Michele Dotrice

Last updated

Michele Dotrice
Born (1948-09-27) 27 September 1948 (age 76)
OccupationActress
Years active1960–present
Spouse
(m. 1987;died 2009)
Children1
Parents
Relatives Karen Dotrice (sister)

Michele Dotrice (born 27 September 1948) is an English actress. She played Betty Spencer, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, portrayed by Michael Crawford, in the BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em , which ran from 1973 to 1978, and returned in 2016 for a special.

Contents

Career

Her first significant role was in the 1962 13-part BBC TV adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop in which she played Nell, [1] and she appeared in The Witches for Hammer Films in 1966. In 1970 she had starring roles in the horror thrillers And Soon the Darkness (1970) [2] and The Blood on Satan's Claw (1970). [3] Her other film appearances include Jane Eyre (1970) with George C. Scott [4] and the 1976 comedy Not Now, Comrade . [5]

It was her appearance in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em that made her a household name, and she played the role for five years from 1973. [6] [7] [8] In 2016, she reprised the role in a one-off special broadcast as part of the Sport Relief charity fundraiser event. [9]

Her other 1970s roles include Felicity in the Jason King episode "Buried in the Cold Cold Ground", and Lady Percy in the BBC productions of Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2 in 1979.

In 1981 she took the leading role in the short-lived sitcom Chintz, which aired on ITV. [10] In 1987, Dotrice played the role of a new mother whose child was snatched in an episode of The Equalizer along with her future husband Edward Woodward. In the mid-1990s she appeared for several episodes in the period drama Bramwell . She appeared in the film Captain Jack (1999) with Bob Hoskins. She has made numerous guest appearances in well-known British television series, including Midsomer Murders (1 episode, 1998), Holby City (1 episode, 2002), Murder in Suburbia (as Cindy in Episode 6, Season 2, 2005), and the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors (1 episode, 2008). In addition, she made several appearances in a 2004 BBC comedy-drama entitled A Thing Called Love, set in Nottingham, which starred Paul Nicholls and Roy Barraclough among others.

In 2012 she toured in The Ladykillers , playing the role of Mrs Wilberforce. [11] In 2014, she played Pam Chandler, a suspected murderer, in the last episode of series three of Death in Paradise . [12] In 2015, she played Marion, mother to Christine in the "Inside No. 9" episode The 12 Days of Christine . [13] In 2016, she played Nancy, the faithful dresser and woman of all work to the main character, in the West End production of Nell Gwynn . [14] In 2017 she played Jessie in the stage musical The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End. [15]

In 2018 she returned to television playing Edna Friendship in A Very English Scandal .

ITV launched their new drama, McDonald & Dodds , in 2020, in which she played Mary Costair in the second episode of Series 1.

Personal life

Her parents were the actors Roy Dotrice and Kay Dotrice. She has two sisters, Karen Dotrice and Yvette Dotrice, who also followed their parents into acting.

Dotrice was married to actor Edward Woodward from January 1987 until his death in November 2009. [16] They have a daughter named Emily Beth.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1966 The Witches Valerie Creek
1970 And Soon the Darkness Cathy
The Blood on Satan's Claw Margaret
1976 Not Now, Comrade Nancy Rimmington
1999 Captain Jack Deirdre
2016 Starfish Jean
2019A Very Yorkshire Christmas (UK).

A Very British Christmas (U.S).

