career in modelling, and was then cast for several parts in films. During an interview, thinking Barnet sounded uninteresting, she told a reporter from the Darlington Echo she was born in CasablancaCasablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, where her favourite Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
/Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
film
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
was set.
After many appearances in television series such as The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
and Jason King
Jason King (TV series)
Jason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, Argentina and Peru...
, Beacham's first major film role was opposite Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
in 1971's The Nightcomers
The Nightcomers
The Nightcomers is a 1971 British horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham, Thora Hird, Harry Andrews and Anna Palk. It is a prequel to The Turn of the Screw.- Plot :...
directed by Michael Winner
Michael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
. Beacham appeared nude in one scene, during the filming of which under the bed clothes Brando wore Y-fronts and wellington boot
Wellington boot
The Wellington boot, also known as rubber-boots, wellies, wellingtons, topboots, billy-boots, gumboots, gummies, barnboots, wellieboots, muckboots, sheepboots, shitkickers, or rainboots are a type of boot based upon leather Hessian boots...
s to ensure Winner did not film anything lower than was necessary. She was subsequently cast as Jessica Van Helsing in Hammer's Dracula AD 1972
Dracula AD 1972
Dracula A.D. 1972 is a 1972 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson, written by Don Houghton and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in the Hammer Dracula series, Dracula A.D...
alongside Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
.
Beacham's next role was as a repertory player with the Nottingham Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse
The Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in the 1950s when it operated from a former cinema. Directors during this period included Val May and Frank Dunlop.-The building:...
, where she played several lead and feature roles, including the role of Nora in the Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
play A Doll's House
A Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
. In 1973, she played Georgina Layton in Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
's first daytime drama Marked Personal. The same year, she made an Italian film; Si può essere più bastardi dell'ispettore Cliff? The film was released in the US in 1977 as Mafia Junction and in the UK as Blue Movie Blackmail. It was later released on home video, now retitled as Super Bitch as the producers of the film attempted to capitalise on the success of the Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
film The Bitch
The Bitch (film)
The Bitch is a British film released in 1979. It is a sequel to The Stud , and both films were based on novels by British author Jackie Collins. Like its predecessor, the film starred her sister, Joan Collins, as Fontaine Khaled.-Plot:...
. Other genre movies Beacham made included And Now the Screaming Starts (1973), House of Mortal Sin (1974), Schizo (1976) and Inseminoid
Inseminoid
Inseminoid is a British film of science fiction and horror released in 1981. Norman J. Warren's eighth motion picture, the plot of Inseminoid concerns a group of future scientists excavating the ruins of an ancient civilisation on a distant planet...
(1981) – a film she admits taking for the fee.
From 1981–82, Beacham featured as a member of the ensemble cast of the BBC series Tenko
Tenko (TV series)
Tenko is a television drama, co-produced by the BBC and the ABC. A total of thirty episodes were produced between 1981 and 1984 for women, followed by a one-off special , Tenko Reunion, in 1985 - also for women in mind.The series dealt with the experiences of British, Australian and Dutch women...
, a critically acclaimed series about a group of female prisoners of war held captive by the Japanese after their invasion of Singapore in 1942. Following this, Beacham won the lead role in the 13-part 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...
drama series Connie (1985). Her roles in Tenko and Connie helped to springboard her into one of her most well-remembered roles, that of the devious matriarch Sable Colby on the television series The Colbys
The Colbys
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...
, for which she was paid a basic salary of £25,000 per week. The Colbys was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the opulent prime-time soap Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
which had been the highest rating programme in the USA that year. Beacham was cast opposite Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
as the tent-pole couple of the new show. The Colbys never experienced the success of its parent show and was cancelled after two seasons. In 1988, Beacham was invited to reprise the role of Sable on Dynasty, playing opposite Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
in a season-long "battle of the bitches".
After Dynasty was cancelled, Beacham landed the lead role in the children's fantasy film The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a children's novel by Joan Aiken, first published in 1963. Set in an alternate history of England, it tells of the adventures of cousins Bonnie and Sylvia and their friend Simon the goose-boy as they thwart the evil schemes of their governess Miss Slighcarp.The...
