Isla Blair

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Isla Blair
Taste The Blood of Dracula (1970) trailer - Isla Blair.png
Born (1944-09-29) 29 September 1944 (age 80)
OccupationActress
Years active1965–present
Spouse
(m. 1968)
Children Jamie Glover

Isla Blair Glover (born 29 September 1944) is a British actress and singer. She made her first stage appearance in 1963 as Philia in the London debut of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum .

Contents

Early life and education

Isla Blair was born in Bangalore, India, on 29 September 1944. [1] Her father, Ian Baxter Blair-Hill, was a British tea planter. Blair's interest in performing arts first became apparent when, at the age of two, she gave an impromptu singing performance on the boat ride from India to the United Kingdom. [2] She went on to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to prepare for a career in acting.

Career

Blair made her first stage appearance at the Strand Theatre on 3 October 1963 playing the part of Philia in the London debut of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum . She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company for their 1971 season, during which she portrayed Emilia in The Man of Mode and Aglaya in Subject to Fits . In 1973, Blair toured the Middle East with the Prospect Theatre Company in the role of Viola in Twelfth Night . Other venues at which Blair has performed include the Old Vic and the Nottingham Playhouse. [1]

One of Blair's earliest experiences working in film was in a scene with Paul McCartney in the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night . McCartney offered to drive Blair home after the shoot, but upon exiting the building, the two were swarmed by fans who scratched and kicked Blair in an attempt to reach McCartney. [2] [3] The following day, she declined a second offer of a ride from McCartney. The scene they had been filming, which was Blair's only scene in the movie, was eventually cut and lost. [2]

Her first credited film appearance was in the 1965 horror film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors as an art gallery assistant. Her other film appearances include A Flea in Her Ear (1968), Battle of Britain (1969), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, as the wife of her real-life husband Julian Glover, and credited as Mrs. Glover), Valmont (1989), The Monk (1990), The House of Angelo (1997), The Match (1999), Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War (2002), AfterLife (2003) and Johnny English Reborn (2011). [4]

Blair guest starred in two episodes of Space: 1999 ; appearing in 1975, along with Anthony Valentine, in War Games and in 1976, along with Freddie Jones, in Journey to Where . In 1976, Blair played Emma Antrobus in the ITV drama series The Crezz . She played a principal role (Sally) in the BBC's alternative history TV serial An Englishman's Castle , first broadcast in 1978. One of her best known TV appearances was as Flora Beniform in The History Man (1981) alongside Anthony Sher. Blair played Claire Carlsen, Francis Urquhart's Parliamentary Private Secretary, in The Final Cut (1995). In 2003, she played opposite John Nettles in an episode of Midsomer Murders as a psychological profiler. She played Nanny Langton in The Star of Jacob, Father Brown (S5:E1, 2016). She played the part of a foreign agent, disguised as a bride, in The Avengers episode "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Station". (1967)

In 2010, she appeared at The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond in The Company Man by Torben Betts. She was nominated for an Off West End Award as Best Actress. [5]

Blair has narrated many audiobooks. [6] [7] In 2014–15 she appeared in the stage musical Made in Dagenham .

Personal life

Blair is married to fellow actor Julian Glover, [1] with whom she has a son, actor Jamie Glover. [8] Along with Prunella Scales, Blair and Glover were involved with the expansion of the Salisbury Playhouse. [9] She was vice president of TACT, the Actors' Children's Trust, in 2015 and trustee in 2018. [10] [11]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 A Hard Day's Night Young ActressScene deleted
1965 Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Pretty GirlUncredited
1968 A Flea in Her Ear Antoinette
The Three PrincesPrincess YasminTV film
1969 Battle of Britain Mrs. Moore
1970 Taste the Blood of Dracula Lucy Paxton
The Hero of My LifeEllen TernanTV film
1974 The Canterville Ghost Lady StutfieldTV film
1976Alien AttackFemale AlienTV film
1983 The Beggar's Opera Jenny DiverTV film
1984Real LifeAnna
1985Off PeakElizabethTV film
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Mrs. Donovan
Valmont Baroness
1990 Treasure Island Mrs. HawkinsTV film
The Monk Mother Agueda
1996In Your DreamsJamie's MotherTV film
1997 The House of Angelo Peg Wallington
1998Heaven on EarthMary WestonTV film
1999 The Match Sheila Bailey
The Greatest Store in the World Grand LadyTV film
2002 Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War Matron
2003 AfterLife Dr. Jackson
2005 The Quatermass Experiment BlakerTV film
2011 Johnny English Reborn Shirley
2016 Brash Young Turks NewsreaderVoice role
2017Amy and SophiaVivien
2020The Reverend and Mrs SimpsonAnna Wilson

