Anna Cropper
{{short description|English actress (1938–2007)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Anna Cropper
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|5|13}}
| birth_place = Brierfield, Lancashire, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|1|22|1938|5|13}}
| death_place = Tangmere, West Sussex, England
| other_names = Anna Roache
| occupation = Actress
| alma_mater = Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
| years_active = 1960–1999
| spouse = {{marriage|William Roache|1961|1974|end=divorced}}
| children = 2, including Linus Roache
| relatives = Rosalind Bennett (daughter-in-law)
}}
Anna Cropper (13 May 1938 – 22 January 2007) was an English stage and television actress.
Early years
Cropper was born in Brierfield, Lancashire, the daughter of Margaret, a stage actress and director, and Jack Cropper, a dentist.{{cite news|last=Hayward|first=Anthony|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/anna-cropper-434683.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/anna-cropper-434683.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Anna Cropper Cutting-edge television actress|work=The Independent|location=London|date=2 February 2007|accessdate=28 March 2008}}{{cbignore}} The family lived on Todmorden Road in Burnley during her early life.{{cite news|last=Hewitt|first=Andrew|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/1170455.tributes-screen-star-anna/|title=Tributes to screen star Anna Cropper|work=Lancashire Telegraph|date=5 February 2007|access-date=29 January 2021}}
Career
Cropper studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She made her television debut as Chrysalis in The Insect Play (1960), based on the 1921 play by Czech brothers Josef and Karel Čapek. She appeared in Emergency Ward 10 three times and on Coronation Street three times in 1962.[http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/1170455.tributes_to_screen_star_anna/ Obituary], The Burnley Citizen; accessed 12 June 2018.
She came to prominence playing a young schizophrenic in the television play In Two Minds (The Wednesday Play, BBC, 1967) by David Mercer.{{cite news |title=Anna Cropper Insightful actor at her best in haunted roles|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/feb/07/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=28 March 2008|author=Philip Purser|location=London}} which won the Writers' Guild Award for the Best Television Play of 1967.
Her film roles included appearances in All Neat in Black Stockings (1968), Cromwell (1970) and Nanou (1986). In 1972 she starred in the television production of The Exorcism and in 1975 took over the lead role in the West End stage version when actress Mary Ure died of an overdose following the play's opening night."'Exorcism' successor", The Times page 4, 8 April 1975
She played Mary Hodgson, the nurse of the boys who inspired the creation of Peter Pan in the BBC docudrama The Lost Boys (1978). Other television roles included two episodes of the BBC's Play for Today, as Norah Palmer in the James MacTaggart-directed Robin Redbreast (1970), a Christmas supernatural thriller by John Bowen[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c1c33510d1cd4f34aed162e9848261dd BBC Genome - Radio Times listing for 10 December 1970] and Dennis Potter's play Schmoedipus (1974).[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e0c6b78db62447c8836674e1565b851e BBC Genome - Radio Times listing for 20 June 1974]
She appeared in The Jewel in the Crown (1984) and featured in Anna of the Five Towns (1985) a 4-part BBC period drama. Her last television credit is for an episode of Midsomer Murders entitled "Death's Shadow" (1999).
Personal life and death
Cropper married Coronation Street actor William Roache in 1961. They had two children, son Linus Roache and daughter Vanya. They divorced in 1974.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/02/02/db0202.xml|title=Anna Cropper|accessdate=12 June 2018|newspaper=The Telegraph |location=London}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
Cropper died of a heart attack in January 2007, aged 68, at her home in Tangmere, West Sussex.{{cite news|last1=Hewitt|first1=Andrew|title=Tributes to screen star Anna|url=http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/1170455.tributes_to_screen_star_anna|accessdate=31 March 2015|work=Burnley Citizen|date=5 February 2007}}
Selected television
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Insect Play | Chrysalis | |
| 1967 | Angel Pavement | Miss Cadham | |
| 1967 | In Two Minds | Kate Winter | David Mercer |
| 1970 | Robin Redbreast | Norah Palmer | John Bowen |
| 1972 | The Exorcism | John Bowen | |
| 1972 | The Moonstone | Rosanna Spearman | |
| 1973 | Lord Peter Wimsey (TV series) The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club | Ann Dorland | Dorothy L. Sayers adapted by Anthony Steven |
| 1975 | Schmoedipus | Dennis Potter | |
| 1978 | The Lost Boys | Mary Hodgson | |
| 1982
|Praying Mantis |Gertrude | | |||
| 1984 | The Jewel in the Crown | ||
| 1985 | Anna of the Five Towns | ||
| 1986 | Nemesis (Miss Marple) | Anthea Bradbury-Scott | |
| 1992 | The Old Devils | Gwen Cellan |
Filmography
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | All Neat in Black Stockings | Sis | |
| 1970 | Cromwell | Ruth Carter | |
| 1986 | Nanou | Nanou's mother | |
| 1994 | Don't Get Me Started | Mother | Voice, Uncredited |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0188928|Anna Cropper}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cropper, Anna}}
Category:20th-century English actresses
Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Category:English stage actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:People from Brierfield, Lancashire
Category:Actresses from Burnley
Category:Actors from Chichester District
Category:20th-century English businesspeople
Category:Actresses from West Sussex
Category:Actors from the Borough of Pendle
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