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Michele Dotrice

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

Career

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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

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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

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 The Witches Valerie Creek
1970 And Soon the Darkness Cathy
1970 The Blood on Satan's Claw Margaret
1976 Not Now, Comrade Nancy Rimmington
1999 Captain Jack Deirdre
2016 Starfish Jean
2019 A Very British Christmas Sandra
2020 Blithe Spirit Edna

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1961 The Treasure Seekers Princess Episode: "Held to Ransom"
1961 Operation Fantail Susan Forest TV film
1961 Vice Versa Dulcie Grimstone TV film
1961 Adventure to Order Sandra TV film
1961–1962 Signpost Schoolgirl 8 episodes
1962 BBC Sunday-Night Play Barbara Cahoun Episode: "The Happiest Days of Your Life"
1962 BBC Sunday-Night Play Daff Episode: "To Whom It May Concern"
1962 The Father Bertha TV film
1962 Katy Clover Carr All 8 episodes
1962–1963 The Old Curiosity Shop Nell Trent All 13 episodes
1965 Love Story Jill Allen Episode: "The Sad Smile of the Mona Lisa"
1966 Theatre 625 Vera Alexandrovna Episode: "A Month in the Country"
1966 Thirteen Against Fate Sonia Episode: "The Consul"
1966 Out of the Unknown R747 Episode: "Level Seven"
1966 Theatre 625 Thérèse Episode: "Amerika"
1966 ITV Play of the Week Julie Episode: "Julie's Gone"
1967 ITV Play of the Week Tess Cosgrove Episode: "On the Island"
1967 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Vicky 6 episodes
1967 Les Misérables Fantine 3 episodes
1968 Late Night Horror Phrynne Banstead Episode: "The Bells of Hell"
1968 Middlemarch Dorothea All 7 episodes
1968 The Wednesday Play Emma Episode: "On the Eve of Publication"
1969 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Jane Episode: "Toys"
1970 BBC Play of the Month Irina Episode: "The Three Sisters"
1970 The Wednesday Play Emma Episode: "Emma's Time"
1970 Jane Eyre Mary Rivers TV film
1971 Jason King Felicity Episode: "Buried in the Cold Cold Ground"
1971 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Mary Hisgins Episode: "The Horse of the Invisible"
1972 The Sextet Ange Episode: "The Gregorian Chant"
1972 Vickie Episode: "Night Duty"
1972 Maggie Firebrace Episode: "A Question of Degree"
1972 Veronica Sands Episode: "Follow the Yellow Brick Road"
1972 Barbara Episode: "Stoker Leishman's Diaries"
1972 Marion Episode: "Stanley's Style "
1972 Paula Lelliot Episode: "Disappearing Trick"
1972 Claire Ramsdale Episode: "Blur and Blank via Cleckheaton"
1973–1978 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Betty Spencer All 22 episodes
1973 Menace Sharon Episode: "Comfortable Words"
1974 Zodiac Julie Prentiss Episode: "The Horns of the Moon"
1974 ITV Playhouse Frances Episode: "A Kind of Bonus"
1976 The Morecambe and Wise Show Constance Episode: #9.2
1977 BBC Play of the Month Catherine Winslow Episode: "The Winslow Boy"
1977 I'm Bob, He's Dickie Various Episode: #1.1
1979 Morecambe and Wise at the BBC Various Episode: 7 February 1979
1979 Henry IV Lady Percy 2 episodes
1981 Chintz Kate Carter All 7 episodes
1986 The Equalizer Vanessa Daniels Episode: "Heartstrings"
1988 Boon Nikki Episode: "Peacemaker"
1995 Bramwell Lady Cora Peters 5 episodes
1997 Q.E.D. Anna Peters Episode: "Cause of Death"
1998 Midsomer Murders Felicity Buckley Episode: "Faithful unto Death"
1998 Vanity Fair Mrs. Sedley 5 episodes
2000 The Mrs Bradley Mysteries Amy Parkin Episode: "Laurels Are Poison"
2001 The Way We Live Now Mrs. Pipkin 3 episodes
2002 Holby City Shirley Butler Episode: "Leopard Spots"
2004 A Thing Called Love Barbara Hopewell 2 episodes
2005 Murder in Suburbia Cindy Episode: "Golden Oldies"
2008 Doctors Eileen Mullins Episode: "A Pain in the..."
2009 Doctors Jane Shields Episode: "Hello, Hello, Hello"
2010 Marple Mrs. Hubbard Episode: "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side"
2014 Death in Paradise Pam Chandler Episode: "Rue Morgue"
2014 Big School Rita Gunn Episode: #2.6
2015 Inside No. 9 Marion Episode: "The 12 Days of Christine"
2016 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em: Special Betty Spencer Comic Relief Special
2018 Grandpa's Great Escape Miss Trifle TV film
2018 A Very English Scandal Edna Friendship 2 episodes
2020 McDonald & Dodds Mary Costair Episode: "A Wilderness of Mirrors"
2021 The Cockfields Lyn 2 episodes
2022 The Royal Mob Queen Victoria 3 episodes

References

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  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
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