Joanna Lamond Lumley,
OBE,
FRGS (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress,
voice-over artist and author, best known for her roles in British television series
Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend,
Patsy Stone, as well as parts in
The New Avengers,
Sapphire & Steel, and
Sensitive Skin. She is a former model and
Bond girl. Her distinctive voice has been supplied for animated characters, film narration, and
AOL's "You have email" notification in the UK. She has spoken out as a
human rights activist for
Survival International and the
Gurkha Justice Campaign, and is now considered a "national treasure" of
Nepal because of her support. She is an advocate for a number of charities and
animal welfare groups such as
CIWF and
Viva! She has won three
BAFTA awards and a British comedy award.
Early life
Joanna Lamond Lumley
was born on 1 May 1946 in
Srinagar, in the
princely state of
Kashmir and Jammu, which was then part of
British India. Her parents were
Major James Rutherford Lumley, who served in the
6th Gurkha Rifles, a
regiment of the
British Indian Army,
and Beatrice Rose Weir. They married in 1941. After the
independence of India in 1947, the Lumleys moved to
Malaya (now Malaysia) and later settled in
Kent, England.
Lumley was educated at St Mary's Convent School in
St Leonards-on-Sea,
East Sussex, England,
and afterwards attended the Lucy Clayton School of modelling.
[citation needed] She then went on to train at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Lumley states RADA rejected her.
Early career
Tall, slim and blonde, she spent three years as a photographic model, notably for
Brian Duffy by whom she was photographed with her son. She also worked as a house model for
Jean Muir. Over forty years later, she participated in another photoshoot - again with her son - for Duffy as part of a retrospective of the photographer's work.
Lumley appeared in an early episode of
The Bruce Forsyth Show in 1966. She appeared in a UK television advertisement for Nimble bread first screened in 1969.
Lumley did not receive any formal training at
drama school. Her acting career began in 1969 with a small role in the film
Some Girls Do and as a
Bond girl in
On Her Majesty's Secret Service; she played the English girl among
Blofeld's 'Angels of Death' and had two lines. She went on to have a brief but memorable role in
Coronation Street, in which her character turned down
Ken Barlow's offer of
marriage.
In the
Are You Being Served? episode "His and Hers" (season 1; episode 4), she was featured as Miss French, a
perfume representative. In the episode "German Week" (season 3; episode 6), she appeared as "German Lady".
She appeared as "Jessica" on the big screen in
The Satanic Rites of Dracula, released in the UK on 13 January 1974, which was the last of Hammer Film's Dracula series starring
Peter Cushing and
Christopher Lee.
She appeared in the TV series
Steptoe and Son in the episode "Loathe Story".
Major roles
Throughout her career, she has specialised in playing upper-class parts, and her distinctive plummy voice has reinforced this. Lumley's first major role was as
Purdey in
The New Avengers, a revival of the secret agent series
The Avengers. Although critical reaction to the series was lukewarm, the casting of Lumley was seen
[by whom?] as inspired and following the tradition of iconic Avengers actresses
Honor Blackman,
Diana Rigg and
Linda Thorson.
In 1979, she appeared in another series which acquired a
following:
Sapphire & Steel, with
David McCallum. Conceived as
ITV's answer to
Doctor Who, Lumley played a mysterious elemental being ('Sapphire') who, with her collaborator 'Steel', dealt with breaches in the fabric of time.
Over a decade later, Lumley's career was boosted by her portrayal of the louche, solipsistic and frequently drunken fashion director Patsy Stone, companion to
Jennifer Saunders'
Edina Monsoon in the
BBC comedy television series
Absolutely Fabulous (1992–1996) and (2001–2004).
Other work has included:
Lovejoy as widow Victoria Cavero, a film about a journey made by her grandparents in
Bhutan -
In the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon (1996) - and
A Rather English Marriage (nominated for a
BAFTA for Best Actress 1999) and
Dr Willoughby (1999). In 1995, she provided the voice of Annie the rag doll in the animated series
The Forgotten Toys. In 1999, she also provided the voice for Sims the chicken in the BAFTA award winning animated series
The Foxbusters. In 2000, she co-produced a new drama series
The Cazalets. She has also appeared in a TV series on
Sarawak, where she spent time in her childhood. She has demonstrated her ability to go beyond stereotypical images, most notably in the
monologue series of playlets
Up In Town (2002), written by Hugo Blick, and focusing on a society hostess's realisation that her star is fading.
Lumley stars as the elderly Delilah Stagg in the 2006
sitcom Jam & Jerusalem with
Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and
Sue Johnston. In July 2007, she starred in the second series of the drama
Sensitive Skin where she played the main character Davina Jackson. The BBC said this will be the final series of the dark comedy.
