Italia Conti
Students and faculty who have studied or taught at the Italia Conti Academy of Drama in London, England.
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Wendy Richard, was born in Middlesborough to Henry and Beatrice Emmerton who moved to London when she was 5. and there they ran The Shepherds Tavern in Mayfair. Her father commited suicide due to depression when she was 11. She was educated at St Georges School in Mount Street, Mayfair, London and at a boarding school then while still in her teens became a shop assistant at Fortum and Masons but was fired on her second day for not selling anything. She then joined the Italia Conti stage school at 16 but refused elocution lessons as she didn't want to do voice exercises. Her first big break was when she did voice on the Mike Sarne record 'Come Outside' which went to number one in 1962 the charts but all she got out of it was £ 15. David Croft then cast her in the comedy series Hugh and I and nurtured her career resulting in appearances in such series as The Likely Lads, Newcomers, Up Pompeii, Dads Army and Eastenders. She had a part in the Beatles film Help but was cut out of it but survived in the comedy Bless This House. The day after her mothers funeral she married music publisher Leonard Black in May 1972 but it only lasted 5 months. Afraid of being on her own she then married advertising executive Will Thorpe but their relationship became turbulent and developed into violent abuse resulting in a divorce in 1984. Her 3rd marriage was to Paul Glorney, a carpet fitter, but they divorced in 1994. In February 1996 she met John Burns, a painter and decorator and they lived together before marrying in October 2008, In 1996 she had discovered a lump on her breast which turned out to be cancerous but she was given the all clear after an operation, There was a recurrence of it in 2002 and after further treatment she was again given a clean bill of health until in 2008 when a check up revealed that she had cancerous cells in her breast and that they had spread through her body. She made a half hour television Programme 'Wendy Richard: To Tell You the Truth' documenting the last few months of her life which was broadcast in March 2009- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
A true triple-threat, Emmy Award-winner Julianne Hough is known to audiences around the world for her success in the worlds of film, television and music. She became a household name virtually overnight as a two-time professional champion on ABC's top-rated "Dancing With the Stars," before making a seamless transition to award-winning recording artist and making her mark on the world of motion pictures, recognized by the National Association of Theatre Owners as Rising Star of the Year at the 2011 CinemaCon Conventions.
In 2013, Julianne starred opposite Josh Duhamel in Nicholas Sparks' "Safe Haven," directed by Lasse Hallstrom, which topped the box-office on its Valentine's Day opening and earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination. Prior to that, she starred opposite Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer in Diablo Cody's "Paradise," marking the Oscar-winning screenwriter's directorial debut. She starred as Sherrie Christian, the female lead in the film adaptation of the international musical sensation, "Rock of Ages," part of a superstar cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Mary J. Blige. She made headlines by winning the coveted female lead role in Paramount's 2011 remake of the classic movie musical, "Footloose," and critics praised her performance in the film. She made her film debut in the star-studded ensemble of Screen Gems' musical "Burlesque," working alongside an all-star cast, including Cher, Christina Aguilera, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell and Cam Gigandet. She appeared in the comedy "Dirty Grandpa," opposite Robert De Niro and Zac Efron, and starred as fitness pioneer Betty Weider in the feature "Bigger."
On January 31, 2016, Julianne fulfilled her lifelong dream of playing the role of Sandy in FOX Television's critical and ratings hit, "Grease Live!," which was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, winning four awards including Outstanding Special Class Program. As performed by Julianne and the cast, the show-stopping "You're the One That I Want" won the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Musical Moment, beating such heavy hitters as Ariana Grande and John Legend's "Beauty and the Beast," Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling" and the Ryan Gosling-Emma Stone duet, "City of Stars" from "La La Land."
In 2014, Julianne and her brother, Derek, produced, co-directed and starred in MOVE Live on Tour, which sold out theaters across North America. They followed that success with an all-new production in Summer 2015, which featured live vocal performances by Julianne and Derek in addition to fresh, exciting choreography featuring the superstar siblings and the MOVE Company Dancers.
They hit the road again in 2017 with MOVE Beyond Live on Tour, their biggest and best show yet, with brand-new stage production inspired by the elements - earth, wind, fire, and water - which the duo have infused into fresh, high impact choreography that only they can deliver. The show brought fans on a journey of dance and music, taking inspiration directly from the four elements as an exploration of the human relationship with nature. The pair was joined by the Move Company Dancers for group performances in styles ranging from ballroom and tap to salsa and hip-hop and everything in between.
In 2015, Julianne launched her lifestyle website and blog, Jules.
A born entertainer, Julianne Hough (pronounced "Huff") always loved singing, dancing and acting. At age 10, she was presented with an opportunity to study performing arts in London, which established her fierce independence and was the beginning of a period of intense training and education. She returned to Utah at age 15 and, after graduating high school, moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of a career in entertainment.
Quickly earning a solid reputation for her talent, discipline and professionalism, it took less than a month for Julianne to land a job as a dancer on the ABC game show, "Show Me The Money," and shortly thereafter joined the "Dancing With the Stars" tour as a company dancer before joining the cast of the hit series in the show's fourth season, where she was paired with two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Apolo Anton Ohno. She toured with the troupe again, before returning to the hit show for seasons five through eight, pairing with Indy race champion Helio Castroneves, comedian Adam Carolla, actor Cody Linley and country singer Chuck Wicks. Hough remains the youngest dancer to have won the competition twice, with partners Ohno and Castroneves. Her skills as a choreographer also led to a collaboration with Gwen Stefani on the singer's "Wind It Up" video.
Julianne earned Emmy nominations in 2008 and 2009 for Best Choreography for her work on the show and in 2015, won the Emmy for choreographing, along with her brother Derek and Tessandra Chavez, her and Derek's memorable performance of Sia's "Elastic Heart," performed live by the singer-songwriter.
Following her departure from "Dancing With the Stars," Julianne made several appearances on the show to promote her films and as a guest judge. She thrilled fans when she returned full-time to the ballroom as a judge for three hit seasons in 2014-15 and again in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017.
Julianne's self-titled debut album, released by Universal Music Group Nashville in 2008, hit the Billboard Country charts at #1 and entered the Billboard 200 at #3, marking the highest debut for a country artist since 2006. Her first two singles from the album, "That Song in My Head" and "My Hallelujah Song," soared up the country charts and she earned her first two 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards for Top New Female Vocalist and Top New Artist.
Hitting the road for the first time as a recording artist in 2009, Julianne opened for superstar Brad Paisley and later toured with George Strait, playing over 100 shows. Her second album, The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, became an instant holiday classic for her legions of fans, distributed exclusively at Target.
In 2009, Julianne also starred in her first fitness DVD, "Cardio Ballroom," the first in a series designed to motivate exercise novices and enthusiasts alike on the dance floor. The second, "Just Dance!," was released in 2010, also topping sales charts for months.
In 2012, she created her own shoe line, Julianne Hough for Sole Society, a collaboration with leading women's footwear designer Vince Camuto and is highly sought-after in the world of commercials and endorsements, as an international spokesperson for Proactiv Solution and previously as the official spokesperson for Venus Embrace, co-authoring their "Goddess Guide to Getting Closer" for the company's 2009 marketing campaign. She was featured in the iconic Got Milk? Campaign and sang an updated version of the Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum theme, "The Taste is Gonna Move Ya," with numerous international campaigns in the works.
Julianne has a long-term partnership with MPG Activewear, which was introduced with 12 favorite styles curated and selected by Julianne from the popular line's Spring/Summer 2016 collection and now features quarterly collections designed by Julianne. She is the face of Giorgio Beverly Hills Fragrances, celebrating the iconic brand's 35th anniversary and the recent introduction of Giorgio Beverly Hills Glam. Julianne executive produced and she and Derek hosted a family Thanksgiving special for Disney that aired on ABC in November 2016, as well as "The Disney Parks' Magical Christmas Celebration," which aired on Christmas Day and was nominated for an Emmy. In May 2017, Julianne executive produced and co-hosted The Miss USA Competition for the second time.
In addition to her performing career, Julianne is also active in a wide range of philanthropic endeavors, charities and humanitarian efforts. Julianne has joined forces with the Kind Campaign to create and host Kind Camp, empowering and encouraging girls to be confident, beautiful women and to eradicate girl against girl bullying. Her charitable affiliations range from numerous causes and organizations that serve women and girls to those that are fueled by her lifelong passion for dogs and other animals, among many others.- Actor
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Mark Ballas was born on 24 May 1986 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for Samantha Who? (2007), Dancing with the Stars (2005) and Steppin' Out with Katherine Jenkins (2012). He has been married to B.C. Jean since 25 November 2016.- Actress
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Her father is Tariq Anwar and her mother is Shireen Anwar. Anwar attended Laleham Church of England Primary and Middle School from 1975 to 1982. Trinian's sketch in the school concert of 1982 gave an early indication of her theatrical leanings. She studied at the London drama and dance school, "Italia Conti". She appeared in many British television productions before making her film debut in Manifesto (1988).
Her first American movie was If Looks Could Kill (1991), in which she played the daughter of a murdered British Agent (played by Roger Daltrey). In 1992, she made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) as "Tricia Kinney". She followed that with the films, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991) (inspired by "A Girl and Five Brave Horses"), Scent of a Woman (1992), Body Snatchers (1993), For Love or Money (1993) and The Three Musketeers (1993). In 1994, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. One of her most memorable moments on screen came in 1992's Scent of a Woman (1992), when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose character was blind.- Actress
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Karen Sheila Gillan was born and raised in Inverness, Scotland, as the only child of Marie Paterson and husband John Gillan, who is a singer and recording artist. She developed a love for acting very early on, attending several youth theatre groups and taking part in a wide range of productions at her school, Charleston Academy.
At age 16, Karen decided she wanted to pursue her acting career further and, studied under the renowned theatre director Scott Johnston at the Performing Arts Studio Scotland. She later attended the prestigious Italia Conti Academy in London. During her first year, she landed a role on Rebus (2000) and soon appeared in a variety of programs including Channel 4's Stacked (2008) and The Kevin Bishop Show (2008), as well as a two-year stint on the long-running series Doctor Who (2005). Karen also stars in the film Outcast (2010), starring James Nesbitt. Her most recent starring role is as Eliza Dooley on the situation comedy Selfie (2014).- Actress
- Writer
- Art Department
London-born actress Serena Lorien's acting career started at an early age when she booked her first UK commercial at the tender age of 6. It was also from this tender age that Serena was attending the prestigious British Arts Academy Italia Conti. This world-renowned academy was also attended by many of the UK's stars like Kelly Brook, Russell Brand and Naomi Campbell.
