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Judy Geeson

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Judy Geeson
Publicity photo of Geeson from Prudence and the Pill (1968)
Born (1948-09-10) 10 September 1948 (age 76)
Arundel, Sussex, England
CitizenshipBritish
Alma materCorona Stage Academy
OccupationActress
Years active1962–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1989)​
PartnerSean Kenny (1969–1973)
RelativesSally Geeson (sister)

Judith Amanda Geeson (born 10 September 1948[1]) is an English film, stage, and television actress. She began her career primarily working on British television series, with a leading role on The Newcomers from 1965 to 1967, before making her major film debut in To Sir, with Love (1967). She starred in a range of films throughout the 1970s, from crime pictures to thriller and horror films, including The Executioner (1970), Fear in the Night (1972), Brannigan (1975) and The Eagle Has Landed (1976). She played heiress Caroline Penvenen from 1975-1977 in the BBC series Poldark, from the Winston Graham novels.

Geeson appeared in several stage productions in the 1980s, including two for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as an Off-Broadway production of The Common Pursuit (1986). After relocating to the United States she returned to television, playing the recurring character of Maggie Conway in the American series Mad About You from 1992 until 1999, as well as a recurring role on Gilmore Girls in 2002. In 2012 and 2016, she appeared in Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem and 31, respectively.

Early life

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Judy Geeson was born in Arundel, Sussex. Her father was an editor for the National Coal Board magazine.[2] Her sister Sally Geeson, also an actress, is known for her roles in British television sitcoms of the 1970s.[3] Geeson attended Corona Stage Academy and made her stage debut in 1957.[2][4]

Career

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Geeson's professional acting career started in July 1962, with an appearance in an episode of the television series The Probation Officer.[5] Her first major film appearances came in 1967, with roles in To Sir, with Love[6] and Berserk!.[7] She followed these films with the comedy Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968). Geeson became well known as a result of a regular role in the BBC early-evening soap opera The Newcomers. She also had a major role in the mid-1970s costume drama Poldark as Caroline Penvenen (later Caroline Enys).

Geeson's other films include Prudence and the Pill (1968), Three into Two Won't Go (1969), 10 Rillington Place (1970), Doomwatch (1972), Brannigan (1975), starring John Wayne, and The Eagle Has Landed (1976). In the TV series Danger UXB (1979) she played the female lead, Susan Mount, opposite Anthony Andrews. She also had the lead role of Fulvia in the science fiction series Star Maidens (1976).

In addition to her film and television work during this time, Geeson also performed in theatrical productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company as Lavinia in Titus Andronicus and as Viven 532 in Section Nine (both 1973). She also had roles in stage productions of Next Time I'll Sing to You (1980) and The Real Thing (1985), both in London, before making her Off-Broadway debut in The Common Pursuit in 1987.

Geeson relocated from London to Los Angeles in 1984; there she began appearing in American television, including a role as a series regular in the sitcom Mad About You, playing the hostile neighbour, Maggie Conway, from 1992 to 1999. She also played the role of Sandrine in the Star Trek: Voyager episodes "The Cloud" and "Twisted".[8]

Having appeared in a number of horror films during the 1970s and 1980s, including Fear in the Night (1972),[9] A Candle for the Devil (1973),[9] Dominique (1978) and Inseminoid (1981),[9] Geeson returned to the horror genre in The Lords of Salem (2012), directed by Rob Zombie.[10] The film marked her return to acting following a nine-year absence. She portrayed Sister Dragon in Rob Zombie's slasher film 31 which was released in 2015.[11]

Personal life

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In the 1970s, Geeson lived with set designer Sean Kenny until his death in 1973.[12] She was married to actor Kristoffer Tabori from 1985 until their divorce in 1989.[3] In a 2015 interview, Geeson stated that she had resided in Los Angeles, California, for the past 30 years.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 Wings of Mystery Jane
1967 Berserk! Angela Rivers
1967 To Sir, With Love Pamela Dare
1968 Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Mary Gloucester
1968 Prudence and the Pill Geraldine Hardcastle
1968 Hammerhead Sue Trenton
1969 Three into Two Won't Go Ella Patterson
1969 Two Gentlemen Sharing Jane
1970 The Executioner Polly Bendel
1970 Goodbye Gemini Jacki
1971 10 Rillington Place Beryl Evans[a]
1971 Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? Jody Kenyon Television film
1971 One of Those Things Susanne Strauss
1972 Doomwatch Victoria Brown
1972 Fear in the Night Peggy Heller
1973 A Candle for the Devil Laura Barkley
1974 Percy's Progress Doctor Fairweather
1975 Brannigan Detective Sergeant Jennifer Thatcher
1975 Diagnosis Murder Helen
1976 Adventures of a Taxi Driver Nikki
1976 Short Ends Claudine
1976 Carry On England Sergeant Tilly Willing
1976 The Eagle Has Landed Pamela Verecker
1978 Dominique Marjorie Craven
1980 Towards the Morning
1981 Inseminoid Sandy
1982 The Plague Dogs Pekingese Voice role
1987 The Price of Life Anthea
1988 The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick Babs Television film
1993 Young Goodman Brown Bridget Bishop
1996 To Sir, with Love II Pamela Dare Television film
1998 Houdini Lady Doyle Television film
1999 The Duke Lady Fautblossom
2000 Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion Alien Television film; voice role
2000 Everything Put Together Angie's Mother
2003 Spanish Fly Miss England
2012 The Lords of Salem Lacy Doyle
2015 Grandma Francesca
2016 31 Sister Dragon
2019 The Wrong Husband Madame Briggs
2021 Let Us In Nana Edie
2021 Last Call in the Dog House Lilly
2021 Waking Up Dead Lila

