Annette Crosbie

{{Infobox person

| name = Annette Crosbie

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}

| birth_name = Annette Ross Mcleod Crosbie

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1934|2|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1959–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Michael Griffiths|1966|1985|end=divorced}}

| children = 2, including Selina Griffiths

}}

Annette Crosbie (born 12 February 1934) is a Scottish actress.[http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba61f3335 Annette Crosbie filmography at the Bfi database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915091525/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba61f3335 |date=15 September 2015 }} accessed 7 January 2016. She is best known for her role as Margaret Meldrew in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000). She twice won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress, for The Six Wives of Henry VIII in 1971 and in 1976 for Edward the Seventh.{{Cite web |title=Actress |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/actress-television |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Bafta |language=en}}

Also in 1976, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1976 film The Slipper and the Rose and she won the award for Best Actress at the Evening Standard British Film Awards for the same role.{{Cite web |title=Supporting Actress |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/supporting-actress |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Bafta |language=en}} Her other film appearances include The Pope Must Die (1991), Shooting Fish (1997), The Debt Collector (1999), Calendar Girls (2003) and Into the Woods (2014).

Early life and career

Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, as Annette Ross Mcleod Crosbie to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actress.{{cite web|author=Unipro Limited |url=http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/AnnetteCrosbie/interview.aspx |title=Interview: Annette Crosbie |publisher=Blockbuster.co.uk |access-date=12 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219122015/http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/AnnetteCrosbie/interview.aspx |archive-date=19 February 2009 }} Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens. She began her career with the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre Company in 1956.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/04_april/30/hope6.shtml|title=Hope Springs, a new family drama for BBC One – Annette Crosbie plays Sadie Cairncross|work=BBC Press Office|date=30 April 2009}} She was educated at Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh.{{cite web|url=https://www.scottish-places.info/people/famousfirst639.html|title=Annette Crosbie|work=The Gazetteer for Scotland}} Her big break came in 1970 when she was cast as Catherine of Aragon in the BBC television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, for which she won the 1971 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress.{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1971/television/actress|title=BAFTA Television- Actress in 1971|work=British Academy of Film and Television Arts- www.bafta.org}} In 1973, she starred alongside Vanessa Redgrave in the BBC serial A Picture of Katherine Mansfield.

In 1975, Crosbie made a similar impact as another queen, Queen Victoria, in the ITV period drama Edward the Seventh, for which she won the 1976 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. She played Cinderella's fairy godmother in The Slipper and the Rose, which was chosen as the Royal Film Première for 1976. In that film, Crosbie sang the Sherman Brothers' song, "Suddenly It Happens". Crosbie voiced the character of Galadriel in Ralph Bakshi's animated movie, The Lord of the Rings, filmed in 1978. In 1980, she played the abbess in Hawk the Slayer. In 1986, she appeared as the vicar's wife in Paradise Postponed.

Crosbie's next major role was as Margaret Meldrew, the long-suffering wife of Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson) in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000) for which she is best known. She also played Janet, the housekeeper to Dr. Finlay, in the 1993–96 revival of A. J. Cronin's popular stories. She also had a poignant role in the thriller The Debt Collector (1999).

Crosbie's other roles include playing the monkey-lover Ingrid Strange in an episode of Jonathan Creek (1997), Edith Sparshott in An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1997–2001), and Jessie in the film Calendar Girls (2003).

In 2008, Crosbie appeared in a BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit. In 2009 she played Sadie Cairncross in the BBC television series Hope Springs. In 2010, Crosbie appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Eleventh Hour" and in an episode of New Tricks. In 2014 Crosbie appeared in the movies What We Did on Our Holiday and Into the Woods. In 2015 she appeared in a BBC adaptation of Cider with Rosie. In 2016 she appeared in the new film version of Dad's Army. In 2019 she appeared in an episode of Call the Midwife.

In 2020, Crosbie appeared in an episode of the second season of After Life, a British black comedy-drama series created, written, produced and directed by Ricky Gervais, which premiered on Netflix.

