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Liz SmithBritish character actress
Date of Birth: 11.12.1921
Country:  Great Britain |
Biography of Liz Smith
Early Life
Liz Smith, a British character actress, gained fame for her roles in various sitcoms and TV shows including 'I Didn't Know You Cared', '2point4 Children', 'The Royle Family', 'The Vicar of Dibley', and 'Lark Rise to Candleford'. Born as Betty Gleadle on December 11, 1921, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, Liz Smith's mother passed away during childbirth when she was two years old. Her father remarried soon after and his new wife didn't want any contact with Betty, so she was raised by her widowed grandmother. During World War II, Betty joined the Women's Royal Navy Service.
Acting Career
Liz Smith's breakthrough in her acting career came in 1971, at the age of 49, when she played the role of an oppressed mother in Mike Leigh's film 'Bleak Moments'. Smith described the moment that changed her life, saying, "I was in the toyshop Hamleys on one Christmas Eve when the moment happened that changed my life. I received a message from a young director named Mike Leigh. At the time, I was almost 50, but he wanted a middle-aged woman for his improvisation. I went for the audition and was chosen for the role of the mother in the improvisational film 'Bleak Moments', Mike's first film..."
In the 1970s and 1980s, Liz Smith appeared in many popular British TV shows including 'The Duchess of Duke Street', 'In Loving Memory', 'The Gentle Touch', and 'Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime'. She received a BAFTA award in 1984 for 'Best Supporting Actress' for her role in the comedy film 'A Private Function'.
Later Career and Personal Life
In the 1990s, Liz Smith continued to act in shows like '2point4 Children', 'Bottom', 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles', and 'Lovejoy'. She played the character of Letitia Cropley in the sitcom 'The Vicar of Dibley' until her character's death in a special episode in 1996. Smith also appeared in the TV series 'Casualty' in 1995 and 'The Royle Family' from 1998 to 2000. She played Miss Laurie in the TV film 'Alice in Wonderland' in 1999.
In 2006, Liz Smith published her autobiography 'Our Betty' and moved to a retirement home in Hampstead, London. She continued to act in TV shows like 'Lark Rise to Candleford', 'Desert Island Discs', and the film 'City of Ember'.
Liz Smith was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2009 and became a member. She retired from acting in the same year due to health issues. She passed away at the age of 96 on December 24, 2016.
Personal Life
Liz Smith was married to Jack Thomas in 1945. They met while she was serving in India. The couple had two children but divorced in 1959. Liz Smith experienced financial difficulties and societal pressure as a divorced woman, which she described as a difficult period in her life.
