Edna Doré | |
|---|---|
 Doré as Mo Butcher in EastEnders | |
| Born | Edna Lillian Gorring 31 May 1921 [1] Bromley, Kent, England |
| Died | 11 April 2014 (aged 92) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1960–2011 |
| Television |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Edna Lillian Doré [3] (néeGorring; 31 May 1921 – 11 April 2014) was a British actress. She was known for her bit-part roles in sitcoms and for playing the character of Mo Butcher in EastEnders from 1988 to 1990. [4]
Doré began her career as a chorus girl in ENSA, then joined the wartime company of Phyllis Dixey at the Whitehall Theatre as a dancer. [4] She later spent 17 years in repertory theatre before becoming a member of the National Theatre for 10 years, especially remembered for her roles in productions directed by Bill Bryden, such as The Mysteries . [4] She turned to television acting in 1960 and had parts in many successful series, including Dixon of Dock Green , Doctor in the House , The Liver Birds , Terry and June , Tenko , Z-Cars , and Open All Hours .
In 1988, she starred in Mike Leigh's film High Hopes , for which she received the award for Best Supporting Player at the 1989 European Film Awards. [5] Here, she played Mrs. Bender, who suffers from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. That year, she was cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders , where she played Mo Butcher, the battleaxe mother of Mike Reid's character, Frank Butcher. During her time in the show, she received wide acclaim for her portrayal of an elderly lady's descent into Alzheimer's disease. The story—about the effect that Alzheimer's has on the sufferer's family—had to be curtailed when Doré decided to leave the programme in 1990. The character was killed off at the end of 1992. [6] In 1997, she played Kath in Nil by Mouth . Other film credits include Tube Tales (1999), Weak at Denise (2001) and All or Nothing (2002).
In later years, she had parts in many television shows, including: Love Hurts (1992), A Year in Provence (1993), Casualty (1987; 1993;1997), Men Behaving Badly (1997), Peak Practice (2000), Holby City (2001), Time Gentlemen Please (2000–2002), The Bill (2002; 2003 & 2006), Eyes Down (2003–2004), Murder in Mind (2003), My Family (2004), All About George (2005), Hotel Babylon (2006) and Doctors (2006). She played the role of Maeve in the Doctor Who episode "Fear Her" in June 2006.
In September 2006, she appeared in the comedy show That Mitchell and Webb Look , and in April 2007, she appeared as a guest star in ITV's Diamond Geezer , playing the role of Violet. On 24 December 2008, she appeared in the Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey as Edna, Pete Sutcliffe's (Adrian Scarborough) mother, again playing a character affected by dementia. In February 2009, she held a small role in an episode of Minder. She also played Grace in Skellig . In January 2010, she appeared as Nin Gallagher, the grandmother of Frank Gallagher, in the series Shameless . The same year, she appeared in Mike Leigh's film Another Year . In March 2011, she appeared in an episode of Midsomer Murders .
Doré was also a radio actor. She was heard in Bringing Eddie Home by John Peacock, based on a true story of the fight by Eastend couple Edna and Jack Wallace to have their son's body brought home from Aden, and the ensuing fight for the rights of British servicepeople. In February and March 1998, Doré appeared in the BBC Radio 4 series Paradise Lost in Cyberspace . In her final radio role, she played Alice in A Telegram from the Queen, broadcast in 2011.
Doré lived in Barnes. She married actor, stage director and writer Alexander Doré in 1946 in St Pancras, London and was with him until his death in 2002. [7] Her son, Michael Doré, owns a pub in Hampshire. [8] Doré studied acting with Anna Wing, known for playing Lou Beale in EastEnders. [9] Doré died on 11 April 2014 at the age of 92, from emphysema. [10]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | More Deadly Than the Male | Ruth LeFol | |
| 1960 | Jungle Street | Mrs. Collins | |
| 1961 | The Wind of Change | Edie | |
| 1988 | High Hopes | Mrs Bender | |
| 1997 | Nil by Mouth | Kath | |
| 1998 | Les Misérables | Old Woman | |
| 1999 | Tube Tales | Bag Lady | segment: "My Father the Liar" |
| 1999 | Weak at Denise | Iris | |
| 2001 | Goodbye Charlie Bright | Miss Saville | |
| 2002 | All or Nothing | Martha | |
| 2003 | Eyes Down | Mary Hardcastle | |
| 2009 | 44 Inch Chest | Archie's Mum | |
| 2010 | Another Year | Allotment Lady |
Dame June Rosemary Whitfield was an English radio, television and film actress.
James Broadbent is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1972, he came to prominence as a character actor for his many roles in film and television. He has received various accolades including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, an International Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.
Betty Smith, known by the stage name Liz Smith, was a British character actress, known for her roles in BBC sitcoms, including as Annie Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared (1975–1979), the sisters Bette and Belle in 2point4 Children (1991–1999), Letitia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley (1994–1996) and Norma ("Nana") in The Royle Family (1998–2006). She also played Zillah in Lark Rise to Candleford (2008) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1984 film A Private Function.