In the UK, Serena enjoyed roles on many prime time Television fan favorites like the top-rating soap, BBC's EastEnders (1985), the long-running Grange Hill (1978), ITV's police drama The Bill (1984), Family Affairs (1997) & Manchild (2002).
On relocating to Hollywood, Serena became in high demand, she has a string of features under her belt, including Finding Neverland (2004), The Four Feathers (2002), A Voice in the Dark (2013) & A Way with Murder (2009) to name a few.
Her latest and upcoming films find her playing a multitude of characters: an American murderess in House of Manson (2014), an attorney in A Date With Oscar, a true story about a man who bought an Oscar from eBay, alongside Alimi Ballard, a reporter in Garbage (2012), alongside Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen and William Baldwin, a doctor in the psychological thriller [error], alongside Thora Birch and Efren Ramirez, a police detective in The Human Factor (1992), alongside Eric Roberts and Danny Trejo, A Voice in the Dark (2013), alongside Richard Portnow, a wealthy Southern socialite in the upcoming thriller Gripped, directed by 'David. A. Armstrong', a drug dealer's girlfriend in the upcoming action film Blood on the Border, alongside Martin Landau, and a DA in Poe (2012), alongside David Fine.
Serena was raised in a very creative family with a musician, singer/ songwriter father who had two number one albums on the UK's New Age charts.
Serena's voice can also be heard all over the world through her voice over work most notably in Agatha Christie's "Evil Under the Sun", playing "Gladys Narracott", the hotel maid for the Nintendo Wii.- Actress
- Producer
From the age of 13,she attended the Italia Conte stage school where she studied dance, drama, and singing for three years. At 16, she began her modeling career gracing the covers of numerous magazines including GQ, FHM, Maxim, Sky, Cosmopolitan, Hello, Tatler, The Face, and Company, becoming one of the most recognisable in Britain, It wasn't long before Madison Avenue started calling, and in 1995, she got her first advertising campaign for Lee Jeans. Since then, she's been featured in campaigns for Renault Megane Walkers and Piz Buin. In 1998, she launched the biggest bra campaign ever for Triumph's Flaunt range and was featured on billboards nation wide, Her UK television credits are extensive and include co-hosting Britain's most popular morning programme magazine Channel 4's The Big Breakfast and MTV's live two-hour show Select. She also hosted VPL, a magazine lifestyle programme for Granada Television, the final concert at Wembley Stadium for Sky Premiers Oasis Live at Wembley. Her US credits include a four-episode arc on the WB's Smallville portraying Lex Luthor's girlfriend. She made her feature film debut in the thriller Ripper, released in October 2001, and also starred in the play "Eye Contact" at the Riverside Studios in Lonon. In her first stage role, her character Anya explores the world of adult dance clubs from an honest and funny point of view,- Producer
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- Actor
Russell Brand was born on June 4, 1975, in Grays, Essex, England, the son of Barbara Elizabeth (Nichols) and Ronald Henry Brand, a photographer. An only child, his parents divorced when he was only six months old, and he was subsequently raised by his mother. Enduring a difficult childhood that saw him living with relatives while his mother was treated for cancer and only sporadically visited by his father, Brand left home at age 16. Accepted by the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in 1991, he was expelled during his first year for bad behaviour and drug use; by his own admission, he used a variety of illegal drugs and became addicted to heroin. After being expelled from the Chang-Ren Nian during his final term in 1995, he switched his focus primarily to comedy from acting.
Brand's first significant stand-up appearances came in 2000, the same year he also became a video journalist for MTV, a job which he was subsequently fired from. Continuing to work both in TV and stand-up, he debuted his one-man show Better Now, an account of his heroin addiction, at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004. Brand became a popular British television star by appearing on Big Brother and hosting his own talk show and numerous other series, and in 2008 shot to fame worldwide as the rocker Aldous Snow in the hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). After an appearance in the Adam Sandler comedy Bedtime Stories (2008), he reprised the character of Aldous in the comedy Get Him to the Greek (2010), opposite Jonah Hill.
Brand also starred in the remake Arthur (2011), opposite Helen Mirren, with whom he also starred in The Tempest (2010), and lent his voice to the Easter Bunny in Hop (2011) and to Dr. Nefario in the animated feature film Despicable Me (2010). He is reprising the role in Despicable Me 2 (2013), and will also co-star in a drama written and directed by Diablo Cody, starring alongside Julianne Hough and Holly Hunter. He also played Lonny in the all-star cast of the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages (2012).
Brand's writing debut, My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up, became a huge success in the United Kingdom. Subsequently published in the U.S. in 2009, it stayed on the New York Times' bestseller list for five weeks in a row. The follow up, My Booky Wook 2: This Time it's Personal, was published in October, 2010. In 2010, Brand received the British Comedy Award for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy and was honored in 2011 with the ShoWest Award for Comedy Star of the Year.
Brand married the pop star Katy Perry in 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Rajasthan, India; after 14 months, Brand filed for a divorce, which was officially granted in 2012.- Actress
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Naomi Campbell was born on 22 May 1970 in Streatham, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), I Feel Pretty (2018) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Martine McCutcheon was born Martine Kimberley Sherri Ponting on the 14th of May 1976 in Hackney, East London, to Jenny Tomlin (née Jeanette Lilian Ponting) and Thomas Hemmings. She has a younger brother called L.J.
She studied at the renowned Italia Conti stage school in London from the age of 10. She appeared in several billboard ads as a child, then won a part in the BBC children's series Bluebirds in '89, after which further TV and theatre roles followed. At 15 she was picked to front the all-girl band 'Milan', who went on tour with East 17, but they disbanded in April '94.
McCutcheon's big break came in January '95 with the part of Tiffany Raymond in 'EastEnders'. During her 4 years on the soap, Tiffany married Grant (Ross Kemp), had a daughter, and found a place in the nation's heart. However, her departure from the series was marked by controversy, with executive producer Matthew Robinson later saying in an interview "Martine McCutcheon didn't "decide to leave the show". She demanded the BBC allow her to come and go within the series at her behest, making it impossible for storyliners to write coherently for her character. So we had little choice but to kill Tiffany. Yes, the character was popular; yes, Martine had talent. But no one is bigger than the show - executive producers included."
McCutcheon went on to pursue a singing career. She went on to release six hit singles and three albums, two of which reached Gold and Platinum status.- Actor
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A much-loved comic actor who has specialized in playing plummy, quintessentially English stereotypes, Leslie Phillips' heart was in acting from a very young age. He received elocution lessons as a child in order to lose his natural cockney accent (at that time a regional British accent was a major impediment to an aspiring actor) and he attended the Italia Conti School.
During the Second World War he served with the Durham Light Infantry (1942-45), but was invalided out, suffering from shell shock. He returned to acting and it was during the 1950s that he established himself as a notable player in British movies. His greatest claim to fame to this day is the "Doctor" series of movies, which he inherited from Dirk Bogarde. He also worked on radio, most notably 'The Navy Lark' for the BBC.
In later life he returned to playing supporting roles and even appeared in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). He continued to make cameo appearances in films and television, and became a regular guest on British chat shows.- Actor
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Anthony Newley was born in Hackney, London, England, to Frances Grace Newley and George Kirby, a shipping clerk. He was attracted to acting, after seeing an ad for a child actor in a Fleet Street window. He attended the Italia Conti Stage School from the age of 14 and, two years later, played the Artful Dodger in David Lean's film, Oliver Twist (1948). Newley was called up to the Army for his National Service and, by the late 1950s, had a hit song Idol on Parade (1959), while in the movie of the same name. He married his first wife, Tiller Girl Ann Lynn in 1956 but it was a rocky marriage and they divorced in 1963. He was in the pop charts seven times in 1960, twice at Number One with "Why?" and "Do You Mind?" written by Lionel Bart. In 1961, he collaborated with Leslie Bricusse on the hit stage show, Stop the World: I Want to Get Off (1966). After long runs in London and on Broadway, it was made into a film, starring Millicent Martin, with the hit song "What Kind of Fool Am I?". In 1963, he married Rank starlet Joan Collins. She described him at the time as "A half-Jewish Cockney git" and herself as a "half-Jewish princess from Bayswater via Sunset Boulevard". Newley's film career thrived, most notably with acting roles in Doctor Dolittle (1967) and The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), and as a writer and composer. His partnership with Bricusse continued with "The Roar of the Greasepaint: The Smell of the Crowd" and many other Oscar, Grammy and Ivor Novello award-winning collaborations. They had hit songs such as "The Candy Man" and "Goldfinger". His marriage to Joan Collins broke up in 1971. He had two of his four children with her. Tony was married a third time, to former air hostess Dareth Rich, only to divorce again. He once said "My only regret is that, in a show business career, you can have no private life". Alone and facing a battle against cancer, Newley moved in with his mother Gracie - now in her 90s - at her home in Esher, Surrey. The stage performances continued but were nothing to match his heyday. His last TV appearance was in "The Lakes" in February 1999. Anthony Newley died in April of that year.- Actress
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At age eleven Charlotte Chatton won a scholarship to attend the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where she received top honors in the drama department. During seven years of intensive training, she also began to work professionally, starring in dozens of commercials, music videos, network TV shows and films. Upon graduation, she landed the coveted leading role in Working Title Films' award-winning feature "Dakota Road," which opened the London Film Festival. 'The London Evening Standard' recognized her work as "a performance of tremendous promise" and 'Variety' hailed the film, "An artistic winner." This break along with other appearances in award-winning British series such as "Inspector Morse", led to a relocation to Los Angeles. Directors such as James Cameron, Danny Boyle & James Keach singled out Charlotte, and consequently she has starred in several award-winning productions, working opposite the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Martin Short, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Alan Howard, Joan Fontaine and Leo McKern.