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1961–64 Dixon of Dock Green Jenny Fenton / Dawn Pearce 2 episodes
1962 The Probation Officer Gwen Thomas 1 episode
1962 Emergency – Ward 10 Joanne Phipps 3 episodes
1964 Malatesta Vanella 1 episode
1964 Television Club Shirley Brent 18 episodes
1965 Alexander Graham Bell Berta Hubbard 3 episodes
1965 The Flying Swan Sonia Dale 1 episode
1965 Cluff Joan Cluff 1 episode
1965 Blackmail Sarah 1 episode
1965 Danger Man Helen Cazalet 1 episode
1965–67 The Newcomers Maria Cooper 51 episodes
1966 Mrs Thursday Brenda Scott 1 episode
1967 Mickey Dunne Sasha Newman 1 episode
1967 Mr. Rose Shirley 1 episode
1967 Man in a Suitcase Sue Mandel 1 episode
1972 Lady Windermere's Fan (Play of the Month) Lady Windermere BBC taped drama
1973 A Room with a View (Play of the Month) Lucy Honeychurch BBC taped drama
1973 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, "The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway" Polly Burton Thames Television taped drama
1974 The Skin Game (Play of the Month) Chloe BBC taped drama
1975 Space: 1999 Regina Kesslann 1 episode
1975–77 Poldark Caroline Enys (née Penvenen) 19 episodes
1975 Thriller Helen Marlow Episode: "Night is the Time for Killing"
1976 Star Maidens Fulvia 8 episodes
1977 Seven Faces of Woman Carol 1 episode
1978 Return of the Saint Selma Morrell 1 episode
1978 The Newcomers Maria Cooper 2 episodes
1979 Danger UXB Susan Mount 9 episodes
1980 Breakaway Becky Royce 6 episodes
1980–83 Tales of the Unexpected Mary / Sandra 2 episodes
1985–86 Murder, She Wrote Sister Ruth Fargo / Elaine McComber 2 episodes
1986 The A-Team Marlena Strasser 1 episode
1986 Hotel Pat Magnuson 1 episode
1988 MacGyver Liane Auber 1 episode
1990 Monsters Anna Episode: "Refugee"
1992–99 Mad About You Maggie Conway 33 episodes
1995 Star Trek: Voyager Sandrine 2 episodes
1996–99 Tracey Takes On... Elsie Ayliss / Dorothy Appleton / Guest 3 episodes
1998 NewsRadio Auctioneer 1 episode
2000 Touched by an Angel Pookie Longfellow-Smith 1 episode
2000 Charmed Ruth Cobb 1 episode
2000 Love & Money Emma 1 episode
2001–02 Gilmore Girls Natalie Swope 3 episodes

Stage credits

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Year Title Role Venue Ref.
1972 Othello Desdemona The Space, London
1973 Titus Andronicus Lavinia Aldwych Theatre, London
1973 Section Nine Viven 532 The Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
1980 Next Time I'll Sing to You Lizzie Greenwich Theatre, London
1985 The Real Thing Novello Theatre, London
1986 The Common Pursuit Marigold Watson Promenade Theatre, New York City
1987 Aunt Dan and Lemon Lemon's mother Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles
1987 Henceforward... Zoe Alley Theatre, Houston
2002 Under the Blue Sky Anne Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles [13]

Notes

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  1. ^ 10 Rillington Place has been cited as one of Geeson's favourite films. She owns a first edition of the journalistic investigation by Ludovic Kennedy, on which the film is based; see 10 Days In LA: Interview With Judy Geeson (2005) Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Tvo.org.

References

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  1. ^ "Birthdays". The Independent . 9 September 1994. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b Cotter 2013, p. 84.
  3. ^ a b Hal Erickson (2013). "Judy Geeson – About This Person". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Judy Geeson Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 3 March 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Judy Geeson". BFI. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  6. ^ "To Sir, with Love - film by Clavell [1967]". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  7. ^ a b Geeson, Judy (2015). A Devil in Spain. A Candle for the Devil (Blu-ray). Scorpion Releasing. Event occurs at [time needed].
  8. ^ "Rob Zombie's '31' Nears Wrap, Announces More Cast!". Bloody-Disgusting!. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Cotter 2013, p. 85.
  10. ^ "'The Lords of Salem' Star Rejoins Rob Zombie In '31'". Bloody-Disgusting. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Sister Dragon Flies into Rob Zombie's 31". Dread Central. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  12. ^ "The Liverpool R 'N' R Childrens Charity-Maggie May The Liverpool Musical". MerseyCats. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  13. ^ Hirschhorn, Joel (19 September 2002). "Under the Blue Sky". Variety. Retrieved 26 October 2017.

Works cited

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  • Cotter, Robert Michael (2013). The Women of Hammer Horror: A Biographical Dictionary and Filmography. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-476-60201-1.
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