Gwyneth Strong

Gwyneth Strong
Born (1959-12-02) 2 December 1959 (age 64)
London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1973–present
Notable workSee below
TelevisionOnly Fools and Horses
Spouse
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2

Gwyneth Strong (born 2 December 1959) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Cassandra, the love interest and, later, wife of Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), in Only Fools and Horses (1989-2003), and for playing Geraldine Clough in seven episodes of EastEnders in 2016. She has also appeared in Shadows (1975), Angels (1976), Crown Court and Z-Cars (both 1977), Play for Today (1980-1984) and Silent Witness (1996).

Career

Strong's first acting appearance was in the Royal Court Theatre's production Live Like Pigs, when she was 13. In 1973, whilst a pupil at Holland Park School, she appeared in the horror film Nothing but the Night as Mary Valley, and had a role as Princess Dagmar, younger sister of the Princess of Wales, later Queen Alexandra, in the series Edward the Seventh.[1]

She was a regular in the children's TV series The Flockton Flyer between 1977 and 1979 as Jan Carter. Another of her early television appearances came in 1982 when she appeared as Carol Dalston in the Minder episode "Poetic Justice, Innit?".[2]

Strong gained mainstream recognition as Cassandra Parry, the love interest and later wife of Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses,[3] debuting in the series' sixth season.[4] She also appeared in the "Observation" segment about detective Samantha Smith made for the 1990 series of The Krypton Factor, the two-part drama serial The Missing Postman as WPC Rachel McMahon, the BBC drama Real Women from 1997 to 1998, as Hetty in ITV's Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married (1999) and in the BBC drama Casualty[3] in 2003 as Jim Brodie's wife Elizabeth.[5]

Strong was featured in the television film It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow (1975), written by Bernard Kops and directed by John Goldschmidt, depicting the real-life drama of the Bethnal Green tube disaster in World War II. She also appeared in the "True Confessions" two-part episode of the series A Touch of Frost, reuniting her on screen with her Only Fools and Horses co-star David Jason.[6]

She appeared on the West End stage in 2008 in the musical Our House,[3] in which she played Kath Casey. In May 2010, Strong appeared in Midsomer Murders “The Made-to-Measure Murders” as Katie Soper.[3] In 2011, Strong joined the cast of A Round-Heeled Woman at the Aldwych Theatre.[5]

In September 2016, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in the recurring role of Geraldine Clough,[4] a rival darts player against the Queen Vic.[6]

Personal life

Strong was a child actress.[1] Her parents were both in the industry, her father a director, her mother in production at the BBC.[1] Strong married her longterm partner, former Footballers' Wives and Eldorado star Jesse Birdsall, in 2000.[6] They have a son, Oscar (born 1988), and a daughter, Lottie (born 1991). Strong also has two grandchildren.[1] She is patron of the charity Ovarian Cancer Action.[1]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Nothing but the Night Mary Valley
1980 Dark Water Jo Short
1982 The Story of Ruth Sharon
1985 Bones Andrea
1994 Thin Ice Cath
1996 Crimetime Gwenda
2011 In Love with Alma Cogan Laura

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1974 The Adventures of Black Beauty Cicely Eglinton Episode: "The Escape"
1975 Edward the Seventh Minny Episodes: "Alix", "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes"
1975 It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow Jane Bell TV film
1975, 1978 Shadows Elizabeth, Honey Ann Episodes: "The Other Window", "Honeyann"
1976 Angels Evie Episode: "Babes in the Wood"
1976, 1980–81, 1984 Play for Today Carol, Anne, Penny Shepherd, Linda Episodes: "Early Struggles", "Ladies", "The Factory", "Rainy Day Women"
1977 Crown Court Sandra Petrie Episodes: "A Matter of Faith: Parts 2 & 3"
1977 Jubilee Madeleine Iverson / Tempe Iverson Episode: "Age of Hypocrisy"
1977 Z-Cars Janet Hurst Episode: "Juvenile"
1977–1978 The Flockton Flyer Jan Carter Regular role
1978 Breakaway Girls Susan Watkins Episode: "Alison Watkins"
1980 Bloody Kids Jan TV film
1982 Minder Carol Dalston Episode: "Poetic Justice Innit"
1983 Mr. Right Gloria TV film
1983 Spooky Alice Episode: "The Danny Roberts Show"
1984 Dramarama Catherine Episode: "Rachel and Rosie"
1985 Inside Out Beverly Grabowski TV series
1986 King of the Ghetto Sadie Deedes TV miniseries
1986 Paradise Postponed Tina Kitson TV miniseries
1989–2003 Only Fools and Horses Cassandra Trotter Regular role; 21 episodes
1991 Shrinks Sally Thornton Episode: "1.6"
1992 Nice Town Linda Thompson TV miniseries
1993 Screen Two Cynthia Episode: "The Clothes in the Wardrobe"
1994 99-1 Charlotte Episodes: "Doing the Business", "The Hard Sell", "Where the Money Is", "The Cost of Living"
1995 The Bill Mary Painter Episode: "Compensation"
1995 Casualty Catherine Caldwell Episode: "Battling On"
1996 Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... Joyce Episode: "Don't Dilly Dally on the Way"
1996 Silent Witness Patricia Denning Episode: "Darkness Visible" (2 parts)
1997 A Touch of Frost D.S.I. Bailey Episode: "True Confessions"
1997 The Missing Postman Rachel McMahon TV film
1998–1999 Real Women Janet Crossley Main role
1999 Forgotten Denise Longden TV miniseries
1999 An Unsuitable Job for a Woman DI Richards Episode: "Living on Risk"
1999–2000 Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married Hetty Regular role
2003 Casualty Elizabeth Brodie Episode: "First Impressions"
2004 Murder in Suburbia Pat Dawson Episode: "A Good Deal of Attention"
2004 Doctors Dee Episode: "Out of Control"
2007 New Tricks Kim Newley Episode: "God's Waiting Room"
2010 Midsomer Murders Katie Soper Episode: "The Made-to-Measure Murders"
2013 Casualty Margaret Collier Episode: "Family Matters"
2013 The Great Train Robbery Dorothy Episode: "A Copper's Tale"
2015 The Real Mamils TV film
2016 EastEnders Geraldine Clough Recurring role

Theatre work

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Gwyneth Strong: Only Fools and Horses has never gone away". heraldscotland.com. 29 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Minder 035. Poetic Justice, Innit? - Written by Tony Hoare #3.11". minder.org. 1 December 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Where the cast of Only Fools and Horses are now - from Del Boy to Marlene". Broadway World. derbytelegraph.co.uk. 20 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b Chapman, Hannah, ed. (7 December 2018). "Mousetrap play to be performed". Darlington & Stockton Times. No. 49–2018. p. 38. ISSN 2516-5348.
  5. ^ a b "Gwyneth Strong Joins a Round Heeled Woman at Aldwych Theatre". Broadway World. Broadway World. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "Yes, that is Cassandra from Only Fools and Horses on tonight's EastEnders". radiotimes.com. 16 September 2016.