More recently, Charlotte has primarily worked behind the camera, and was an Executive Producer on the award-winning documentary, 'California Typewriter', featuring interviews with Tom Hanks and Sam Shepard. Premiering at the Telluride Film Festival 2016, and nominated for 3 Critics' Choice Awards, California Typewriter was highly acclaimed by every top critic, and has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Charlotte is also Co-Producer/Writer on the festival winning documentary, Women of the White Buffalo, for which her new banner Westmount Pictures also served as Production Company. Westmount Pictures currently has several boundary-pushing projects in development. In 2009 Charlotte founded www.thenextlevelscript.com a professional screenwriting consultation service responsible for nurturing a new generation of successful TV & screenwriters.- Actress
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Karachi-born Margaret Lockwood, daughter of a British colonial railway clerk, was educated in London and studied to be an actress at the Italia Conti Drama School. Her first moment on stage came at the age of 12, when she played a fairy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1928. She had a bit part in the Drury Lane production of "Cavalcade" in 1932, before completing her training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Her film career began in 1934 with Lorna Doone (1934) and she was already a seasoned performer when Alfred Hitchcock cast her in his thriller, The Lady Vanishes (1938), opposite relative newcomer Michael Redgrave. The film was shot at Islington studios and was "in the can" after just five weeks in 1937 and released the following year. This was her first opportunity to shine, and she gave an intelligent, convincing performance as the inquisitive girl who suspects a conspiracy when an elderly lady (May Whitty) seemingly disappears into thin air during a train journey. Due to the success of the film, Margaret spent some time in Hollywood but was given poor material and soon returned home. Back at Gainsborough, producer Edward Black had planned to pair Lockwood and Redgrave much the same way William Powell and Myrna Loy had been teamed up in the "Thin Man" films in America, but the war intervened and the two were only to appear together in the Carol Reed-directed The Stars Look Down (1940). This was the first of her "bad girl" roles that would effectively redefine her career in the 1940s. In between playing femmes fatales, she had a popular hit in the 1944 melodrama A Lady Surrenders (1944) as a brilliant but fatally ill pianist and was sympathetic enough as a young girl who is possessed by a ghost in A Place of One's Own (1945). However, her best-remembered performances came in two classic Gainsborough period dramas. The first of these, The Man in Grey (1943), co-starring James Mason, was torrid escapist melodrama with Lockwood portraying a treacherous, opportunistic vixen, all the while exuding more sexual allure than was common for films of this period. The enormous popular success of this picture led to her second key role in 1945 (again with Mason) as the cunning and cruel title character of The Wicked Lady (1945), a female Dick Turpin. This was even more daring in its depiction of immorality, and the controversy surrounding the film did no harm at the box office. Some of Lockwood's scenes had to be re-shot for American audiences not accustomed to seeing décolletages. Margaret scored another hit with Bedelia (1946), as a demented serial poisoner, and then played a Gypsy girl accused of murder in the Technicolor romp Jassy (1947).
As her popularity waned in the 1950s she returned to occasional performances on the West End stage and appeared on television, making her greatest impact as a dedicated barrister in the ITV series Justice (1971), which ran from 1971 to 1974.- Actress
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An award winning British Screen and Theatre Actress born in Ipswich, Suffolk First professional acting job at the age of 12 in the New Wolsey Theare Ipswich's production of the Railway Children, playing the role of Phyllis. Studied for three years at Royal Holloway in London and a year in Modern Dance at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Started out in theatre, co-creating her own theatre company, Sweetfa, with fellow actress Frederica Dunstan in 2001. The company put on their own show at the Jermyn St Theatre in London, where Alice first gained representation. Best known for her powerful portrayal of the infamous Livia Drusilla in the HBO smash Rome (2005), also worked with David Cronenberg on _Eastern Promises (2007)_, acting opposite Viggo Mortensen and Vincent Cassel.- Actress
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Claire Goose was born in Edinburgh and lived there 'til she was two and a half. She grew up in Norfolk. Her parents are mother, Joy, and father, David, who is a GP in Kings Lynn and has also looked after the Royals. Claire also has an elder sister, Caroline, a nursery nurse, and an elder brother, Duncan, who works in marketing. At the age of 16, she attended the Italia Conti Stage School. Before making it big in acting, she had previous jobs including a silver service waitress, a story-telling raccoon in a theme park, admin work for the NSPCC and has also done modelling. Claire enjoys clubbing, tarot cards, palm reading and playing poker, she has also been dancing since the age of three. Before her big break in Casualty (1986), she nearly got the role of Tiffany in EastEnders (1985), but was beaten by Martine McCutcheon, and she was also down to the last two for a part in Soldier Soldier (1991).- Lisa Snowdon was born in 1971 in Welwyn Garden City, England. The eldest of three sisters, she moved to London where she worked briefly as a waitress. A graduate of the Italia Conti School of Performing Arts, Lisa was spotted by a model agency at age 19 while in a London nightclub. Since then, she has appeared in fashion publications such as Vogue, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan, as well as numerous men's magazines including Maxim, FHM, Esquire, and GQ. Lisa's also starred in television commercials for Special K, Lynx Deodorant, and Faberge's "Addiction," among others. Her move into the entertainment industry began with a role in Man's Best Friend, a short film produced by Channel 4, which led to Lisa's hosting of MTV UK's Select and the late-night show LA Pool Party. In 2002, her career as a television host received a major boost with appearances on BBC's Top of the Pops (1964), ITV's Lynx Extended Play, and Rock the House (2002) on VH1.
- Born in South London on Sept 5, 1935, to Ernest and Rose Briggs, Johnny had a younger sister, Barbara, who died in 1955 at age 15. As a boy, he sang soprano in a church choir and during World War II he was evacuated to the safety of the English countryside. Back in London he won a scholarship, at age 12, to the Italia Conti Stage Academy. Among his classmates were Nanette Newman and Anthony Newley. A scattering of parts followed in movies, stage plays and TV shows. In 1953 Johnny began two years of service in Germany with the Royal Tank Regiment. He then resumed his acting career.
In 1961 he married Caroline Sinclair and they had two children, Mark and Karen, before divorcing in 1975. In 1975 Johnny married schoolteacher Christine Allsop and they've had four children: Jennifer, Michael, Stephanie, and Anthony. British audiences know him best as 'Mike Baldwin', the part he played on the Coronation Street (1960) TV series for almost 30 years beginning in 1976. American audiences are more likely to remember him as the young sailor who was stripped to the waist and flogged in 1962's Damn the Defiant! (1962)! Though working less frequently these days, Johnny remains an avid golfer. - Actress
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Prior to going to RADA she'd had a small part in 'The Rebel' with Tony Hancock but after the first day she went home in tears as she'd been made up with bright green lips and mud in her hair for her part as an extra sensualist. While she liked making the film and working with Tony she didn't enjoy the part. Just before she left RADA she went to see a producer about a part of a brassy blonde in "Wheel of Fate" (1953). He was pleased with her but said that she needed to see the director for approval and that he was doing a night shoot at Marylebone shunting yards. If she went to see him there and if he approved she'd start filming the next week.. She got to the yard and saw a man 'committing suicide' by jumping onto tracks in front of a train. After shooting the scene, he climbed onto the platform and asked who she was and what she was doing there. She'd already found out he was Bryan Forbes and introduced herself saying that she understood that she might be in the film. He replied that this had been the last night of shooting to which she said that she'd come all the way from Streatham. He said he'd take her home to make sure that she'd be safe, and continued to do so for nearly 60 years. He'd done quite a few films by that time, plus a lot of stage work. They did a play together at the Aldwych Theatre and worked separately until he started to produce and direct, casting her in a number of his films.- Actress
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Bonita Melody Lysette Langford was born on 22 July 1964 in Hampton Court, Surrey. By the age of six she had won Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks (1956) television talent contest and gained membership of Equity. Later she trained at the Arts Educational and Italia Conti stage schools in London. By her early teens she had starred on New York's Broadway ("Gypsy"), on London's West End ("Gone With the Wind") and in television shows (including the Bonnie and Lena (Lena Zavaroni) variety spectaculars). Her biggest success of the mid-1970's came when she played "Elizabeth Bott" in 7 of the 27 episodes of the children's drama series Just William (1977). It was this that helped fix her in the minds of the British public as a precocious child star - an image she found it hard to shed in later years, despite amassing an impressive list of credits as a dancer, singer and actress on stage: "Peter Pan: The Musical"; "Cats" and "The Pirates of Penzance", and on television: Saturday Starship and The Hot Shoe Show (1983). Shorly after her stint as "Mel" in Doctor Who (1963), this typecasting brought about an emotional crisis that caused her to take almost a year's break form her career. By the close of the 1980's she had recovered her health and resumed a hectic schedule of work, which has continued to date. In 1995 she was in the news again when she was married to actor Paul Grunert in Mauritius on 27 September.- Actor
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Darren Kent was born and raised in Essex with a gravelly Cockney accent. He graduated from Italia Conti in 2007. After his college studies, he went on to become a Pontins Bluecoat. He went on to film his first acting role, starring in the 20th-Century-Fox Film 'Mirrors'. He was a keen Writer, Director and Producer but is mainly known for his acting work. Darren won 'Best Actor' Award at the Van D'or Awards Ceremony back in 2012 for the character Danny, in the movie Sunnyboy.- Frankie Fitzgerald is a British actor best known for his roles in Eastenders (Ashley Cotton 2000-2001) and Dream Team (Jason Porter 2006-2007) He has worked extensively in television, film and theatre since his first role in Eastenders, recently completing filming on Legend, the story of notorious British Gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray with Tom Hardy.
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Remarkable, unique, unforgettable Betty Marsden was one of Britain's most talented comedy actresses, best known for her multiple roles in the Kenneth Horne shows on BBC radio in the 1960s.
Betty Marsden was born in Liverpool on 24th February 1919, and appeared at Bath Pavilion aged 11 as the First Fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She made her London debut later that year as the Prince in The Windmill Man (Victoria Palace), a fairy play with music.
Gaining a scholarship for six years to the Italia Conti Stage School, she first acted in the West End in Closing at Sunrise (Royalty, 1935).
Other pre-war West End work came in Basil Dean's production of Autumn (1937), Ivor Novello's Comedienne (1938), and J B Priestley's morality play, Johnson Over Jordan (1939).
During the Second World War she entertained the troops with ENSA, and played in the war-torn West End in the American comedy, Junior Miss (1943). In 1947 she won critical praise as the amorous Mrs Corcoran to Alastair Sim's murderous medico in Dr Angelus and in Sacha Guitry's Don't Listen, Ladies! (1948).
