| Dora Bryan | ||||||
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 From the front cover of her book Tapestry Tales |
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| Birth name | Dora Mary Broadbent | |||||
| Born | February 7 1924 Southport, Lancashire, England, UK |
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| Occupation | Actress, Presenter, Philantropist | |||||
| Years active | 1947-present | |||||
| Spouse(s) | Bill Lawton (1954-present) |
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| Children | 3 | |||||
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Dora Mary Broadbent OBE (born 7 February, 1924, Southport) is an English actress best known for her role as Roz in the British television series Last of the Summer Wine.
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Early life
Bryan was born in Southport, Lancashire, and has a distinctive speaking voice which has become a trademark of her film and television performances. Her father was a salesman and she attended Hathershaw County Primary School in Oldham. Her career began in pantomime before World War II, during which she joined the ENSA in Italy to entertain British troops.
Career
She became a regular performer in the West End of London following the war, where she became a star of theatrical revues. She soon followed many of her theatre contemporaries by moving into film acting, generally playing supporting roles. She often played women of easy virtue — for example in Ealing's The Blue Lamp (1950) and The Fallen Idol (1948), one of her earliest films. She appeared in similarly stereotypical female roles in other films, for example The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), Carry On Sergeant (1958) and The Green Man (1956). In 1961, she appeared in A Taste of Honey. The film won four BAFTA awards: Director Tony Richardson won Best British Screenplay (with Delaney) and Best British Film, while Bryan won Best Actress and co-star Rita Tushingham was named Most Promising Newcomer. She played a head mistress in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966). She appeared in a cameo role in 1955 on the BBC radio series Hancock's Half Hour, episode titled "Cinderella Hancock". She also had a Top 20 hit in 1963, "All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle". In 1971, Bryan appeared in the West End production of the Kander and Ebb musical 70, Girls, 70. She then took a break from acting to raise children, although she made a public service TV advertisement for children's safety during this period. She resumed acting in the early 1980s. In 2004 she joined the cast of the long-running BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine as Aunt Roz. Her most recent film appearance was in MirrorMask (2005). In September 2006, she was due to tour in the comedy There's No Place Like a Home but withdrew early in the tour due to ill health. Her autobiography According To Dora was published in 1987 and has since been updated and republished. In 1996, she was awarded the O.B.E. in recognition of her services to acting and she was awarded a Laurence Olivier Award in 1996 for her role in the West End production of Harold Pinter play, The Birthday Party.
Personal life
She has been married to Bill Lawton since 1954, and is the mother of three children. She has lived in Brighton for over 30 years. She owned the Clarges Hotel in Brighton when it was used in on-location exterior shots for the comedy film Carry On Girls.
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 to 2005 | Last of the Summer Wine | Ros Utterthwaite |
External links
| Persondata | |
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| NAME | Bryan, Dora |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Broadbent, Dora Mary |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actress, Presenter, Philantropist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1924-2-7 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Southport, Lancashire, England, UK |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
