Sue Holderness

Last updated

Sue Holderness
Sue Holderness .jpg
Holderness in 2011
Born
Susan Joan Holderness

(1949-05-28) 28 May 1949 (age 74)
Hampstead, London, England
Other namesSusan Holderness
OccupationActress
Years active1967–present
Spouse
Mark Piper
(m. 1989)
Children2

Susan Joan Holderness (born 28 May 1949) is an English actress on both stage and screen having had appearances in Bless This House (1974), The New Avengers (1977), Canned Laughter (1979), The Sandbaggers (1980), The Cleopatras and It Takes a Worried Man (1983), The Brief and Minder (1984), Doctors (2004-2014), Still Open All Hours (2018–2019) EastEnders and The Madame Blanc Mysteries (2021). However, she is best known for her role as Marlene Boyce in Only Fools and Horses from 1985 to 2003, and its spin-off The Green Green Grass from 2005 to 2009.

Contents

Career

Holderness was born on 28 May 1949, in Hampstead, London. [1] After taking her A-levels, she trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. [1] [2]

She began her acting career with the Manchester 69 Theatre Company in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , [3] Peer Gynt and as Desdemona in Catch My Soul (Jack Good's rock-musical version of Othello). She has worked consistently in theatre, radio, film and television. West End plays include The Female Odd Couple , Why Not Stay for Breakfast, The Male of the Species and the highly acclaimed one-woman play Our Kid (based on Myra Hindley). [3]

Sue Holderness at the Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-on, 18 November 2010 Sue Holderness.jpg
Sue Holderness at the Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-on, 18 November 2010

Holderness regularly appeared in The Vagina Monologues [3] and she was in the cast of the touring play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners . She has toured the country in numerous plays and worked in several repertory companies. Much of her career has been spent performing in Alan Ayckbourn plays, three of which (Relatively Speaking, Time and Time Again, and How the Other Half Loves ) [4] she toured with John Challis.

Holderness played the role of Annie in the 2010 & 2011 UK Tours of Calendar Girls. [4] She played Celia in the 2012 tour (Jan – May) and went back to playing Annie in the Autumn 2012 tour (Sep – December). [4]

Television roles include Marianne in The Sandbaggers (two series), Bless This House , as Pamela Huntley-Johnson in the episode The Bells Are Ringing (1974), as Liz in It Takes a Worried Man (two series), Jo in The Brief, Cleopatra IV in The Cleopatras ; [5] as Laura Doolan, a wife of serial bigamist "Confident" Clive Cosgrove in the Minder episode "A Number of Old Wives Tales" (1984); episodes of The New Avengers , [2] Thriller , Sob Sisters, Growing Pains, Doctors, [4] Lime Street with Robert Wagner, and Murder in Suburbia.

She played a prominent role as Marlene, wife to Boycie (played by John Challis) in Only Fools And Horses [4] and the spin-off series The Green, Green Grass, which ran from 2005 – 2009, [4] including four series and three Christmas Specials. [6]

She played Rowan Atkinson's love interest, Lorraine, in Canned Laughter , and did numerous impersonations in two series of End of Part One. She played Maggie in Dear John, by John Sullivan, Joan Forrester (Oscar Blaketon's former wife) in Heartbeat for YTV, Joan Travis in Revelations, and Rachel's mother in Cold Feet , [4] also for Granada. In April 2021, she made a guest appearance in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Estelle. [7]

Films include That'll Be the Day (1973) and It Could Happen to You (aka Intimate Teenage Secrets) (1976). She also appeared in the low budget feature Meat Draw and Out of Sight for Granada. [4]

Holderness regularly appears in pantomime. [8] including All You Need for Christmas at Fareham, Hampshire in 2009. [8]

In 2014, Holderness appeared in the BBC One medical drama Casualty as Alice Sweeney. [4] In 2018-2019 she appeared as Mrs Rossi in series five and six of the sitcom Still Open All Hours . [4]