William Charles Treacher was an English actor. He was best known for portraying the role of Arthur Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1985 to 1996, having been the first person to be cast for the show.
Charlene Emma Brooks is an English actress, best known for her role of Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Brooks has also performed in British television shows The Bill, Wired and Bleak House, as well as portraying Anna Fallmont in the Network 10 drama Lie With Me.
Michael Ferguson was a British television director and producer. His early career included directing four serials of the BBC's science fiction series Doctor Who (1966–1971). He later directed ITV's police drama series The Bill and was promoted to become its producer (1988–1989), and as executive producer of the BBC soap opera EastEnders (1989–1991) he was responsible for the introduction of two of its most popular and long-running characters, Phil and Grant Mitchell. He then produced the BBC medical drama series Casualty (1993–1994).
Patricia Doreen Coombs was an English actress. She specialised in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female, comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, film and television sitcoms and Children's ITV's Playbox and Ragdolly Anna.
High Hopes is a 1988 British comedy drama film directed by Mike Leigh, focusing on an extended working-class family living in King's Cross, London, and elsewhere.
Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long hiatus from EastEnders in 1994 and Frank remained off-screen for over a year and a half. Frank made his return as a recurring character from December 1995 to January 1998. Frank eventually becomes a regular once again from May 1998 to November 2000, when Reid quit the show. Frank makes three brief reappearances after that, the final one in December 2005. Following Reid's death in July 2007, Frank died off-screen and the character was celebrated with a special week of episodes in April 2008.
Alison Steadman is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for Abigail's Party, the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film Life Is Sweet and the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as Mari in the original production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. In a 2007 Channel 4 poll, the '50 Greatest Actors' voted for by other actors, she was ranked 42.
Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career. However, he reprised the role in 2002 before being axed by producer Louise Berridge in 2004. In 2008, producer Diederick Santer introduced the character for a third time, along with his wife Bianca Jackson. Ricky is portrayed as unintelligent, simplistic, easily led and bossed around by dominant personalities. On 26 February 2011, it was announced that Owen would take a temporary break from the show. The character exited on 19 July 2011, returning five months later on 13 December 2011. Ricky left EastEnders on 17 January 2012. Ricky returned to EastEnders on 20 June 2012 for the wedding of his sister, Janine Butcher, before departing for the final time on 29 June 2012. In April 2016 he had voiced his interest in returning to EastEnders during an appearance on Celebrity Juice. He reprised his role as Ricky for an eight-week stint from 1 December 2022 to 26 January 2023.
Diane Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997. In 2008, she returned for her father Frank Butcher's funeral, and on 20 June 2012 she returned for her sister Janine Butcher's wedding, departing on 29 June 2012.
Marge Green is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Pat Coombs. from 9 May 1989 to 8 February 1990. Introduced in 1989, elderly Marge is scripted as comical and timid. The character was one of many to be axed in 1990 when Michael Ferguson took over the role as executive producer from her introducer Mike Gibbon.
Lesley Ann Manville is an English actress known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films Grown-Ups (1980), High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010), and Mr. Turner (2014). She has been nominated for two British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Another Year (2010) and Phantom Thread (2017), with her performance in the latter earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Mo Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edna Doré between 1988 and 1990. She is introduced as the matriarch figure of the Butcher family, Frank Butcher's elderly mother. She is portrayed as a battle-axe, tough and interfering. Her most notable storyline first aired in 1990, when the character is used to portray descent into Alzheimer's disease. Doré opted to leave the serial that same year; Mo was written out of the soap making her last appearance in November. Mo was killed off in 1992, but her death was off-screen.
Sophie Lawrence is an English actress and singer. She played the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as a regular cast member from 1988 to 1991, making subsequent guest appearances in 1993, 1994, 1997, 2008 and 2012. In 1991, Lawrence achieved a top 30 hit in the UK single's chart with her cover of Donna Summer's hit single, "Love's Unkind". Since 2001, she has been most active on stage in musical theatre and pantomime.
Roly is a fictional dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Roly is an apricot coloured standard poodle, who appears in the first episode of the programme on 19 February 1985 and remained in the show until 19 October 1993.
Ruth Sheen is an English actress. From the late 1980s, she has appeared in British television shows, films and plays. A participant in the films of Mike Leigh, she won the European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance as Shirley in Leigh's High Hopes (1988).
Heather Jean Chasen was an English actress, known for her roles in soap operas; playing Valerie Pollard in the ITV soap opera, Crossroads, from 1982 to 1986 and guest roles in Doctors, Holby City and Family Affairs. Chasen also played many roles in BBC Radio 2's The Navy Lark from 1959 to 1977, and appeared in the television series Marked Personal from 1973 to 1974. She played the recurring role of Lydia Simmonds in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role which received positive reviews from critics and EastEnders crew and cast members. Furthermore, she appeared extensively in theatre productions and film; in 2012, she appeared in a film version of Les Misérables.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