Then came 12 years in intimate revue. She started at the tiny Irving Theatre Club in London in 1950-51 and went to the Edinburgh Festival with After The Show. She was in her element, and in the 1950s spent years at the Royal Court in Laurier Lister's Airs on a Shoestring (1953-55) and its successor From Here and There.
In 1958 she appeared in a revue by John Cranko, Keep Your Hair On, which was so disastrous that the gallery was filled each night by audiences who wanted to take turns at making their own jokes at the expense of the stage action. The plot hinged on a revolution in London. Many scenes were for some reason set in a Mayfair hairdressers; she made a brave attempt at a song called Crowning Glory.
In the 1960s she was at the peak of her career, appearing on BBC radio's Round the Horne which co-starred Kenneth Williams. She delighted millions of listeners who never knew what she looked like, with her radio characters, such as Daphne Whitethigh, the cookery expert, whose delivery owed something to Fanny Craddock. And there was a regular double-act with Hugh Paddick in the Brief Encounter genre. Much of the dialogue in this spoof would be a low-toned, breathy exchange of the remark "Darling".
Her most famous film role is without doubt the oblivious, guffawing character of Harriet Potter, alongside other comedy heroes Terry Scott and Charles Hawtrey in Carry on Camping (1969). They make an exceptional comedy team throughout the film. In her later years, she appeared in character roles on French and Saunders (1987) and Casualty (1986).
Throughout, the filming of Carry on Camping (1969), Miss Marsden suggested to fellow actress Dilys Laye that she wanted to die with a glass of gin in her hand.
In July 1998, 24 hours after moving into a residential home for old actors, this is exactly what happened. Miss Marsden had been chatting to friends in the home's bar when she collapsed and died. She was 79 and had been recovering from a bout of heart problems and pneumonia.- Actress
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Louise was born on 4 November 1974 in Lewisham, London. Her full name is Louise Elizabeth Nurding but, after marrying long-time friend and football star Jamie Redknapp, she took his surname.
Louise started her music career very early after studying at the Italia Conti Stage School. While she was still a teen, she was spotted dancing in a club by her future manager Denis. He was looking for girls to be a part of new girl group. Louise introduced her school friend Kéllé Bryan to Denis and she also got into group. At the same time, Denis met Vernie Bennett, who later called her sister Easther Bennett to join the group, too. Not long after, the group Eternal was born. Eternal was, and still is, the greatest girl group in Europe since 5 Star. While the group was the most successful while Louise was still with them, near the end of 1995 she decided that she wanted to move on. Citing the desire to sing and produce different kinds of music, Louise left Eternal to begin a solo career. Happily, she never had a falling out with her fellow members Kelle, Vernie and Easther, and they are all still good friends today.
It wasn't long before Louise became the most successful female artist in Europe, mostly in the UK. She has had 3 solo-albums thus far and they have all been very successful. Lou was voted the "sexiest woman in world" by the men's magazine FHM and every year still scores high in the FHM charts.
Oddly, the biggest media problem for Louise is that she just isn't very controversial. Intrinsically a good girl, she hasn't had a huge series of boyfriends, seems indifferent to the press and media attention she gets, and is genuinely a nice person! As a result, the only major publicity that she got in the interim period was from the FHM Top 100 Sexiest Women poll and her marriage to the Liverpool footballer Jamie Redknapp.
In a relatively quiet affair on a yacht in Bermuda with friends and family present, they made their vows and their marriage has been as steady as a rock. The only controversy came when some sections of the media claimed that her father-in-law, Harry Redknapp, had said that he thought Louise should spend all her time at home and in the kitchen and not pursuing a career of her own. However this quickly blew over. She has re-entered the music scene with a bang and is starting her Changing Faces tour in early 2002.- Actress
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Claire comes from a small family and was brought up in Liverpool by her mother, Kathleen, and butcher father, Ken along with her brother, Shaun She found school work a little difficult particularly Math but did well in singing and acting. Her first job had nothing to do with acting though as she worked as a butchers assistant in her fathers shop. Claire trained at the Elliott-Clarke Drama School in Liverpool, before winning a place at London's famous Italia Conti stage school in London when she was 18. She was determined to be a singer after she left school and was booked up for a succession of summer seasons and pantos, before landing a brief appearance in Brookside as Lindsey in 1991. It was only a brief appearance (two episodes) and Claire decided she wanted to see the world, so she joined a cruise ship as a singer for four years. After her stint at sea, Claire felt it was time to come home and decided to write the producer of Brookside to see if there was a place for her on the show. It just happened that the day the producer got her letter was the day the production staff were meeting to discuss long term storylines so they decided it was time to bring back Lindsey Corkhill. Claire returned to work at Brookside in 1995.- Sophie Elizabeth Ellis was born on January 19, 1995, in Surrey, England. From a young age she had a love of acting, and trained at the prestigious Italia Conti Theatre School in London for over ten years, after she gained an Acting Scholarship to the School, aged just 5 years old. Her first professional role came when she was ten years old, when she was selected out of hundreds of people to appear in the BBC Television Show "CBBC eXtra". She is best known for Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Les Misérables (2012), and Todd and the Tooth Fairy (2010).
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Alice is a London-born actress and producer with a diverse range of TV credits, including Riches (ITV), Messiah (BBC), Snuff Box (BBC), Banged Up Abroad (ITV), Footballers Wives: Extra Time (ITV), Casualty (BBC), and Push (Fiver). She has received three Best Actress awards for her leading roles in independent feature films, and her short film 'I'm in the corner with the bluebells', which she produced, co-wrote, starred in and edited, debuted at TIFF. She also co-produced and starred with Vinta Morgan in the feature film 'If it be love'.- Actress
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Shelley's career in Japan began serendipitously. Before studying at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, she came to Japan on a modeling contract and never looked back. She's acted in countless movies and television shows in Japan, the U.S. and Canada as well as done extensive modeling and voice acting delivered across the globe.- Actress
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Tricia Walsh's (aka, Tricia Walsh-Smith) father was in the Royal Air Force, so as a child, she traveled the world. In her teens, she went to London and studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Dramatic Arts. She appeared in television situation comedies, The Kenny Everett Show, Constant Hot water, Dick Emery Show, Grange Hill, The Six O'Clock Show, Biggins History of the World and other Bits, and television plays such as the award winning, _The Best Years of Your Life (1986) BBC. As herself she has appeared on Inside Edition, at least fifteen apppearances on ET's The Insider, Extra, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, and Geraldo. Movies include the cult hit, "Terror," (1978). She has also appeared in over five hundred television commercials. Also a playwright, plays include, "Bonkers", which premiered at the Man in the Moon theater, London, with a national UK tour following, and "The Thong". Her play "Addiction's" was to have it's world premiere at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, UK, in 2004 but was mysteriously cancelled. The same happened with her drama, "The Last Journey," set to open at Westport Country Playhouse, May 17th, 2008. It was "postponed," supposedly until the 2009 season. It still hasn't happened. (Could he ex-husband, the Chairman of the powerful Shubert Organization be responsible . . .?) She has recently completed a musical. "Arm Candy," and has performed some of the songs in London nightclubs. Her music will also be heavily featured in Sky 1's seven part documentary, "Pineapple The Dance Studio: Survival of the Fittest," which followed Tricia while she was in London. The series premieres in February 2010.- Actor
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Tyler was born in Greenwich, London. He started of as a child model from the age of 2 upwards and achieved a place at London's famous Italia Conti Academy of Theater Arts in 2007. He started off with his first film called Monsters and Rabbits in 2008 which later came out in 2009. He then spent 2 years in the west-end performing Oliver the musical from 2008-2010. He then got the the part of Albion in Camelot after he had finished Oliver. He was introduced into the industry very young, as his father is a Stuntman. Tyler used to go on set with him and watch his Dad in action. It was then he decided he wanted to be an actor.- Director
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Born in 1942, Michael went full time to the Italia Conti Stage School in Archer Street, London W1 when he was 12. Three months later he gave his first professional performance as an elf and a rainbow child at the Royal Festival Hall. The following year he played the lead Crispian.
As a child/young actor he worked extensively in the theaters, film and television - touring for Carl Clopet, regularly appearing at Bromley Rep and playing leads in many television productions. In his teens he became an ASM and played several roles at the Little Theater - Great Yarmouth.
When Michael was 21 he joined the BBC as an AFM in Drama department and a year later became a Production Assistant. At 23 he took the Directors Course and whilst still on the staff as a PA directed series like The Newcomers (1965), Z Cars (1962) and Doctor Who (1963). After three years of bouncing between PA and Director. Ronald Marsh - head of Serials offered him a years worth of directing work and he became a freelance TV drama director.
A successful career directing popular drama followed, winning him an Emmy for A Tale of Two Cities for which he also wrote the adaptation. After considerable success directing many shows for Gerard Glaister he formed a production company Linked Ring Films and produced and directed the feature, Tangiers (1982).
A single production in the Netherlands led to a stream of work in Amsterdam where he introduced the British methods of making Drama and Situation Comedy. All his productions in Aalsmere won awards including Best Drama.
In order to fulfill a lifetime ambition he set sail in his own yacht and with a camera in one hand and a sextant in the other proceeded to make a circumnavigation in between other directing assignments. The film he shot during the voyage became the very popular series Blue Water Destinations and Blue Water Cruising. He now has his own edit and dubbing facility as well as cameras and sound equipment.- Marco Costa has appeared onstage and on screen in both Portugal and the UK. At the age of 22 he began his formal training in drama, completing his first course at InImpetus, followed by additional drama study at Universidade Moderna, both in Portugal. After completing one year at Universidade Moderna, he successfully auditioned for the role of Joca in Amanhecer, his first TV role. From that point on, he continued to work in TV, film, theater and voice-overs in Portugal, and completed his diploma from Universidade Moderna in 2004. His most notable TV credits include John in Morangos com Açúcar, Carlos in Aqui Não Há Quem Viva, and Bruno in Jura, and on stage as Bernardo in Pijama Para Seis, Afonso in 1755 - O Grande Terramoto, and Peregrino in Amor de Longe, all of which allowed him to work with some of the most established and acclaimed actors in the country. In 2008, he moved to London to start 3-year B.A. course in Drama at Italia Conti. While in London, he appeared onstage as Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible, Bill in Hotel Baltimore, and Mario Batone in They Shoot Horses. Upon graduation from Italia Conti, he returned to Portugal where, in 2012, he starred in the long-running play Hamlet da Silva at Teatro Estudio Mario Viegas. Most recently, he traveled to Dublin and completed filming on the international feature film Collider directed by Jason Butler, which is set to be released in October 2013.
