Angela Bruce

Summary

Angela Bruce (born 6 May 1951) is an English actress, noted for her television work. Bruce was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire to a West Indian father and white mother, but was put up for adoption aged three, and brought up in Craghead, County Durham.

Angela Bruce
Angela Bruce at Bournemouth Comic-Con in 2016
Born (1951-05-06) 6 May 1951 (age 72)
OccupationActress
Years active1973-present

Bruce made her screen debut in the 1973 film Man at the Top, and on the London stage she was the second actress to play Magenta in the original production of The Rocky Horror Show, succeeding Patricia Quinn. Regular or recurring roles in television series include Sandra Ling in Angels (1975–83), Janice Stubbs in Coronation Street (1978) and reporter Chrissie Stuart in Press Gang (1989–90). In 1980, she appeared in "Charlie Boy", an episode of Hammer House of Horror.

Bruce is also recognisable to sci-fi fans for her performance as Brigadier Winifred Bambera in the 1989 Doctor Who serial Battlefield, her female Lister in Red Dwarf and her portrayal of Dayna Mellanby in the Blake's 7 audio drama The Syndeton Experiment.

Her other notable credits include Prime Suspect and Only Fools and Horses in which she played Councillor Murray. She also appeared as prison officer Mandy Goodhue in the popular ITV1 prison drama series Bad Girls; this was the second time she had appeared in a British women's prison drama series, having played tough inmate Bobbie in an episode of Within These Walls titled "The Good Life".

Bruce played Gina in the 2002 film Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War and in 2008 she guest-starred in the Sapphire & Steel audio dramas Second Sight and Zero. She also guest-starred in Old Wounds, a 2015 episode of Vera in which she played Beryl Doyle, mother of a murder victim found buried, having gone missing 30 years earlier. In June 2020, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Carmen Few.[1][2]

Filmography edit

Film
Year Title Role Director
1973 Man at the Top Joyce Mike Vardy
1988 Managing Problem People. Behavioral Skills for Leaders Charles Crichton
2002 Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War Gina Ian Sharp
2023 Silver Haze Alice Sacha Polak
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1974 ITV Playhouse Nell Series 7, Episode 1
1975 Within These Walls Roberta Series 2, Episode 12
1975–79 Angels Sandra Ling Series 1–5, 34 episodes (main role)
1975 Play for Today Night Nurse Series 6, Episode 8
1976 Red Letter Day June Series 1, Episode 5
1976 Rock Follies Gloria Series 1, Episodes 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6
1978 Coronation Street Janice Stubbs 12 episodes
1979 Empire Road Camille Series 2, Episode 2
1980 Hammer House of Horror Sarah Series 1, Episode 6
1983 The Winner Mrs. Roper TV movie
1985 Dempsey and Makepeace Nursing Sister Series 2, Episode 5
1986 The Practice Rita Lunt Series 2, Episode 9
1986 Starting Out Asbestos Expert Series 6, Episode 5
1987 Up Line Camilla Du Bois TV movie
1988 King & Castle Headmistress Series 2, Episode 5
1988 Red Dwarf Deb Lister Series 2, Episode 6
1988 South of the Border Maura Series 1, Episode 7
1989–90 Press Gang Chrissie Stuart Series 1–2, 10 episodes
1989 Doctor Who Brigadier Winifred Bambera Season 26, Battlefield
1991 Spender Melanie Series 1, Episode 6
1991 Doctor at the Top Sheila Series 1, Episode 7
1991 Prime Suspect Helen Masters Series 1, Episodes 1 & 2
1991 Waiting for God Judy Series 2, Episode 1
1992 Lovejoy Dr. Pilger Series 3, Episode 6
1992 Van der Valk Tony Vishnu Series 5, Episode 3
1992 Sean's Show Scriptwriter Series 1, Episode 6
1992 Watt on Earth Eve Carter Series 2, Episode 3
1993 The Upper Hand Claudia Series 4, Episode 12
1994 Takin' Over the Asylum Isabel Miniseries, all 6 episodes (main role)
1996 The Bill Jessica Joseph Series 12, Episode 31
1996 Casualty Joy Series 11, Episode 11
1996 Our Friends In The North Nursing Sister Episode 8
1996 Only Fools and Horses Councillor Murray Christmas special
1997 The Bill Ann Harris Series 13, Episode 33
1997 Keeping Mum Doctor Series 1, Episode 4
1999 Big Bad World Miss Sayer Series 1, Episodes 1 & 3
1999 The Bill Maggie Parks Series 15, Episode 70
2000–01 The Ghost Hunter Mrs. Justin Series 1–2, 8 episodes
2000 Hero to Zero Mrs. Vaughn Series 1, Episodes 2 & 3
2000 EastEnders D.S. Langford 6 episodes
2001 Silent Witness Alice Michaels Series 5, Episodes 3 & 4
2001 Holby City Mrs. Holmes Series 3, Episode 19
2001 June Hodges Series 3, Episode 29
2002 Doctors Susie Grade Series 3, Episode 90
2002 My Family Server Series 3, Episode 8
2003 Messiah Dr. Dugdale Series 2, Episodes 1 & 2
2004 Doctors and Nurses Inspector Series 1, Episode 3
2005 Holby City Bryony Miller Series 7, Episode 12
2005 Doctors Angela Devon Series 7, Episode 23
2005 Waking the Dead Judge Series 5, Episode 7
2005 Mary Seacole: The Real Angel of Crimea Mary Seacole TV movie
2006 Bad Girls Mandy Goodhue Series 8, 11 episodes (main role)
2007 Spooks Ruth Chambers Series 6, Episode 7
2007 Casualty Rhona Morrell Series 22, Episode 16
2009 Doctors Mrs. Gilbert Series 10, Episode 189
2009 Holby City Nora Keane Series 11, Episode 47
2015 Casualty Corinne Caulfield Series 29, Episode 17
2015 Vera Beryl Doyle Series 5, Episode 2
2016 Doctors Patricia Telford Series 17, Episode 163
2016 Him Fran Miniseries, all 3 episodes
2017 Death in Paradise Ernestine Gray Series 6, Episode 3
2017 Doctors Joyce Mayweather Series 19, Episode 79
2018–20 Holby City Ursula Stork Series 20 & 22, 2 episodes
2020 Doctors Carmen Few Series 21, Episode 134

References edit

  1. ^ Writer: Olly Perkin; Director: Nimer Rashed; Producer: David Lewis Richardson (1 June 2020). "Wanted". Doctors. BBC. BBC One.
  2. ^ "Doctors spoilers: Romance for Bear Sylvester and Ayesha Lee?". What's on TV. Retrieved 1 June 2020.

External links edit

  • Angela Bruce at IMDb
  • Angela Bruce: Local Angel BBC Wear feature article