Elspet Gray

The Right Honourable
The Lady Rix
Born
Elspet Jean MacGregor Gray

(1929-04-12)12 April 1929
Inverness, Scotland
Died18 February 2013(2013-02-18) (aged 83)
London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1948–2013
Spouse
​
(m. 1949)​
Children4, including Jamie and Louisa

Elspet Jean Gray, Baroness Rix (née Gray; 12 April 1929 – 18 February 2013) was a Scottish actress, who first became known for her partnership with her husband, Brian Rix, and later was cast in many television roles in the 1970s and 1980s.[1] She played Lady Collingford in the television series Catweazle and Mrs. Palmer in the television series Solo, alongside Felicity Kendal.

Career

Gray had a long stage career, particularly known for her appearances in the Whitehall farces, the company being managed by her husband Brian Rix, which were originally performed at the Whitehall Theatre and later at the Garrick.[2]

Gray appeared in many films and television programmes, her earliest being The Blind Goddess (1948).[3] She had several roles in the 1970s including parts in Fawlty Towers, as the paediatrician wife of a psychiatrist baffled by Basil Fawlty’s behaviour,[4] The Crezz, Catweazle, and in the 1980s with Doctor Who story Arc of Infinity and the World War Two drama Tenko.[5] She appeared as the Queen in the BBC sitcom The Black Adder (1983), with Rowan Atkinson as her son in the title role, and as Mrs. Palmer in Solo (1981–82), another comedy, this time with Felicity Kendal in the lead as her daughter.[6][7]

Gray continued her acting career until the late 1990s, appearing in Agatha Christie's Poirot, the films The Girl in a Swing (1988) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), and as Hilary in the British television comedy Dinnerladies.[8]

Personal life and death

Gray married Brian Rix in 1949. She died in hospital on 18 February 2013, aged 83.[9]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1948 The Blind Goddess Daphne Dearing
1948 Fly Away Peter Phyllis Hapgood
1948 Love in Waiting Brenda Lawrence
1949 Trottie True Honor Bellaire Uncredited
1951 Reluctant Heroes Lt. Virginia
1954 Johnny on the Spot Joan Ingram
1954 Devil's Point June Mallard
1961 The Night We Got the Bird Woman with dog
1969 Goodbye, Mr. Chips Lady Sutterwick Uncredited
1979 Fawlty Towers Dr Abbott
1983 Blackadder Gertrude of Flanders
1987 Inspector Morse Mrs Bartlett Episode - "The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn"
1988 The Girl in a Swing Mrs. Dresland
1990 Double Sin Miss Penn
1994 Four Weddings and a Funeral Laura's Mother – Wedding One
1998 dinnerladies Phillipa's mother - Hilary

References

  1. ^ Slide, Anthony (19 May 1996). Some Joe You Don't Know: An American Biographical Guide to 100 British Television Personalities. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313295508 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Barker, Dennis (19 February 2013). "Elspet Gray obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Elspet Gray | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  4. ^ "Elspet Gray". HeraldScotland. 22 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Elspet Gray". www.aveleyman.com.
  6. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Blackadder (1983-89) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  7. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Solo - BBC1 Sitcom". British Comedy Guide.
  8. ^ "Elspet Gray". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Actress Elspet Gray dies aged 83". ITV News.