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Early in his career, John was asked by Laurence Olivier to direct the National Theatre Company in the award-winning film of Chekhov's Three Sisters (1970) with Olivier, Joan Plowright and Alan Bates. He then went on to direct Olivier in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1976) and Alec Guinness and Ralph Richardson in Twelfth Night (1970).
His experience as a commissioner and director of drama and drama-documentaries enabled him to work with some of the world's finest actors including Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery and Michael Caine. He has also worked as a director and trainer at several of the UK's leading theatres and institutions including the Young Vic, Guildhall School of Drama, RADA, Shaw Theatre, Italia Conti, London Film School, Edinburgh Festival. For the latter part of his career he established ARTTS Skillcentre, a training facility supporting artists in employment with the film and television industry.- Born in Londonm Stephanie is the daughter of two erstwhile hit-makers, Phil Fearon, of the 1980s band Galaxy, and his wife Dorothy, a member of 1990s chart-toppers Baby D. She began singing at the age of four and her big break came at the age of 16 when she appeared in children's television comedy series 'My Parents Are Aliens'. A year later she enrolled at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, gaining a diploma in musical theatre. In 2010 she was one of the contestants in TV's 'Over the Rainbow' whose aim was to find a girl to play Dorothy in an upcoming revival of 'The Wizard of Oz'. Stephanie came fourth overall but nonetheless landed a role in another West End musical 'Smokey Joe's Cafe'.
- Born on October 7th 1975 in Dartford, Kent, England, UK. Attended The G.Y.P.T. Theatre & The Anna Scher Summer School Courses before attending The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts - graduating with a BA in Acting. Stephen has a passion for movie character acting... Various TV and short Film credits (also many commercials) with his First British Feature Film character part released in 2008, entitled Saxon (2008), where he played Molly - a psycho/unbalanced fishmonger.
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Born and raised in London, Puneet Sira is an award-winning British and Bollywood filmmaker. His production company, The Foundry is actively developing and producing feature films and a slate of highly anticipated original IP premium content for OTT platforms.
His tenure at BBC Films provided the building blocks that launched his extensive career as director, writer and producer. Since then, he's been the Executive Producer of Channel [V] for the Star TV Network. He's produced and directed several dramas for television and feature films including the cult classic I - Proud to Be an Indian (2004), Jai Veeru: Friends Forever (2009) and critically acclaimed Kisaan (2009) for which he received a Best Director honor. Virat Kohli's Super V (2019), a Superhero animation series, directed by Puneet is the highest rated show in the animation bracket in India.
Notably, Puneet's inclination towards the dramatic began when starring as the lead in Arabian Adventure (1979) he got to kill Christopher Lee.- A distinguished stage and film actress Jane Baxter was one of the most glamorous performers on the London stage. Winston Churchill, an ardent fan, once described her as, "that charming lady who grace personifies all that is best in British womanhood". Her stage career spanned half a century and she is best remembered for her role in "Dial M For Murder", in which she co-starred with Michael Redgrave. Redgrave said that she was "every undergraduate's ideal of an English rose".
Born Fedora Kathleen Alice Forde in Germany, she came to London as a child and studied acting at the Italia Conti Stage School. She made her West End debut at the age of 13 in the musical comedy "Love's Prisoner". On the advice of the playwright J.M. Barrie, she changed her name to Jane Baxter and, in 1938, played the lead in the hit comedy "A Damsel in Distress".
Several other West End shows followed as well as films such as We Live Again (1934), with Fredric March and The Clairvoyant (1935), with Claude Rains and, in 1935, she joined the repertory company at the Liverpool Playhouse where the leading actor was Michael Redgrave. He viewed her arrival "with some alarm", expecting "a spoilt and temperamental film star". Instead, he found "a delightful actress". Baxter eventually became godmother to Redgrave's daughter, the future actress Vanessa Redgrave.
She had success again in London in 1937 with "George and Margaret", which ran for two years and, on Broadway, she co-starred with John Gielgud and Margaret Rutherford in "The Importance of Being Earnest", in which she played "Cicely Cardew".
She continued to make films and appear on stage throughout the 1960s and her final London stage role was in John Mortimer's "A Voyage Round My Father", in which she starred opposite Michael Redgrave. Her last stage role was at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley in 1978 in the thriller "Assault", in which she appeared with Richard Todd. In 1992, she made a guest appearance - to a standing ovation - at the London Palladium in "A Tribute to Evelyn Laye". In her will, she requested that there be no memorial service for her but just a gathering of friends at her local church in Wimbledon, South London. Film director Bryan Forbes gave the address. - Melissa Hartzel is a British actor, presenter and on screen beauty expert. A mother of two, Melissa is known for her hilarious performance in Ed Sheeran's 'Antisocial' video, which to date has been viewed on Youtube over 70 million times. Melissa, who trained as an actor at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts put her acting skills to the test when going undercover in the eight part Channel 4 hit series 'Shop Secrets Tricks of the Trade' where she convincingly carried out hidden camera scams on the British public to raise awareness of unscrupulous beauty salons. Melissa continues to work in film and television.
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New York born Tristan Carrasco first appeared in a Ty-D-Bowl commercial as a kid shouting, "Mommy, there's a man in the toilet!" She studied acting at HB Studios and the Actors Studio. Appeared on Broadway and in dozens of commercials in the U.S., Asia and Europe. She studied writing at Columbia University and found her true passion.- Irene Peters trained at The Italia Conti Stage School in London. Since the age of five she has been singing and dancing. As a child she attended The Ivy Travers School of Dancing, and appeared in numerous shows from the ages of five to ten years old. After leaving Italia Conti Irene appeared in numerous TV series and Films in the 1970s. She also continued her singing and also started playing guitar along the lines of folk and country music. Irene also did lots of cabaret, singing pop music of the 1970s/1980s. During this time Irene added an A to her name and became Irena Peters. On landing a part in the US Film 'Games Girls Play' Irene took the name of her character in the film 'Melinda' and became Melinda Tracey. Irene has done numerous stage roles, including the lead role of 'Dorothy' in the stage musical 'The Wizard Of Oz' and appeared in the film 'Pink Floyd, The Wall' in 1981. Irene is married to musician/songwriter Alan Jackson, and on occasion sings with Alan's band. Their son is horror core rapper 'Father Clockwork' who has numerous CDs available. Irene continues to act and is appearing in drama productions around the London area.
- Hilda Campbell-Russell began her acting career as a child at the Italia Conti Stage School in London. She made her debut as an indian brave in Peter Pan (1920) with Gladys Cooper in the title lead.
From there she started in rep, where it was a different play in a different venue every week. It was whilst on tour in Liverpool that she was spotted by a film director from the South African Theatre Company ITVA, who had come from London on the recomendation that he should she her perform. At a 9.00am meeting the following day, Hilda signed a contract, resting the papers on the side of a milk chirn, for a three month tour of South Africa to play the second lead in the touring production of White Heather. The year was 1923.
It was her father, the famous racehorse trainer Campbell Russell, who insisted that she change her name and add his christian name to her own. Long surnames did prove to be a difficult obstacle to overcome when arranging for star billing. Hilda always insisted that it should find a place above the title - it often did. The outdoor type, Hilda enjoyed most sports, but it was horse racing that was her real passion. She and her younger sister Patricia, who also became an actress (working from 1923 - 1939), hit the headlines in 1932 when they became the first two women to play polo. The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Women Conquer Yet Another Field."
Hilda's film debut came later. She had to wait until 1934 before she appeared on celluloid, Java Head with the mysterious Anna May Wong in the lead. A succession of further screen credits followed, thirty-five in all. It was the stage, however, that remained her true passion. She always insisted that there was nothing better than a live audience and so she never persued an active film career. It would be impossible to list all of her stage credits.
In 1968, she played Mrs Bedwin and toured Japan with Oliver!, hence missing out on the chance to play the character on film. Her part was taken by Meg Jenkins. When there wasn't any stage or screen work, Hilda modelled. She was one of the oiriginal models for Burberrys.
During the mid 1950s, she moved into television, and during the early 1970s took a recuring role in the popular British soap opera Crossroads. Her last television appearance of late was her role as Mrs Stevens in the BBC sit-com Waiting For God with Stephanie Cole. 2000, marks her 80th anniversary as an actress. Hilda Campbell-Russell is celebrating this milestone by preparing for a small role in a Hollywood blockbuster which is in production and is currently writing her autobiography, 'A Zest for Living'. - Lance Hilary Kenyon Secretan, was born in Beaconsfield (Amersham), Buckinghamshire, UK. His father was Kenyon Secretan, a prominent scientist, inventor and engineer who headed the BBC's foreign monitoring service and was part of William Stephenson's network (A Man Called Intrepid) during WWII; and Marie-Therese (née Haffenden) Secretan, a concert pianist. Apart from his handful of film credits, he appeared in numerous TV programs and series, radio shows and West End theater productions in London. At the height of his career, he was named the number one child actor in the English-speaking world. Towards the end of his decade-long acting career, he was starring in plays written specially for him by playwright Roger McDougall ("The Man in the White Suit" for which he received a 1952 Academy Award nomination) and "The Mouse That Roared").These plays included "Escapade", "The Facts of Life" (Jonathan) and "Simon and Laura". Lance also played Miles in Henry James' play, "The Turn of the Screw". He attended The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts (formerly The Italia Conti Stage School). Following his acting career, Lance became a business executive, working on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange, becoming the Sales Manager for Office Overload (now Drake International), then the CEO of Manpower Limited, and a business school professor at McMaster University and York University. The books he wrote while an academic became best sellers, and he was soon in demand as a business adviser and this caused him to give up his academic career and found The Secretan Center, Inc., where he has since devoted his life to advising, coaching and mentoring leaders. Lance is widely acknowledged as one of the most insightful and provocative leadership teachers of our time. He is the former CEO of a Fortune 100 company, university professor, award-winning columnist and author of 21 books about leadership emphasizing the connection between high performance and the heart, the mind and the soul, and inspiration and leadership. In 2016 he wrote a memoir, "A Love Story" and in 2018 he published, "The Bellwether Effect". His teachings and writings on conscious leadership, are courageous, radical and ingenious and have been hailed as being among the most original, authentic and effective contributions to leadership thinking available. Individuals, entire organizations, cities and states have experienced remarkable transformations through his unique mentoring, wisdom and approach. Thirty of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, and 15 of Fortune's Best Companies to Work for in America, are his clients. Leadership Excellence ranked him among the top 100 Most Influential Thinkers on Leadership in the World, Global Gurus ranks him as the 4th leading executive coach in the world and Speakers in America ranks him among the Top Five Leadership speakers globally. He was the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games and former Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Program. He is currently the Chair of the Pay it Forward Foundation. His work has been recognized by many institutions, including the prestigious International Caring Award (often referred to as the US equivalent of the Nobel Prize), whose other recipients include Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter and Jane Goodall. He earned a Master's Degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California (magna cum laude), and a Ph. D. from the London School of Economics. He has taught strategy, entrepreneurship and leadership at two leading universities. Lance is a dynamic, thought-provoking and much sought-after keynote speaker, using technology with enormous flair, and igniting audiences with his passion. His work results in reinvigorated work environments all over the world and his presentations result invariably result in standing ovations. An expert skier, mountain-biker and kayaker, Lance and divides his time between his homes in Ontario, Canada and Colorado, USA.
- Michael Maguire was an English actor, who attended Italia Conti Stage school.
He has appeared on the radio and has recorded several jingles, he was also in several famous television productions including one of the first UK childrens' series. He was also in various childrens' films for the Children's Film Foundation, including The Dog & the Diamonds where he played Jimmy. This film was nominated in 1954 for a BAFTA special award. He has appeared in various stage productions, including Enid Blyton's stage production of 'The Famous Five' where he played 'Dick.' During the 1950s he made several records for Decca Records, including one with Caroll Levin. - Actress
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Laura spent her childhood bouncing from country to country. Although native to Amsterdam, she also lived in Portugal and on both coasts in the US, in upstate New York and Seattle. Laura has a BA in Acting from the Italia Conti Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, UK. She also completed studies at RADA, LAMDA, and the Actors Center. Laura resides in NYC.- Director
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Jodi De Souza lives in the United Kingdom and is predominately a film and theatre director. Her work has been shown in cinemas and on prime time TV. She has also worked as producer, choreographer, writer and artist. She held the post of Artistic Director for The Humble Theatre Company Ltd from 2007-2011. Jodi is a graduate of the Italia Conti Academy in London.- Actor
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British leading man who achieved some success in American films, as well. Born in Ireland as the son of a British officer, Todd grew up in Devon and (for a brief time) in India and attended Shrewsbury Public School. His interest in theatre led him to small roles in stock in England and Scotland and three tiny film roles, following which he helped found the Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1939. He served with distinction as a paratrooper in the Second World War and returned to considerably more prominent theatre roles, culminating in the role of "Lachie" in John Patrick's "The Hasty Heart", in which he played in London and then followed Richard Basehart in the Broadway production. He made his first major film appearance in 1948, and the next year was again cast as "Lachie", this time in the film version of The Hasty Heart (1949). His performance, a truly star-making and moving piece of work, earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Actor. He followed it with a role in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), but although he continued to play leading roles, often in quite good films, he never again achieved the prominence and acclaim he had had with The Hasty Heart (1949). He was quite effective in such roles as "Robin Hood" and "Rob Roy", and very touching as "Peter Marshall" in A Man Called Peter (1955). In The Longest Day (1962), he portrayed his own superior officer at the Pegasus Bridge fight, with another actor portraying Todd himself in a recreation of his own experiences. Ultimately, Todd's starring roles dwindled, but he continued as a stalwart character actor, primarily in British films.- Writer
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Noel Coward virtually invented the concept of Englishness for the 20th century. An astounding polymath - dramatist, actor, writer, composer, lyricist, painter, and wit -- he was defined by his Englishness as much as he defined it. He was indeed the first Brit pop star, the first ambassador of "cool Britannia." Even before his 1924 drugs-and-sex scandal of The Vortex, his fans were hanging out of their scarves over the theater balcony, imitating their idol's dress and repeating each "Noelism" with glee. Born in suburban Teddington on 16 December 1899, Coward was on stage by the age of six, and writing his first drama ten years later. A visit to New York in 1921 infused him with the pace of Broadway shows, and he injected its speed into staid British drama and music to create a high-octane rush for the jazz-mad, dance-crazy 1920s. Coward's style was imitated everywhere, as otherwise quite normal Englishmen donned dressing gowns, stuck cigarettes in long holders and called each other "dahling"; his revues propagated the message, with songs sentimental ("A Room With A View," "I'll See You Again") and satirical ("Mad Dogs and Englishmen," "Don't Put Your Daughter On the Stage, Mrs. Worthington"). His between-the-wars celebrity reached a peak in 1930 with "Private Lives," by which time he had become the highest earning author in the western world. With the onset of World War II he redefined the spirit of the country in films such as This Happy Breed (1944), In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945) and, perhaps most memorably, Brief Encounter (1945). In the postwar period, Coward, the aging Bright Young Thing, seemed outmoded by the Angry Young Men, but, like any modern pop star, he reinvented himself, this time as a hip cabaret singer: "Las Vegas, Flipping, Shouts "More!" as Noel Coward Wows 'Em in Cafe Turn" enthused Variety. By the 1960s, his reappraisal was complete -- "Dad's Renaissance", called it -- and his "Hay Fever" was the first work by a living author to be produced at the National Theatre. He was knighted -- at last -- in 1970, and died in his beloved Jamaica on 26 March 1973. Since his death, his reputation has grown. There is never a point at which his plays are not being performed, or his songs being sung. A playwright, director, actor, songwriter, filmmaker, novelist, wit . . . was there nothing this man couldn't do? Born into a musical family he was soon treading the boards in various music hall shows where he met a young girl called Gertrude Lawrence, a friendship and working partnership that lasted until her death. His early writings were mainly short songs and sketches for the revue shows popular in the 1920s, but even his early works often contained touches of the genius to come ("Parisian Pierrot" 1923). He went on to write and star (with Gertie) in his own revues, but the whiff of scandal was never far away, such as that from the drug addict portrayed in "The Vortex." Despite his obvious homosexual lifestyle he was taken to the hearts of the people and soon grew into one of the most popular writer/performers of his time.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
With over three decades in film, theatre and television, Sadie Frost is producer, actor, fashion designer and author, starring in such films as Bram Stoker's Dracula, TV dramas such as Uprising, and working with directors including Francis Ford Coppola and Paul W.S Anderson. In 1999, Frost set up production company Natural Nylon with fellow actors Jude Law, Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller, which went on to produce the science fiction/horror feature 'eXistenZ' in 1999, followed by 'Nora'. Frost then went on to co-produce the Angelina Jolie and Gwenyth Paltrow starrer Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Frost then set up her own fashion label Frost French, on which she worked extensively throughout the 2000s.
In 2012, Frost co-founded the production company Blonde to Black Pictures with producer and long-term friend Emma Comley. Dedicated to developing challenging and quality films, whilst also nurture exciting new talent, the pair regularly work with debut feature directors including Ben Charles Edwards for Set the Thames on Fire and Tom Beard's Two for Joy.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Tracey Ullman (born Trace Ullman) is a multiple award-winning television, stage and film actress who performs as a comedian, singer, dancer, as well as works as a screenwriter, producer, director, author, and businesswoman. She holds dual British and American citizenship.
Ullman's early appearances were on British television sketch comedy shows A Kick Up the Eighties (with Rik Mayall and Miriam Margolyes) and Three of a Kind (with Lenny Henry and David Copperfield). After a brief singing career, she appeared as Candice Valentine in Girls on Top with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
She emigrated from the United Kingdom to the United States where she starred in her own network television comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show, from 1987 until 1990. She later produced programmes for HBO, including Tracey Takes On... (1996-99), for which she garnered numerous awards. Ullman's sketch comedy series, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union, ran from 2008 to 2010 on Showtime. She has also appeared in several feature films. Ullman was the first British woman to be offered her own television sketch show in both the United Kingdom and the United States and in 2016 stars in her own BBC sketch comedy show Tracey Ullman's Show, her first project for the broadcaster in over thirty years.- Emily Lloyd was born on 29 September 1970 in Islington, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Wish You Were Here (1987), A River Runs Through It (1992) and Riverworld (2003).
- Producer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Sharon Osbourne was born on 9 October 1952 in Brixton, London, England, UK. She is a producer and actress, known for It's a Boy Girl Thing (2006), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006). She has been married to Ozzy Osbourne since 4 July 1982. They have three children.- Actor
- Producer
In Britain, special Christmas plays called pantomimes are produced for children. Jack Hawkins made his London theatrical debut at age 12, playing the elf king in "Where The Rainbow Ends". At 17, he got the lead role of St. George in the same play. At 18, he made his debut on Broadway in "Journey's End". At 21, he was back in London playing a young lover in "Autumn Crocus". He married his leading lady, Jessica Tandy. That year he also played his first real film role in the 1931 sound version of Alfred Hitchcock's The Phantom Fiend (1932). During the 30s, he took his roles in plays more seriously than the films he made. In 1940, Jessica accepted a role in America and Jack volunteered to serve in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He spent most of his military career arranging entertainment for the British forces in India. One of the actresses who came out to India was Doreen Lawrence who became his second wife after the war. Alexander Korda advised Jack to go into films and offered him a three-year contract. In his autobiography, Jack recalled: "Eight years later I was voted the number one box office draw of 1954. I was even credited with irresistible sex appeal, which is another quality I had not imagined I possessed." A late 1940s film, The Black Rose (1950), where he played a secondary role to Tyrone Power, would be one of his most fortunate choices of roles. The director was Henry Hathaway who Jack said was "probably the most feared, yet respected director in America, for he had a sharp tongue and fired people at the drop of a hat. Years later, after my operation when I lost my voice, he went out of his way to help me get back into films. What I did not know was that during the filming of 'The Black Rose' he was himself suffering from cancer." In the 1950s came the film that made Hawkins a star, The Cruel Sea (1953). Suffering from life-long, real-life seasickness, he played the captain of the Compass Rose. After surgery for throat cancer in 1966, requiring the removal of his larynx, Jack continued to make films. He mimed his lines and the voice was dubbed by either Charles Gray or Robert Rietty. His motto during those last years came from Milton's "Comus", a verse play in which he acted early in his career in Regent's Park. The lines: "Yet where an equal poise of hope and fear does arbitrate the event, my nature is that I incline to hope, rather than to fear."- Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Derek Hough was born on 17 May 1985 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Dancing with the Stars (2005), Hairspray Live! (2016) and Nashville (2012). He has been married to Hayley Erbert since 26 August 2023.- Charlotte Milchard was born on 13 December 1977 in Barking, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Fourth Kind (2009), Scott and Sid (2021) and Giddy Stratospheres (2021).
