Michele Dotrice
Encyclopedia
Michele Dotrice is an English
actress best known for her portrayal of Betty, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, played by Michael Crawford
, in the BBC
sitcom Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em
, which ran from 1973 to 1978.
Her father Roy Dotrice
is an actor, as was her mother Kay Dotrice. She has two sisters, Karen Dotrice
and Yvette Dotrice
, who also followed their parents’ footsteps into acting.
, in which she played Nell. In 1970 she had a starring role in the film thriller And Soon the Darkness
, and she appeared in other similarly themed films around this time. It was, however, her appearance in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
that made her a household name, and she played the role for five years from 1973.
In 1981 she took the leading role in the short-lived sitcom Chintz, while the mid-1990s saw her appearing for several episodes in the period drama Bramwell
. More recently, she has made numerous guest appearances in well-known British television series, including Midsomer Murders
(1 episode, 1998), Holby City
(1 episode, 2002), Murder in Suburbia
(as Cindy in Episode 6, Season 2, 2005), and the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors (1 episode, 2008). In addition, she made several appearances in a 2004 Nottingham-set BBC comedy-drama entitled 'A Thing Called Love', which starred Paul Nicholls and Roy Barraclough
among others.
from January 1987 until his death in November 2009; they have a daughter named Emily Beth.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress best known for her portrayal of Betty, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, played by Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
, in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in...
, which ran from 1973 to 1978.
Her father Roy Dotrice
Roy Dotrice
Roy Dotrice, OBE is a British actor known for his Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in the revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten.-Life and career:...
is an actor, as was her mother Kay Dotrice. She has two sisters, Karen Dotrice
Karen Dotrice
Karen Dotrice is an English actress known primarily for her role as Jane Banks in Walt Disney's feature film adaptation of the Mary Poppins book series. Dotrice was born in Guernsey to two accomplished stage actors...
and Yvette Dotrice
Yvette Dotrice
Yvette Dotrice is an English actress known for her role as Wendy Crisp during the 25-year run of the television soap opera Crossroads.Dotrice is the daughter of Shakespearean actors Roy and Kay Dotrice. Her sisters, Karen and Michele, also are actresses....
, who also followed their parents’ footsteps into acting.
Career
Her first significant role was at the age of 14, in a 13-part TV adaptation of The Old Curiosity ShopThe Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop is a novel by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London....
, in which she played Nell. In 1970 she had a starring role in the film thriller And Soon the Darkness
And Soon the Darkness
And Soon the Darkness is a 1970 British thriller film. Starring Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice and Sandor Elès, it tells the story of two young English women on a cycling holiday in France, who run into difficulties.-Plot:...
, and she appeared in other similarly themed films around this time. It was, however, her appearance in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a BBC situation comedy, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in...
that made her a household name, and she played the role for five years from 1973.
In 1981 she took the leading role in the short-lived sitcom Chintz, while the mid-1990s saw her appearing for several episodes in the period drama Bramwell
Bramwell
Bramwell is a British television series starring Jemma Redgrave as Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, a woman challenging the domination of men in the medical establishment, who runs a free hospital for the poor in the East End of London, during the late Victorian era .The series by Carlton Television was shown...
. More recently, she has made numerous guest appearances in well-known British television series, including 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...
(1 episode, 1998), Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
(1 episode, 2002), Murder in Suburbia
Murder in Suburbia
Murder in Suburbia was a British detective drama that ran for two series in 2004 and 2005.-Plot summary:The series focused on various murders in the fictional suburban England town of Middleford; filming took place in North West London, including Northwood.-Regular cast and characters:-Episode...
(as Cindy in Episode 6, Season 2, 2005), and the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors (1 episode, 2008). In addition, she made several appearances in a 2004 Nottingham-set BBC comedy-drama entitled 'A Thing Called Love', which starred Paul Nicholls and Roy Barraclough
Roy Barraclough
Roy Barraclough MBE is a comic actor. He is best known for his role as the shifty, lugubrious landlord of the Rovers Return, Alec Gilroy in the long-running British TV soap Coronation Street where he formed an on-screen partnership with Bet Lynch .- Career :Roy Barraclough...
among others.
Personal life
Dotrice was married to actor Edward WoodwardEdward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
from January 1987 until his death in November 2009; they have a daughter named Emily Beth.