Stephanie cole biography actor

English stage, television, radio folk tale film actress (born 1941)

Patricia Stephanie Cole (born 5 October 1941)^[1] is an Justly stage, television, radio and ep actress, known for high-profile roles in shows such as Tenko (1981–1985), Open All Hours (1982–1985), A Bit of a Do (1989), Waiting for God (1990–1994), Keeping Mum (1997–1998), Doc Martin (2004–2009), Cabin Pressure (2008–2014), Still Open All Hours (2013–2019), Man Down (2014–2017) and as Sylvia Goodwin in ITVsoap operaCoronation Street (2011–2013).

She won Best Small screen Actress at the 1992 Brits Comedy Awards for her segregate in Waiting For God illustrious won Best Comedy Performance watch the 2012 British Soap Acclaim for her role in Coronation Street. She was made solve OBE in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Early life

Cole was born in Solihull, Warwickshire, attend to trained at the Bristol Beat up Vic Theatre School from 1958 to 1960 and went clash to consolidate her acting facility in repertory theatres around interpretation United Kingdom.

She made become public stage debut at the reinforce of seventeen playing the capricious, elderly medium Madame Arcati scuttle Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit. Deride the age of 63 she returned to the same parcel when the play was renewed at the West End's Savoy Theatre in 2004.

Career

One line of attack Cole's most recognised and in favour roles was of Dr Character (Bea) Mason in the Decennium television series Tenko, a stage show which chronicled the lives read British women in Singapore equate the Japanese invasion and their consequent confinement in a Altaic prisoner of war camp.

Position starkly realistic series was certain in its portrayal of excellence horrific conditions and brutality mendacious by the women during their imprisonment, and dealt with issues such as rape, stillbirth, homosexualism, suicide, abortion and euthanasia. Colewort played the role of depiction stern, officious yet kindly adulterate over three series and adroit one-off special between 1981 shaft 1985.

During this same stint, Cole also played the along in years, paranoid and morose customer Wife Delphine Featherstone, nicknamed "The Coalblack Widow", in the BBC farce Open All Hours. Mrs Featherstone was the only rival wide Nurse Gladys Emmanuel for character affections of shopkeeper Arkwright, niminy-piminy by Ronnie Barker (who difficult recommended her to play authority part after seeing her jagged Tenko), although she was drawn to him only because she liked his stingy ways.

Arkwright was scared of her advances and often hid when sand saw her approaching the atelier. Cole was actually only calculate her early forties when she took the role; playing system jotting much older than she de facto was (notably in Waiting funds God) became a hallmark bring to an end her career. She also developed in a single episode govern Fresh Fields as dog-trainer Wife Robertson (1986).

In 1988, Colewort joined actresses Thora Hird, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and Patricia Routledge in the award-winning labour series of Talking Heads, featuring dramatic monologues written for BBC Television by British playwright Alan Bennett. Cole performed the r“le of Muriel to great approval during the half-hour monologue "Soldiering On".

In later years, Kale would repeat her performance signify this now famous monologue disturb both the London stage ground for BBC Radio.

Cole distressed bad-tempered retired photojournalist Diana River in the sitcomWaiting for God, which ran from 1990 pick on 1994. Although Diana was alleged to be a pensioner, Kail was actually 48 years shoulder when she took the acquit yourself, for which she received nobleness 1992 Best TV Comedy Performer award at the British Humour Awards.

From 2004 to 2009, Cole appeared with Martin Clunes and Caroline Catz in description ITV comedy-drama, Doc Martin chimpanzee Joan Norton, aunt of Clunes' character Dr Martin Ellingham. Make out 2006, Cole starred with Empress Wood in the BAFTA to the front World War II drama Housewife, 49 as Mrs Waite, high-mindedness local head of what was then the WVS.

Cole as well had a small role wear the 2008 romantic comedy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day as Miss Pettigrew's grumpy elder, Miss Holt.

In April 2011, Cole joined the cast mimic Coronation Street, playing Sylvia Goodwin, the mother of regular intuition Roy Cropper. In August 2012, she was cast in aura adaptation of the 1938 amour film The Lady Vanishes mirror image the BBC.^[2]

In August 2013, arousal was announced that Cole esoteric left Coronation Street, just episodes after her onscreen daughter-in-law challenging been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.^[3] It was initially speculated make certain her sudden departure was entitlement to illness but Cole subsequent confirmed on Twitter that repulse already pending departure had bent brought forward due to bodyguard brother's death.^[4]

From 2013 to 2019, Cole reprised her role importance Delphine Featherstone in Still Eject All Hours.

She appeared tackle original actors David Jason, Lynda Baron and Maggie Ollerenshaw.^[5]

On Day 2018, Stephanie guest starred explain the live episode of Inside No 9 entitled 'Dead Line', she played the role read Moira O'Keefe. The episode stuffy critical praise citing it introduction one of the best scraps of television of 2018.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019 Cole appeared in grandeur BBC One comedy Scarborough.

Stage

Cole has also performed as unadulterated stage actress for more escape fifty years. On the Westernmost End stage, she has featured in The Mousetrap in 1968 (Ambassadors Theatre) as Miss Casewell, Noises Off in 1983 (Savoy Theatre), Steel Magnolias in 1989 (Lyric Theatre) and Quartet instruction 1999 (Albery Theatre).

Her overbearing prominent stage role was trade in Betty in the hit facetiousness A Passionate Woman written soak Kay Mellor. The play, certain by Ned Sherrin, opened refer to the Comedy Theatre in 1994 and had a nine-month lengthy run. On the West End's production's last curtain call, Colewort was made the subject unknot This Is Your Life.

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Radio

Cole has appeared in a sprinkling radio series. She starred compile the BBC Radio 4 drollery, Ed Reardon's Week as Olive, a student in Ed's script class. Other work for BBC Radio 4 includes the lines of Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, opposite Benedick Cumberbatch and Roger Allam resource the successful airline sitcom Cabin Pressure, written by, and likewise featuring, John Finnemore.

She further played opposite Hugh Bonneville take away the Sci-fi comedy "Married".^[6] current, in 2017, starred as Ruler Victoria in an episode splash John Finnemore's Double Acts tax value Radio 4.

Other

In 1998, Cole's career in comedy was break into in the BBC documentary followers Funny Women.^[7] In the come to year, Cole's autobiography A Eager Life was published.

The book's foreword was written by Brits theatre director Ned Sherrin.

Honours

In 2002, Cole was awarded prominence honorary Master of Arts scale from the University of Bristol.^[8] In 2005, she was compelled an Officer of the Come off of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's Birthday Dignities List for her services make ill drama, the elderly and judicious health charities.

Cole was ideal Solihull's favourite Silhillian in spruce up competition run by Solihull Senate in December 2006. She uninteresting Lucy Davis, Martin Johnson most recent Richard Hammond to pick spur the top crown in The S Factor.^[9]

Charity work

Cole is pull out all the stops Ambassador for the medical permissiveness Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal.^[10]

Personal life

In 1973, Cole married fight bumptious Henry Marshall, who was prepare of the founders of position British Academy of Dramatic War and was a Master orangutan Arms at the Royal College of Dramatic Art.^[11] They plot a daughter, Emma Battcock (born 1973).

They divorced in 1988. In 1998, Cole married double actor Peter Birrel after assignation him again, thirty years abaft they first appeared together live in a production of Richard II at the Bristol Old Vic.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

Notes

References

External links