Brenda Blethyn Biography (1946-)

Original name, Brenda Anne Bottle; born February 20, 1946, in Ramsgate, Kent,England; daughter of William Charles (a mechanical engineer) and Louisa Kathleen (a homemaker) Bottle; married Alan James Blethyn (a graphic designer), 1966 (divorced, 1976); companion of Michael Mayhew (a theatrical art director). Addresses: Agent: International Creative Management, 76 Oxford St.,London W1D 1BS, England.; Manager: Hofflund/Polone, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 890, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Nationality: British
Gender: Female
Occupation: Actress
Birth Details: February 20, 1946; Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Mrs. Jenkins, The Witches, Warner Bros., 1990
Mrs. Maclean, A River Runs through It, Columbia, 1992
Cynthia Rose Purley, Secrets & Lies (also known as Secretset mensonges), October Films, 1996
Dawn Wilkinson, Girls' Night, Granada Films, 1997
Shirley, Remember Me?, Manuel Salvador, 1997
Alice Mooney, Night Train, Alternative Cinema Company/Subotica Productions, 1998
Grace Swan, Music from Another Room, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Orion, 1998
Ida Stubbs, In the Winter Dark, R. B. Films, 1998
Mari Hoff, Little Voice (also known as The Rise and Fall of Little Voice), Miramax, 1998
Herself, Road to Sundance (documentary), Kleparski and Bee Productions, 2000
Grace Trevethyn, Saving Grace, Fine Line Features, 2000
Mrs. Louise Tutwiler, Yellow Bird, Yellowbird Productions, 2000
Julia Montgomery, Daddy and Them, Miramax, 2001
Mrs. Delaney, On the Nose, Capitol Films, 2001
Fish lady, Yes You Can (short film), 2001
Betty Rhys-Jones, Plots with a View (also known as Plotz with aView, Undertaking Betty, Grabgefluester, Grabgefluester--Liebe kann Saerge versetzen, and Grabgefluester--Liebe versetzt Saerge), Vine International Pictures/Great British Films/Spice Factory, 2002
Jane Marks, Lovely & Amazing, Lions Gate Films, 2002
Jewel Phillips, Sonny, Samuel Goldwyn, 2002
Judy Romanoff, Pumpkin, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 2002
Voice of Mrs. Fairgood, The Wild Thornberrys Movie (animated), Paramount, 2002
Aggie, The Sleeping Dictionary, Fine Line Features, 2003
Annette, A Way of Life, Portman Film, 2003
Aunt Millie, Blizzard, Premiere Group, 2003
Polly Cassotto, Beyond the Sea, Lions Gate Films, 2004
Piccadilly Jim, United International Pictures, 2004
Joan, On a Clear Day, Focus Features, 2005
Mrs. Bennet, Pride & Prejudice, Focus Features, 2005
Voice of Mama Heffalump, Pooh's Heffalump Movie (animated; also known as The Heffalump Movie), Buena Vista, 2005
Clubland, Palace Films, 2005
Pushers Needed, Arclight Films, 2005
No One Gets Off in This Town, Dan Films, 2006
Television Appearances
Series
Alison Little, Chance in a Million, Channel 4 (England) and ThamesTelevision, 1984-86
Sylvia, Sunday Premiere: Claws, BBC, beginning 1987
Erica Rogers, The Labours of Erica, Independent Television, 1987-90
Miriam Dervish, Outside Edge, Central Independent Television and Carlton Television, 1994-95
Miniseries
Mrs. Lewis, That Uncertain Feeling, BBC, 1985
Ticki Tocquet, Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (also known as The Barbara Hutton Story), NBC, 1987
Margaret Amir, The Buddha of Suburbia, BBC-2, 1993
Narrator, Fire, Plague, War and Treason, Channel 4 (England), 2001
Hazel Delany, Between the Sheets, Independent Television, 2003
Movies

Louella Parsons, RKO 281 (also known as RKO 281: The Battle over Citizen Kane), HBO, 1999
Auguste Rottgen-van Pels, Anne Frank: The Whole Story (also knownas Anne Frank), ABC, 2001
Jess Copplestone, Belonging, Independent Television, 2004
Specials
Gloria, "Grown-Ups," BBC-2 Playhouse, BBC-2, 1980
Mary, "The Imitation Game," Play for Today, BBC, 1980
Joan, "Henry VI, Part One" (also known as "The First Part of King Henry VI"), BBC Television Shakespeare (also known as The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare), BBC-2, 1981
Cordelia, "King Lear," BBC Television Shakespeare (also known as The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare), BBC-2, 1983
Janice, "Floating Off," Play for Today, BBC, 1983
Gwen, "The Bullion Boys," Screen One (also known as The ScreenOne: The Bullion Boys), BBC, 1993
Awards Presentations
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1997
The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997
Presenter, The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 1998
The 71st Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1999
Episodic
"Variations in Two Flats," Can We Get On Now, Please?, IndependentTelevision, 1980
Joan Littler, "The Greasy Pole," Yes, Minister, BBC-2, 1981
Carol Hutchins, "Hit and Run," Tales of the Unexpected, Anglia Television and syndicated, 1983
Pauline, "Rumpole and the Genuine Article," Rumpole of the Bailey(also known as Rumpole's Return: Series Three), Thames Television andPBS, 1983
Angela Foley, Death of an Expert Witness (also known as Dalgliesh: Death of an Expert Witness), Anglia Television, 1983, broadcast on Mystery!, PBS, c. 1985
Who Dares Wins, Channel 4 (England), multiple episodes, 1984
Alas Smith and Jones, BBC-2, multiple episodes in 1984 and 1990
Storyteller's wife, "A Story Short," The Storyteller, Channel 4 (England) and Television South, 1988, broadcast as "A Short Story," The JimHenson Hour (also known as Jim Henson Presents), NBC, 1989
Rose, "Maigret and the Night Club Dancer," Maigret, Granada Television and NBC, 1993
Television Guest Appearances
Episodic
The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997, 1999
So Graham Norton, Channel 4 (England), 1999
Film '00, BBC, 2000
Richard & Judy, Channel 4, 2002
V Graham Norton, Channel 4, 2002
This Morning (also known as This Morning with Richard and Judy), Independent Television, 2004, 2005
(In archive footage) Cinema mil, Televisio de Catalunya, 2005
GMTV, Independent Television, 2005
Appeared in Independent View, PBS.
Television Appearances
Pilots
Carol Potter, Carol Potter Gets a Life, ABC, 2005
Appeared as Pamela, Seven Roses, CBS.
Other
Mona, First Signs of Madness, 1993
Sleeping with Mickey, BBC, 1993
Voice of Dr. Florence Montfitchett, Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-a-Lot (animated; also known as Bob the Builder: The Knights of Fix-a-Lot), [Great Britain], 2003
Stage Appearances
Troilus and Cressida, Royal National Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, The Cut, London, 1976
Mysteries, Royal National Theatre, London, 1979
Steaming, Comedy Theatre, London, 1981
The Double Dealer, Royal National Theatre, 1982
Benefactors, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1984
Dalliance, Royal National Theatre, 1987
A Doll's House, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, England, 1987
Born Yesterday, Royal Exchange Theatre, 1988
The Beaux' Stratagem, Royal National Theatre, 1989
Diana, Absent Friends, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, New York City, 1991
An Ideal Husband, Royal Exchange Theatre, 1992
Wildest Dreams, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1993
The Bed before Yesterday, Almeida Theatre, London, 1994
Habeas Corpus, Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London, 1996
Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Strand Theatre, London, 2002
Thelma Cates, 'Night, Mother, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerlythe Royale Theatre), New York City, 2004-2005
Voice, Blizzard, Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre, New York City, 2005
Appeared in Bedroom Farce, Fruits of Enlightenment, TheGuardsman, Madras House, A Midsummer Night's Dream, TheMysteries, The Passion, The Provok'd Wife, Strife, Tales from the Vienna Woods, and Tamburlaine, all Royal NationalTheatre; in Crimes of the Heart, Bush Theatre; and in The DramaticAttitudes of Miss Fanny Kemble, Southampton, England.
RECORDINGS
Videos
Herself, The Best of So Graham Norton, United Film and TelevisionProductions, 2000
Herself, Film-Fest DVD: Issue 4--Hawaii, 2000

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Entertainment Weekly, March 1, 1999, p. 53; February 11, 2000, p.22
Evening Standard Hot Tickets, June 18, 1998, pp. 2-3
Guardian (London), May 29, 1996, p. T10
People Weekly, March 17, 1997, p. 22
Playbill, October 7, 2004
Radio Times, January 21, 1995, p. 130
USA Today, January 28, 1997

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum