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Belinda Lucy Lange (born 23 December 1953), known professionally as Belinda Lang, is an English actress. She is known for playing Liza 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 ''
Second Thoughts'' (1991–94), and Bill Porter 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. ...
...
sitcom ''
2point4 Children'' (1991–99).
Her theatre credits include London productions of the
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
plays, ''
Present Laughter
''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''T ...
'' (1981), ''
Blithe Spirit'' (1997), and ''
Hay Fever
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
'' (2006). Her radio/audio credits include voicing narrator Madeleine in the podcast ''
Wooden Overcoats
''Wooden Overcoats'' is a British sitcom podcast created and written by David K. Barnes, and directed and produced by Andy Goddard and John Wakefield. It premiered on September 24, 2015, and completed its run on March 31, 2022 with the conclusion ...
''.
Early life
Lang was born in
Marylebone
Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary.
An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...
, London, in 1953, the daughter of actors
Jeremy Hawk
Jeremy Hawk (20 May 1918 – 15 January 2002) was a character actor with a long career in music halls and on London's West End stage.
Early life
Hawk was born Cedric Joseph Lange in Johannesburg, South Africa; his father was a matinee idol wh ...
and
Joan Heal
Joan Heal (17 October 1922 – 12 April 1998) was an English actress and singer, known for her appearances in revue in the 1940s and 1950s.
Life and career
Heal was born in Vobster, Somerset, and educated at Bath High School and later the Old ...
.
Career
Television
Lang is perhaps best known for her starring roles in three sitcoms – as Kate in ''
Dear John'', as Bill Porter in ''
2point4 Children'' and as Liza Ferrari in ''
Second Thoughts''.
After a small part as 'Girl in Bath' in ''
Play for Today
''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...
'' in 1980 she appeared in the 1980 miniseries ''
To Serve Them All My Days
: ''For the 1980 television adaptation, see To Serve Them All My Days (TV series).''
''To Serve Them All My Days'' is a novel by British author R. F. Delderfield.
First published in 1972, the book was adapted for television in 1980. It has b ...
'', following this she had several one-off appearances and small parts until her role in ''Dear John''. Following ''Dear John'' (1986–1987), she played Martha in ''The Bretts'' (1987–1988) during which she acted alongside her future husband,
Hugh Fraser and during the same period also appeared as Sheila Walsh in ''Bust''. Lang also had a lead part in the television series ''
Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
''The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries'' is a British detective television series, broadcast on BBC1, which was adapted from nine of the novels by Dame Ngaio Marsh, featuring the character Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. The pilot episode was sho ...
'', in which she played the artist Agatha Troy between 1990 and 1994.
In 1991, she took a lead role in ''2point4 Children'' alongside
Gary Olsen
Gary Olsen (born Gary Kenneth Grant; 3 November 1957 – 12 September 2000) was an English actor. He played Ben in the BBC television sitcom ''2point4 Children''.
Biography
Olsen was born in London and lived with an aunt and uncle after b ...
.
The sitcom would run for 8 series until it ended in 1999 due to the illness of Olsen leading to his death in 2000. In 2000, she appeared as
Christine Hamilton
Mary Christine Hamilton (''née'' Holman; born 10 November 1949) is an English media personality and author. She is married to Neil Hamilton, the former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton.
Hamilton and her husband have become p ...
in the television film ''Justice in Wonderland''.
Following ''2point4 Children'', Lang has rarely appeared on television, instead taking on more stage work. She has, however, made guest appearances in several programmes including; playing the ill-fated business woman, Elspeth Inkpen-Thomas, in ''
Midsomer Murders
''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...
'', alongside
John Nettles
John Vivian Drummond Nettles, OBE, (born 11 October 1943) is an English actor and author. He is best known for his starring roles as detectives in the crime drama television series '' Bergerac'' (1981–1991) in the title role, and ''Midsomer M ...
and television presenter Quinnie Dorrell in "The Gongoozlers", a 2004 episode of the
murder mystery series ''
Rosemary and Thyme
''Rosemary & Thyme'' is a British television cosy mystery thriller series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme. The show began on ITV in 2003. The third series ended in August 2007. ...
'', and a couple of episodes of the BBC daytime soap opera ''
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
** ...
''. In 2009, she made a brief return to sitcom, playing Margot in an episode of BBC sitcom ''
My Family
''My Family'' is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadc ...
'', and then in 2014 playing Marina Fairchild in ''
Citizen Khan'', another BBC series.
In 2022 she appears as landlady Mrs Clam in ''
Sister Boniface Mysteries'' in a recurring role.
Radio
In 1988, Lang appeared in the
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
play ''Hard of Hearing'' opposite Graham Blockey. She took part in ''Stilgoe's Around'', also broadcast on Radio 4 and
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
. ''Second Thoughts'' was based on a radio programme originally broadcast on Radio 4. From 2015 to 2022, a hiatus for production required due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, she voiced the
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
mouse and narrator Madeleine in the
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
audio
podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
''
Wooden Overcoats
''Wooden Overcoats'' is a British sitcom podcast created and written by David K. Barnes, and directed and produced by Andy Goddard and John Wakefield. It premiered on September 24, 2015, and completed its run on March 31, 2022 with the conclusion ...
