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Ann Harrison McCall (19 September 1936 – 22 February 2022), professionally known as Anna Karen, was a British actress best known for playing Olive Rudge in the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
sitcom ''
On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...
'' from 1969 to 1973 including its film spin-offs and stage version and
Aunt Sal Aunt Sal is a recurring fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Karen Introduced in 1996, she has appeared sporadically from 21 March 1996 until 29 December 1997, then from 28 September 2001 until 17 September 2 ...
in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' on a recurring basis from 1996 to 2017. She also reprised the role of Olive Rudge in ''
The Rag Trade ''The Rag Trade'' is a British television sitcom broadcast by the BBC between 1961 and 1963 and by LWT between 1977 and 1978. Although a comedy, it shed light on gender, politics and the "class war" on the factory floor. The scripts were wr ...
'' from 1977 to 1978, while her film roles included parts in two ''
Carry On Carry On may refer to: * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (novel), ...
'' films: ''
Carry On Camping ''Carry On Camping'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 17th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, Bar ...
'' (1969) and ''
Carry On Loving ''Carry On Loving'' is a 1970 British comedy film, the 20th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Terry Scott and ...
'' (1970).


Early life

Karen was born in
Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, South Africa, on 19 September 1936 as Ann Harrison McCall to John and Muriel McCall (née Harrison). Her Irish father was an accountant while her mother was English. Karen developed an interest in acting at a young age, and joined the South African National Theatre at the age of fifteen. She starred in several touring productions over the next two years until she fell afoul of the
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
laws as she visited the ill daughter of the black stage manager. Advised to move away, Karen moved to London at the age of 17. She shared a room with two other girls in a girls' hostel in
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
and enrolled at the
London School of Dramatic Art The London School of Dramatic Art is a drama school based in South Kensington in London that offers training for those intending to pursue a professional career in acting. The School The School was initially set up by actor Jake Taylor and castin ...
. She began working as a kitchen porter, washing up at a local restaurant in the evenings to help pay for her rent and drama school fees, however she learnt that she could earn twice as much money if she worked as a
striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "ex ...
dancer at London's Panama Club, which she did.


