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Helen Fraser (actress)

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Helen Fraser
Fraser in 2011
Born
Helen Margaret Stronach

(1942-06-15) 15 June 1942 (age 83)
Oldham, Lancashire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1962–2015
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1964; died 2007)​

Helen Fraser (born Helen Margaret Stronach; born 15 June 1942) is a retired English actress, who has appeared in many television series since the early 1960s.[1] For international audiences, she may be best known for her roles in Billy Liar (1963) and Repulsion (1965).[2] She is also well known in Britain for portraying the role of miserable warder Sylvia Hollamby in the prison drama series Bad Girls.[3] She appeared in the series from the first episode in 1999 until the last in 2006.[1]

Career

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She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art alongside Tom Courtenay and John Thaw, among others.[4] She gained her breakthrough role alongside Courtenay in Billy Liar (1963).[5] They later played the parents of character Dave Best in the Christmas special of The Royle Family (2008).[6]

She is best known to television viewers for her long-running role in the ITV women's prison drama Bad Girls as unpleasant prison officer Sylvia Hollamby[7] from the first episode in 1999 to the last in 2006.[1] She reprised the role in the West End production of Bad Girls: The Musical in 2007.[6]

She made her TV debut in the early 1960s and her credits include Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, The Likely Lads, Doctor in Charge, The Dustbinmen, On the Buses, Rising Damp, Tales of the Unexpected, Duty Free, One Foot in the Grave and Casualty.[8] She also worked on TV with comedians like Dick Emery and the Two Ronnies in the 1970s.[6]

She has also appeared on stage, including with the Royal National Theatre, in the West End and in regional theatres across the country.[9] In 2009 and 2010, she toured the UK as Mrs Fisher in a stage version of Billy Liar.[3] In 2011, she joined the tour of Calendar Girls.[10]

Fraser has appeared in the ITV soap Coronation Street twice – in 1998 as Magenta Savannah and again in 2013 as Doris Babbage.[11][12][13]

In 2015, she appeared in an episode of the BBC daytime soap Doctors.[14]