Honours

Crosbie was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1998 New Year Honours for services to drama.{{London Gazette |date=30 December 1997 |issue=54993 |pages=1–28 |supp=1}}

Personal life

Crosbie was married to Michael Griffiths from 1966 until their divorce in 1985. The marriage produced two children, a son and a daughter. Their daughter Selina Griffiths, is also an actress.{{cite web |url=http://www.edinburgh-places.co.uk/folk/oldfolk/annette-crosbie.htm |title=Annette Crosbie OBE |website=edinburgh-places.co.uk |access-date=23 November 2018}}

Crosbie is a campaigner for greyhound welfare.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/series2/retired_greyhounds_cruelty_racing.shtml |title=BBC Inside Out – Postcode lottery |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=24 February 2003 |access-date=8 August 2018}} From 2003–2006, she was president of the League Against Cruel Sports.{{cn|date=May 2025}} In 2014, she was a vice-president.{{Cite web|date=2014|title=The state of greyhound racing in Great Britain: A mandate for change|url=https://www.league.org.uk/media/filer_public/2d/19/2d19e03c-909f-449c-bccc-cf97287347bf/greyhound_report_2014_league_against_cruel_sports.pdf|website=League Against Cruel Sports|language=en-GB|archive-date=August 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816201530/https://www.league.org.uk/media/filer_public/2d/19/2d19e03c-909f-449c-bccc-cf97287347bf/greyhound_report_2014_league_against_cruel_sports.pdf|url-status=live}} She was an honorary vice-president of the Scottish SPCA.{{Cite web|date=2002|title=Our world record dog walkies attempt!|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/club/your_reports/newsid_2263000/2263176.stm|website=CBBC News|language=en-GB|archive-date=August 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816202057/http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/club/your_reports/newsid_2263000/2263176.stm|url-status=live}}

Crosbie lives in Wimbledon, London.{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/loosewomen/articles/one-foot-in-the-graves-richard-wilson-and-annette-crosbie-reunited-i-wanted-victor-meldrew-killed-off |title=One Foot In The Grave's Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie reunited: 'I wanted Victor Meldrew killed off!' |website=ITV.com |date=22 November 2018 |access-date=9 April 2021}}

Filmography

=Film=

Year	Title	Role	Notes
class="wikitable"
1959 \|The Bridal Path \|1st Waitress \|
1965	Sky West and Crooked	Mrs. White
1968 \|Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter \|Maid (uncredited) \|(uncredited)
1972	Follow Me!	Miss Framer
1976	The Slipper and the Rose	Fairy Godmother	Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1976	Mr Smith	Anon	Short film
1978	The Lord of the Rings	Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien	Voice
1979 \|A Question of Faith \|Sofya Andreyevna \|
1980	Hawk the Slayer	Abbess
1984	Ordeal by Innocence	Kirsten Lindstrom
1991	Chernobyl: The Final Warning	Dr. Galina Petrovna
1991	The Pope Must Die	Mother Superior
1992	Leon the Pig Farmer	Dr. Johnson
1995	Solitaire for 2{{cite web\|url=https://filmography.bfi.org.uk/film/150411201\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115124002/https://filmography.bfi.org.uk/film/150411201\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=15 November 2020\|title=Solitaire for 2\|work=BFI}}	Mrs Dwyer
1997	Shooting Fish	Mrs Cummins
1999	The Debt Collector	Lana Keltie
2003	Calendar Girls	Jessie
2007 \|She's Not Dead \|Mum \|Short Film
2014	What We Did on Our Holiday	Doreen
2014	Into the Woods	Granny
rowspan="2"\| 2016 \| Dad's Army	Cissy Godfrey
Eat Locals{{cite web\|url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/eat-locals-q6t2q7kxg\|title=Film Review - Eat Locals\|work=The Times\|first=Larushka\|last=Ivan-Zadeh}}	Alice

