Jeillo Edwards (23 September 1942,

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

– 2 July 2004,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

) was a Sierra Leonean actress, who is notable in the history of black actors in Britain. She was the first woman of African descent to study drama at London's

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

. She went on to be one of the first black actresses to be cast in a mainstream UK television drama series – ''

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 ...

'', and for more than four decades performed on British television, radio, stage and films.

Biography

Jeillo Angela Doris Edwards was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, one of six children, and she attended the Annie Walsh Memorial School. She moved to England in the late 1950s and studied at the

. She began performing at the age of four, reading from the Bible at her church. She was well known for her distinctive voice and imperious enunciation. She featured on the BBC World Service for Africa, which was broadcast in the UK. She became popular in the United Kingdom, appearing on television, where she was the first black woman to appear on British television as well as being the first African to appear on ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

'', radio and on stage. She appeared in cameo roles in many British television comedy programmes, including '' The Professionals, ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the live ...

'', ''

Absolutely Fabulous ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (also known as ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom based on the ''French and Saunders'' sketch, "Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saund ...

'', '' Red Dwarf'', ''

Black Books ''Black Books'' is a British sitcom created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan, and written by Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley, Linehan and Arthur Mathews. It was broadcast on Channel 4, running for three series from 2000 to 2004. Starring Mo ...

'', ''

Spaced ''Spaced'' is a British television sitcom created, written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright, about the (comedic and sometimes farcical and action-packed) misadventures of Daisy Steiner and Tim Bi ...

'' and '' Little Britain'', in which she had been planned to appear in the second series before her death. As well as acting she also at one time was a

school governor In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, school governors are the overseers of a school. In state schools, they have three main functions: *Giving the school a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction *Holding the headteacher to account for the ...

and owned a restaurant called Auntie J's in Brixton. In the early 1970s, she married a Ghanaian, Edmund Clottey, and they had a daughter and two sons. Jeillo Edwards died in London at the age of 61, having suffered chronic kidney problems.

Actress

*2003: '' Little Britain'' .... Nurse (1 episode, 2003) *2003: '' Murder Investigation Team'' .... Agnes Welsh (1 episode, 2003) *2003: '' Murder in Mind'' .... Phyllis (1 episode, 2003) *2002: '' Dirty Pretty Things'' .... Hospital Cleaning Lady *2002: ''

Anansi Anansi ( ; literally translates to ''spider'') is an Akan folktale character and the Akan God of Stories, Wisdom, Knowledge, and possibly creation. The form of a spider is the most common depiction of Anansi. He is also, sometimes considered t ...

'' .... Aunt Vera *2001: ''

'' .... Jeillo (1 episode, 2001) *2001: '' Sam's Game'' .... Mumma (1 episode, 2001) *2001: ''

'' .... Tim's Benefit Clerk (1 episode, 2001) *2000: ''

'' .... Midwife (1 episode, 2000) *2000: '' The Thing About Vince'' .... Mrs. Cuffy (2 episodes, 2000) *2000: ''

'' .... Yvonne (1 episode, 2000) *2000: ''

Tough Love Tough love is the act of treating a person sternly or harshly with the intent to help them in the long run. Description Bill Milliken described tough love through the expression, "I don't care how this makes you feel toward me. You may hate m ...

'' (TV) .... Irate Woman *1999: '' Red Dwarf'' .... Second Ground Controller (1 episode, 1999) *1998: '' A Rather English Marriage'' (TV) .... Sister *1998: ''

Babes in the Wood Babes in the Wood is a traditional English children's tale, as well as a popular pantomime subject. It has also been the name of some other unrelated works. The expression has passed into common language, referring to inexperienced innocents en ...

'' .... Nigerian Lady (1 episode, 1998) *1998: '' In Exile'' .... Mother (1 episode, 1998) *1997: '' Holding On'' .... Aunt Gaynor (5 episodes, 1997) *1997: '' Paris, Brixton'' .... Landlady *1996: '' Beautiful Thing'' .... Rose *1994: ''

Pat and Margaret ''Pat and Margaret'' is a British television film written by comedian Victoria Wood. The story follows sisters Margaret, a cook, and Pat, a successful actress in the United States, after they are reunited on a television programme after spending ...

'' (TV) .... Tea Bar Lady *1994: '' A Skirt Through History'' .... Mary Prince (1 episode, 1994) *1993: '' The Line, the Cross & the Curve'' .... Dancer 'Eat the Music' *1992: ''

Screen One ''Screen One'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide, that was transmitted on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. A total of six series were broadcast, incorporating sixty individual fil ...

'' .... Mrs. Jessop (1 episode, 1992) *1989: ''

Sob Sisters ''Sob Sisters'' is a British television sitcom which aired on ITV in 1989.Perry p.209 Following the death of a husband, two sisters move in together despite their strongly contrasting personalities. Other actors who appeared in episodes of the ...

'' .... Woman with dog (1 episode, 1989) *1989: ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' .... Grandmother / ... (3 episodes, 1989–1997) *1988: ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, oft ...

'' .... Lady Cashier (1 episode, 1988) *1988: '' London's Burning'' .... Mrs. Jones (1 episode, 1988) *1987: ''

'' .... Clarice Paine / Mary Mullen / Mrs Ambrose / Mrs Peake / Mrs Konchella / Mrs Keel / Woman at Counter (7 episodes, 1987–2000) *1987: '' Elphida'' (TV) .... Somali woman *1987: ''

Scoop Scoop, Scoops or The scoop may refer to: Objects * Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging * Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things * Scoop stretcher, a device used for casualt ...

'' (TV) .... Mrs. Jackson *1985: '' Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense'' .... Landlady (1 episode, 1985) *1983: ''

Maybury Maybury is an area on the western edge of Edinburgh, Scotland, near South Gyle and Ingliston, named after the road, which is itself named after the civil engineer Sir Henry Maybury (1864–1943). In 2021, residents have been undertaking commun ...

'' .... Mrs. Galsworthy (1 episode, 1983) *1982: '' Love Is Old, Love Is New'' (TV) .... Ward maid *1981: '' Memoirs of a Survivor'' .... Woman at Newsstand *1979: ''

Empire Road An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' ... Mary O'Fili (1 episode, 1979) *1979: ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'' TV series .... Mrs. McGregor (unknown episodes) *1978: '' The Professionals'' .... West Indian Woman (1 episode, 1978) *1978: '' Betzi'' (TV) .... Sarah *1976: ''

Centre Play Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricit ...

'' .... Nurse (2 episodes, 1976–1977) *1975: '' Play for Today'' .... Lucy / ... (2 episodes, 1975–1980) *1975: ''

Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

'' .... Mrs. Jobo (2 episodes, 1975–1980) *1972: ''

'' .... Mrs. Morgan (1 episode, 1972)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Jeillo 1942 births 2004 deaths Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Sierra Leone Creole people Sierra Leonean film actors Sierra Leonean emigrants to the United Kingdom Black British actresses 20th-century actresses 21st-century actresses 20th-century Sierra Leonean actors 21st-century Sierra Leonean actors Sierra Leonean actresses People from Freetown