Polly James
British actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pauline James (formerly Devaney; born 8 July 1941) is an English former actress who had a career in theatre, film, television, and radio.
Polly James | |
|---|---|
| Born | Pauline Devaney 8 July 1941 Blackburn, Lancashire, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1966–2001 |
| Spouse | |
Early life
Pauline James was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, as Pauline Devaney.[1] Her father had managed a cotton mill in Nelson while her parents lived in Oswaldtwistle.[2] She was a pupil at St Peter’s School in Mill Hill, then at the Convent of Notre Dame Grammar School for Girls in Blackburn.[2] Afterward, she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).[3][4]
Career
After graduating from RADA, James began her TV career in BBC2's Thirty-Minute Theatre, followed by the role of a drug addict in Z-Cars in 1967.[4] She played Audrey Hargreaves in Coronation Street in 1967.[5][6]
She is best known for her role as Beryl Hennessey in the first four series of the British sitcom The Liver Birds (1969–74), mostly alongside Nerys Hughes.[7][8] She played Cicely Courtneidge in the biographical musical of the actress Once More with Music in 1976, and appeared as a soubrette in Alan Clarke's 1982 production of Baal. She played the role of Jane Hampden on "The Awakening" episode of Doctor Who in 1984.[9] She appeared in the West End musicals I and Albert and Anne of Green Gables. In 1971, James appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Merchant of Venice with Judi Dench.[10]
James appeared as Jenny Wren in the 1976 BBC adaptation of Dickens's Our Mutual Friend.[11]
Personal life
James is divorced.[3]
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 and 1967 | Thirty-Minute Theatre - "The Spoken Word" | Doreen Pimblett |
| 1967 | Z-Cars | Sylvia Weeks |
| 1967 | Coronation Street | Audrey Hargreaves |
| 1969 to 1974 | The Liver Birds | Beryl Hennessey |
| 1976 | Our Mutual Friend | Jenny Wren |
| 1984 | Doctor Who | Jane Hampden |
| 1991 | Casualty | Sylvia Vaughan |
| 1996 | The Liver Birds | Beryl Fenning, née Hennessey |
| 2000 to 2001 | The Worst Witch | Miss Lavinia Crotchet |
References
External links
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