Maggie Steed:
Imperious and imposing actress, often playing working-class matriarchs and strong dynamic women, albeit sometimes with a rather harsh, masculine edge. Her resumé is impressive, particularly in TV comedy and comedy-drama, with her role as Rita opposite Kenneth Cranham in 'Shine On Harvey Moon' being especially memorable, but also in 'Lipstick On Your Collar', 'Jam & Jerusalem', 'Sensitive Skin', 'The History Man', 'Born & Bred', 'Pie In The Sky', and period pieces like 'Lark Rise to Candleford' and the highly regarded 1994 TV adaptation of 'Martin Chuzzlewit'. Lots of one-offs too, in old standbys including 'Red Dwarf', 'Minder', 'Foyles War', 'Van der Valk', 'The Young Ones' and 'Brideshead Revisited'.
Not too much on the big screen, though, preferring perhaps to appear on the serious stage with the RSC rather than slog around in Hollywood circles, but there was 'Simon Magus' (1999) and 'The Painted Veil' (2006).
Maggie Steed - imdb profile
Maggie Steed had an interesting role as the bisexual Bette in Trevor Preston's 1980 drama Fox. Bette cared for the skirt-chasing Joey (Larry Lamb) and he was falling for her, however he took fright at her bohemian lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteMaggie was terrific as Rita in Shine On Harvey Moon, playing someone who was determined to have a good time in post-war London and who any man would cross at his peril. Rita delivered showstopping put-downs but also had a vulnerable side and she was arguably the most memorable female character in 80s popular drama.