Sandra
2020 Blithe Spirit Edna

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961The Treasure SeekersPrincessEpisode: "Held to Ransom"
Operation FantailSusan ForestTV film
Vice VersaDulcie GrimstoneTV film
Adventure to OrderSandraTV film
1961–1962SignpostSchoolgirl8 episodes
1962 BBC Sunday-Night Play Barbara CahounEpisode: "The Happiest Days of Your Life"
BBC Sunday-Night Play DaffEpisode: "To Whom It May Concern"
The FatherBerthaTV film
KatyClover CarrAll 8 episodes
1962–1963The Old Curiosity ShopNell TrentAll 13 episodes
1965 Love Story Jill AllenEpisode: "The Sad Smile of the Mona Lisa"
1966 Theatre 625 Vera AlexandrovnaEpisode: "A Month in the Country"
Thirteen Against Fate SoniaEpisode: "The Consul"
Out of the Unknown R747Episode: "Level Seven"
Theatre 625 ThérèseEpisode: "Amerika"
ITV Play of the Week JulieEpisode: "Julie's Gone"
1967 ITV Play of the Week Tess CosgroveEpisode: "On the Island"
Sir Arthur Conan DoyleVicky6 episodes
Les Misérables Fantine3 episodes
1968 Late Night Horror Phrynne BansteadEpisode: "The Bells of Hell"
MiddlemarchDorotheaAll 7 episodes
The Wednesday Play EmmaEpisode: "On the Eve of Publication"
1969 ITV Sunday Night Theatre JaneEpisode: "Toys"
1970 BBC Play of the Month IrinaEpisode: "The Three Sisters"
The Wednesday Play EmmaEpisode: "Emma's Time"
Jane Eyre Mary RiversTV film
1971 Jason King FelicityEpisode: "Buried in the Cold Cold Ground"
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Mary HisginsEpisode: "The Horse of the Invisible"
1972The SextetAngeEpisode: "The Gregorian Chant"
VickieEpisode: "Night Duty"
Maggie FirebraceEpisode: "A Question of Degree"
Veronica SandsEpisode: "Follow the Yellow Brick Road"
BarbaraEpisode: "Stoker Leishman's Diaries"
MarionEpisode: "Stanley's Style "
Paula LelliotEpisode: "Disappearing Trick"
Claire RamsdaleEpisode: "Blur and Blank via Cleckheaton"
1973–1978 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Betty SpencerAll 22 episodes
1973MenaceSharonEpisode: "Comfortable Words"
1974ZodiacJulie PrentissEpisode: "The Horns of the Moon"
ITV Playhouse FrancesEpisode: "A Kind of Bonus"
1976 The Morecambe and Wise Show ConstanceEpisode: #9.2
1977 BBC Play of the Month Catherine WinslowEpisode: "The Winslow Boy"
I'm Bob, He's Dickie VariousEpisode: #1.1
1979Morecambe and Wise at the BBCVariousEpisode: 7 February 1979
Henry IV Lady Percy2 episodes
1981ChintzKate CarterAll 7 episodes
1986 The Equalizer Vanessa DanielsEpisode: "Heartstrings"
1988 Boon NikkiEpisode: "Peacemaker"
1995 Bramwell Lady Cora Peters5 episodes
1997 Q.E.D. Anna PetersEpisode: "Cause of Death"
1998 Midsomer Murders Felicity BuckleyEpisode: "Faithful unto Death"
1998 Vanity Fair Mrs. Sedley5 episodes
2000 The Mrs Bradley Mysteries Amy ParkinEpisode: "Laurels Are Poison"
2001 The Way We Live Now Mrs. Pipkin3 episodes
2002 Holby City Shirley ButlerEpisode: "Leopard Spots"
2004A Thing Called LoveBarbara Hopewell2 episodes
2005 Murder in Suburbia CindyEpisode: "Golden Oldies"
2008 Doctors Eileen MullinsEpisode: "A Pain in the..."
2009Jane ShieldsEpisode: "Hello, Hello, Hello"
2010 Marple Mrs. HubbardEpisode: "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side"
2014 Death in Paradise Pam ChandlerEpisode: "Rue Morgue"
Big School Rita GunnEpisode: #2.6
2015 Inside No. 9 MarionEpisode: "The 12 Days of Christine"
2016 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em: Special Betty SpencerComic Relief Special
2018 Grandpa's Great Escape Miss TrifleTV film
A Very English Scandal Edna Friendship2 episodes
2020 McDonald & Dodds Mary CostairEpisode: "A Wilderness of Mirrors"
2021 The Cockfields Lyn2 episodes
2022The Royal Mob Queen Victoria 3 episodes

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References

  1. The Old Curiosity Shop bbc.co.uk, retrieved 15 October 2017
  2. And Soon the Darkness tcm.com, retrieved 15 October 2017
  3. The Blood on Satan's Claw tcm.com, retrieved 15 October 2017
  4. Jane Eyre tcm.com, retrieved 15 October 2017
  5. Not Now, Comrade tcm.com, retrieved 15 October 2017
  6. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em comedy.co.uk, retrieved 15 October 2017
  7. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em bbc.co.uk, retrieved 15 October 2017
  8. Lewis, Roz. "Where are they now... ? 'Some Mothers Do ’Ave' ’Em actress Michele Dotrice" Express, 22 October 2016
  9. "Michael Crawford to reprise Frank Spencer for Sport Relief". BBC News. 17 February 2016.
  10. Chintz comedy.co.uk, retrieved 15 October 2017
  11. Paton, Maureen. "I'm the luckiest lady alive says Michele Dotrice" Express, 22 October 2012
  12. " 'Death in Paradise', Episode 8" bbc.co.uk, retrieved 15, 2017
  13. "The 12 Days of Christine". BBC. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  14. Billington, Michael. " 'Nell Gwynn' review – Gemma Arterton sparkles in chaotic comedy" The Guardian, 12 February 2016
  15. Shenton, Mark. " 'The Girls', Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, to Premiere in West End" Playbill , 16 September 2016
  16. Equalizer Star Dies Archived 1 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine