Josette Simon
Encyclopedia
Josette Patricia Simon OBE
(born 1960) is a British
actor of Antigua
n descent. She trained for the stage at the Central School of Speech and Drama
in London.
in the third and fourth seasons of the television sci-fi
series Blake's 7
. Her recent television work includes roles in Lewis, Casualty
, Skins
, Midsomer Murders
, The Last Detective
and the Poirot
episode "The Mystery of the Blue Train
".
Simon's film appearances include Cry Freedom
and Milk and Honey, for which she was nominated for a Best Actress award.
In 1992 she starred alongside Brenda Fricker
in the TV film Seekers
, produced by Sarah Lawson
.
Simon is also a notable stage actress who has performed frequently with the Royal National Theatre
and Royal Shakespeare Company
, being cast as one of the three 'weird sisters' in Macbeth
alongside Kathy Behean, Lesley Sharp
and Bob Peck
who played the lead.
As a black actress, she has been at the forefront of 'colour-blind casting
', frequently taking roles traditionally considered white. One example is Maggie in Arthur Miller
's After the Fall
, which has been said to have been based on Marilyn Monroe
, former wife of Miller, a performance which won Simon the Evening Standard
s Best Actress award in 1990, as well as several Best Actress nominations.
She was also nominated for a Best Actress award for her performance in Golden Girls at the RSC.
In 2009 she appeared in the inaugural episode of the resurrected TV series Minder
.
in 1995.
in 1996, but the couple divorced in 2004. They have one child.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1960) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor of Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
n descent. She trained for the stage at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
in London.
Career
She is best known for her portrayal of Dayna MellanbyDayna Mellanby
Dayna Mellanby is a fictional character in the BBC science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Josette Simon.Dayna Mellanby was the daughter of former resistance leader Hal Mellanby, who fled from Earth with his infant daughter to escape security forces after his movement collapsed...
in the third and fourth seasons of the television sci-fi
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
. Her recent television work includes roles in Lewis, Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
, Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, The Last Detective
The Last Detective
The Last Detective is an ITV drama starring Peter Davison as Dangerous Davies. The first series aired in 2003 with three more seasons succeeding this...
and the Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
episode "The Mystery of the Blue Train
The Mystery of the Blue Train
The Mystery of the Blue Train is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons on March 29, 1928 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence and the US edition at...
".
Simon's film appearances include Cry Freedom
Cry Freedom
Cry Freedom is a 1987 British drama film directed by Richard Attenborough, set in the late 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa. It was written from a screenplay by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods...
and Milk and Honey, for which she was nominated for a Best Actress award.
In 1992 she starred alongside Brenda Fricker
Brenda Fricker
Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles...
in the TV film Seekers
Seekers (TV series)
Seekers was a four part TV mini-series released in 1992 about a police officer who disappears, and when his wife tries to find him, she discovers... another wife. They team up to search for him...
, produced by Sarah Lawson
Sarah Lawson (producer)
Sarah Lawson was an English film producer.-Career:From 1982 to 1985, she was Vice President of Planning and Development for DL Taffner Ltd, Los Angeles, and from 1995 to 1996 she was Managing Director of Anglia Television Entertainment Ltd - a joint venture between HBO and the ITV Company.She is...
.
Simon is also a notable stage actress who has performed frequently with the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
and Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
, being cast as one of the three 'weird sisters' in Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
alongside Kathy Behean, Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress, particularly well known for her variety of British television roles including Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and afterlife.-Early life:...
and Bob Peck
Bob Peck
Bob Peck was an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:He went to Leeds Modern School in Lawnswood...
who played the lead.
As a black actress, she has been at the forefront of 'colour-blind casting
Colour-blind casting
Colour-blind casting, non-traditional casting or integrated casting is the practice of casting a role without considering the actor's ethnicity. It derives its name from the medical condition of colour blindness...
', frequently taking roles traditionally considered white. One example is Maggie in Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
's After the Fall
After the Fall (play)
After the Fall is a play by American dramatist Arthur Miller. The original performance opened in New York City on January 23, 1964, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Barbara Loden and Jason Robards Jr., with an early appearance by Faye Dunaway. Kazan also collaborated with Miller on the script...
, which has been said to have been based on Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, former wife of Miller, a performance which won Simon the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
s Best Actress award in 1990, as well as several Best Actress nominations.
She was also nominated for a Best Actress award for her performance in Golden Girls at the RSC.
In 2009 she appeared in the inaugural episode of the resurrected TV series Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
.
Awards and honours
Simon was awarded the OBE for services to drama in 2000, and also received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of LeicesterUniversity of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
in 1995.
Personal life
Josette married Mark PadmoreMark Padmore
Mark Padmore is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.Born in London 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent in England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge...
in 1996, but the couple divorced in 2004. They have one child.
Filmography (Incomplete)
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Cry Freedom Cry Freedom Cry Freedom is a 1987 British drama film directed by Richard Attenborough, set in the late 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa. It was written from a screenplay by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods... |
Dr. Ramphele | |
| 1988 | Milk and Honey | Joanna Bell | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | Blakes 7 | Dayna Mellanby | 13 Episodes |
| 1981 | Blakes 7 | Dayna Mellanby | 13 Episodes |
| 1984 | Play for Today | Linda King | King |
| 1988 | Thompson | Various Roles | 2 Episodes |
| 1997 | Kavanagh QC | Dr. Hilary Jameson | Blood Money |
| 1998 | Daziel and Pascoe | Eileen Anstiss | Bones and Silence |
| 1999 | Blakes 7 | Dayna Mellanby | 13 Episodes |
| 2003 | The Last Detective | Jemma Duvall | Lofty |
| 2004 | |||
| 2005 | |||
| 2006 | Casualty Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
Sarah Keith | The Sunny Side of the Street Part 1 & 2 |
| 2007 | Lewis (TV series) | Stephanie Fielding | Expiation |
| 2009 | Casualty Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
Frances Liveley | 6 Episodes |
| 2010 | Casualty Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
Frances Liveley | Loves Me, Loves Me Not |
| 2011 | Silent Witness Silent Witness Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was... |
Mrs Ferris | 2 episodes - First Casualty: Part 1, First Casualty: Part 2" |