Elspet Jean Gray, Baroness Rix

Elspet Jean Gray, Baroness Rix (born April 12, 1929 in Inverness , Scotland , † February 18, 2013 in London , England ) was a British actress .

Life

Education and theater

Elspet Gray was born as Elspet Jean MacGregor-Gray. She attended St Margaret's School in Hastings . She grew up temporarily in India . There she was a student at the Presentation Convent in Srinagar , in the Kashmir Valley . She completed an acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London . She made her professional debut as a stage actress in April 1947 with the role of Phyllis in the play Edward, My Son by Donald Ogden Stewart at the Grant Theater in Leeds . In May 1947 she made her London West End debut at His Majesty's Theater with the same role .

In 1949 she got an engagement at Bridlington Repertory Company, which was led by Brian Rix , who worked there himself as an actor and manager. Together with Rix Gray appeared from 1950 to 1954 at the Whitehall Theater in London in the successful comedy Unruly Heroes by John Roy Chapman (1927-2001). In 1960 she was part of the cast of the resumption there. She had other stage roles in the comedy Wolf's Clothing (1959, Wyndham's Theater; London) and in the comedies Uproar in the House and Let Sleeping Wives Lie (1967, Garrick Theater, London), each in a production by Brian Rix. In 1971 she went on tour with four plays by Vernon Sylvaine . In 1973 she appeared at the O'Keefe Theater in Toronto in a production of the play Move Over Mrs Markham by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. In 1980 she played, under the direction of Joan Littlewood , at the Theater Royal Stratford East in the melodrama The Streets of London . In 1983 she played the role of Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez (Charley's Aunt) in the farce Charley's Aunt at the side of Griff Rhys Jones at the Lyric Hammersmith Theater in London.

Movie and TV

In 1948, Gray was signed by the British film production company Gainsborough Pictures . She made her film debut in 1948 with a small role in the film Love in Waiting . She subsequently had small roles in the films The Blind Goddess , Fly Away Peter and Tottie True (1949). Her only leading role in a movie she had in 1954 as Joan Ingram in the crime film Johnny on the Spot , on the side of Hugh McDermott , directed by Maclean Rogers . Later in her career, she had roles in the movies Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969; as Lady Sutterwick), The Girl on the Swing (1988, as Mrs. Dresland) and in the comedy Four Weddings and a Death (1994) ; in it she played one of the female wedding guests as Laura's mother.

Since the 1950s, Gray worked primarily for television . She was best known for her roles in the 1970s and 1980s, for example as Lady Collingford in the British television series Catweazle (1970–1971), as the wife of the psychiatrist Dr. Abbot in the television series Fawlty Towers (1979), as widow and mother Mrs. Elizabeth Palmer in the British sitcom Solo (1981-1982) and especially as Queen Gertrude of Flanders in the comedy series Blackadder (1983). In it she played, alongside Rowan Atkinson in the title role, his mother.

She also had episode roles in the television series Father Dear Father (1971-1972), The Agatha Christie Hour (1982), Doctor Who (1983; in the episode Arc of Infinity ), Inspector Morse (1987), Agatha Christie's Poirot (1990), Casualty (1990), Doctor Finley (1995), Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1996) and as Hilary in the television series Dinnerladies (1998).

Private life

In 1949, Gray met actor and theater manager Brian Rix († 2016) while auditioning for some summer theater performances in the southern English seaside resort of Margate . Rix was named a Life Peer in 1992. As a crossbencher, he was a member of the House of Lords .

In 1949, Gray and Rix married. The marriage had four children; two sons and two daughters, including television producer and children's author Jamie Rix , and actress Louisa Rix . Their daughter Shelley (1951-2005) was born with Down syndrome . Gray and Rix devoted themselves intensively to charitable and charitable causes based on this personal experience. In particular, Gray, together with her husband Brian Rix, campaigned especially for people with learning difficulties .

Gray was for many years a member of the Board of Directors (Council) of the Actors' Charitable Trust ; At times she was on the management committee of Denville Hall , a residential and nursing home for actors.

Elspet Gray died in a London hospital at the age of 83.

Filmography (selection)

• 1948: Love in Waiting
• 1948: The Blind Goddess
• 1948: Fly Away Peter
• 1949: Trottie True
• 1951: Reluctant Heroes
• 1954: Johnny on the Spot
• 1955: Fabian of the Yard (TV series, two episodes)
• 1956: Colonel March of Scotland Yard (TV series, episode)
• 1969: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (Goodbye Mr Chips)
• 1970–1971: Catweazle (TV series)
• 1971–1972: Father Dear Father (TV series, two episodes)
• 1979: Fawlty Towers (TV series)
• 1981–1982: Solo (TV series)
• 1982: The Agatha Christie Hour (TV series)
• 1982–1983: Blackadder (TV series)
• 1983: Doctor Who (TV series, an episode)
• 1984: Tenko (TV series)
• 1987: Inspector Morse (TV series)
• 1987: Pulaski (TV series)
• 1988: The Girl in a Swing
• 1990: Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV series)
• 1990: Casualty (TV series, an episode)
• 1994: Four Weddings and a Funeral (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
• 1995: Doctor Finley (TV series, an episode)
• 1996: Ruth Rendell Mysteries (TV series)
• 1998: Dinnerladies (TV series)

Web links

• Elspet Gray in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Actress Elspet Gray dies aged 83 ( Memento from February 22, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) - Obituary in: The Daily Telegraph from February 19, 2013 ( English )
• Elspet Gray obituary - obituary in: The Guardian of 19 February 2013 ( English )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Actress Elspet Gray dies aged 83 Obituary; ITV News of February 19, 2013
2. ^ ^{A b c d e} Anthony Slide, Some Joe You Don't Know: An American Biographical Guide to 100 British Television Personalities. Greenwood Publishing, 1996, pages 80-82 (excerpts from Google Books)