Louisa Rix

{{Short description|British actress, interior designer (born 1955)}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix = The Honourable

| name = Louisa Rix

| image =

| birth_name = Louisa MacGregor Rix

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1955|2|2}}

| birth_place = Kensington, London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Actress, interior designer

| yearsactive = 1970s–2012 (acting)

| spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Jonathan Coy|1980|1990}}
{{marriage|Richard Ommanney|1994}}

}}

| children = 2, including Jolyon

}}

Louisa MacGregor Rix (born 2 February 1955) is a British former actress of theatre, film and television. She is perhaps best known for her role as Kevin the Teenager's mum, Mrs Patterson, in the BBC TV series, Harry Enfield & Chums, and its spin-off film, Kevin and Perry Go Large. In 2012 she founded the Interior Design company Forbes Rix Design with her business partner Natalie Forbes.

Early life

Rix was born in Kensington, London to actors Brian Rix{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/aug/21/lord-rix-obituary |title=Lord Rix obituary |first1=Dennis |last1=Barker |author-link=Dennis Barker |first2=David |last2=Brindle |date=21 August 2016 |access-date=17 December 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian News & Media Limited}} and Elspet Gray.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/feb/19/elspet-gray |title=Elspet Gray obituary |first=Dennis |last=Barker |author-link=Dennis Barker |date=19 February 2013 |access-date=17 December 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian News & Media Limited}} She has two brothers, one of whom is children's author and TV producer Jamie Rix.{{cite web| title=Who is this man?| url=http://www.jamierix.com/| website=jamierix.com| access-date=5 June 2023}} Her sister Shelley was born with Down's Syndrome, and died in 2005.

Rix studied drama at LAMDA and acted for many years on TV and in the theatre.

Career

Rix gained early theatre experience at the Nottingham Playhouse while Richard Eyre was the artistic director, and in Peter Cheeseman's company at Stoke-on-Trent. Her subsequent West End appearances included roles in How the Other Half Loves and Man of the Moment by Alan Ayckbourn; The Pocket Dream by Sandi Toksvig & Elly Brewer; and Whose Life is it Anyway? by Brian Clark, as well as several productions at the National Theatre.

Rix is known for playing Mrs Patterson,{{cite web |url=http://www.cineimage.ch/film/kevinperry/ |title=Kevin & Perry go large |work=Cine Image |access-date=17 December 2019}} the mother of Kevin the teenager, in the TV series Harry Enfield and Chums and in the movie Kevin & Perry Go Large. For Granada Television she co-starred with Tim Bentinck in Made In Heaven. She played Mel Smith's girlfriend in two series of Colin's Sandwich{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/colins_sandwich/cast_crew/ |title=Colin's Sandwich |work=British Comedy Guide |access-date=17 December 2019}} and starred in two series of Side By Side, both for the BBC. In Brookside she performed with Anna Friel as the solicitor representing the Jordache family in the 'body under the patio' storyline. She played the vocally-challenged night club singer Melody Lane in a feature-length Coronation Street special with the QEII as the location. One of her final acting roles was as the Home Secretary in The Execution of Gary Glitter.

Personal life

In 1980, Rix married actor Jonathan Coy, with whom she has two children, including Jolyon Coy. Rix and Coy divorced in 1990. She married writer Richard Ommanney in 1994.

Her paternal aunt, Sheila Mercier, played Annie Sugden in Emmerdale Farm for over 20 years.

Rix is a long-standing member of the House Committee at Denville Hall. {{Cite web |url=https://www.denvillehall.org.uk/people |title=Denvillehall |access-date=10 January 2019 |archive-date=10 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110234855/https://www.denvillehall.org.uk/people |url-status=dead }}

Filmography

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
1977 \| A Roof Over My Head \| Maureen \| Series 1, Episodes 1, 3 & 9 (recurring)
1978 \| Breakaway Girls \| Sally Wharton \| Series 1, Episode 4 (guest)
1978 \| Coronation Street \| Carole Gordon \| Episodes 1853, 1854, 1855 & 1856 (guest)
1979 \| Danger UXB \| Angie \| Series 1, Episodes 2 & 3 (guest)
1979 \| Kids \| Jenny Bramley \| Series 1, Episode 9 (guest)
1980 \| The Professionals \| Judy Shaw \| Series 4, Episode 13 (guest)
1981 \| Goodbye Darling \| Beth \| Series 1, Episode 5 (guest)
1981 \| A Fine Romance \| Ann \| Series 1, Episode 6 (guest)
1983 \| Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime \| Mary Chilcott \| Series 1, Episode 3 (guest)
1987 \| Alas Smith & Jones \| \| Series 4, Episodes 2 & 3 (guest)
1988 \| French and Saunders \| Woman in Shower \| Series 2, Episode 2 (guest)
1988 \| Paris by Midnight \| Nurse \| Feature film
1988–89 \| Colin's Sandwich \| Jenny Anderson \| Series 1 & 2 (regular, 12 episodes)
1989 \| The Return of Shelley \| Donna \| Series 2, Episode 2 (guest)
1990 \| Made in Heaven \| Helen Nicholson \| Miniseries (regular, 4 episodes)
1991 \| Second Thoughts \| Hilary \| Series 1, Episode 4 (guest)
1991 \| Boon \| Diana Fawley \| Series 6, Episode 3 (guest)
1992–93 \| Side by Side \| Gilly Bell \| Series 1 & 2 (regular, 13 episodes)
1993 \| Harry \| Margaret Clarke \| Series 1, Episodes 11 & 12 (guest)
1994 \| The Detectives \| Mrs. Sharpe \| Series 2, Episode 6 (guest)
1994 \| Brookside \| Alison Dicks \| Episodes 1597 & 1600 (guest)
1994–97 \| Harry Enfield and Chums \| Mum \| Series 1 & 2 (supporting, 13 episodes)
1995 \| Coronation Street: The Feature Length Special \| Melody Lane \| Video
1997 \| Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... \| Wife \| Series 2, Episode 4 (guest)
1999 \| Harry Enfield Presents Kevin's Guide to Being a Teenager \| Mum \| Video
2000 \| Kevin & Perry Go Large \| Mum \| Feature film
2000 \| Always and Everyone \| Belinda \| Series 2, Episode 9 (guest)
2009 \| Doctors \| Cynthia Robertson \| Series 11, Episode 70 (guest)
2009 \| The Execution of Gary Glitter \| Valerie Clarke \| TV movie
2010 \| Miranda \| Jennifer \| Series 2, Episode 6 (guest)
2010 \| Come Fly with Me \| Posh Lady \| Series 1, Episode 2 (guest)

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1977

| A Roof Over My Head

| Maureen

| Series 1, Episodes 1, 3 & 9 (recurring)

1978

| Breakaway Girls

| Sally Wharton