Dora Bryan
Dora Bryan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dora Mary Broadbent |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, Presenter, Philanthropist |
| Years active | 1947-present |
| Spouse(s) | Bill Lawton (1954-2008) |
Dora Mary Broadbent OBE (born 7 February 1924 in Southport), usually known by her stage name Dora Bryan, is an English actress best known for her role as Roz in the British television series Last of the Summer Wine.
Early life
Bryan was born in Southport, Lancashire, and has a distinctive speaking voice which has become a trademark of her film and television performances. Her father was a salesman and she attended Hathershaw County Primary School in Oldham.
Her career began in pantomime before World War II, during which she joined the ENSA in Italy to entertain British troops.
Career
She became a regular performer in the West End of London following the war, where she became a star of theatrical revues. She soon followed many of her theatre contemporaries by moving into film acting, generally playing supporting roles. She often played women of easy virtue — for example in Ealing's The Blue Lamp (1950) and The Fallen Idol (1948), one of her earliest films. She appeared in similarly stereotypical female roles in other films, for example The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), Carry On Sergeant (1958) and The Green Man (1956).
In 1961, she appeared in A Taste of Honey. The film won four BAFTA awards: Director Tony Richardson won Best British Screenplay (with Delaney) and Best British Film, while Bryan won Best Actress and co-star Rita Tushingham was named Most Promising Newcomer.
She played a head mistress in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966).
She appeared in a cameo role in 1955 on the BBC radio series Hancock's Half Hour, episode titled "Cinderella Hancock".
She also had a Top 20 hit in 1963, "All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle".
In 2000 she joined the cast of the long-running BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine as Aunt Roz. She left the show in 2005 in continue her theatre work, but the door has been left open for her to return.
Her most recent film appearance was in MirrorMask (2005).
In September 2006, she was due to tour in the comedy There's No Place Like a Home but withdrew early in the tour due to her husband's continued ill health.
Her autobiography According To Dora was published in 1987 and has since been updated and republished. In 1996, she was awarded the O.B.E. in recognition of her services to acting and she was awarded a Laurence Olivier Award in 1996 for her role in the West End production of Harold Pinter play, The Birthday Party.
Personal life
She was married to former Lancashire County Cricketer Bill Lawton from 1954 until his death as a result of Alzheimer’s disease in August 2008. The pair met during the war years in Oldham and got married in London when Dora was 27. Recently she had taken the past few years off to look after him during his illness as well as suffering with health problems herself including a serious operation for a Hernia. She is a long time resident of Brighton on the South Coast and once owned a Hotel on the Seafront which was used as an exterior location in the films Carry On Girls and Carry on at Your Convenience.
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 to 2005 | Last of the Summer Wine | Ros Utterthwaite |
External links
- Dora Bryan at IMDb