She starred in
David Hirson's
La Bête -
Comedy Theatre, London, 26 June - 28 August 2010 with
David Hyde Pierce and
Mark Rylance, directed by
Matthew Warchus.She also starred in
La Bête at the Music Box Theater, Broadway, New York which opened on the 14 October 2010.
She was nominated for the
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, for her performance.
Media work
As the possessor of one of the most recognised voices in the United Kingdom,
Lumley has gained prominence as a voice-over artist. Users of
AOL in the United Kingdom are familiar with Joanna Lumley's voice. She recorded the greetings "Welcome" and "You've got e-mail" for that company. She also did a voice over for the BBC series
Posh Nosh as a voice-over usually saying "From the Posh Nosh range (a faux product)."
She appeared as a guest host on
Channel 4's
The Friday Night Project, which aired on 3 August 2007.
From 2005-2006, she appeared in adverts for
insurance brokers
Privilege.
Lumley has also appeared on the last run of
ITV1's
Parkinson as a guest, on 27 October 2007, discussing the subject of young girls across the UK and how they need to behave better if they hope to be successful. She was asked to write the introduction to a re-edition in November 2007 of the book called
The Magic Key To Charm written by the pioneering female journalist
Eileen Ascroft.
This is a book of tips to women, first written by Ascroft in 1938 about how to be glamorous. "I thought it was absolutely enchanting, it's how young women were told how to behave in the old days and I think it might be just coming back for a bit of a revival," she explained in the interview.
"Because, I have to say I adore our young ones and I think we have got some of the prettiest and loveliest girls in the world but I think sometimes the behaviour gets a bit bad and I think the girls let themselves down. They are so pretty and so lovely but they should behave better, I think, then they will be more successful."
In 1999, she appeared in the
Comic Relief Doctor Who parody
The Curse of Fatal Death as the final incarnation of the Doctor.
She also appeared with Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Sienna Miller in the French and Saunders pastiche of
Mamma Mia for
Comic Relief 2009 in which she played the role of Tanya (Patsy in the spoof).
In 2004, Lumley appeared as the "Woman with the Sydney Opera House Head" in Dirk Maggs's long-awaited radio adaptation of the third book of the
Douglas Adams series
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
In 2005, she published her autobiography
No Room for Secrets which was serialized by
The Times,
for which she was once a regular contributor.
In September and December 2008, and April 2009, the BBC showed
Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights, a documentary about her search to see the
Northern Lights in northern Norway.
In May 2009, she supported the
Green Party during the
2009 European Elections campaign. For Joanna Lumley, the work of Green MEPs in the
European Parliament in pursuing human rights and animal rights made the Green Party "the obvious choice", and urged UK voters "to cast a positive vote for a better future by voting Green in the European Elections".
Lumley also appeared in literature to support changing the British electoral system from
first-past-the-post to
alternative vote for electing Members of Parliament to the
House of Commons in the
Alternative Vote referendum in 2011.
In 2009, she portrayed a rock star, believed to be dead for 35 years, in the "Counter Culture Blues" episode of the British television mystery series
Lewis (known in the U.S. as
Inspector Lewis).
In 2010, she donated
£1,000 to
Caroline Lucas's campaign to become the first
Green MP during the 2010 General Election campaign.
In 2010, Lumley worked on the show, for ITV,
Joanna Lumley's Nile, where she takes a journey down the Nile, from source to sea.
This was broadcast in four parts on ITV1 from 28 to 31 December 2010.
Personal life
Following her rise to fame, Lumley revealed that she had been an unmarried mother during the 1960s when it was socially unacceptable; her son, James, was born in 1967. James Lumley's natural father is the photographer Michael Claydon and is of
Anglo Indian ethnicity. The first of her two subsequent marriages was to comedy writer
Jeremy Lloyd (
Are You Being Served? see early career). In 1986, she married conductor
Stephen Barlow; they live in London. They also have a house near the village of
Penpont in
Southern Scotland.
Lumley was appointed an Officer of the
Order of the British Empire in 1995. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (
FRGS). She was made an honorary Doctor of Letters by the
University of Kent in July 1994.
In 2006, she was awarded an honorary degree from the
University of St. Andrews and in July 2008, she was also awarded an honorary doctorate from
Queen's University Belfast.
Alongside her work for the Gurkhas, Lumley is a supporter of many charities, including Suffolk Family Carers and
Kids for Kids. She has been a vegetarian for forty years,
and a keen supporter of animal rights charities, including
CIWF and
Viva!. She has donated signed books for the literacy and international development charity
Book Aid International. She is patron of the
Born Free Foundation and passionate about the
Free Tibet campaign. Other charities supported include
Mind,
ActionAid and
SANE.
Lumley was named an Honorary Patron of the
University Philosophical Society,
Trinity College, Dublin.
Lumley also supports the
Burma Campaign UK, an NGO that aims to stop the oppression of the
Burmese people by the military regime.
