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Linda Bassett

Born · February 4, 1950 (75 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Pluckley, Kent, England, UK

Bio

Linda Bassett was born in the Kentish village of Pluckley - location for the television series The Darling Buds of May (1991). She was brought up in Pimlico, South London, by her typist mother and police officer father. She became interested in acting as a child when she was frequently taken to see plays in London, most notably at the Old Vic, the famous classical theater. On leaving school, Linda went to work at the Old Vic as an usherette and catering manager, before going to read English at Leeds University. However, she dropped out after a year and became involved in a local drama group which put on plays in community-based locations, such as schools. She regards this as her theatrical schooling, having had no formal training. She made her London stage debut at the age of 32 in 1982 and, in 1991, joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Although she was a well-regarded stage performer, it was the 1999 film version of the play East Is East (1999) (in which she had been an original stage cast member) which brought her to a larger audience and, throughout the 2000s, she has been a familiar face in a variety of films and television series. In the late 1980s, she returned to live in Pluckley.

Known for

The Reader

The Reader

The Hours

The Hours

Calendar Girls

Calendar Girls

Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Queenie

2023

Careful How You Go

2018

Strike

Joan Nancarrow · (4 episodes)

2017

Carnage: Swallowing the Past

Dr Yasmine Vondenburg

2017

Effie Gray

Anna

2014

National Theatre Live: People

Iris

2013

Spies of Warsaw

Malka Rosen · (2 episodes)

2013

The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby

Mrs. Smike · (5 episodes)

2012

Call the Midwife

Phyllis Crane · (79 episodes)

2012

West Is West

Ella Khan

2010

Grandma's House

Grandma · (12 episodes)

2010

The Reader

Ms. Brenner

2008

Lark Rise to Candleford

Queenie Turrill · (40 episodes)

2008

Cass

Doll

2008

Sense and Sensibility

Mrs. Jennings · (3 episodes)

2008

The English Harem

Monica Pringle

2005

Colour Me Kubrick

Trolley Lady

2005

Separate Lies

Maggie

2005

Kinky Boots

Mel

2005

Spivs

Auntie Vee

2004

The Brief

Maureen Tyler · (8 episodes)

2004

Calendar Girls

Cora

2003

This Little Life

Nurse Nina

2003

The Hours

Nelly Boxall

2002

The Martins

Anthea

2001

Don Quixote

Housekeeper

2000

Lounge Act

2000

Beautiful People

Sister

1999

East Is East

Ella Khan

1999

dinnerladies

Peggy · (1 episode)

1998

Far from the Madding Crowd

Maryann Money

1998

Spoonface Steinberg

Mrs. Spud

1998

Our Mutual Friend

(4 episodes)

1998

The Life and Crimes of William Palmer

Mary Thornton

1998

Oscar and Lucinda

Betty Stratton

1997

Midsomer Murders

Eileen Carnack · (1 episode)

1997

Alive and Kicking

Doctor

1996

No Bananas

Ellen Slater · (10 episodes)

1996

Mary Reilly

Mary's Mother

1996

Haunted

Madame Brontski

1995

Loved Up

Mum

1995

Bramwell

Maud · (1 episode)

1995

A Village Affair

Gwen

1995

Kavanagh Q.C.

Miss Haddon QC · (1 episode)

1995

In The Cold Light Of Day

Mrs. Loveless

1994

Skallagrigg

Susan

1994

Frank Stubbs Promotes

Eileen · (1 episode)

1993

A Touch of Frost

(1 episode)

1992

Heartbeat

Beryl Palmer · (1 episode)

1992

A Small Dance

Sandra Matkin

1991

Let Him Have It

Mrs. Miles

1991

News Hounds

Virginia Lyddon

1990

Paris by Night

Janet Swanton

1989

Waiting for the Moon

Gertrude Stein

1987

Casualty

Olwyn Humphries · (1 episode)

1986

The Bill

(1 episode)

1984

Dramarama

(1 episode)

1983