, playing an evil governess. She was then cast in the series Sister Kate, taking the lead role as a nun taking care of children in an orphanage. The series lasted for one season and was cancelled in 1990, although she was nominated for a Golden Globe award. She then returned to Britain to play Mrs. Peacock in an 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...
game show version of the board game Cluedo (1990). Reuniting with Dynasty producer Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
, Beacham also had a recurring guest role in the popular teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, playing Iris McKay, the estranged mother of Luke Perry
Luke Perry
Luke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
's character. Beacham eventually appeared in at least six different television series produced by Spelling, including Dynasty, The Colbys, The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, Burke's Law
Burke's Law
Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
, and Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
. In 1993, Beacham signed on to play Dr. Kristin Westphalen in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
science fiction series seaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
, produced by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
. Her character was the chief oceanographer and medical doctor for the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
seaQuest, however Beacham left the programme after its first series. Throughout the 1990s, Beacham continued to make guest appearances on television programmes, working in both the UK and the US. In 1996, she starred in the BBC wartime drama No Bananas which was set during the years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 2003, Beacham returned to the UK to take a role in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls
Bad Girls (TV series)
Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
. She played inmate Phyllida "Phyl" Oswyn for four years, partnered with Beverly "Bev" Tull (played by Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie is an English actress.-Career:Born as Shirley Anne Broadbent, Barrie attended St Anne's College, St Anne's on Sea. She then trained at the Arts Educational School in London and later at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School...
) as the "Costa Cons", first appearing in series five, until the final series in 2006. She also appeared in the 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
movie Love and Other Disasters
Love and Other Disasters
Love and Other Disasters is a 2006 romantic comedy produced by Ruby Film, Europa Corp. and Skyline Films presented at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2008, it had its UK premiere in London as the gala screening for the BFI 22nd London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival...
. She returned to stage work and toured the UK as a lead in the Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
play Hay Fever
Hay Fever
Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
. She competed in the 2007 series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
with professional partner Vincent Simone
Vincent Simone
Vincent Simone is a professional dancer born in Italy. He moved to Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom when he was 17. His professional dancing partner is Flavia Cacace, and they perform under the brand name VincentandFlavia.-Early life:...
; she was the first female celebrity voted out of the competition.
On 27 November 2008, it was announced that Beacham had joined the cast of ITV's 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...
portraying Martha Fraser, a love interest for Ken Barlow
Ken Barlow
Kenneth "Ken" Barlow is a long-standing fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by William Roache, and created by Tony Warren. He is currently the world's longest-serving soap opera character, having appeared continuously from the programme's inception in December...
. She made her first appearance on 26 January 2009 her last appearance on 4 May 2009. Beacham was reportedly paid a six-figure sum for this 3-month stint.
On 17 February 2010 Beacham appeared in the final episode of Material Girl
Material Girl (TV series)
Material Girl is a British romantic comedy produced by Carnival Films, that first aired on BBC One on 14 January 2010. It stars Lenora Crichlow, Dervla Kirwan and Michael Landes.Set in the fashion world, it was inspired by the book Fashion Babylon...
broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
as Sylvie Montrose. On 3 April 2010, Beacham made a guest appearance in the long-running BBC1 hospital drama series Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
as Monica Shapiro.
Celebrity Big Brother (2010)
On 3 January 2010, Beacham entered the U.K. TV series Celebrity Big BrotherCelebrity Big Brother 2010 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2010 was the seventh and final series of Celebrity Big Brother to air on Channel 4 and E4. It began on Sunday 3 January 2010 and aired for 27 days until the final on 29 January 2010, the longest ever celebrity series in the UK...
as a housemate; she was the only female to make it to the final and finished in 5th place on 29 January 2010.
Other work
Beacham was involved in launching the Sense-National Deafblind and Rubella AssociationSense-National Deafblind and Rubella Association
Sense is a national charity in the United Kingdom that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind.-History:Sense was founded in 1955 as a self-help and support group for the parents of children whose disabilities were neither recognised nor provided for, children born...
Fill in the Gaps campaign which aims to give the elderly the support they need to maintain a good quality of life. She also attended a parliamentary launch of the campaign in June 2006.
Personal life
Beacham was married to fellow actor John McEnery between 1973 and their divorce in 1978. They had two daughters together, Phoebe and Chloe, whom she raised from toddlers on her own. In 2008, Beacham was diagnosed with basal cell carcinomaBasal cell carcinoma
Basal-cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It rarely metastasizes or kills. However, because it can cause significant destruction and disfigurement by invading surrounding tissues, it is still considered malignant. Statistically, approximately 3 out of 10 Caucasians may develop a...
, which was removed.
Filmography
- The Queen's TraitorThe Queen's TraitorThe Queen's Traitor is a 1967 British television film directed by Campbell Logan and starring Nigel Green, Susan Engel and Stephanie Beacham. It portrays an attempt to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots....
(1967) - The SaintThe Saint (TV series)The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
(1967) - The Jazz Age (1968)
- Armchair TheatreArmchair TheatreArmchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
(1969) - Public Eye (1969)
- CallanCallan (TV series)Callan is the title of a British television series set in the murky world of espionage. Originally produced by ABC Weekend Television and later Thames Television, it was aired on the ITV network over four seasons spread out between 1967 and 1972...