Personal life

Holderness is married to Mark Piper, former executive director of the Theatre Royal, Windsor. [1] Her adult children are Harriet, a yoga instructor, and Freddie, head of history at a school in West Sussex. [1] She has one grandchild (2018), Max. [1] Sue is a strong supporter and ambassador for Thames Hospice.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1973 That'll Be The Day Shirley
1976It Could Happen to YouChristine
1998The Meat DrawCarmen

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971LollipopReceptionistEpisode: "Doctor Fruit Cake"
1972TightropeJoanna5 episodes
1972Fly Into DangerSarah DavenportAll 7 episodes
1972 Harriet's Back in Town Jennifer Grant2 episodes
1974 Bless This House Pamela Huntley-JohnsonEpisode: "The Bells Are Ringing"
1975 Thriller BettyEpisode: "If It's a Man, Hang Up"
19764 Idle HandsMiss PembertonEpisode: "Out of the Frying Pan"
1977 The New Avengers Victoria StantonEpisode: "Medium Rare"
1978 The One and Only Phyllis Dixey Mildred ChallengerTV film
1979 Canned Laughter LorraineTV film
1979–1980 End of Part One VariousAll 14 episodes
1980 The Sandbaggers Marianne Straker8 episodes
1983 The Cleopatras Cleopatra IV2 episodes
1983 It Takes a Worried Man Liz13 episodes
1984 The Brief Jo GouldAll 13 episodes
1984 Minder LauraEpisode: "A Number of Old Wives Tales"
1985–2003 Only Fools and Horses Marlene Boyce 20 episodes
1986–1987 Dear John Maggie3 episodes
1989 Sob Sisters MarionEpisode: "I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore"
1989 Young, Gifted and Broke DianeEpisode: #1.7
1992 Growing Pains VariousEpisode: "The Lady and the Tramp"
1993You, Me and ItSoniaEpisode: #1.2
1993 Heartbeat Joan Forrester2 episodes
1996 Revelations Joan11 episodes
1998 Out of Sight Bride's MotherEpisode: "Photo Finish"
1998Colour BlindMrs. BartonEpisode: #1.2
2000,2003 Cold Feet Mary Bradley2 episodes
2004 Murder in Suburbia Penny GregsonEpisode: "Sanctuary"
2004 Doctors Sheila KellyEpisode: "Watching Myself Die"
2005–2009 The Green Green Grass Marlene BoyceAll 32 episodes
2011 Doctors Beryl MellorEpisode: "Light Blue Touch Paper"
2012 Crime Stories Hazel WoodEpisode: #1.11
2013 Casualty Alice SweeneyEpisode: "Between the Cracks"
2014 Doctors Rose DayEpisode: "Scullery Boy"
2018–2019 Still Open All Hours Mrs. Rossi10 episodes
2020 Holby City Gloria DavidsonEpisode: #22.10
2021 EastEnders Estelle Jones 4 episodes
2021–present The Madame Blanc Mysteries Judith10 episodes

Related Research Articles

<i>Only Fools and Horses</i> British TV sitcom (1981–2003)

Only Fools and Horses.... is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until the end of the show in 2003. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger half-brother Rodney Trotter, alongside a supporting cast. The series follows the Trotters' highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the National Television Awards, and the Royal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for both Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sullivan (writer)</span> English television scriptwriter

John Richard Thomas Sullivan OBE was an English television scriptwriter responsible for several British sitcoms, including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Del Boy</span> Fictional character

Derek Edward Trotter, more commonly known as Del Boy, is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its spinoff series, Rock & Chips. He was played by David Jason in the original series and was portrayed as a teenager by James Buckley in the prequel. Del Boy is often regarded as one of the greatest comedy characters in the history of British television, and is regarded as an iconic character in British culture. In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4 Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boycie</span> Fictional character from Only Fools and Horses

Herman Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by John Challis. His story is continued in the spin-off series The Green Green Grass in which Boycie and his family flee to the countryside to escape from the Driscoll Brothers. A younger Boycie also appears in the prequel series Rock & Chips. Along with Denzil, he is one of only two characters to appear in all three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthie Henshall</span> English entertainer (born 1967)

Valentine Ruth Henshall, known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End debut in Cats in 1987. A five-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Medcalf</span> English actress, singer (b. 1973)

Kim Louise Medcalf is an English actress and singer. She is known for portraying the role of Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley Joseph</span> English actress and broadcaster, born 1945

Lesley Diana Joseph is an English actress and broadcaster, whose career on stage and screen spans over fifty years. She is best known for playing Dorien Green in the television sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998 and again from 2014 to 2020. Other television credits include Absurd Person Singular (1985) and Night and Day (2001–2003).

