Julia Sawalha is an English actress. She is best known for playing Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012). Her other television roles include as Lynda Day in Press Gang (1989–1993), as Hannah Greyshott in Second Thoughts (1991–1994), and its sequel series, Faith in the Future (1995–1998), Lydia Bennet in the television miniseries of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1995), Georgina and Kid's vocal effects in Sheeep (2000–2001), Carla Borrego in Jonathan Creek (2001–2004), and Dorcas Lane in the BBC's costume drama Lark Rise to Candleford (2008–2011). Her film credits include Buddy's Song (1991), The Wind in the Willows (1996), Chicken Run (2000) and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016).
Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips, known professionally as Siân Phillips, is a Welsh actress. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. In the 1960s, she started taking on more roles in television and film. She is particularly known for her performance as Livia in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius, for which she was awarded a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society award.
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Jennifer Ann Agutter is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in East of Sudan, Star!, and two adaptations of The Railway Children; the BBC's 1968 television serial and the 1970 film version. In 1971 she also starred in the critically acclaimed film Walkabout and the TV film The Snow Goose, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama.
Jennifer Beals is an American actress. She made her film debut in My Bodyguard (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her performance as Alexandra Owens in Flashdance (1983), for which she won NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama Bluebirds in 1989. In the early 1990s, she had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan, but it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders and her role in the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually that brought her stardom. For the former she won the National Television Award, while the latter earned her the Empire and MTV Movie awards. She was written out of EastEnders at the end of 1998 and then embarked on a pop career, this time as a solo artist.
Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award.
Romana Barrack, known professionally as Carla Lane, was an English television writer responsible for several successful British sitcoms, including The Liver Birds, Butterflies (1978–1983), and Bread (1986–1991).
Jean Boht was an English actress, most famous for the role of Nellie Boswell in Carla Lane's sitcom Bread, one of several actors to remain with the show for its entire seven series tenure from 1986 to 1991.
Melanie Jane Hill is a British actress, known for playing Hazel Redfern in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1985–1986), Aveline in Bread (1986–1991), Rita Dolan in Kay Mellor drama Playing the Field (1998–2002), Maggie Budgen in the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2012–2015), Julie Travers in BBC One drama series The Syndicate (2015), Cathy Matthews in ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2015–2022) and Siobhan McKenzie in Casualty (2024).
Victor McGuire is an English actor perhaps best known for playing Jack Boswell in series 1–3, 5-7 of Carla Lane's Bread, Ron Wheatcroft in every series of Goodnight Sweetheart and its 2016 one-off episode, and Sean Hughes' neighbour Tony in Sean's Show.
Sharon Byatt is a British actress who has appeared on TV as Irenee in Carla Lane's Bread and Sue Freeman in Springhill, and on stage as both Linda and Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers.
Eileen Pollock was a Northern Irish actress whose work included political theatre, pantomime, and the role of Lilo Lil in television series Bread.
Haydn Gwynne was an English actress. She was nominated for the 1992 BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for the comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1991), and won the 2009 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical. She was also a four-time Olivier Award nominee. Her other television roles included Peak Practice (1999–2000), Merseybeat (2001–2002), and playing Camilla in The Windsors from 2016 until her death in 2023.
Jennifer Platt is an English actress best known for her role as Violet Wilson in the long-running television soap Coronation Street and her role as Jeanne in Versailles.
Anne-Marie Duff is an English actress and narrator.
Val McLane is an English actress, scriptwriter, director and teacher. Her younger brother is actor and musician Jimmy Nail.
Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest was a television drama series which centred on the lives of Michael "Dodger" Dolan and his sister, Carol (Bonzo) who were part of a large foster family in London. It was aired in the early evenings on the ITV programming block, Children's ITV. There were two series of six episodes between 1985 and 1986 plus a Christmas Special which aired on 22 December 1986. The Christmas Special would be the final episode of the series.
Joyce Windsor was an English actress perhaps best remembered for her portrayal of the cleaner Ruby in the BBC1 Comedy Butterflies by Carla Lane. She trained at RADA before working in Rep, then taking time away from the stage to have her children. She returned to acting in the late sixties with small parts in Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars, Doctor Who and guesting in The Two Ronnies, playing Ronnie Barker's double and appearing in sketches including the Short and Fat Minstrel Show.
Jennifer Fitzpatrick is an English actress who is best known for her performances in musicals in the West End and on tour in the UK. She has also performed in Europe and appeared on television, and she co-wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film Payback Season.
