Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English actress, businesswoman and former model. In a career spanning almost six decades, she has a wide number of credits to her name on film, television, stage and radio in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
She is most well known for her roles in the BBC series Tenko (1981–1982), the ITV series Connie (1985), and as Sable Colby in the ABC series Dynasty (1985, 1988–1989) and its spin-off The Colbys (1985–1987) that would make her a household name on both sides of the Atlantic.
Early life
Beacham, one of four siblings, was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England,[2] the daughter of Joan (née Wilkins), a housewife, and Alec, who was an insurance executive and later became the managing director of the Grosvenor estate.[3] Beacham attended the Queen Elizabeth's Girls' Grammar School in Barnet. Aged 13, she hitch-hiked "all over Europe" with a group of friends.[4]
Initially aspiring to become a ballerina, Beacham's dreams were cut short when her instructors told her that she would be unable to continue due to her partial deafness. Leaving school aged 17 in 1964, Beacham travelled to Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris, France, to study mime with Étienne Decroux with the goal of teaching dance movement to deaf children. While in Paris, Beacham got a job as an au-pair girl to help finance her mime school fees. After returning to the UK, Beacham visited a boyfriend who was acting at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. This sparked her interest in theatre and she became the wardrobe assistant before playing juvenile leads with the theatre. Beacham then attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.[5]
Career
Beacham began a career in modelling before breaking into television. Her first screen role was in the BBC series The Queen's Traitor in 1967, in which she played Mary, Queen of Scots. During an interview, thinking Barnet sounded uninteresting, she told a reporter from the Northern Echo she was born in Casablanca, where her favourite Bogart/Bergmanfilm was set.[2] After many further guest appearances in television series such as The Saint with Roger Moore, Callan, and UFO, Beacham's first film roles were in The Games directed by Michael Winner, and Tam Lin directed by Roddy McDowall, both released in 1970. She would work with Winner again in 1971's The Nightcomers, in which she starred opposite Marlon Brando. Beacham appeared nude in one scene, during the filming of which Brando wore Y-fronts and wellington boots under the bed clothes to ensure Winner did not film anything lower than was necessary.[6]The Nightcomers would prove to be Beacham's breakout role.
Following the success of The Nightcomers, Beacham was promoting the film in New York City when she was approached by Joseph E. Levine who had bought the rights to the film. Levine attempted to pressure Beacham to pose nude for Playboy, saying that if she did, then he would guarantee her an Oscar nomination for her role in the film. Beacham refused saying that she only appeared nude in The Nightcomers as she "was in character"; this infuriated Levine and he blacklisted her from Hollywood.[7] Beacham later revealed that she was approached by Sam Peckinpah for the main role in Straw Dogs (1971); Peckinpah told Beacham "You must have done something really bad because I'm a son of a bitch who can make anyone do anything and they won't let me use you" - the role subsequently went to Susan George.[8]
Despite this, Beacham continued to appear in film, television and on stage in the UK. Horror would be a genre that Beacham appeared in often during this period, and she was subsequently cast as Jessica Van Helsing in Hammer's Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) alongside Peter Cushing. Her 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 daytime drama Marked Personal (1973–1974). The same year, she made an Italian film, Super Bitch (1973) The film was released in the US as Mafia Junction and in the UK as Blue Movie Blackmail. Beacham also continued to work in horror films, including And Now the Screaming Starts (1973), House of Mortal Sin (1975), Schizo (1976) and Inseminoid (1981)– a film she admits taking for the fee.[9]
From 1981 to 1982, Beacham featured as a member of the ensemble cast of the BBC series Tenko, about a group of women prisoners of war held captive by the Japanese after their invasion of Singapore in 1942. Following this, she continued working in theatre and television before landing 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 (1985–1987). 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, though 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" scenario; she then remained in the show until its end.[1] Beacham posed for Playboy in 1987.
After Dynasty was cancelled in 1989, 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 US sitcom 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, though she earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role. She then returned to Britain to play Mrs. Peacock in an ITV game show version of the board game Cluedo (1990). In 1990, Beacham starred in the television miniseries Lucky Chances, based on the book written by Jackie Collins. 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 Dylan. Beacham appeared in six different television series produced by Spelling, including Dynasty and its spin-off, The Colbys,[10]The Love Boat, Beverly Hills, 90210, Burke's Law, and Charmed.
In 2002, Beacham played Elizabeth I in the play Elizabeth Rex at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.[12] Later that year she appeared in two American romantic comedy films: Unconditional Love and Would I Lie to You?. 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". She remained with the series to the end in 2006. In 2006, she played the Wicked Witch in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in Guildford. She appeared there again the following year in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk.[13] She also appeared in the 2006 movie Love and Other Disasters. She returned to stage work and toured the UK in 2007 as a lead in the Noël Coward play Hay Fever. Later that year, she competed in the 2007 series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Vincent Simone, though she was eliminated early in the competition (the second of fourteen celebrities) on 14 October 2007. In 2008, Beacham filmed scenes for Steven Berkoff's film, then known as Naked in London but later released as Moving Target.
In 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 (played by William Roache).[14][15] She made her first appearance on 26 January 2009, appearing in twenty-two episodes until her last appearance on 4 May 2009. Later in 2009, Beacham guest starred in an episode of the comedy series Free Agents.