(1970) - The GamesThe Games (film)The Games is a 1970 film based on the Hugh Atkinson novel and adapted to the screen by Erich Segal. It was directed by Michael Winner.The plot concerned four marathon competitors at a fictitious Olympic Games in Rome, played by Michael Crawford, Ryan O'Neal, Charles Aznavour, and Athol Compton...
(1970) - Sentimental Education (1970)
- UFOUFO (TV series)UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
(1970) - Tam-LinTam-Lin (film)Tam-Lin, also known as The Ballad of Tam-Lin, The Devil's Widow and The Devil's Woman, is a 1970 British film made by Commonwealth United Entertainment, Winkast Film Productions Ltd. and distributed by American International Pictures . It was directed by Roddy McDowall and produced by Alan Ladd, Jr...
(1970) - ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1971)
- The NightcomersThe NightcomersThe Nightcomers is a 1971 British horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham, Thora Hird, Harry Andrews and Anna Palk. It is a prequel to The Turn of the Screw.- Plot :...
(1971) - The Aries Computer (1972)
- Jason KingJason King (TV series)Jason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, Argentina and Peru...
(1972) - Dracula AD 1972Dracula AD 1972Dracula A.D. 1972 is a 1972 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson, written by Don Houghton and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in the Hammer Dracula series, Dracula A.D...
(1972) - Man at the TopMan at the Top (film)Man at the Top is a 1973 British drama film directed by Mike Vardy and starring Kenneth Haigh, spun off from the television series Man at the Top which itself was inspired by the 1959 film Room at the Top and its sequel Life at the Top.-Cast:...
(1972) - The AdventurerThe Adventurer (TV series)The Adventurer is an ITC Entertainment TV adventure series created by Dennis Spooner that ran for one season from 1972 to 1973. It premiered in the UK on 29 September 1972. The show starred Gene Barry as Gene Bradley, a government agent of independent means who poses as a glamorous American movie...
(1973) - Si può essere più bastardi dell'ispettore Cliff? (1973)
- The ProtectorsThe ProtectorsThe Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It is Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in the present day...
(1973) - And Now the Screaming Starts!And Now the Screaming Starts!And Now the Screaming Starts! is a 1973 British gothic horror film. It is one of the few feature-length horror stories by Amicus, a company best-known for anthology or "portmanteau" films....
(1973) - Special BranchSpecial Branch (TV series)Special Branch is a British television series made by Thames Television for ITV and shown between 1969 and 1974. A police drama series, the action was centred on members of the Special Branch anti-espionage and anti-terrorist department of the London Metropolitan Police.The first two series were...
(1973) - Jane Eyre (1973)
- Ego Hugo (1973)
- Napoleon and Love (1974)
- Marked PersonalMarked PersonalMarked Personal was a British daytime television drama created by Charles Dennis and starring Stephanie Beacham and Heather Chasen. The series was made by Thames Television and consisted of 90 episodes, shown twice weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons during 1973-74...
(1973–1974) - Prometheus: The Life of Balzac (1975)
- House of Mortal Sin (1976)
- HadleighHadleigh (TV series)Hadleigh was a British television series made by Yorkshire Television which originally ran from 1969 to 1976. Developed by Robert Barr, it was a sequel to the writer's earlier Gazette for the same company...
(1976) - SchizoSchizo (1976 film)Schizo is a horror film directed by Pete Walker and starring Lynne Frederick.-Plot:Samantha and Alan are married, but William Haskin going revenge. What are the secrets of Samantha?-Cast:*Lynne Frederick ... Samantha Gray...
(1976) - InseminoidInseminoidInseminoid is a British film of science fiction and horror released in 1981. Norman J. Warren's eighth motion picture, the plot of Inseminoid concerns a group of future scientists excavating the ruins of an ancient civilisation on a distant planet...
(1981) - TenkoTenko (TV series)Tenko is a television drama, co-produced by the BBC and the ABC. A total of thirty episodes were produced between 1981 and 1984 for women, followed by a one-off special , Tenko Reunion, in 1985 - also for women in mind.The series dealt with the experiences of British, Australian and Dutch women...
(1981–1982) - Sorrell and SonSorrell and SonSorrell and Son is a silent film released on December 2, 1927 and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director in the 1st Academy Awards the following year...
(1984) - Connie (1985)
- DynastyDynasty (TV series)Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
(1985, 1988–1989) - The ColbysThe ColbysThe Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...
