Linda Bassett(born 4 February 1950) is an English actress. Her television credits includeVictoria Wood'sdinnerladies(1999),Lark Rise to Candleford(2008–11),Grandma's House(2010–12) andCall the Midwife(2015–present).
Linda Bassett | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 February 1950 Pluckley,Kent, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–present |
She was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Rolefor the 1999 filmEast Is Eastand for theEvening Standard Awardfor Best Actress for the 2013 revival of the playRootsat theDonmar Warehouse.
Early life and education
editBassett was born inPluckley,Kent,England, to a typist mother and a police officer father.[1]She moved toPimlico,London, at a young age, where her passion for drama blossomed, as her family often watched classic plays at theOld Vic Theatre.[2]
Bassett worked as an usher for the National Theatre at the Old Vic whilst a schoolgirl, before enrolling at TheUniversity of Leeds.She dropped out of university after one year to work in a community drama group.[2]
Career
editBassett's career began in the theatre. Her first professional work was in community and educational theatre in the 1970s.[3]
In film, she first gained notice when she was cast asGertrude SteinoppositeLinda HuntasAlice B. ToklasinWaiting for the Moonin 1987. She also appeared asJulia Roberts' mother inMary Reillyin 1996 and had the award-winning role of Ella Khan in the 1999 British comedy filmEast is East.Other roles include Mrs. Brenner, the prison official in the 2008 filmThe Reader,Cora inCalendar Girls(March), Mrs. Jennings in the three-part BBC adaptationSense and Sensibility,Queenie Turrill inLark Rise to Candleford,Doll in the filmCass.Most recently she played Grandma in theBBC TwocomedyGrandma's House.Since 2015, she has portrayed Nurse Phyllis Crane on theBBC Onedrama seriesCall the Midwife.
Personal life
editBassett lives in Kent, in a village close to her birthplace.[4]
Filmography
edit| Year | Film / TV | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Waiting for the Moon | Gertrude Stein | |
| 1988 | Dramarama | Meg Crawford | TV series (1 episode: "Making Waves" ) |
| Paris by Night | Janet Swanton | ||
| 1989 | Traffik | Rachel Lithgow | TV series (4 episodes) |
| Boon | Mrs. Sheridan | TV series (1 episode: "In It for the Monet" ) | |
| 1990 | Screen One | Virginia Lyddon | TV series (1 episode: "News Hound" ) |
| The Bill | Shena Jackson | TV series (2 episodes) | |
| 1991 | A Small Dance | Sandra Matkin | |
| 4 Play | Phyllis Twigg | TV series (1 episode: "Say Hello to the Real Dr. Snide" ) | |
| Let Him Have It | Mrs. Miles | ||
| 1994 | Love Hurts | Janice | TV series (1 episode: "Blue Heaven" ) |
| A Touch of Frost | Mrs. Cornish | TV series (1 episode: "Nothing to Hide" ) | |
| Screen Two | Mrs. Loveless/Susan | TV series (2 episodes) | |
| Frank Stubbs | Eileen | TV series (1 episode: "Babies" ) | |
| 1995 | A Village Affair | Gwen | TV film |
| The Bill | Chrissie Bates | TV series (1 episode: "Old Habitats" ) | |
| Bramwell | Maud | TV mini-series (1 episode: "Episode #1.7" ) | |
| Loved Up | Mother | TV film | |
| The Peter Principle | Iris Jennings | TV series (1 episode: "Pilot" ) | |
| Haunted | Madam Brontski | ||
| EastEnders | Bridget Gilsenan | TV series (1 episode) | |
| 1996 | Mary Reilly | Mary's Mother | Film |
| Casualty | Olwyn Humphries | TV series (1 episode: "Asking for Miracles" ) | |
