Cheryl Campbell (born 22 May 1949) is an English actor of stage, film and television. She starred opposite

Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), '' Who ...

in the 1978 BBC drama '' Pennies From Heaven'', before going on to win the 1980 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for '' Testament of Youth'' and ''

Malice Aforethought Malice aforethought is the "premeditation" or "predetermination" (with malice) required as an element of some crimes in some jurisdictions and a unique element for first-degree or aggravated murder in a few. Insofar as the term is still in use, ...

'', and the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival for ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

''. Her film appearances include '' Chariots of Fire'' (1981), '' Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes'' (1984) and '' The Shooting Party'' (1985).

Early life

Born in

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roma ...

, Hertfordshire, Campbell is the daughter of an airline pilot. She was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans, and at

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. LAMDA's Principal i ...

(LAMDA). Her repertory theatre experience includes the Palace Theatre,

Watford Watford () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal en ...

, Birmingham Rep and the Citizens' Theatre,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

."Looks Worth Yards of Dialog"
Independent.co.uk, 18 October 1992.

Career

Campbell is known for her starring role as

Vera Brittain Vera Mary Brittain (29 December 1893 – 29 March 1970) was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist. Her best-selling 1933 memoir '' Testament of Youth'' recounted her experiences during the Firs ...

in the BBC's television dramatisation of '' Testament of Youth'' (1979), for which she received Best Actress awards from the British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) and the Broadcasting Press Guild Award. Campbell had earned her first BAFTA nomination the previous year for her portrayal of Eileen Everson opposite

Dennis Potter Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935 – 7 June 1994) was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), '' The Singing Detective'' (1 ...

's television serial '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978). Campbell's one other role in a work by Potter was as Janet in '' Rain on the Roof'' (1980).

Stage

Campbell is an accomplished stage performer and has twice been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. At the RSC in 1982, she played Nora Helmer in Adrian Noble's production of Ibsen's ''

'' (for which she was awarded the

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for Best Actress in a Revival). In that same season, she also appeared as Diana in ''

All's Well That Ends Well ''All's Well That Ends Well'' is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the '' First Folio'' in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate regarding the dating of the composition of the play, with possible dates rang ...

''. She returned to the RSC in the 1992–94 season, playing Lady Macbeth to

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ''King ...

's lead in Noble's controversial production of ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

''; Beatrice-Joanna in '' The Changeling''; Mistress Ford in ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'' and Natasha in ''Misha's Party''. She worked at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

: playing as a junior member of the company in 1975, as Freda in Sir Peter Hall's Old Vic production of ''

John Gabriel Borkman ''John Gabriel Borkman'' is a 1896 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was his penultimate work. Plot The Borkman family fortunes have been brought low by the imprisonment of John Gabriel who used his position as a bank manager to ...

'' (starring Sir Ralph Richardson, Dame Peggy Ashcroft and Dame Wendy Hiller) and as Maggie in W. S. Gilbert's ''

Engaged An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be '' ...

''; in 1995, as Lady Politic Would-Be in Matthew Warchus's ''

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfor ...

''; and in 2003 as Dotty Otley in the NT's touring (and London) revival of '' Noises Off''."For mirth and mayhem this is matchless"
Telegraphy.co.uk, 15 August 2003. Campbell's other stage performances in London have encompassed the classics as well as new plays; they include '' You Never Can Tell'' (Lyric, 1979); '' Miss Julie'' (1983) in the title role; '' Little Eyolf'' (1985) as Asta; ''The Daughter-in-Law'' (1985) as Minnie; '' The Sneeze'' (a Chekhov selection) (1988) in various roles; ''

Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. O ...

'' (1991) as Emma; ''The Strip'' (1995) as Loretta; ''Some Sunny Day'' (1996) as Emily; ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises ...

'' (1997) as Arkadina; '' Passion'' (2000) as Nell; and ''

Life After George ''Life After George'' is a play by Australian playwright Hannie Rayson. The play concerns the current and two former wives of Peter George, a charismatic professor, who dies in a plane crash. It explores progressive Australian intellectual and pol ...

'' (2002) as Beatrix. In provincial theatre, she has appeared in: ''

The Country Wife ''The Country Wife'' is a Restoration comedy written by William Wycherley and first performed in 1675. A product of the tolerant early Restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and anti-Puritan ideology, and was controversial f ...

'' (Manchester Royal Exchange) as Margery Pinchwife; ''

The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A “sparkling comedy ...

'' (Theatr Clwyd) as Constance; ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

'' (Leicester Haymarket) as Blanche (for which she received a Regional Theatre Best Actress award); and ''So Long Life'' (touring production) as Wendy.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Cheryl 1949 births Living people Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners English stage actresses English television actresses English film actresses People from St Albans Royal Shakespeare Company members Actresses from Hertfordshire Laurence Olivier Award winners