Lynda Bellingham
Biography
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.
Known For
All Movies (20)
- Too Close for Comfort2012 · as Mum
- Devil's Gate2004 · as Marlene
- The Long Bank Holiday2004 · as Councillor Marjorie Balsam
- Celebrity Naked Ambition2003 · as Self (archive footage)
- Bodywork2001 · as Poppy Fields
- The Romanovs: A Crowned Family2000 · as Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna
- Don't Go Breaking My Heart1999 · as Maxine
- Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh1998
- The Scarlet Tunic1998 · as Emily Marlowe
- An Audience with Ronnie Corbett1997
- The Vision1987 · as Mary Morris
- Doctor Who: The Ultimate Foe1986 · as The Inquisitor
- Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids1986 · as The Inquisitor
- Doctor Who: Mindwarp1986 · as The Inquisitor
- Doctor Who: The Mysterious Planet1986 · as The Inquisitor
- Riding High1981 · as Miss Mott
- The Waterloo Bridge Handicap1978 · as Likely Lady (Miss Beamish)
- Stand up, Virgin Soldiers1977 · as Valerie
- Sweeney!1977 · as Janice Wyatt
- Confessions of a Driving Instructor1976 · as Mary Truscott
All TV Shows (41)
- Odd One In2010
- Mister Eleven2009 · as Shirley
- All Star Mr & Mrs2008
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show2007 · as Self
- Bonkers2007
- Robin Hood2006
- Murder in Suburbia2004 · as Milly Goodman
- New Tricks2004
- One Life2003
- The Last Detective2003
- Waking the Dead2001 · as Mary Mantel
- At Home with the Braithwaites2000 · as Pauline Farnell
- Loose Women1999 · as Self
- Midsomer Murders1997 · as Jane Willows
- Faith in the Future1995
- Martin Chuzzlewit1994 · as Mrs Lupin
- Junior Masterchef1994
- Gibberish1992
- Second Thoughts1991 · as Faith
- This Morning1988 · as Self
- Filthy Rich & Catflap1987 · as Ms Tomkins
- Casualty1986 · as Steph Yates
- Screen Two1985 · as Mary Morris
- Surprise, Surprise1984 · as Self
- Wogan1982 · as Self
- Funny Man1981 · as Gwen
- Mackenzie1980 · as Ruth Isaacs
- Shoestring1979 · as Nicola
- The Pink Medicine Show1978
- All Creatures Great and Small1978 · as Helen Herriot
- An Audience with...1978 · as Self
- Blake's 71978 · as Vena
- The Professionals1977 · as Betty Hope
- Yus, My Dear1976 · as Carol
- Angels1975
- The Sweeney1975 · as Nancy King
- Tell Tarby1973 · as Nurse Norma Snockers
- The Misfit1970 · as Wee Jeannie
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre1969 · as Nurse Mary Tiller
- Doctor Who1963 · as The Inquisitor
- Z-Cars1962