=Television=

Year	Title	Role	Notes
class="wikitable"
1961 \|St. Patrick's Day \|Lauretta \|TV Short
1962 \|ITV Television Playhouse \|Liz \|Episode: "The Morning After"
1962 \|Probation Officer \|Jennie Walker \|Episode 4.3
1963 \|BBC Sunday-Night Play \|Julie Neill / Galia \|Episodes: "The Greevy Column" & "The Reward of Silence"
1963 \|The Plane Makers \|Brenda \|Episodes: "The Dividing Line" & Them: Or Us?"
1964 \|Festival \|Miss Vaughan \|Episode: "The Inner World of Miss Vaughan"
1964 \|First Night \|Ada Churnley \|Episode: "Goodbye, Gloria, Goodbye"
1965–1968	Theatre 625	Sister Catherine / Masha / Jennie Thomson / Girl	Episodes: "The Swallow's Nest", "The Seagull", "A Man Like That" & "Hermit Crabs"
1965 \|Story Parade \|Elsie Forrest \|Episode: "The Bachelors
1965 \|No Hiding Place \|Mavis Baker \|Episode: "It Could Always Happen"
1965-1970 \|The Wednesday Play \|Julie / Liz \|Episodes: "Wine of India" & "The Bond"
1966 \|This Man Craig \|Hanna Seaton \|Episode: "Dougie"
1966 \|Thirteen Against Fate \|Nell \|Episode: "The Murderer"
1966 \|Four People \|Martha \|Episode: "Mary Magdalene"
1967 \|Boy Meets Girl \|Mrs. Parkman \|Episode: "Long After Summer"
1967 \|The White Rabbit \|José Dupuis \|3 episodes
1968 \|Half Hour Story \|Wendy \|Episode: "Venus Rising"
1970	The Six Wives of Henry VIII	Catherine of Aragon	Episode: "Catherine Aragon" BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress
1970	Callan	May Coswood	Episode: "Amos Green must live".
1970-1977 \|Play of the Month \|Frances Trebell / Miss Cooper \|Episodes: "Waste" & "Separate Tables"
1970-1980 \|Play for Today \|Nanny / Elsie Lorrimer / Catherine \|Episodes: "Jessie", "The General's Day" & "The Lie"
1970 \|Thirty-Minute Theatre \|Woman \|Episode: "Hope"
1970 \|Menace \|Jean Crowe \|Episode: "Killing Time"
1971 \|Shadows of Fear \|Mrs. Darbon \|Episode: "At Occupier's Risk"
1972 \|ITV Playhouse \|Joy \|Episode: "A Splinter of Ice"
1972 \|Crime of Passion \|Emilie \|Episode: "Emilie"
1972 \|ITV Sunday Night Theatre \|Nesta \|Episode: "A Bit of Vision"
1973	A Picture of Katherine Mansfield	L. M.	5 episodes
1973 \|The Edwardians \|Margaret Lloyd George \|Episode: "Lloyd George"
1973 \|Special Branch \|Sarah Lovett \|Episode: "The Other Man"
1975 \|The Boy Dave \|Mavis \|TV film
1975 \|Rooms \|Miss Hicks \|2 episodes
rowspan="2"\| 1975 \| Churchill's People	Elizabeth Rush	Episode: "March On, Boys!"
Edward the Seventh	Queen Victoria	10 episodes BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress
1976 \|East Lynne \|Cornelia Carlyle \|TV film
1977 \|The Velvet Glove \|Lilian Bayliss \|Episode: "Auntie's Niece"
1977 \|The Sunday Drama \|Noele \|Episode: "The Portrait"
1978	Lillie	Henrietta Labouchere	TV serial, 2 episodes
1978 \|BBC2 Play of the Week \|Helen Langrishe \|Episode: "Langrishe Go Down"
1979 \|The Lively Arts \|Various \|1 episode
1979 \|Of Mycenae and Men \|Kassandra \|TV Short
1980 \|Festival: The Misanthrope \|Arsinoe \|TV film
1980 \|Twelfth Night \|Maria \|BBC Television Shakespeare
1981 \|Find Me First \|Henrietta \|TV Short
1981 \|The House on the Hill \|Christina Rogerson \|3 episodes
1981 \|The Member for Chelsea \|Christina Rogerson \|3 episodes
1982	East Lynne{{cite web\|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/902b6188c1b04030aa24dee2d1b0e69e\|title=East Lynne - BBC Two England, 29 December 1982\|work=BBC Genome}}	Cornelia	TV film
1982 \|Saturday Night Thriller \|Dorrie Childs \|Episode: "A Gift of Tongues"
1982 \|The Disappearance of Harry \|Lizzy \|TV film
1983	Crown Court	Mrs Owen	Episode: "Mother's Boy" (Part 1)
1983 \|Richard III \|Duchess of York \|BBC Television Shakespeare
1984 \|Dramarama \|Rose \|Episode: "Que Sera"
1984 \|Pericles, Prince of Tyre \|Dionyza \|BBC Television Shakespeare
1985 \|Off Peak \|Freda \|TV film
1986	Paradise Postponed	Dorothy Simcox	TV mini-series, 10 episodes
1986 \|Unnatural Causes \|Helen \|Episode: "Partners"
1986–1989	Screenplay	Mrs Holders / Cynthia	3 episodes
1987	Taggart	Maggie Davidson	Episode: "Funeral Rites"
1987 \|Tickets for the Titanic \|Mrs Pollard \|Episode: "The Way, the Truth, the Video"
1987 \|Farrington of the F.O. \|Julia \|Episode: "That Old Black Magic"
1988 \|Game, Set and Match \|Mrs. Miller \|Episode: "London Match: Part 1"
1989	Take Me Home	Liz	3 episodes
1989 \|Bonne espérance \|Miss Thurtson \|
1989	Summer's Lease	Connie Tapscott	2 episodes
1990 \|Colin's Sandwich \|Joyce \|Episodes: "Out to Lunch" & "Frank"
1990–2000	One Foot in the Grave	Margaret Meldrew	41 episodes plus Comic Relief sketches in 1993 (voice only) and 2001 Nominated – Best Light Entertainment Performance Nominated – British Comedy Awards Top TV Comedy Actress