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Casting Department
Nichola Fynn is known for American Housewife (2016), Hot in Cleveland (2010) and Transparent (2014).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ashley Lilley was born on 29 January 1986 in Rothesay, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Mamma Mia! (2008), Letters to Juliet (2010) and Cat Eats Dog (2009).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Anton Rodgers was born on 10 January 1933 in Ealing, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and The Fourth Protocol (1987). He was married to Elizabeth Garvie and Morna Watson. He died on 1 December 2007 in Reading, Berkshire, England, UK.- Producer
- Actor
- Director
One of the most popular child actors in film history, Child superstar Freddie Bartholomew was born Frederick Cecil Bartholomew in Harlesden, London, the son of Lilian May (Clarke) and Cecil Llewellyn Bartholomew. From age three, he grew up in the town of Warminster under the care of his father's unmarried sister Millicent. A precocious lad, Freddie was reciting and performing on stage at three years of age, and was soon singing and dancing as well. By age six he had appeared in his first movie, a short called Toyland (1930). Three other British film appearances and the recommendation of his teacher Italia Conti led him to be cast in the MGM film David Copperfield (1935), as the title character, resulting in a seven-year MGM contract and a move to Hollywood with his aunt. The illustrious, star-studded and highly successful David Copperfield (1935) made Freddie an overnight sensation, and he went on to star in a succession of high-quality films through 1937, including Anna Karenina (1935); Professional Soldier (1935); the riveting Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936); Lloyd's of London (1936); The Devil Is a Sissy (1936); and Freddie's biggest success, Captains Courageous (1937), opposite Spencer Tracy.
Following the success of Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936), Freddie's birth parents, who were strangers to him, stepped in and attempted for seven years to gain custody of him and his fortune. His aunt Millicent attempted to offset these legal expenses and payouts by demanding a raise in Freddie's MGM salary in 1937. Another slew of court cases ensued, this time over the MGM contract, and Freddie missed a critical year's work and some golden film opportunities. By the time he resumed acting work in 1938, he was well into his teens, and audiences grew less interested in literary period pieces as World War II erupted in Europe. Following Kidnapped (1938), many of his ten remaining films through 1942 were knock-offs or juvenile military films, and only two were for MGM. The best of the films after Kidnapped (1938) were Swiss Family Robinson (1940), Lord Jeff (1938), Listen, Darling (1938), and Tom Brown's School Days (1940). His salary soared to $2,500 a week making him filmdom's highest paid child star after Shirley Temple.
In 1943, Freddie enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for a year to work in aircraft maintenance, exiting with both a back injury and American citizenship.
The additional time away from the screen had not done him any favors, though, and efforts to revive his career on film were unsuccessful. His efforts performing in regional theaters and vaudeville did not spark a comeback either. Aunt Millicent left for England when Freddie married publicist Maely Daniele in 1946 against her wishes. Freddie toured a few months in Australia doing nightclub singing and piano, but when he returned to the U.S. in 1949 he switched to television, making a gradual move from performer to host to director, at New York station WPIX. In 1954, re-married to TV cookbook author Aileen Paul, he moved to Benton & Bowles advertising agency, as a television director and producer. He remarked at the time that the millions he had earned as a child had been spent mostly on lawsuits, many of which involved headline court battles between his parents and his aunt for custody of young Freddie and his money. "I was drained dry," he said.
He became vice president of television programming in 1964, directing and producing several prominent long-running soap operas. Bartholomew retired due to emphysema by the late 1980s, and eventually moved with his third wife Elizabeth to Florida, where he died in 1992, but not before being filmed in several lovely interview segments for the lengthy 1992 documentary, MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992).- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Vanessa is a screenwriter, RTS-nominated actor, and award-winning filmmaker. Originally from Manchester, Vanessa has spent over 20 years starring in some of the UK's most popular TV dramas such as Waterloo Road, Heartbeat and Coronation Street.
In 2019, Vanessa turned her hand to writing and has written and directed two short films, both going on to screen internationally at BAFTA, BIFA and Academy-qualifying festivals. Both films are being developed as features.
In 2021, Vanessa was selected to participate in Channel 4's 4Screenwriting mentorship scheme after her comedy pilot Unlucky, about a 6ft, wish-granting leprechaun was chosen out of nearly 4000 submissions. She was mentored by Beth Ainsley from Hillbilly Film & TV. In 2023 Unlucky was picked up by SISTER Pictures - Northern Sister, led by Creative Director Lucy Dyke (BLACK MIRROR, THE SPLIT).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Brian Aherne was an Oscar-nominated Anglo-American stage and screen actor who was one of the top cinema character actors in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Born on May 2, 1902, in Kings Norton, Worcestershire, England, Aherne performed as an actor as a child. At age 18, he made his debut as an adult with the company that would evolve into the world-famous Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Three years later, he made his debut in London's West End, the English equivalent of Broadway. After his experience in Birmingham, Aherne studied architecture, but a life as an actor was too strong to resist, so he returned to the theater in 1923. For the next eight years, he toured the provinces and appeared in the West End in various productions. In 1931, he made his Broadway debut playing Robert Browning in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street." He alternated between the New York and London stage in the early 1930s. Aherne made his movie debut in 1924, and in the mid-1930s, he moved to Hollywood. In 1940, he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for Juarez (1939) for playing the Emperor Maximilian. Brian Aherne published his autobiography in 1969, and 10 years later, he published a biography of his friend George Sanders, entitled "A Dreadful Man." He died at age 83 of heart failure on February 10, 1986, in Venice, Florida.- Nina Toussaint-White is an English actress. Toussaint-White was raised in Plumstead, south east London, Toussaint-White was educated at Plumstead Manor School and Negus Sixth Form Centre, and subsequently trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Clapham, on their three-year B.A. acting course. She made her professional debut in a 2007 episode of Casualty, followed by an appearance in The Bill, a year later.
- Zaraah Abrahams was born on 7 January 1987 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Payback Season (2012), Coronation Street (1960) and Waterloo Road (2006).
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Congenial character actor whose best film roles came in two vastly different films in 1971 and 1972 - Richard Burton's Villain (1971) and Spike Milligan's Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973). With his down-to earth, friendly London voice he'd been a regular on television for years by this stage, appearing in a roll-call of British TV series since his debut in No Hiding Place in 1964. The Avengers, Department S and Catweazle followed before 1972.
If his film career didn't exactly scale the heights, he can still boast to having appeared in Alfie (1966), Superman (1978) and debuting in the odd charmer, An Alligator Named Daisy. Television has been his more natural home, he headlined Get Some In (1975) had a main part in Love Hurts (1992-94) and appeared most recently in Burnside (2000).
Perhaps his greatest contribution has been in guest appearances where his charisma, which can be menacing when he chooses, has seen him pop up in - Minder, Dr Who, Casualty, Lovejoy, Holby City, The Bill and Eastenders to name but a few.- Lucy Speed was born on 31 August 1976 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Bill (1984) and EastEnders (1985). She has been married to Spencer Austin since 12 September 2009. They have two children.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Justin McDonald is an award winning actor, writer and producer originally from Tyneside in the north east of England. He received a scholarship to attend Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where he gained a BA in Acting. He went on to complete his studies early to play a series lead in the prime-time ITV drama 'Distant Shores'.
Since then, McDonald has continued to work as an actor in film, television, theatre and radio. His screen work has seen him playing leading roles in many acclaimed television productions and feature films. In 2023 he won a prestigious Royal Television Society Award for best actor in a drama performance for his work on BFI film 'FIST'.- Actor
- Music Department
Matthew Kelly was born on 9 May 1950 in Urmston, Manchester, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Cold Blood (2005), Bleak House (2005) and Marple (2004).- Joe Tracini was born on 19 July 1988 in London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Hollyoaks (1995), The Dengineers (2015) and Coming of Age (2007).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Margaret Lee was born on 4 August 1943 in Wolverhampton, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Secret Agent Super Dragon (1966), From the Orient with Fury (1965) and The Violent Four (1968). She was married to Walter Creighton, Gino Malerba and Patrick Anderson. She died on 24 April 2024 in Gloucester, South West England, United Kingdom.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Letitia Dean was born on 14 November 1967 in Wild Hill, near Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for England, My England (1995), EastEnders (1985) and Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993). She was previously married to Jason Pethers.- Jack Watling was born on 13 January 1923 in Chingford, Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Night to Remember (1958), The Winslow Boy (1948) and Paradise Lagoon (1957). He was married to Patricia Hicks. He died on 22 May 2001 in Chelmsford, Essex, England, UK.
- Victoria Longley was born on 28 October 1988 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Genie in the House (2006), WPC 56 (2013) and White Van Man (2011).
- Matt Lapinskas was born on 27 February 1989 in Surrey, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Red Devil (2019), A Tale to Tell (2020) and Dream Hacker.
- Actress
- Producer
Leila Birch is an actress and producer, known for Marvel's Iron Man VR (2020), Harley Quinn (2019) and EastEnders (1985).- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Good-natured British actor Jimmy Hanley was groomed by the Rank Studio system during his teen years and earned stardom as the "boy next door" type in exuberant musicals and likeable comedies. He married actress Dinah Sheridan in 1942 and they appeared together in a number of featherweight war-era films, including Salute John Citizen (1942) and For You Alone (1945). When Jimmy grew up he tried everything from Henry V (1944) with Laurence Olivier to The Huggetts film series. But radio and TV were his forte and it was those two mediums which revived his star in the late 50s, becoming a familiar face on a number of TV series, notably "Jim's Inn" co-starring second wife Maggie Hanley, which ran from 1957-1963. Jimmy died of cancer in 1970.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Wulan Lorraine Guritno was born in London, England. She is an Indonesian actress.
