Lynda Bellingham
Born
May 31, 1948
Died
October 19, 2014 (66 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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.
Too Close for Comfort
Mum
2012
Odd One In
(1 episode)
2010
Mister Eleven
Shirley · (2 episodes)
2009
All Star Mr & Mrs
(1 episode)
2008
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Bonkers
(6 episodes)
2007
Robin Hood
(1 episode)
2006
The One Show
Self · (1 episode)
2006
Devil's Gate
Marlene
2004
The Long Bank Holiday
Councillor Marjorie Balsam
2004
New Tricks
(1 episode)
2004
One Life
(1 episode)
2003
The Last Detective
(1 episode)
2003
My Uncle Silas
Mrs. Gadsby · (12 episodes)
2001
Bodywork
Poppy Fields
2001
Waking the Dead
Mary Mantel · (2 episodes)
2001
The Romanovs: A Crowned Family
Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna
2000
At Home with the Braithwaites
Pauline Farnell · (26 episodes)
2000
Loose Women
Self · (2 episodes)
1999
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Maxine
1999
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
1998
The Scarlet Tunic
Emily Marlowe
1998
An Audience with Ronnie Corbett
1997
Midsomer Murders
Jane Willows · (1 episode)
1997
Dalziel & Pascoe
(1 episode)
1996
Faith in the Future
(22 episodes)
1995
Martin Chuzzlewit
Mrs. Lupin · (6 episodes)
1994
Junior Masterchef
(1 episode)
1994
Gibberish
(13 episodes)
1992
Second Thoughts
Faith · (49 episodes)
1991
This Morning
Self · (1 episode)
1988
The Vision
Mary Morris
1987
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Ms Tomkins · (1 episode)
1987
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Foe
The Inquisitor
1986
Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids
The Inquisitor
1986
Doctor Who: Mindwarp
The Inquisitor
1986
Doctor Who: The Mysterious Planet
The Inquisitor
1986
Casualty
Steph Yates · (1 episode)
1986
Screen Two
Mary Morris · (1 episode)
1985
Surprise, Surprise
Self · (1 episode)
1984
Wogan
Self · (2 episodes)
1982
Riding High
Miss Mott
1981
The Gentle Touch
(2 episodes)
1980
Shoestring
(1 episode)
1979
The Waterloo Bridge Handicap
1978
The Pink Medicine Show
(6 episodes)
1978
Hazell
(1 episode)
1978
All Creatures Great and Small
Helen Herriot · (46 episodes)
1978
An Audience with...
Self · (3 episodes)
1978
Blake's 7
Vena · (1 episode)
1978
The Professionals
Betty Hope · (1 episode)
1977
Stand up, Virgin Soldiers
Valerie
1977
Sweeney!
Janice Wyatt
1977
Confessions of a Driving Instructor
Mary Truscott
1976
Yus, My Dear
Carol · (13 episodes)
1976
Angels
(3 episodes)
1975
The Sweeney
Nancy King · (1 episode)
1975
Within These Walls
(1 episode)
1974
Tell Tarby
(6 episodes)
1973
The Misfit
Wee Jeannie · (1 episode)
1970
Doctor Who
The Inquisitor · (14 episodes)
1963
Z-Cars
(2 episodes)
1962