Judy Valerie Cornwell (born 22 February 1940) is an English actress and writer best known for her role as
Daisy in the successful British sitcom ''
Keeping Up Appearances
''Keeping Up Appearances'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke. It originally aired on BBC1 from 1990 to 1995 with two specials airing in 1997 and 2008 on PBS. The central character is an eccentric and snobbish middle class s ...
'' (1990–1995). She also played
Anya Claus in ''
Santa Claus: The Movie'' (1985). In her later years she became known for playing
Miss Marple
Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Chr ...
in many stage productions, including ''A Murder Is Announced'' between 2014 and 2016.
Biography
Cornwell's father served in the
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and she grew up in Britain, where she attended a convent school, with
Penelope Keith
Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith, (née Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and ''To the Man ...
. She later attended Saint Michael Boarding school in
Heacham
Heacham is a large village in West Norfolk, England, overlooking The Wash. It lies between King's Lynn, to the south, and Hunstanton, about to the north. It has been a seaside resort for over a century and a half.
History
There is evidence o ...
, Norfolk, before moving to Australia with her family. She has written about her childhood experiences in her autobiography ''Adventures of a Jelly Baby''. She later returned to Britain and became a professional dancer and comedian in her teens, working her act between the nudes at Dhurjati Chaudhury's Irving Theatre Club, on Irving Street, off Leicester Square, London.
, before becoming an actress. Her career includes roles in radio's ''
The Navy Lark
''The Navy Lark'' is a radio sitcom about life aboard a United Kingdom, British Royal Navy Frigate#Modern Age, frigate named HMS ''Troutbridge'' (a play on HMS Troubridge (R00), HMS ''Troubridge'', a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsm ...
'', the play ''
Oh! What A Lovely War
''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Oli ...
'',
her own TV comedy series ''
Moody and Pegg
''Moody and Pegg'' was a bittersweet British comedy-drama, produced by Thames Television for ITV between 1974 and 1975, and written by Donald Churchill and Julia Jones. Derek Waring and Judy Cornwell starred in this series that accented comed ...
'',
[ and several seasons with the ]Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
.
Films and television
Cornwell's film roles include '' Santa Claus: The Movie'' (as Anya Claus) and ''Mad Cows''. On television she has appeared in ''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 ...
'', '' Cakes and Ale'', '' Bergerac'', ''Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' (the serial ''Paradise Towers
''Paradise Towers'' is the second serial of the 24th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 to 26 October 1987.
In the serial, Kroagnon, the incorporeal arch ...
''), several episodes of ''Farrington of the F.O.
{{infobox television
, runtime = 30 minutes
, creator = Dick Sharples
, starring = Angela Thorne Joan Sims John Quayle Tony Haygarth Freddie Earlle Judy Cornwell
, director = Ronnie Baxter Don Clayton
, composer = Alan ParkerAl ...
'', ''The Famous Five
''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures ...
'', ''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 on ...
'', '' Heartbeat'', ''The Royal
''The Royal'' is a British period medical drama, produced by Yorkshire Television (later part of ITV Studios), and broadcast on ITV1 from 2003 until its cancellation in 2011. The series is set in the 1960s and focuses on the lives of the st ...
'', ''Miss Marple
Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Chr ...
'', ''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 ...
'' and ''The Devil's Lieutenant''. Cornwell also appeared in 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. ...
...
. In 1987, she appeared as the English spinster Rosemary Tuttle in the episode "Rumpole and the Official Secret" from Season 4 of ''
''.
She is best known however, for her portrayal of lovable working class housewife
'', which ran for 5 series from 1990 to 1995.
She also appeared in the series of ''
''.
Cornwell's books include her autobiography ''Adventures of a Jelly Baby'' () published in 2005 which describes her childhood growing up in Britain during the war, and then in Australia where her family emigrated.
She has also published several novels, including ''Cow and Cow Parsley'' in 1985, ''Fishcakes at the Ritz'' in 1989, ''The Seventh Sunrise'' in 1994, and ''Fear and Favour'' in 1996.
Cornwell married John Kelsall Parry on 18 December 1960 and they have one son together. The couple reside in
.
.