She began her career as a presenter in the Italian League Highlights on RCTI television station, which later became the Lega Calcio. A year later, during World Cup 2002, she hosted World Cup-Tainment on RCTI television station in Indonesia. She became the presenter of Euro 2004 on the same television station.
Besides being a presenter, Wulan is also an actress in sitcoms and feature films. She co-starred in the film Gie and Promise Joni. She starred in several soap operas including Prohibited never fall Love, Lured, Love, and Two Hearts Converge.
Wulan has also been a film director. From her hands, Wulan spawned her first indie film, entitled Midwives man (Bidan lelaki).- Tony Adams was born on 11 December 1940 in Anglesey, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Crossroads (2001) and Crossroads (1964).
- Natacza Boon was born in Oxford, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Æon Flux (2005) and School of Silence (2009).
- Linda Davidson was born on 18 June 1964 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), First of the Summer Wine (1988) and Casualty (1986).
- Sam Attwater was born on 10 April 1986 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for EastEnders (1985), EastEnders: E20 (2010) and In the Cloud (2018). He has been married to Vicky Ogden since 26 August 2014. They have two children.
- Katy Newell was born on 28 July 1965 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Shine on Harvey Moon (1982), Treasures of the Mindlord (1986) and Mob Handed (2016).
- Actress
- Producer
Deltha McLeod was born in 1968. She is an actress and producer, known for Cold Call (2011), R.H.I.N.O.; Really Here in Name Only (1983) and Bazaar (1987).- Actor
- Music Department
Children from the Italia Conti School is known for Mamma Mia! (2008), Burke & Hare (1972) and Quincy's Quest (1979).- Actor
- Producer
- Art Department
- Elaine Cree is known for Sea of Souls (2004), The Key (2003) and Young, Beautiful and Screwed Up (2003).
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Richard Wright-Firth is a British actor, director, voice-over artist and dialogue coach, born in Norwich, England.
He moved to Botswana at the age of 12 and completed high school in Gaborone, before returning to England, where he graduated with a first class degree from The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London in 2002.
Upon graduating, Richard joined the BBC's Radio Drama Company, having been awarded a contract as part of winning the 2002 Carleton Hobbs Award. After leaving the Radio Drama Company he continued to work as a freelance actor for the BBC Radio Department, completing over thirty radio plays. Notable work included voicing Pantalaimon in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, William in Mansfield Park with David Tennant and Benedict Cumberbatch, Ansel in 3 series of Snap for BBC Scotland, Mick Walker in David Copperfield and Thomas Gradgrind in Hard Times.
Alongside his work at the BBC, Richard returned to Italia Conti as their Head of Radio and Recorded Voice, and director of final year radio drama productions.
Richard is also an accomplished theatre performer with over twenty productions under his belt, in various theatres across the UK. These include Cassius in Julius Caesar, Eilif in Mother Courage and her Children, Mech and Mjurk in Baal, The Reverend Eli Jenkins in Under Milk Wood, Wilson in Joe Orton's Ruffian on the Stair and Robert Syverton in They Shoot Horses Don't They at the Landor Theatre, London.
Richard trained in rapier and dagger, single dagger, broadsword and shield as well as unarmed combat with the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat and was fight coordinator on Macbeth at the Teatro Technis.
He was a member of To Be Frank, an improvisation and devising company in Liverpool for two years, headed by director and actor, Tina Malone of Shameless fame.
In 2008 he moved to Cape Town, South Africa.
His TV and film credits include Muldoon in Starz Original series, Black Sails, Dave in Slumber Party Massacre, Maskey in Resident Evil on Netflix, Callum in Warrior, Petty Officer Ukkari in One Piece, Pinkerton in Lincoln on the History Channel, Saints and Strangers, Modder and Bloed (Blood and Glory), SAF3 and The Sinking of the Laconia, as well as several short films.
He has featured in a number of commercials, including Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, MTN, KitKat, Euromillions, First National Bank, B&Q, Crown Royal Whiskey, Walker's Crisps and New York Pizza.
Richard has narrated several film documentaries, including the 2010 World Cup Megastructures and Cruise Ship Diaries 2 for National Geographic, The Secret Life of the Circler and Chameleons of the World for the Natural History Unit Africa and Birdmen Racing for Discovery. His commercial voice over credits include, Carling Black Label, Volkswagen, J&B Met, Design Indaba, Cape Town Tourism, American Express, Rimmel, Audi and MWEB. Richard also does voice dubbing for foreign films, voices training manuals for the hotel industry and audio books.
He is a dialogue and accent coach for stage and screen, specialising in British dialects. Credits include Vagrant Queen for SyFy and Noughts and Crosses for BBC drama.
He has worked as a freelance director on several South African theatre productions including the critically acclaimed Understudy Blues, Court and Sasolburg Common Birds of South Africa for Canned Rice Productions, a creative enterprise with South African actress, Candice van Litsenborgh.- Actress
- Producer
Leslie started working at the age of 4 appearing in a television commercial for Fairy Washing up liquid with the line ' Mummy why are your hands so soft?' She switched from modeling to acting after being offered a part in the film 'Quadrophenia'. She is to married actor Lee Chapman and has two sons Joseph born 1990 and Max born 1993. Her sister is former 'Hot Gossip' dancer Debbie Ash. They appeared together as sisters in Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse.- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Jill Viola Gascoine was born in Lambeth, London, on April 11 1937. She was educated at Tiffin's Girls School (by her own account, a traumatic experience) and later studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts in London. She began her career as a fifteen-year old chorine in pantomime and spent a decade-long apprenticeship singing and dancing in revues and musicals. Married at 28, her first husband was a compulsive gambler who also resented her ambition of becoming an actress and abandoned her and her two children some time during the late 60s. Having to support her family on a single income, Gascoine found work in Glasgow cabaret as a singer and dancer. She was eventually able to get into acting with a repertory company in Dundee and from there (with the aid of theatrical agent Marina Martin) landed parts in popular television dramas including Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962), Dixon of Dock Green (1955), Softly Softly: Task Force (1969) and Raffles (1975).
Her first recurring TV role was as Letty, the prim, philanthropically-minded wife of taciturn sea captain James Onedin (Peter Gilmore) in The Onedin Line (1971). However, she ultimately became best-known for her role as the emancipated, forthright DI Maggie Forbes in the ITV series The Gentle Touch (1980), the very first British police drama featuring a female (senior) police officer. The concept may well have been inspired by the earlier American series Police Woman (1974). Publicity claimed that London 'bobbies' wrote to the producers of Gentle Touch, attesting to its authenticity (interesting footnote: the reason why there was never any footage of Maggie actually driving a car was that Gascoine had never learned to drive). There was a later, more action-oriented spin-off, entitled C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985) (akin to a British Charlie's Angels (1976)), with Maggie turned private eye.
In addition to her television work, the actress also performed on the West End stage, including a starring role as Dorothy Brock in a 1987 revival of the musical 42nd Street at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Her younger co-star (as Peggy Sawyer) was Catherine Zeta-Jones. In 1986, Gascoine married fellow London-born actor Alfred Molina and in the 90s made her home in Los Angeles, though she returned to the U.K. on a number of occasions. As her screen work began to wind down, she turned to writing, publishing a trio of novels, respectively, in 1995, 1995 and 1997. Gascoine made an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, whereupon she announced her retirement from acting. Five years later, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. She died at a Los Angeles care facility on 28 April 2020 at the age of 83.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Michael Medwin was born on 18 July 1923 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for Never Say Never Again (1983), The Duchess (2008) and Scrooge (1970). He was married to Sunny Sheila Back. He died on 26 February 2020 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK.- Lance Aston was born on 5 April 1957 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Apple (1980), Doctor at Sea (1974) and Carrott Confidential (1987).
- Michael Duke is known for Hitmanforhire.net.
- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Jill Viola Gascoine was born in Lambeth, London, on April 11 1937. She was educated at Tiffin's Girls School (by her own account, a traumatic experience) and later studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts in London. She began her career as a fifteen-year old chorine in pantomime and spent a decade-long apprenticeship singing and dancing in revues and musicals. Married at 28, her first husband was a compulsive gambler who also resented her ambition of becoming an actress and abandoned her and her two children some time during the late 60s. Having to support her family on a single income, Gascoine found work in Glasgow cabaret as a singer and dancer. She was eventually able to get into acting with a repertory company in Dundee and from there (with the aid of theatrical agent Marina Martin) landed parts in popular television dramas including Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962), Dixon of Dock Green (1955), Softly Softly: Task Force (1969) and Raffles (1975).
Her first recurring TV role was as Letty, the prim, philanthropically-minded wife of taciturn sea captain James Onedin (Peter Gilmore) in The Onedin Line (1971). However, she ultimately became best-known for her role as the emancipated, forthright DI Maggie Forbes in the ITV series The Gentle Touch (1980), the very first British police drama featuring a female (senior) police officer. The concept may well have been inspired by the earlier American series Police Woman (1974). Publicity claimed that London 'bobbies' wrote to the producers of Gentle Touch, attesting to its authenticity (interesting footnote: the reason why there was never any footage of Maggie actually driving a car was that Gascoine had never learned to drive). There was a later, more action-oriented spin-off, entitled C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985) (akin to a British Charlie's Angels (1976)), with Maggie turned private eye.
In addition to her television work, the actress also performed on the West End stage, including a starring role as Dorothy Brock in a 1987 revival of the musical 42nd Street at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Her younger co-star (as Peggy Sawyer) was Catherine Zeta-Jones. In 1986, Gascoine married fellow London-born actor Alfred Molina and in the 90s made her home in Los Angeles, though she returned to the U.K. on a number of occasions. As her screen work began to wind down, she turned to writing, publishing a trio of novels, respectively, in 1995, 1995 and 1997. Gascoine made an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, whereupon she announced her retirement from acting. Five years later, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. She died at a Los Angeles care facility on 28 April 2020 at the age of 83.- Peter Ash was born on 4 February 1985 in Moston, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Coronation Street (1960), Footballers' Wives (2002) and Casualty (1986).
- Annette Atkins is known for Tropical Heat (1991).
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Peter Duncan was born on 8 September 1964 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is a writer and producer, known for Rake (2010), Unfinished Sky (2007) and Children of the Revolution (1996).