''.
Personal life
In 1988 she married actor
Hugh Fraser, with whom she has one daughter, Lily.
Television credits
* ''
Play for Today
''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...
'' – Girl in bath (1980)
* ''
To Serve Them All My Days
: ''For the 1980 television adaptation, see To Serve Them All My Days (TV series).''
''To Serve Them All My Days'' is a novel by British author R. F. Delderfield.
First published in 1972, the book was adapted for television in 1980. It has b ...
'' – Beth (1980)
* ''The Cabbage Patch'' – Susie (1983)
* ''A Brother's Tale'' – Eileen Taylor (1983)
* ''
Operation Julie
Operation Julie was a UK police investigation into the production of LSD by two drug rings during the mid-1970s. The operation, involving 11 police forces over a -year period, resulted in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operat ...
'' – D.C Joy Brookes (1985)
* ''
Unnatural Causes'' – Helen Cassady (1986)
* ''
Victoria Wood As Seen on TV
''Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' is a British comedy sketch series written by and starring comedian Victoria Wood, with appearances from Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Susie Blake and Patricia Routledge. The show was televised on B ...
'' – Soldiers Girlfriend (1986)
* ''
Dear John'' – Kate (1986–1987)
* ''The Bretts'' – Martha (1987–1988)
* ''Bust'' – Sheila Walsh (1987–1988)
* ''
Stay Lucky
''Stay Lucky'' is a British television comedy-drama series ran from 8 December 1989 to 6 August 1993. Made by Yorkshire Television and screened on the ITV network, it starred Jan Francis and Dennis Waterman.
Plot
Drama about a small-time gan ...
'' – Lady Karen Winderscale (1989)
* ''
Making News
''Making News'' is a television drama set in the world of journalism produced by Thames Television for the ITV network.
A pilot episode, entitled 'Making News', was screened on 9 May 1989 as part of Thames' anthology series ''Storyboard''. T ...
'' – Suzanne Critchley (1990)
* ''
Alleyn Mysteries'' – Agatha Troy (1990–1994)
* ''
Second Thoughts'' – Liza Ferrari (1991–1994)
* ''The Office'' – Mrs Platt (voice only) (1996)
* ''
2point4 Children'' – Bill Porter (1991–1999)
* ''Justice in Wonderland'' – Christine Hamilton (2000)
* ''
Midsomer Murders
''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...
'' – Elspeth Inkpen-Thomas (2000)
* ''
Rosemary & Thyme
''Rosemary & Thyme'' is a British television cosy mystery thriller series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme. The show began on ITV in 2003. The third series ended in August 2007 ...
'' – Quinnie Dorell (2004)
* ''
Three Minute Moments'' – Esther (2007)
* ''
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
** ...
'' – Anne Marie Cavendish (2008)
* ''
My Family
''My Family'' is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadc ...
'' – Margot (2009)
* ''
Citizen Khan'' – Marina Fairchild (2014)
* ''
Sister Boniface Mysteries'' - Mrs Clam (2022)
Theatre
* ''
Teeth 'n' Smiles'' 1977 (Laura)
Lang has taken on many stage roles. She is part of the cast of the touring play ''
Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners
''Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners'' is an anthology-style play compiled and written by '' Carry On...'' writer Norman Hudis and producer Marc Sinden, who is also the director. It was originally devised by Sinden as a female rival to the ...
'' and ''Ladies in Lavender'' starring alongside
Hayley Mills
Lang appeared with
Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas C. Frost (born 1955), known professionally as Nicholas Farrell, is an English stage, film and television actor.
Education
Farrell was educated at Fryerns Grammar and Technical School in Basildon, Essex, followed by the University of ...
and
David Robb
David Robb (born 23 August 1947) is a Scottish actor.
Early life
Born in London, the son of David Robb and Elsie Tilley, Robb grew up in Edinburgh and was educated there at the Royal High School, where he played Henry II in a school product ...
in
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and tw ...
's "Single Spies" play during 2016. Her other theatre credits include ''
Present Laughter
''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''T ...
'' (1981), ''
The Clandestine Marriage
''The Clandestine Marriage'' is a comedy by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, first performed in 1766 at Drury Lane. It is both a comedy of manners and a comedy of errors. The idea came from a series of pictures by William Hogarth entit ...
'' (1984), ''Dead Funny'' (1995), ''
Blithe Spirit'' (1997), and ''
Hay Fever
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
'' (2006). BBC Proms 2017 "Aunt Eller" in Oklahoma with the John Wilson Orchestra (2017).
She is now a vice-president of the theatre charity The Theatrical Guild, having been involved with them for many years. Lang was chairman from 2009 to 2011 and continues to help promote them among the theatrical profession.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, Belinda
1953 births
Living people
English soap opera actresses
English stage actresses
English television actresses
Actresses from London
People from Marylebone
20th-century English actresses
21st-century English actresses