Michele Dotrice
Born (1948-09-27) 27 September 1948
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

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 in 2020 McDonald & Dodds in which she played Mary Costair in the second episode of Series 1.

Personal life

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

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1966The WitchesValerie Creek
1970And Soon the DarknessCathy
1970The Blood on Satan's ClawMargaret
1976Not Now, ComradeNancy Rimmington
1999Captain JackDeirdre
2016StarfishJean
2019A Very British ChristmasSandra
2020Blithe SpiritEdna

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961The Treasure SeekersPrincessEpisode: "Held to Ransom"
1961Operation FantailSusan ForestTV film
1961Vice VersaDulcie GrimstoneTV film
1961Adventure to OrderSandraTV film
1961–1962SignpostSchoolgirl8 episodes
1962BBC Sunday-Night PlayBarbara CahounEpisode: "The Happiest Days of Your Life"
1962BBC Sunday-Night PlayDaffEpisode: "To Whom It May Concern"
1962The FatherBerthaTV film
1962KatyClover CarrAll 8 episodes
1962–1963The Old Curiosity ShopNell TrentAll 13 episodes
1965Love StoryJill AllenEpisode: "The Sad Smile of the Mona Lisa"
1966Theatre 625Vera AlexandrovnaEpisode: "A Month in the Country"
1966Thirteen Against FateSoniaEpisode: "The Consul"
1966Out of the UnknownR747Episode: "Level Seven"
1966Theatre 625ThérèseEpisode: "Amerika"
1966ITV Play of the WeekJulieEpisode: "Julie's Gone"
1967ITV Play of the WeekTess CosgroveEpisode: "On the Island"
1967Sir Arthur Conan DoyleVicky6 episodes
1967Les MisérablesFantine3 episodes
1968Late Night HorrorPhrynne BansteadEpisode: "The Bells of Hell"
1968MiddlemarchDorotheaAll 7 episodes
1968The Wednesday PlayEmmaEpisode: "On the Eve of Publication"
1969ITV Sunday Night TheatreJaneEpisode: "Toys"
1970BBC Play of the MonthIrinaEpisode: "The Three Sisters"
1970The Wednesday PlayEmmaEpisode: "Emma's Time"
1970Jane EyreMary RiversTV film
1971Jason KingFelicityEpisode: "Buried in the Cold Cold Ground"
1971The Rivals of Sherlock HolmesMary HisginsEpisode: "The Horse of the Invisible"
1972The SextetAngeEpisode: "The Gregorian Chant"
1972VickieEpisode: "Night Duty"
1972Maggie FirebraceEpisode: "A Question of Degree"
1972Veronica SandsEpisode: "Follow the Yellow Brick Road"
1972BarbaraEpisode: "Stoker Leishman's Diaries"
1972MarionEpisode: "Stanley's Style "
1972Paula LelliotEpisode: "Disappearing Trick"
1972Claire RamsdaleEpisode: "Blur and Blank via Cleckheaton"
1973–1978Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'EmBetty SpencerAll 22 episodes
1973MenaceSharonEpisode: "Comfortable Words"
1974ZodiacJulie PrentissEpisode: "The Horns of the Moon"
1974ITV PlayhouseFrancesEpisode: "A Kind of Bonus"
1976The Morecambe and Wise ShowConstanceEpisode: #9.2
1977BBC Play of the MonthCatherine WinslowEpisode: "The Winslow Boy"
1977I'm Bob, He's DickieVariousEpisode: #1.1
1979Morecambe and Wise at the BBCVariousEpisode: 7 February 1979
1979Henry IVLady Percy2 episodes
1981ChintzKate CarterAll 7 episodes
1986The EqualizerVanessa DanielsEpisode: "Heartstrings"
1988BoonNikkiEpisode: "Peacemaker"
1995BramwellLady Cora Peters5 episodes
1997Q.E.D.Anna PetersEpisode: "Cause of Death"
1998Midsomer MurdersFelicity BuckleyEpisode: "Faithful unto Death"
1998Vanity FairMrs. Sedley5 episodes
2000The Mrs Bradley MysteriesAmy ParkinEpisode: "Laurels Are Poison"
2001The Way We Live NowMrs. Pipkin3 episodes
2002Holby CityShirley ButlerEpisode: "Leopard Spots"
2004A Thing Called LoveBarbara Hopewell2 episodes
2005Murder in SuburbiaCindyEpisode: "Golden Oldies"
2008DoctorsEileen MullinsEpisode: "A Pain in the..."
2009DoctorsJane ShieldsEpisode: "Hello, Hello, Hello"
2010MarpleMrs. HubbardEpisode: "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side"
2014Death in ParadisePam ChandlerEpisode: "Rue Morgue"
2014Big SchoolRita GunnEpisode: #2.6
2015Inside No. 9MarionEpisode: "The 12 Days of Christine"
2016Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em: SpecialBetty SpencerComic Relief Special
2018Grandpa's Great EscapeMiss TrifleTV film
2018A Very English ScandalEdna Friendship2 episodes
2020McDonald & DoddsMary CostairEpisode: "A Wilderness of Mirrors"
2021The CockfieldsLyn2 episodes
2022 The Royal Mob Queen Victoria 3 episodes

References

  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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