Angela Pleasence
English actress (1941–2026)
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Angela Daphne Anne Pleasence (/ˈplɛzəns/ PLEZ-ənss; 17 September 1941 – 6 April 2026) was an English actress. She was known for her roles in Coronation Street and Doctor Who.
17 September 1941
Angela Pleasence | |
|---|---|
Pleasence in 1974 | |
| Born | Angela Daphne Anne Pleasence 17 September 1941 Chapeltown, West Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 6 April 2026 (aged 84) |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1964–2016 |
| Spouse |
Michael Cadman
(m. 1964; div. 1970) |
| Children | 1[1] |
| Father | Donald Pleasence |
Trained in theatre, Pleasence's first major film role came in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), followed by roles in horror films such as From Beyond the Grave and Symptoms (1974). She then worked extensively in television productions and British miniseries throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She had minor roles in the films The Search for John Gissing (2001), Gangs of New York (2002), and The Gigolos (2005).
Life and career
Pleasence was born in Chapeltown, near Sheffield, then in the County of York, West Riding,[2] to actors Miriam Walker (later Raymond) and Donald Pleasence.[3] She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating with an Acting (RADA Diploma) in 1965.[4]
She married actor Michael Cadman in 1964. They had one son together and divorced in 1970.[1]
She made her stage debut in 1964 as Titania in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.[5] She appeared extensively in London theatre productions throughout the 1970s.[5]
She was known for her performance as Catherine Howard in the 1970 BBC serial The Six Wives of Henry VIII.[6] Her other television credits include Dixon of Dock Green,[6] Les Misérables,[6] The Barchester Chronicles (alongside her father),[6] Mansfield Park,[6] Silas Marner,[6] Midsomer Murders,[6] Whitechapel, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Agatha Christie's Marple.[6]
In 1978, she voiced the role of Ophelia in a BBC radio play production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Pleasence is also noted for her roles in horror films of the 1970s, including From Beyond the Grave,[6] Symptoms,[6] and The Godsend.[6] She made a guest appearance satirising her earlier performances, in the parody series Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible.[6]
She also appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1984 holiday television film A Christmas Carol,[6] Sister Cecilia in Stealing Heaven (1988),[6] a crowd member in Martin Scorsese's 2002 crime drama Gangs of New York,[6] Elizabeth I in the 2007 Doctor Who episode "The Shakespeare Code",[6] and Winnie in the BBC drama Happy Valley (2016).[6]
Angela Pleasence died on 6 April 2026, at the age of 84.[1][7][8]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush | Scruffy Girl | |
| 1973 | The Love Ban | Mick's Secretary | |
| Hitler: The Last Ten Days | Traudel | ||
| 1974 | From Beyond the Grave | Emily Underwood | Segment 2: 'An Act of Kindness' |
| Symptoms | Helen Ramsey | aka: The Blood Virgin | |
| 1980 | The Godsend | The Stranger | |
| 1988 | Stealing Heaven | Sister Cecilia | |
| 1991 | The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish | Louis' Sister | |
| 1996 | The Shaman | Shaman | Short film |
| 1997 | The Pig's Family | Rosy | |
| 2001 | The Search for John Gissing | Johanna Frielduct | |
| 2002 | Gangs of New York | Woman Accomplice | |
| 2005 | Waverley | Waverley | Short film |
| 2006 | The Gigolos | Joy | |
| 2011 | Your Highness | Mother |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Armchair Mystery Theatre | Ginny | Episode: "The Madam" |
| 1966 | Seven Deadly Sins | Eileen | Episode: "The Erpingham Camp" |
| 1967 | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Maid | Episode: "The Chemistry of Love" |
| Seven Deadly Virtues | Carol | Episode: "The Whole Truth" | |
| 1968 | Coronation Street | Monica Sutton | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
| 1969 | The Possessed | Marie Shatov | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| The Expert | Tina | Episode: "One Life - More or Less" | |
| Plays of Today | Jackson | Episode: "The Ladies: Joan" | |
| The Wednesday Play | Liz | Episode: "Birthday" | |
| Beatrice Grayson | Episode: "The Last Train through Harecastle Tunnel" | ||
| Destiny of a Spy | Peace Girl | Television film | |
| 1970 | The Six Wives of Henry VIII | Catherine Howard | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| Paul Temple | Betty Martin | Episode: "Letters from Robert" | |
| 1974 | Play of the Month | Julia | Episode: "The Wood Demon" |
| Aquarius | Jean | Episode: "Oh Lovely Wall" | |
| 1975 | Play for Today | Nell Hamer | Episode: "Breath" |
| Churchill's People | Jorild | Episode: "The Conquerors" | |
| A Legacy | Clara von Felden/von Bernin | Miniseries; 4 episodes | |
| 1976 | Dixon of Dock Green | Alice Benfield | Episode: "Alice" |
| 1978 | Les Misérables | Fantine | Television film |
| 1979 | Murder at the Wedding | Pam Appleyard | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| 1981 | The Walls of Jericho | Elsie Inglis | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1982 | The Hothouse | Miss Cutts | Television film |
| The Barchester Chronicles | Mrs. Grantly | Miniseries; 7 episodes | |
| 1983 | Mansfield Park | Lady Bertram | Miniseries; 6 episodes |
| 1984 | A Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Past | Television film |
| 1985 | Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe | Molly Farren | |
| 1986 | Girls on Top | R.S.C Actress #2 | Episode: "Mr. Yummy Brownie" |
| Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna | Clara (madwoman) | Miniseries; 2 episodes | |
| 1989 | Somewhere to Run | Anita Fitzpatrick | Television film |
| 1993 | Casualty | Sonia | Episode: "Everybody Needs Somebody" |
| 1995 | The Bill | Mrs. Sadler | Episode: "In the Midnight Hour" |
| 1996 | September | Lottie Carstairs | Television film |
| 1997 | Crime Traveller | Mrs. Beavis | Episode: "The Broken Crystal" |
| 1998 | Midsomer Murders | Doris Winstanley | Episode: "Death of a Hollow Man" |
| Cider with Rosie | Crabby | Television film | |
| 2001 | Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible | Lizzy | Episode: "Scream Satan Scream!" |
| 2003 | The Bill | Martha | Episode: "Cross Transfer" |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Miss Hartnell | Episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage" |
| 2006 | Doctors | Amy Edgeworth | Episode: "A Slip of the Mind" |
| 2007 | Doctor Who | Queen Elizabeth I | Episode: "The Shakespeare Code" |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Nanny | Episode: "Appointment with Death" |
| 2009 | Casualty | Catherine | Episode: "All You Need Is Love" |
| 2011 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Mystic Mags | Episode: "The Curse of Clyde Langer: Part Two" |
| 2013 | Whitechapel | Louise Iver | Series 4 regular; 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Happy Valley | Winnie | Recurring role; 2 episodes |