(1985–1987) - Love BoatLove BoatThe Overseas Compatriot Youth Formosa Study Tour to Taiwan, informally known as the Love Boat, is currently a four-week summer program for about 400–600 college-aged Overseas Chinese. In Chinese, it is also colloquially referred to as mei-jia-ying - America and Canada Camp, a reference to where...
(1 episode - 1986) - Napoleon & Josephine: A Love Story (1987)
- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (film)The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (film)The 1989 film version was directed by Stuart Orme with a screenplay by William M. Akers. The cast includes Stephanie Beacham as Miss Slighcarp, Mel Smith as Mr. Grimshaw, Richard O'Brien as James, and Jane Horrocks as Pattern. Newcomers Emily Hudson and Aleks Darowska played Bonnie and...
(1989) - Troop Beverly HillsTroop Beverly HillsTroop Beverly Hills is a 1989 American comedy film. Produced by Weintraub Entertainment Group and directed by Jeff Kanew, it starred Shelley Long, Craig T...
(1989) - Sister Kate (1989–1990)
- Lucky Chances (1990)
- Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
(occasional - 1991 - 1998) - CluedoCluedo (game show)Cluedo was a UK television game show based on the board game of the same name. Each week, a reenactment of the murder at the stately home Arlington Grange of a visiting guest was played and, through a combination of interrogating the suspects and deduction, celebrity guests had to discover who...
(1990) - SecretsSecrets (1992 film)Secrets, also known as Danielle Steel's Secrets, is a 1992 television film directed by Peter H. Hunt. The film is based upon the 1985 novel of the same name written by Danielle Steel...
(1992) - Star Trek: The Next Generation (1 episode - 1993)
- Riders (1993)
- Foreign Affairs (1993)
- BlossomBlossom (TV series)Blossom is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1991 to May 22, 1995. The series stars Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenage girl living with her father and two brothers. It was created by Don Reo.- Synopsis :...
(1 episode - 1993) - Burke's LawBurke's LawBurke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
(1 episode - 1994) - seaQuest DSVSeaQuest DSVseaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
(1993–1994) - A Change of Place (1994)
- LegendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
(1 episode - 1995) - No Bananas (1996)
- Wedding Bell BluesWedding Bell Blues"Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966 that became a number one hit for The 5th Dimension in 1969 and subsequently a popular phrase in American culture...
(1996) - CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
(1 episode - 2000) - Relative ValuesRelative ValuesRelative Values is a 2000 British comedy film adaptation of the 1950s play of the same name by Noel Coward. It stars Julie Andrews, Colin Firth, William Baldwin, Stephen Fry and Jeanne Tripplehorn, and was directed by Eric Styles....
(2000) - Having It OffHaving It OffHaving it Off is a one-off TV comedy series for BBC Choice made by Red Production Company in 2002.It was set at a cheap hairdressing salon in Eccles, Greater Manchester...
(1 episode - 2002) - Unconditional Love (2002)
- The Witches HammerThe Witches HammerThe Witches Hammer is a 2006 low budget English action/horror film written and directed by James Eaves, produced by British production company Amber Pictures, and starring Claudia Coulter and Stephanie Beacham with George Anton as an antagonistic vampire....
(2006) - Seven Days of Grace (2006)
- Love and Other DisastersLove and Other DisastersLove and Other Disasters is a 2006 romantic comedy produced by Ruby Film, Europa Corp. and Skyline Films presented at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2008, it had its UK premiere in London as the gala screening for the BFI 22nd London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival...
(2006) - Bad GirlsBad Girls (TV series)Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
(2003–2006) - New Tricks (1 episode - 2006)
- Plot 7 (2007)
- Free AgentsFree AgentsFree Agents is a romantic black comedy starring Stephen Mangan, Sharon Horgan and Anthony Head. Originally a pilot for Channel 4 in November 2007, the series began on 13 February 2009. It spawned a short lived US remake, which was cancelled after just 4 episodes aired.-Plot:Alex works for CMA, a...
(1 episode - 2009) - Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation 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...
(2009) - Celebrity Big BrotherCelebrity Big Brother 2010 (UK)Celebrity Big Brother 2010 was the seventh and final series of Celebrity Big Brother to air on Channel 4 and E4. It began on Sunday 3 January 2010 and aired for 27 days until the final on 29 January 2010, the longest ever celebrity series in the UK...
(2010) - Material GirlMaterial Girl (TV series)Material Girl is a British romantic comedy produced by Carnival Films, that first aired on BBC One on 14 January 2010. It stars Lenora Crichlow, Dervla Kirwan and Michael Landes.Set in the fashion world, it was inspired by the book Fashion Babylon...
(1 episode - 2010) - CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
(1 episode - 2010)