Career

Making her debut in the naturist film ''
Nudist Memories ''Nudist Memories'' is a 1961 British naturist film. It was inspired by the success of '' Nudist Paradise'' and was a success at the box office.Sheridan, Simon (2011). ''Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema'', Titan Books pp. ...
'' (1961), Karen began her career as an extra in the comedy film '' The Sandwich Man'' (1966) and had a small role as
Carol White Carole Joan White (1 April 1943 – 16 September 1991) was an English actress. She achieved a public profile with her performances in the television play ''Cathy Come Home'' (1966) and the films ''Poor Cow'' (1967) and '' I'll Never Forg ...
's neighbour in
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...
's kitchen sink drama film ''
Poor Cow ''Poor Cow'' is a 1967 British kitchen sink drama film directed by Ken Loach and based on Nell Dunn's 1967 novel of the same name. It was Ken Loach's first feature film, after a series of TV productions. The film was re-released in the UK i ...
'' (1967). She then had a role as a schoolgirl in ''
Carry On Camping ''Carry On Camping'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 17th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, Bar ...
'' (1969) in which she has a fight with
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
sitcom ''
Wild, Wild Women ''Wild, Wild Women'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC from 1968 to 1969. Shot in black-and-white, it starred Barbara Windsor and was written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. Cast Pilot *Barbara Windsor – Millie *Derek Franc ...
''; Windsor encouraged Karen to audition for a role. Karen played the part of Maude in the series. During the production of ''Wild, Wild Women'', Karen was approached by Ronald Wolfe and
Ronald Chesney Ronald Chesney (born René Lucien Cadier; 4 May 1920 – 12 April 2018) and Ronald Wolfe (born Harvey Ronald Wolfe-Luberoff; 8 August 1922 – 18 December 2011) were British television comedy scriptwriters, best known for their 1960s and 1970s si ...
. Impressed with her performance, they offered her the role of Olive, the dowdy, overweight, bespectacled, sexually frustrated younger sister of Stan (
Reg Varney Reginald Alfred Varney (11 July 1916 – 16 November 2008) was an English actor, entertainer and comedian. He is best remembered for having played the lead role of bus driver Stan Butler in the LWT sitcom ''On the Buses'' (1969–73) and its th ...
), and wife of Arthur Rudge (
Michael Robbins Michael Anthony Robbins (14 November 1930 – 11 December 1992) was an English actor and comedian best known for his role as Arthur Rudge in the TV sitcom and film versions of '' On the Buses'' (1969–73). Career Michael Robbins was born in ...
) in their forthcoming sitcom ''
On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...
''. Karen played the part of Olive, the role for which she is best remembered, in all seventy-four episodes of the series. Karen, who was actually a model in her spare time, donned an unstylish wig, an unflattering pair of thick glasses and large amounts of padding to become Olive, whom Karen described as the "ugliest woman on television". Karen maintained a successful acting career alongside ''On the Buses''. Shortly after the series began, she had a role in another ''Carry On'' film, ''
Carry On Loving ''Carry On Loving'' is a 1970 British comedy film, the 20th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Terry Scott and ...
'' (1970) in the final "food fight" scene, and appeared in an episode of ''
Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...
''. By this time, ''On the Buses'', produced by
LWT London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
, had become a huge success leading Karen to reprise her role in a spin-off film, ''
On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...
'' (1971). This also was hugely popular and was the highest-grossing film of 1971, beating the James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever'' which was released the same year. Two further spin-off films were made, ''
Mutiny on the Buses ''Mutiny on the Buses'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Harry Booth and starring Reg Varney and Doris Hare. The film is the second spin-off film from the TV sitcom ''On the Buses'' and succeeded ''On the Buses'' (1971). It was followe ...
'' (1972), and ''
Holiday on the Buses ''Holiday on the Buses'' is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Bryan Izzard and starring Reg Varney and Doris Hare. The film is the third and final spin-off film from the ITV sitcom ''On the Buses'' and succeeded the films ''On the Buses'' ...
'' (1973) with Stan working as a bus driver at a holiday camp in
Prestatyn Prestatyn is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085, History Prehistory There is evidence that ...
, Wales. By the time the third film was made, ''On the Buses'' had come to an end, having just broadcast its seventh series. Karen and co-stars Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis were the only members of the cast to appear in all seventy-four episodes of the series, as well as the three feature films. After ''On the Buses'' ended, Karen returned to theatre in 1974 and toured as Minnie in ''Who Goes Bare?'' and in ''
Not Now, Darling ''Not Now, Darling'' is a 1967 farce written by English playwrights John Chapman and Ray Cooney, first staged at the Richmond Theatre, in Richmond, England prior to a long West End run. The production starred Donald Sinden and Bernard Cribb ...
'' as Miss Tipdale with
Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (born 16 February 1946) is an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC sitcom '' Dad's Army'', and is the last surviving major cast member of the series following t ...
. In 1975 however, Karen starred alongside her ''On the Buses'' co-star Bob Grant in a comedy pilot called "Milk-O" released under the '' Comedy Premiere'' series. Revolving around a milkman (played by Grant) trying to fend off amorous housewives, Karen played Rita Wilkins, the wife of Grant's character Jim. The pilot was also written by Grant aiming to reinvigorate his declining career due to the typecasting he received from ''On the Buses'', however it was not commissioned for a series. After this, Karen had roles in the sitcom '' ...And Mother Makes Five'' and in comedy sketch shows such as '' The Kenneth Williams Show'' and ''
The Dick Emery Show ''The Dick Emery Show'' is a British sketch comedy show starring Dick Emery. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1981. It was directed and produced by Harold Snoad. The show was broadcast over 19 series with 166 episodes. The show experienced ...
''. From 1977 to 1978, Karen reprised the role of Olive in the LWT revival of the sitcom ''
The Rag Trade ''The Rag Trade'' is a British television sitcom broadcast by the BBC between 1961 and 1963 and by LWT between 1977 and 1978. Although a comedy, it shed light on gender, politics and the "class war" on the factory floor. The scripts were wr ...
'' created by the same writers as ''On the Buses''. The series depicted a group of female workers in a clothes factory; Karen appeared in all twenty two episodes. She also made a cameo appearance in the sex-comedy film ''
What's Up Nurse! ''What's Up Nurse!'' is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed by Derek Ford and starring Nicholas Field, Felicity Devonshire and John Le Mesurier. It tells the story of the adventures of a young doctor in a hospital. A sequel ''What's Up ...
'' (1977). Much of Karen's work in the 1980s and 1990s consisted of roles in the theatre. In 1981, Karen had a main role in the sci-fi children's film ''Stainless Steel and the Star Spies'' about a group of robots intending to invade Earth to claim a crystal ball with extraterrestrial qualities. From 1985 to 1986, Karen had a main role in the sitcom ''Troubles and Strife'' alongside
Annette Badland Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...
, however the series was not a success. She also appeared in several children's television series towards the late 1980s, including ''
Roland Rat Roland Rat is a British television puppet character. He was created, operated and voiced by David Claridge, who had previously designed and operated Mooncat, a puppet in the Children's ITV television programme '' Get Up and Go!'' Claridge work ...
'' and ''
The Sooty Show ''The Sooty Show'' is a British children's television series, created by Harry Corbett, and produced for the BBC from 1955 to 1967, and then for ITV from 1968 until 1992. The show, part of the ''Sooty'' franchise, focuses on the mischievous a ...
''. In 1996, she played a supporting role in the film '' Beautiful Thing'', as a neighbour of the main characters, Ste and Jamie. That same year, she reunited with Barbara Windsor, this time in the BBC soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
''. Karen played
Aunt Sal Aunt Sal is a recurring fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Karen Introduced in 1996, she has appeared sporadically from 21 March 1996 until 29 December 1997, then from 28 September 2001 until 17 September 2 ...
, the sister of Windsor's
Peggy Mitchell Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. ...
. Although she was never a permanent cast member in the soap, she appeared as Aunt Sal occasionally, usually for only one or two episodes at a time. Alongside ''EastEnders'', in the late 1990s, Karen appeared in a number of educational films as well as an episode of '' Goodnight Sweetheart''. In 2006, Karen used her experience as a striptease dancer to act as a judge in the final edition of
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
's reality television documentary '' Faking It''. In 2008, she was a guest on the Channel 4's '' Sunday Night Project'', again with Barbara Windsor. Karen was also a regular in
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
s over the years, and played the
Wicked Stepmother A stepmother, stepmum or stepmom is a non-biological female parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepmother-in-law is a stepmother of one's spouse. Children from her spouse's previous unions are known as her stepchildren. Culture Step ...
in ''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'' at the
Millfield Theatre Millfield Theatre forms part of Millfield Arts Centre, which encompasses Millfield Theatre and Millfield House in Edmonton, and The Dugdale Centre in Enfield Town. The theatre is owned, managed and funded entirely by London Borough of Enfield. I ...
, in
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, London, at Christmas 2008. In 2014, Karen had a role in an episode of ''
Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...
'' while she later starred in the thriller film ''No Reasons'' (2016). In 2017, Karen and several other members of the cast of ''Holiday on the Buses'' returned to the holiday camp in Wales where the movie was filmed as part of a On the Buses Fan Club trip; this included revisiting filming locations. Karen regularly appeared at fan conventions until at least 2019.