In February 2010, Beacham appeared in the final episode of the BBC series Material Girl. In April 2010, she made a guest appearance in the long-running BBC hospital drama series Casualty.[16] She then starred as Maria Callas in a UK tour of Master Class from 2010 to 2011. In January 2010, Beacham entered Channel 4's seventh and final series of Celebrity Big Brother as a housemate; she was the only female to make it to the final and finished in fifth place on 29 January 2010.
In October 2011, Beacham released her autobiography Many Lives, in which she discusses her life and career. The book includes a foreword written by her Coronation Street co-star William Roache.[17] In 2012, Beacham reunited with her Dynasty co-star Joan Collins in a UK television advert for Snickers. She also appeared as store manager Lorraine Chain in Sky1's supermarket-based sitcom Trollied for eight episodes between August 2012 and October 2012.[18] The same year, she also appeared in three episodes of Sky Living's Mount Pleasant as Aunty Pam, and in January 2013, Beacham guest starred in an episode of Death in Paradise.[19] From 2014 to 2016 she played June Whitfield's daughter Maureen in the BBC sitcom Boomers.[20] She also starred in the film Wild Oats (2016) with Shirley MacLaine and Demi Moore.
In October 2016, Beacham starred as Princess Margaret in the play A Princess Undone by Richard Stirling which premiered at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.[21][22] In 2017, Beacham starred opposite Miriam Margolyes in the comedy series Bucket. In 2018, Beacham filmed a role in the television pilot Carol & Vinnie, directed by Dan Zeff, however it was not broadcast. In August 2018, Beacham took part in the television series The Real Marigold Hotel in which she and other celebrities including Susan George and Stanley Johnson tour around Udaipur in India exploring the Indian culture.[23] In February 2021, Beacham's agent and novelist Melanie Blake announced plans to plans to launch a new British soap opera, Falcon Bay. She confirmed that Beacham would star in the soap if she secures the rights to the production.[24]
In October 2022, Beacham had a role in the action thriller film Renegades alongside Lee Majors, Danny Trejo and Patsy Kensit.[25] In November 2022, it was announced that Beacham would reprise the role of Martha Fraser in Coronation Street.[26][27] Her comeback episode was broadcast on 21 November 2022, and she appeared for a six-episode stint until departing.[28] In December 2022, Beacham guest-starred in an episode of Whitstable Pearl[29] and played Elizabeth Hurley's mother in the Christmas romantic comedy film Christmas in the Caribbean.[30]
In May 2023, Beacham starred in Nessie, a Scottish film revolving around the Loch Ness Monster,[31] and in June of that year, she had a role in the film Forever Young with Julian Glover.[32] In August 2023, Beacham appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in conversation with Christopher Biggins discussing her life and career in an event named An Audience with Stephanie Beacham.[33][34]
Other ventures
Philanthropy and activism
In 2009, Beacham was involved in launching the Sense National Deafblind and Rubella AssociationFill in the Gaps campaign[35] which aims to give the elderly the support they need to maintain a good quality of life. She also attended the Parliamentary launch of the campaign in June 2006. Beacham is also a spokesperson for the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association, which supports those with communication disabilities, and is a member of the British Tinnitus Association, as well as being on the Board of Free Arts for Abused Children in Los Angeles which gives abused children access to the arts for therapeutic value.
In 2017, Beacham appeared in a promotional film for Unison, voicing her support for their Pay Up Now campaign, encouraging the British government to give public service workers a pay increase.[36]
Business ventures
In 2009, Beacham launched her own range of skincare and beauty products, Glow by Stephanie Beacham.[37] The range proved to be a bestseller, selling fifty thousand units within a month of launching.[38][39]
In popular culture
In 1987, synth-pop group Act released an extended version of their song "Snobbery and Decay", entitled "Snobbery & Decay (Extended, For Stephanie Beacham)".
Personal life
Beacham is partially deaf, having been born with no hearing in her right ear and 80% hearing in her left ear.[40] She has said that this was partially caused by her mother having chicken pox while she was pregnant with her.[41]
She married actor John McEnery in 1973, having met while both performing with the Everyman Theatre. Beacham became pregnant shortly after the wedding but had a bad fall on stage during a rehearsal and suffered a miscarriage when she was three months pregnant. She revealed in an interview her stillborn son was cremated.[42] Beacham and McEnery divorced in 1979.[1] They have two daughters, Phoebe (b. 1974) and Chloe (b. 1977).[2]
Beacham was successfully treated for skin cancer in 2009. She had a recurrence of the disease in 2011 but again recovered.[49]
In March 2016, Beacham told The Sunday Telegraph that she had been raped when she had been an up-and-coming actress, in her twenties.[50]
On 25 September 2022, Beacham was confronted by a burglar inside her London home who threatened her with a crowbar, forcing Beacham to hide in another room while he raided her home, stealing jewellery as well as Beacham's mobile phone, purse, bank cards, keys and chequebook before fleeing the property.[51][52] The police who attended the scene described Beacham as "profoundly shaken" during the aftermath of the incident.[53] Although Beacham was not required to attend the hearing at Southwark Crown Court in February 2023, it was revealed through her victim impact statement that she suffered from panic attacks and nightmares following the incident which left her struggling to learn her lines for acting work.[51] The offender, who had sixty-four previous convictions, was sentenced to a term of ten years and five months.[54][55]
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins is an English actress, author and columnist. With a career spanning nearly 8 decades, Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She is one of the last surviving actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. In 1983, Collins was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has been recognised for her philanthropy, particularly her advocacy towards causes relating to children, which has earned her many honours. In 2015, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her charitable services, presented to her by the then Prince of Wales, Charles III.
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