| No Bananas | Ellen Slater | TV mini-series (10 episodes) | |
| Indian Summer | Doctor | Film | |
| 1997 | Kavanagh QC | Miss Haddon QC | TV series (1 episode: "Mute of Malice" ) |
| Oscar and Lucinda | Betty Stratton | ||
| 1998 | Spoonface Steinberg | Mrs. Spud | TV film |
| The Life and Crimes of William Palmer | Mary Thornton | TV film | |
| Our Mutual Friend | Abby Potterson | TV mini-series (2 episodes) | |
| Far from the Madding Crowd | Maryann Money | TV film | |
| Out of Hours | Carol-Ann Kumar | TV mini-series | |
| 1999 | East is East | Ella Khan | Nominated –BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role |
| Beautiful People | Sister | Film | |
| dinnerladies | Peggy | TV series (1 episode: "Trouble" ) | |
| 2000 | Lounge Act | Voice | Short |
| Don Quixote | Housekeeper | TV film | |
| Losing It | Tom's Mother | TV film | |
| 2001 | The Martins | Anthea | |
| 2002 | The Last Time | Evelyn | Short |
| The Hours | Nelly Boxall | ||
| 2003 | This Little Life | Nurse Nina | TV film |
| Calendar Girls | Cora | Film | |
| 2004 | Spivs | Auntie Vee | |
| The Brief | Maureen Tyler | TV series (8 episodes: 2004–2005) | |
| 2005 | Separate Lies | Maggie | |
| Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story | Trolley Lady | ||
| Kinky Boots | Melanie | Film | |
| Heartbeat | Beryl Palmer | TV series (1 episode: "Burden of Proof" ) | |
| The English Harem | Monica Pringle | TV film | |
| 2007 | Midsomer Murders | Eileen Carnack | TV series (1 episode: "The Animal Within" ) |
| 2008 | Sense and Sensibility | Mrs. Jennings | TV mini-series (3 episodes) |
| Cass | Doll | Film | |
| The Reader | Ms. Brenner | ||
| Lark Rise to Candleford | Queenie Turrill | TV series (40 episodes: 2008–2011) | |
| 2010 | West Is West | Ella Khan | |
| Grandma's House | Grandma | TV series (12 episodes: 2010–2012) | |
| 2012 | Nick Nickleby | Mrs. Smike | TV series (4 episodes: 2012–present) |
| 2013 | Spies of Warsaw | Malka Rosen | BBC miniseries |
| 2015–2017 | Twirlywoos | Narrator | children's TV show |
| 2015– | Call the Midwife | Nurse Phyllis Crane | TV series |
| 2017 | Carnage | Dr Yasmine Vondenburg | Mockumentary |
| 2022 | Strike | Joan Nancarrow | TV series (Troubled Blood) |
Theatre
editAmong her most notable stage roles were those in:
- In Basildon–Royal Court TheatreLondon (2012)
- Love and Information–Royal Court TheatreLondon (2012)
- People–National TheatreLondon (2012/13)
- Roots–Donmar WarehouseLondon (2013)
- Visitors–Arcola TheatreLondon (2014) and Bush Theatre, London (2014/15)
- Escaped Alone–Royal Court TheatreLondon (2016),[5]Brooklyn Academy of MusicNew York (2017)[6]andBBC Radio(2018)[7]
- What If If Only-Royal Court TheatreLondon (2021)
References
edit- ^"Linda Bassett Biography (1950-)".www.filmreference.com.Retrieved13 December2020.
- ^ab"Linda Bassett".prod.tcm.com.Retrieved20 October2024.
- ^"Linda Bassett: Sharing a fenland cottage with Caryl Churchill changed my career".TheGuardian.com.30 January 2014.
- ^"20 Questions With…Linda Bassett".WhatsOnStage.com.1 November 2004.Retrieved20 October2024.
- ^Wiegand, Interview by Chris (10 February 2016)."Sunshine and terrible rage: Linda Bassett on Caryl Churchill's Escaped Alone".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved27 January2020.
- ^Gilbert, Sophie (21 February 2017)."'Escaped Alone' Finds Comfort at the End of the World ".The Atlantic.Retrieved27 January2020.
- ^"BBC Radio 4 - Drama, Escaped Alone".BBC.Retrieved27 January2020.