<i>The Green Green Grass</i> British TV sitcom (2005–2009)

The Green Green Grass is a BBC television sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, and produced by BBC Studios Comedy Productions and Shazam Productions for the BBC. It is a sequel/spin-off of the long-running sitcom Only Fools and Horses and stars John Challis, Sue Holderness, and Jack Doolan. Four series and three Christmas specials were originally broadcast on BBC One between 2005 and 2009.

Susan Elizabeth Jenkins is an English actress. She is most widely known for her roles as Gloria Todd in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1985–1988) and as Jackie Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1991–2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Challis</span> English actor (1942–2021)

John Spurley Challis was an English actor. He had an extensive theatre and television career but is best known for portraying Herman Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long-running BBC Television sitcom Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003) and its sequel/spin-off The Green Green Grass (2005–2009), as well as Monty Staines from the seventh series onwards in the ITV sitcom Benidorm (2015–2018). Challis was an established stage actor, making appearances for companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

Tessa Peake-Jones is an English actress who has appeared in The Danedyke Mystery (1979), Pride and Prejudice (1980), When We Are Married (1987), Up the Garden Path (1990–1993), So Haunt Me (1992–1994), The Demon Headmaster (1996–1998), The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997), Summer in the Suburbs (2000), Poppy Shakespeare (2008), Doctors (2009–2011) and Unforgotten (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock</span> 7th episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 25 December 2005, as the 2005 Christmas Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Rocky Start</span> 2nd episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"A Rocky Start" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 16 September 2005, as the second episode of series one.

"The Country Wife" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 23 September 2005, as the third episode of series one.

Hay Fever (<i>The Green Green Grass</i>) 4th episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"Hay Fever" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 30 September 2005, as the fourth episode of series one.

Pillow Talk (<i>The Green Green Grass</i>) 5th episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"Pillow Talk" is an episode of the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 7 October 2005, as the fifth episode of the first season of the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex and the Country</span> 6th episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"Sex and the Country" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 14 October 2005, as the sixth episode of series one.

<i>Rock & Chips</i> British television miniseries

Rock & Chips is a British television comedy-drama miniseries and a prequel to the sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The show is set in Peckham, southeast London, during the early 1960s, focusing primarily on the lives of Del Trotter, Freddie Robdal and Joan and Reg Trotter. Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, plays Robdal alongside James Buckley, Kellie Bright (Joan), Shaun Dingwall (Reg) and Phil Daniels (Grandad). The Shazam and BBC Studios Comedy Drama co-production was written by Only Fools and Horses creator John Sullivan, directed by Dewi Humphreys and produced by Gareth Gwenlan.

Keep On Running (<i>The Green Green Grass</i>) 1st episode of the 1st series of The Green Green Grass

"Keep On Running" is the first episode of the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass. It was first screened on 9 September 2005.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Celebrity Interview – Sue Holderness". countryimagesmagazine.co.uk. 29 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Only Fools and Horses – Marlene". bbc.co.uk. 24 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview: Sue Holderness, star of The Vagina Monologues". thisislancashire.co.uk. 20 March 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Spotlight – Sue Holderness". spotlight.com. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  5. "The Cleopatras | A Television Heaven Review". Archived from the original on 21 February 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2006.
  6. "The Green Green Grass". bbc.co.uk. 28 October 2014.
  7. "EastEnders casts Only Fools and Horses' Sue Holderness as Billy Mitchell's love interest". mirror.co.uk. 25 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 "All you need for Christmas". portsmouth.co.uk. 5 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009.