1991 \|Jute City \|Iris Kerr \|Episode 1.1
1992	Heartbeat	Penelope Stirling	Episode: "Old, New, Borrowed and Blue"
1992 \|The Ruth Rendell Mysteries \|Irene Bell \|Episode: The Speaker of Mandarin: Part One
1993–1996	Doctor Finlay	Janet MacPherson	27 episodes
1994 \|Performance \|1st Labour MP \|Episode: Message for Posterity
1995–1996	Screen Two	Dr Elizabeth MacKay / Meg Kelso	2 episodes
1997	Jonathan Creek	Dr Ingrid Strange	Episode: "The House Of Monkeys"
1997-1999 \|An Unsuitable Job for a Woman \|Edith Sparshott \|4 episodes
1997 \|Underworld{{cite web\|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80c1b2bc\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121104715/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80c1b2bc\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=21 January 2018\|title=Underworld Part One (1997)\|work=BFI}} \|Aunt Doreen \|6 episodes
1997 \|Wyrd Sisters \|Granny Weatherwax \|voice - 6 episodes
1999	Oliver Twist	Mrs Bedwin	4 episodes
2000 \|Anchor Me{{cite web\|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b836283c0\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523221249/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b836283c0\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=23 May 2019\|title=Anchor Me [Part One] (2000)\|work=BFI}}{{cite web\|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b851db24e\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523221408/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b851db24e\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=23 May 2019\|title=Anchor Me [Part Two] (2000)\|work=BFI}} \|Hattie Carter \|TV film
2001	Waking the Dead	Moira Bowen	2 episodes: "The Blind Beggar"
2002 \|Bodily Harm{{cite web\|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8783b59f\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408150421/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8783b59f\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=8 April 2018\|title=Bodily Harm Part 1 (2002)\|work=BFI}}{{cite web\|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b889c8f4c\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411132951/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b889c8f4c\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=11 April 2018\|title=Bodily Harm Part 2 (2002)\|work=BFI}} \|Sheila Greenfield \|2 episodes
2001–2003 \|Murder in Mind \|Rose Buttimore \|Episode: "Rage"
2004	Black Books	Moo-Ma	Episode: "Moo-Ma and Moo-Pa"
2004 \|William and Mary \|Mrs. Driscoll \|Episode 2.5
2004 \|Quite Ugly One Morning{{cite web\|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/quite-ugly-one-morning-20060126-gdmupf.html\|title=Quite Ugly One Morning\|work=The Sydney Morning Herald\|first=Robin\|last=Oliver\|date=26 January 2006}} \|Mrs. Kincross \|TV film
2005 \|Bremner, Bird and Fortune \|Queen Elizabeth II \|Episode 6.4
2005	Midsomer Murders	Amelia Plummer	Episode: "Sauce for the Goose"
2005 \|Footprints in the Snow{{cite web\|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-and-tv/must-see-tv-footprints-in-the-snow-1083819\|title=Must-see TV: Footprints In The Snow\|work=Manchester Evening News\|date=16 February 2007}} \|Julie's Mum \|TV film
2006 \|Viva Blackpool{{cite web\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007cgr3\|title=Viva Blackpool\|work=BBC}} \|Mrs. Berry \|TV film
2008	Little Dorrit	Mr F's Aunt	6 episodes
2009	Hope Springs	Sadie Cairncross	8 episodes
2010	Doctor Who	Mrs Angelo	Episode: "The Eleventh Hour"
2010	New Tricks	Miss Jones	Episode: "Coming Out Ball (New Tricks)"
2013 \|Common Ground{{cite web\|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/txgmy/common-ground-episode-guide/series-1/\|title=Common Ground\|work=Radio Times}}{{cite web\|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/tv-and-radio-guide/common-ground-1\|title=Common Ground\|work=Time Out\|date=25 February 2013\|first=Oliver\|last=Keens}} \|Brenda \|Episode: Nell, Ted & Marlon
2014–2018	Lily's Driftwood Bay	Nonna Dog	Voice role
2015	The Vicar of Dibley	Reverend Mavis Pipkin	Comic Relief: "The Bishop of Dibley"
2015 \|Cider with Rosie{{cite web\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p031vh0t\|title=Cider with Rosie\|work=BBC One}} \|Granny Trill \|TV film
2017	Henry IX	Charlotte, The Queen Mother	4 episodes
2019 \|Dial M for Middlesbrough \|Edna \|TV film
2019 \|Call the Midwife \|Clarice Millgrove \|Series 8 episode 2
2020 \|After Life \|Rosemary \|Series 2 episode 1