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965Laughter from the WhitehallRhoda MarleyEpisode: "Rookery Nook"
1966The LiarsSarahSeries regular
This Man Craig Jean StoddartEpisode: "A Rough Passage"
1967 ITV Play of the Week Daphne StillingtonEpisode: "Present Laughter"
The Avengers BrideEpisode: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station"
Mickey Dunne Babs Chesterton-ManvilleEpisode: "A Handful of Coloured Chalks"
1968 The Dickie Henderson Show JaneRecurring role
Gazette Bettie StricklandEpisode: "In Between the Lines"
1969 The Saint Janine FlambeauEpisode: "The Ex-King of Diamonds"
Department S ElaineEpisode: "The Treasure of the Costa Del Sol"
1970–1971 The Doctors Dr. Linda CarpenterSeries regular
1971 Jason King Anne WintersEpisode: "A Red Red Rose Forever"
1972 Spy Trap Marie HansenEpisode: "A Visit from Hamburg"
1973 The Regiment Lucy FranshawEpisode: "Troopship"
1974 Fall of Eagles Grand Duchess EllaMini-series
Warship Sarah FoulesEpisode: "Nothing to Starboard"
1975 The Venturers Joanne KellyEpisode: "Gilt Edged"
Dixon of Dock Green Fleur HarrisEpisode: "A Slight Case of Love"
A LegacyCaroline Trafford2 episodes
Quiller Germaine AllenbyEpisode: "Sacrifice to Survival"
Space: 1999 Female AlienEpisode: "War Games"
1976CarlaEpisode: "Journey to Where"
One-UpmanshipEpisode: "Womanship"
The Crezz Emma AntrobusSeries regular
1976–1977 When the Boat Comes In Lady Caroline5 episodes
1978BBC2 Play of the WeekChristinaEpisode: "Forgotten Love Songs"
Wilde Alliance Helen BardskeyEpisode: "Too Much Too Often"
Blake's 7 SinofarEpisode: "Duel"
An Englishman's Castle JillMini-series
1981 The History Man Flora BeniformMini-series
Only When I Laugh Nurse BradleyEpisode: "Dear Diary"
1982AlexaAlexaMini-series
1982–1983 The Bounder Laura MilesSeries regular
1983 Crown Court Melissa St. JohnEpisode: "Brainwashed: Part 1"
Doctor Who IsabellaEpisode: "The King's Demons"
1983–1984 Storybook International NarratorSeries regular
1984 Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense EileenEpisode: "Tennis Court"
1985 Screen Two Constance ScottEpisode: "Poppyland"
Taggart Eleanor SamsonEpisode: "Murder in Season"
1986 Hold the Back Page Val BarnettEpisode: "Our Man on the Spot"
King and Castle The Honorable Lisa BerkeleyEpisode: "Romance"
1987 C.A.T.S. Eyes Penny OsmondEpisode: "Backlash"
Boogie OutlawsInspector LeesleyMini-series
1988BookieSylvia CowanMini-series
1989 Mother Love Ruth VeseyMini-series
1990 Haggard Lady Amelia FoulacreEpisode: "Eye of Newt"
1991 Boon Caroline MortlakeEpisode: "Pillow Talk"
1991–1992 The Advocates Katherine DunbarSeries regular
1992 The Good Guys MaggieEpisode: "Horseplay"
Inspector Morse Janey WilsonEpisode: "Cherubim & Seraphim"
The Darling Buds of May Caroline LimeEpisode: "Le Grand Weekend"
1993 Medics Janet Wendell1 episode
1994 Taggart Lavinia MartinEpisode: "Hellfire"
1995 The Final Cut Claire CarlsenMini-series
Doctor Finlay Stroma KennedyEpisode: "No Time for Heroes"
1997 A Touch of Frost Rosalie Martin3 episodes
1998 The Bill Barbara ChambersEpisode: "Too Many Cooks"
Heartbeat Elaine AubreyEpisode: "Taking Sides"
2000 The Mrs Bradley Mysteries Myrtle QuincyEpisode: "The Worsted Viper"
Dalziel and Pascoe Florence StocktonEpisode: "Foreign Bodies"
2002 Holby City Mary HarrowEpisode: "Love and Devotion"
2003 Midsomer Murders Dr. Jane MooreEpisode: "Death and Dreams"
2004 New Tricks Alice PimleyEpisode: "Good Work Rewarded"
2006 Casualty Agnes RossEpisode: "It's Now or Never"
2010 Single Father BeattyMini-series
Law & Order: UK Carla Hopley, D.P.P.2 episodes
2013Quick CutsJenny1 episode
2014 Grantchester Gladys Sheppard1 episode
2016 Father Brown Nanny LangtonEpisode: "The Star of Jacob"
2019 Casualty Alice Jones1 episode

References

  1. 1 2 3 Herbert, Ian, ed. (1981). "BLAIR, Isla". Who's Who in the Theatre. Vol. 1. Gale Research Company. pp. 70–71. ISSN   0083-9833.
  2. 1 2 3 Moore, Fiona. "Interview with Isla Blair". Faction Paradox. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  3. Carlin, Peter Ames (2009). Paul McCartney: A Life. Touchstone. p. 101. ISBN   978-1-4165-6209-2.
  4. Movieclips (30 August 2016). "Johnny English Reborn (3/10) Movie CLIP - You've Met Your Matchstick (2011)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  5. "Isla Blair". Doctor Who Guide.
  6. "Search results for Isla Blair". Waterstones. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  7. "Isla Blair narrated Audio Books". Simply Audiobooks. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  8. John, Emma (12 October 2014). "Actors Julian Glover and Isla Blair on their 48-year relationship". The Observer . Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  9. "Prunella Scales @ Playhouse". BBC. July 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  10. "TACT AGM 2015". ACT – The Actors' Children's Trust.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. "Trustees" (PDF). ACT Newsletter. The Actors' Children's Trust: 1. 2018.