Lumley was the special guest at the 35th anniversary gala of the theatre company
Chickenshed at London's
Royal Albert Hall on 17 November 2009.
In February 2010, Lumley was awarded 'The Oldie of The Year Award' by The Oldie Magazine
for her work with the Gurkhas.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1969 Some Girls Do Uncredited
On Her Majesty's Secret Service The English Girl
1970 The Breaking of Bumbo Susie
Games That Lovers Play Fanny Hill
Tam-Lin Georgia
1971 The House That Dripped Blood Uncredited
1973 Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! Giselle Parkyn
The Satanic Rites of Dracula Jessica Van Helsing
1982 Trail of the Pink Panther Marie Jouvet
1983 Curse of the Pink Panther Countess Chandra
1989 Shirley Valentine Marjorie Majors
1995 Innocent Lies Lady Helena Graves
1996 James and the Giant Peach Aunt Spiker
1997 Prince Valiant Morgan le Fay
1999 Parting Shots Freda
Mad Cows Gillian
2000 Maybe Baby Sheila
Whispers: An Elephant's Tale Half Tusk (voice)
2001 The Cat's Meow Elinor Glyn
2004 Standing Room Only Last in Line Short film
EuroTrip Hostel Clerk
Ella Enchanted Dame Olga
2005 The Magic Roundabout Ermintrude
Corpse Bride Maudeline Everglot
2006 Dolls Madame Muscat Short film
2009 Boogie Woogie Alfreda Rhinegold
2010 This Beautiful Fantastic TBA In production
2011 Late Bloomers Charlotte Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1969 The Wednesday Play Elsie Engelfield 1 episode
1971 It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes, Darling Samantha Ryder-Ross TV series
1972 Steptoe and Son Bunty 1 episode 'Loathe Story'
1973 Coronation Street Elaine Perkins 102 episodes (although some say it was 104)
1973-75 Are You Being Served? Miss French/German Lady 2 episodes 'His and Hers', 'German Week'
1976 The Cuckoo Waltz Harriet Paulden 1 episode 'Babysitter'
1976-77 The New Avengers Purdey 26 episodes. BAFTA win - "Special Award" (2000)
1979 The Plank Hitchhiker
1979-82 Sapphire & Steel Sapphire 34 episodes
1981-85 The Kenny Everett Television Show Various 5 episodes
1982 The Weather in the Streets Kate TV film
1984 Mistral's Daughter Lally Longbridge TV mini-series
The Glory Boys Helen TV film
Oxbridge Blues Gigi 1 episode 'That Was Tory'
1986 The Two Ronnies Miss Dibley 1 episode
1990 A Ghost in Monte Carlo Lady Drayton TV film
1991 A Perfect Hero Loretta Stone TV miniseries
1992 Lovejoy Victoria Cavero 3 episodes
1992–2005 Absolutely Fabulous Patsy Stone 37 episodes. British Comedy Award win - "Best Comedy Actress" (1993)
BAFTA win - "Best Light Entertainment Performance" (1993)
BAFTA win - "Best Comedy Performance" (1995)
BAFTA nomination - "Best Comedy Performance" (1996)
BAFTA nomination - "Best Comedy Performance" (1997)
BAFTA nomination - "Best Comedy Performance" (2002)
1993 Cluedo Mrs. Peacock 6 episodes
1994 Girl Friday TV series
1994-95 Class Act Kate Swift 14 episodes
1995 Cold Comfort Farm Mrs. Mary Smiling TV film
The Forgotten Toys Annie (voice) Animated series
1996 Roseanne Patsy Stone 1 episode 'Satan, Darling'
1998 The Tale of Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett TV film
Coming Home Diana Carey-Lewis TV serial
A Rather English Marriage Liz Franks TV film. BAFTA nomination - "Best Actress"
1999 Alice in Wonderland Tiger Lily TV film
Nancherrow Diana Carey-Lewis TV film
Foxbusters Sims (voice) Animation series
Dr Willoughby Donna Sinclair 1 series of 6 episodes
2000 Mirrorball Jackie Riviera Pilot
2002 Up In Town Madison Blakelock TV series. British Comedy Award nomination - "Best Comedy Actress"
2004, 2009 Marple Dolly Bantry 2 episodes 'The Body in the Library' & 'The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'
2005-07 Sensitive Skin Davina Jackson 12 episodes
2006–2008 Jam & Jerusalem Delilah Stagg 6 episodes
2009 Lewis Esme Ford 1 episode 'Counter Culture Blues'
2010 Mistresses Vivienne 4 episodes
Documentary
Year Title Role
2008 Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights Herself
Ian Fleming: Where Bond Began Herself
2009 Joanna Lumley Catwoman Herself
2010 Joanna Lumley's Nile Herself
