Sheila Hancock

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Sheila Hancock OBE (born 22 February, 1933) is an English actress and comedian.

Born on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of a publican, she attended Dartford County Grammar School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She then joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, and has since appeared in over 40 films, mostly television releases. Big-screen roles include Carry On Cleo (1964), Take a Girl Like You (1970), Buster (1988) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). In 1978 she appeared on the West End stage as Miss Hannigan in the original London cast of Annie the Musical. Since October 2006, she has been playing the role of Fraulein Schneider in the West End revival of the musical Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre. In 2007, she won a Laurence Olivier Award, as "Best Performance in a Supporting Role In A Musical" for the part.

Television series she has participated in include Have I Got News For You, Room 101, Doctor Who, Call My Bluff and EastEnders where she played Barbara Owen. In 2006 she played the character of Junie Taylor, who was the sister of the well-known character Joannie "Nan" Taylor, from The Catherine Tate Show, and she was a regular contributor to BBC2's third season of ' Grumpy Old Women '. She was also in the Original series of The Rag Trade (1961) as Carol.

On radio, she has also made numerous appearances on Just a Minute from the 1960s onwards.

Hancock was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2002, for her role in The Russian Bride; and again in 2003 for her role in the TV series Bedtime.

Personal life

Hancock was married to actor Alec Ross from 1954 until his death from cancer in 1971. They had one daughter, Melanie Thaw, born in 1964.

In 1973 Hancock married actor John Thaw, 9 years her junior. He adopted Melanie, and they had another daughter, Joanna Thaw, in 1974. Both daughters have become actresses.

She was married to John Thaw until his death from cancer on 21 February 2002. Hancock herself was ill with breast cancer during the 1990s, but made a full recovery.

Her 2004 book, The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw is a dual biography, which gives accounts of both their lives, as well as focusing on their 28 year marriage.

She is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and a patron of the London HIV charity, The Food Chain.

On May 16, 2007, Hancock was appointed chancellor of the University of Portsmouth.

References

External links

• Sheila Hancock at the Internet Movie Database
• Sheila Hancock on Who Do You Think You Are?

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Last updated on Sunday March 09, 2008 at 14:24:01 PDT (GMT -0700)
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