Personal life

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In 1964, she married the recording engineer Peter Handford; the couple had met on the set of Billy Liar.[3] Handford died in 2007.[15] Fraser lives in Eye, Suffolk.[16]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1962 A Kind of Loving Ingrid's Friend (Uncredited)
1963 Billy Liar Barbara
1965 Repulsion Bridget
1965 The Uncle Mary Ream
1968 The Birthday Party Lulu
1970 Start the Revolution Without Me Mimi Montage
1972 Something to Hide Miss Bunyan
1974 From Beyond the Grave Guest Segment 1: "The Gatecrasher" (uncredited)
1977 Joseph Andrews Mrs. Adams
1988 Gorillas in the Mist Mme. Van Vecten
2015 Minions Additional Voices
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1962, 1965 Play of the Week Millie Series 7, Episode 20
Ellen Series 10, Episode 50
1962–1963 Z-Cars Hilda Stansfield Series 1, Episode 26
Vicky Bell Series 2, Episode 27
1962 Silent Evidence Tina Series 1, Episode 2
1962 Harpers West One June Foley Series 2, Episode 2
1963 Emergency Ward 10 Caroline Baker 8 episodes
1963 Friday Night Betty Series 1, Episode 2
Sheila Series 1, Episode 3
Mavis Series 1, Episode 5
Brenda Holroyd Series 1, Episode 6
1964 The Villains Pat Series 1, Episode 4
1964 No Hiding Place Jill Series 6, Episode 17
1964 Thursday Theatre Janey Jenkins Series 1, Episode 2
1965 The Valiant Varneys Series 2, Episode 3
1965 Comedy Playhouse Greta Spavin Series 4, Episode 3
1965–1966 Pardon the Expression Hilda Norton Series 1, Episodes 3 & 8
Rita Parker Series 2, Episode 13
1965–1966 The Likely Lads Helen Series 2, Episode 3 &
Series 3, Episode 7
1965 Six of the Best Vanessa Series 1, Episode 3
1965 Dixon of Dock Green Gwen Series 12, Episode 2
1965–1966 Knock on Any Door Madge Winter Series 1, Episode 4
Polly Series 2, Episode 4
1965 Theatre 625 Mrs. Hampton Series 3, Episode 12
1965–1966 Blackmail Brenda Series 1, Episode 13
Daphne Appleton Series 2, Episode 3
1966–1967 The Wednesday Play Linda Series 4, Episode 23
Polly Series 7, Episode 12
1966 Mr. John Jorrocks Emma Series 1 — 8 episodes
1967 The Further Adventures of Lucky Jim Series 1, Episode 7
1967 Love Story Sue Series 5, Episode 11
1967 The Gamblers Joyce Series 1, Episode 2
1969 Doctor in the House Rigor Mortis Series 1, Episode 9
1969 Me Mammy Angela Series 1, Episode 4
1969 Dombey and Son Susan Nipper Miniseries — 9 episodes
1970 The Dustbinmen The Goddess Series 2, Episode 4
1971 The Doctors Petra Wood Series 1 — 6 episodes
1971 Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width Doreen Lewton Series 6, Episode 7
1971 Now Look Here Tracey Series 1, Episode 2
1971 On the Buses Linda Series 5, Episode 15
1972–1981 The Dick Emery Show Lampwick's Daughter Series 11, 13–19 — 34 episodes
1972–1973 Doctor in Charge Dr. Mary Bingham/Parsons Series 1–2 — 6 episodes
1972 A Day Out Mrs. Ackroyd TV film
1973 The Upper Crusts Mrs. Smith Series 1, Episode 4
1973 Hunter's Walk Janet Kenwright Series 1, Episode 1
1973 Man About the House Gabrielle Series 1, Episode 1
1974 Sporting Scenes Helen Series 1, Episode 3
1975 Cilla's Comedy Six Gloria Cartwright Series 1, Episode 4
1975 ...And Mother Makes Five Miss Finch Series 3, Episode 5
1975, 1978 Rising Damp Gwen Series 2, Episode 8
Bride Series 4, Episode 4
1976 Jumbo Spencer Mrs. Spencer Series 1 — 5 episodes
1978 BBC2 Play of the Week Polly Wright Series 2, Episode 2
1979 Crown Court Susan Barnes Series 8, Episode 55
1979 Rings on Their Fingers Mrs. Nicholls Series 2, Episode 1
1980 BBC2 Playhouse Lou Parker Series 7, Episode 3
1981 Partners Monica Series 1, Episode 4
1981 The Patricia Neal Story 2nd Neighbour TV film
1982 Tales of the Unexpected Beryl Series 5, Episode 1
1982 Sorry! Psychotherapist Series 2, Episode 2
1982 Play for Today Joyce Midgley Series 13, Episode 4
1983 Dramarama Joan Osgerby Series 1, Episode 2
1984 Duty Free Emily Series 1, Episode 4
1984 The Box of Delights Ellen Series 1 — 4 episodes
1985 Bird Fancier Susan Fox TV film
1985 The Two Ronnies Woman at the Wake Series 11, Episode 4
1985 Marjorie and Men Nora Series 1, Episode 6
1986 In Loving Memory Enid Bracegirdle Series 5, Episode 3
1987 Screen Two Mrs. Mortland Series 3, Episode 7
1988 Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun June Carberry Miniseries
1988 Don't Wait Up Pamela Series 5, Episode 1
1990 One Foot in the Grave Dr. Snellgrove Series 1, Episode 2
1991 The Chief Angela Series 2, Episode 6
1994 The Rector's Wife Trish Pardoe Miniseries — 4 episodes
1994 The Bill Emily Barker Series 10, Episode 131
1995 Under the Moon Miss Prudhomme TV film
1997 The Uninvited Charge Nurse Series 1, Episode 2
1998, 2013 Coronation Street Magenta Savannah Episodes 4394 & 4397
Doris Babbage Episode 8072
1999–2006 Bad Girls Sylvia Hollamby Series 1–8 — 91 episodes (main role)
2003 Casualty Joan Jowell Series 18, Episodes 5, 8 & 9
2008 The Royle Family Jocelyn Best Christmas Special: "The New Sofa"
2015 Doctors Mary Star Series 17, Episode 162

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Helen Fraser". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Helen Fraser | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  3. ^ a b c "Helen Fraser on life with Billy Liar". walesonline. 2 March 2009.
  4. ^ "Helen Fraser — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk.
  5. ^ McFarlane, Brian; Slide, Anthony (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b c "Helen Fraser – Actress". bslbt.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  7. ^ "Helen Fraser plays Sylvia Hollamby". badgirls.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Helen Fraser". www.aveleyman.com.
  9. ^ "Helen Fraser | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  10. ^ "Calendar Girls open in Carlisle". ITV News.
  11. ^ Young, Glenda (19 February 2013). "Coronation Street Blog: Helen Fraser joins Coronation Street".
  12. ^ "Actress Helen Fraser's top five films". 10 May 2013.
  13. ^ "Actress voices race row fears". Ipswich Star.
  14. ^ "BBC One - Doctors, Series 17, Pudding". BBC.
  15. ^ "Big Interview - Helen Fraser". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  16. ^ Clarke, Andrew. "Bad Girl Helen Fraser's journey back to the beginning of a dramatic career". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
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