=Radio Appearances=

Good Behaviour (2014) on BBC Radio 4{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/proginfo/2014/good-behaviour|title=Good Behaviour|work=BBC Media Centre}}
One Foot in the Grave (1995) 4 episodes adapted from the British television sitcom of the same name, first aired between 21 January 1995 and 11 February 1995 on BBC Radio 2. The episodes are "Alive and Buried", "In Luton Airport, No One Can Hear You Scream", "Timeless Time" and "The Beast in the Cage". They are repeated regularly on BBC Radio 4 Extra.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bg34c|title=One Foot in the Grave|work=BBC Radio 4 Extra}}
Old Harry's Game as Edith Cordelia Barrington (from series 6 onwards) on BBC Radio 4
The Price of Fear - Episode: To My Dear, Dear Saladin (6 June 1983) on BBC Radio 4{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio4/fm/1983-06-06|title=BBC Radio 4 FM - 6 June 1983 Listings|work=BBC Genome}}
The works of Robert Burns (2016) for BBC Radio Scotland{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03v0kgd|title=The works of Robert Burns - Works read by Annette Crosbie|work=BBC}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Association ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result
1971 \|British Academy Television Awards \|Best Actress \|The Six Wives of Henry VIII \|{{won}}
1976 \|British Academy Television Awards \|Best Actress \|Edward the Seventh \|{{won}}
1977 \|British Academy Film Awards \|Best Actress in a Supporting Role \|The Slipper and the Rose \|{{nom}}
1977 \|Evening Standard British Film Awards \|Best Actress \|The Slipper and the Rose \|{{won}}
1994 \|British Academy Television Awards \|Best Light Entertainment Performance \|One Foot in the Grave \|{{nom}}
1995 \|British Academy Television Awards \|Best Comedy Performance \|One Foot in the Grave \| {{nom}}
1995 \|British Comedy Awards \|Top TV Comedy Actress \|One Foot in the Grave \|{{nom}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Association

! Category

! Nominated work

! Result

1971

|British Academy Television Awards

|Best Actress

|The Six Wives of Henry VIII

|{{won}}

1976