LB
Lynda Bellingham
Actor
Died October 19, 2014 (66 years)
Lynda Bellingham played many roles during her five-decade professional career, but became synonymous with one. "Being a mum making gravy was not quite how I had seen my career advancing," she said once. But between 1983 and 1999 that's what she did in 42 "episodes" of an award-winning TV ad. Since the early 1980s, her name was rarely mentioned in print without it being prefaced with "Oxo mum".
During her career, though, she starred on TV as the vet's wife Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small in the 80s and as one of two divorcees trying to forge a relationship in the 90s sitcom Second Thoughts, opposite James Bolam. On stage she was best known for playing the lead in a touring production of Calendar Girls between 2008 and 2012. She was also, for four years between 2007 and 2011, a regular member of the team on Loose Women, the daytime TV chat show. She had few regrets about how her career turned out, summarising its trajectory thus on her website: "Arrived in London at the Central School [for Speech and Drama] in 1966 and never looked back. I had a ball!"
Bellingham, though, knew that gravy, like Lady Macbeth's damned spot, left an indelible mark. "In many ways I was very proud of what we did, but there is no doubt that my credibility as an actress was knocked," she reflected. "Certain people in the industry would never employ me as a serious actress after it. On the other hand, it gave me the financial security to go off and work in the theatre for very little money." Her performances as Mrs Oxo were reportedly responsible for a 10% increase in stock cube sales.
During her career, though, she starred on TV as the vet's wife Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small in the 80s and as one of two divorcees trying to forge a relationship in the 90s sitcom Second Thoughts, opposite James Bolam. On stage she was best known for playing the lead in a touring production of Calendar Girls between 2008 and 2012. She was also, for four years between 2007 and 2011, a regular member of the team on Loose Women, the daytime TV chat show. She had few regrets about how her career turned out, summarising its trajectory thus on her website: "Arrived in London at the Central School [for Speech and Drama] in 1966 and never looked back. I had a ball!"
Bellingham, though, knew that gravy, like Lady Macbeth's damned spot, left an indelible mark. "In many ways I was very proud of what we did, but there is no doubt that my credibility as an actress was knocked," she reflected. "Certain people in the industry would never employ me as a serious actress after it. On the other hand, it gave me the financial security to go off and work in the theatre for very little money." Her performances as Mrs Oxo were reportedly responsible for a 10% increase in stock cube sales.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Filmography
| 2009 | Mister Eleven (TV Series) · as Shirley |
| 2008 | Trials and Tribulations · as The Inquisitor |
| 2008 | The Making of the Trial of a Time Lord: Part One - Mysterious Planet · as The Inquisitor |
| 2008 | All Star Mr & Mrs (TV Series) |
| 2007 | Bonkers (2007) (TV Series) |
| 2006 | Robin Hood (TV Series) |
| 2005 | Love Soup (TV Series) · as Matilda |
| 2004 | Devil's Gate · as Marlene |
| 2004 | The All Star Comedy Show · as Various Roles |
| 2004 | Murder in Suburbia (TV Series) · as Milly Goodman |
| 2003 | Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairy Tale · as Landlady |
| 2003 | Celebrity Naked Ambition · as Cast |
| 2003 | The Last Detective (TV Series) |
| 2003 | New Tricks (TV Series) |
| 2001 | My Uncle Silas (TV Series) · as Mrs. Gadsby |
| 2001 | Bodywork · as Poppy Fields |
| 2000 | Waking the Dead (TV Series) · as Mary Mantel |
| 2000 | The Romanovs: An Imperial Family · as Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna |
| 2000 | The 100 Greatest TV Ads · as Oxo Mum |
| 2000 | At Home with the Braithwaites (TV Series) · as Pauline Farnell |
| 1999 | Don't Go Breaking My Heart · as Maxine |
| 1999 | Holby City (TV Series) · as Caitlin Lucas |
| 1998 | |
| 1998 | The Scarlet Tunic · as Emily Marlowe |
| 1997 | Midsomer Murders (TV Series) · as Jane Willows |
| 1996 | Dalziel and Pascoe (TV Series) |
| 1995 | Faith in the Future (TV Series) |
| 1995 | Julia Jekyll and Harriet Hyde (TV Series) · as Aunt Cassandra |
| 1994 | Martin Chuzzlewit (TV Series) · as Mrs. Lupin |
| 1994 | Doctor Who: The Colin Baker Years · as The Inquisitor |
| 1991 | Second Thoughts (TV Series) · as Faith |
| 1987 | Filthy Rich & Catflap (TV Series) · as Ms Tomkins |
| 1986 | Casualty (TV Series) · as Steph Yates |
| 1984 | Screen Two (TV Series) · as Mary Morris |
| 1984 | The Bill (TV Series) · as Irene Radford |
| 1982 | Marmalade Atkins (TV Series) · as Registrar |
| 1982 | Murphy's Mob (TV Series) · as Elaine Murphy |
| 1981 | Riding High · as Miss Mott |
| 1980 | Funny Man (TV Series) · as Gwen |
| 1980 | The Gentle Touch (TV Series) |
| 1979 | Shoestring (TV Series) |
| 1978 | Hazell (TV Series) |
| 1978 | All Creatures Great and Small (TV Series) · as Helen Herriot |
| 1978 | Blake's 7 (TV Series) · as Vena |
| 1977 | The Professionals (TV Series) · as Betty Hope |
| 1977 | Don't Forget to Write (TV Series) · as Angela |
| 1977 | Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers · as Valerie |
| 1977 | Sweeney! · as Janice Wyatt |
| 1976 | Confessions of a Driving Instructor · as Mary Truscott |
| 1976 | Yus, My Dear (TV Series) · as Carol |
| 1975 | Angels (TV Series) |
| 1975 | The Sweeney (TV Series) · as Nancy King |
| 1974 | Within These Walls (TV Series) |
| 1973 | Billy Liar (TV Series) · as Alison |
| 1972 | Whodunnit? (UK) (TV Series) · as Suzy Booth |
| 1971 | The Fenn Street Gang (TV Series) · as Liza |
| 1970 | A Family At War (TV Series) · as Chrissie |
| 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Nurse Mary Tiller |
| 1965 | Jackanory (TV Series) · as Storyteller |
| 1963 | Doctor Who (TV Series) · as The Inquisitor |
| 1962 | Z Cars (TV Series) |