Personal life

In 1957, Karen married Richard Smart with whom she lived in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
for several years while he trained to be an opera singer; however the pair divorced and Karen returned to England. Karen was married to actor/comedian
Terry Duggan Terence A. Duggan (15 April 1932 – 1 May 2008) was a British comedian and actor who had a successful career in cabaret and variety, and played numerous character roles on television. Early life Duggan was born in Hoxton, London. From t ...
from 1967 until his death in 2008 and lived in Ilford, East London. Although Karen had no children of her own, she brought up Gloria, Duggan's daughter from his first marriage. Karen was best friends with Dame Barbara Windsor, having met her during the filming of ''
Carry On Camping ''Carry On Camping'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 17th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, Bar ...
''. Windsor reportedly left Karen £1,000 in her will. Karen regularly taught drama on Saturday mornings at Brewers Academy, based in
Hornchurch Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a l ...
, East London. In January 2016, she had a fall at her home in Ilford and broke her back, leaving her sofa-bound for eight weeks to recover. She still filmed scenes for Peggy's death in ''EastEnders'' in March 2016 and again in May 2016; when the scenes were broadcast, she was seen with a walking frame. She was later seen in a wheelchair during her final scenes in ''EastEnders'' in January 2017 and also at Windsor's funeral in January 2021, which would be her final public appearance.


Death

Shortly after 22:30
GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a cons ...
on 22 February 2022, the London Fire Brigade responded to a fire at Karen's Ilford home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 85.
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
said her death was not suspicious and later concluded that the fire was started after Karen fell asleep with a cigarette. Karen's funeral took place on 18 March 2022 at
Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...
and was attended by many of her co-stars, including John Altman,
Jamie Borthwick Jamie Simon Borthwick (born 23 June 1994) is an English actor who has portrayed the role of Jay Brown in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. He is also known for his role in Not Going out as The kid who Kicks Lee Career Borthwick ha ...
, Peter Dean,
Linda Lusardi Linda Frances Elide Lusardi (born 18 September 1958) is an English actress, television presenter and former glamour model. Career Modelling Lusardi was born in Wood Green, London to Lilian (née Glassman, b. 1933) and Nello Lusardi (1930–2017 ...
, Kate Williams and
Vicki Michelle Vicki Michelle, (born 14 December 1950) is an English actress, radio presenter, businesswoman, film producer and former model. She is best known for her role as Yvette Carte-Blanche in the BBC television comedy series Allo 'Allo!'' and as ...
.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karen, Anna 1936 births 2022 deaths 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actors from Durban English film actresses English television actresses Deaths from fire Drama teachers English soap opera actresses South African emigrants to the United Kingdom English people of Irish descent South African people of Irish descent South African people of English descent