Rosalind Knight
Biografia
Born in Marylebone, London, versatile character actress Rosalind Marie Knight was born to theatrical parentage. Her father was the accomplished thespian Esmond Knight. Her mother, the comedienne Frances Clare, often featured in Ivor Novello operettas. Rosalind's interest in theatre was first kindled at the age of six when she and her mother attended a staging of Novello's "The Dancing Years" at Drury Lane. Rosalind was evacuated to the countryside with her nanny during the war years. In 1949, she accompanied her father to the Old Vic Theatre and became enthralled by a production of "The Snow Queen", primarily performed by drama school novices. The following year she won an audition and spent two years at the Old Vic Theatre School. This was succeeded by a lengthy apprenticeship in repertory which led to her gaining further experience as assistant stage manager for the West of England Theatre Company, the Midland Theatre Company in Coventry and the Piccolo Theatre Company in Manchester. In 1955, she made her first impact on screen as a lady-in-waiting in Laurence Olivier's Richard III (1955), which also featured her father in the cast. A year later, having come to the attention of a movie producer, she played Annabel, one of the schoolgirls, in Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) (decades later, she would return as a teacher in the sequel The Wildcats of St. Trinian's (1980)). This set the tone for a number of subsequent comedic roles which included a couple of early Carry On's and the Tony Richardson-directed Tom Jones (1963), in which she played the giddy Mrs. Harriet Fitzpatrick. While doing the Carry On films she was not under any form of contract and was paid a mere $50 a week. In 1957, Rosalind joined her father in an early BBC adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby (1957) as the spiteful Fanny Squeers. In a later miniseries based on Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit (1964), she was a splendidly shrewish Charity Pecksniff. During her prolific career, Rosalind relished every opportunity to portray a diverse range of characters, good and bad, from servants to princesses (Alice of Battenberg in The Crown (2016)) to old maids (Aspasia Fitzgibbon in The Pallisers (1974)) to wealthy socialites (Margot Asquith in Nancy Astor (1982)) and unpleasant aristocratic dowagers (Daphne Winkworth in Jeeves and Wooster (1990)). She even essayed a retired prostitute turned landlady in the sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme (1999). In addition to a staple of period dramas she guested in numerous episodic TV dramas, including Poirot (1989), Dalziel and Pascoe (1996), Heartbeat (1992), Marple (2004), Midsomer Murders (1997) and Sherlock (2010). All the while, she remained heavily engaged in theatrical work with the Old Vic, The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court Theatre, her last appearance being the strict, incorruptible governess Mrs. Prism in Shaw's "The Importance of Being Earnest". Rosalind was married to director/producer Michael Elliott from 1959. In 1976, she helped rebuild and re-open the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, of which her husband was involved as one of five artistic directors. She was also a patron of the Actor's Centre in London and the Ladies' Theatrical Guild (a charity founded in 1891). Rosalind Knight continued to perform as an actress right up to her death on December 19 2020, at the age of 87.
Filmografia
Filmy i seriale od najnowszych
Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel
Film • 2021
jako Horrible Grandma (archive footage)
The Crown
Serial • 2016
jako Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Dama w vanie
Film • 2015
jako Old Nun
Il mundial dimenticato
Film • 2011
Obiady piątkowe
Serial • 2011
jako Cynthia Goodman
Sherlock
Serial • 2010
jako Grace
The Alchemistic Suitcase
Film • 2009
jako Lady
The Shell Seekers
Film • 2007
jako Mrs. Croftway
Cheeky
Film • 2003
jako Pam
Był sobie chłopiec
Film • 2002
jako Lindsey's Mum
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
Serial • 2001
jako Hag Woman
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Serial • 1999
jako Beryl Merit
What's a Carry On?
Film • 1998
jako Miss Felicity Wheeler (archive footage) (uncredited)
Il mio West
Film • 1998
jako Miss Willow
Berkeley Square
Serial • 1998
jako Great Aunt Effie
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Film • 1998
jako Mrs. D'Urberville
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Serial • 1998
jako Mrs. D'Urberville
Morderstwa w Midsomer
Serial • 1997
jako Eleanor Macpherson
Dalziel and Pascoe
Serial • 1996
jako Brigid Stewart
Solitaire for 2
Film • 1995
jako Receptionist
Harry Enfield and Chums
Serial • 1994
jako Lady Fotherington Carstairs
Pleasure
Film • 1994
jako Madame Desneuves
Wycliffe
Serial • 1994
jako Mrs. Prentice
Royal Celebration
Film • 1993
jako Mrs. Maynard
Swords at Teatime
Film • 1992
jako Shirley
Heartbeat
Serial • 1992
jako Edith Benton
Afraid of the Dark
Film • 1992
jako Edith
In Suspicious Circumstances
Serial • 1991
jako Agnes
Jeeves and Wooster
Serial • 1990
jako Dame Daphne
Poirot
Serial • 1989
jako Georgina Morley
Claws
Film • 1987
jako Mrs Hargreaves
Watching
Serial • 1987
jako Mrs. Lloyd Roberts
Prick Up Your Ears
Film • 1987
jako RADA Judge
The Good Doctor Bodkin-Adams
Film • 1986
jako Nurse Stronach
Mapp & Lucia
Serial • 1985
jako La Contessa Amelia Faraglione
I Thought You'd Gone
Serial • 1984
Przygody Sherlocka Holmesa
Serial • 1984
jako Countess of Morcar
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Serial • 1984
jako Countess of Morcar
Diana
Serial • 1984
jako Mrs Eggins
Up the Elephant and Round the Castle
Serial • 1983
jako Mrs London
The Disappearance of Harry
Film • 1982
jako Dr Abbeydale
Nancy Astor
Serial • 1982
jako Margot Asquith
The Kindness of Mrs Radcliffe
Film • 1981
jako Matron
The Wildcats of St Trinian's
Film • 1980
jako Miss Walsh
The Lady Vanishes
Film • 1979
jako Evelyn Barnes
Cała naprzód: Widzu, do dzieła!
Film • 1977
jako Miss Felicity Wheeler (archive footage)
It Could Happen to You
Film • 1976
jako Mrs Ramlin
The Old Curiosity Shop
Film • 1975
jako Mrs. George
Eskimo Nell
Film • 1975
jako Lady Longhorn
Playhouse
Serial • 1974
jako Mrs. Mattison
Baby Blues
Film • 1973
jako Sister Maidenhead
Crown Court
Serial • 1972
jako Felicity Price
Start the Revolution Without Me
Film • 1970
jako Helene de Sisi
Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?
Film • 1969
jako Critic Bentley
Diamonds for Breakfast
Film • 1968
jako Museum Visitor in Pink Dress (uncredited)
On the Eve of Publication
Film • 1968
jako Barbara
Nicholas Nickleby
Serial • 1968
jako Miss Snevellicci
Not in Front of the Children
Serial • 1967
jako Biddy
The Wednesday Play
Serial • 1964
jako Barbara
Martin Chuzzlewit
Serial • 1964
Tom Jones
Film • 1963
jako Mrs. Fitzpatrick
As You Like It
Film • 1963
jako Celia
The Beverly Hillbillies
Serial • 1962
The Kitchen
Film • 1961
jako Daphne
There Was a Crooked Man
Film • 1960
jako Nurse
Doctor in Love
Film • 1960
jako Doctor (uncredited)
Cała naprzód: Nauczycielu do dzieła
Film • 1959
jako Miss Felicity Wheeler
Cała naprzód: Siostro, do dzieła!
Film • 1959
jako Student Nurse Nightingale
The Horse's Mouth
Film • 1958
jako Art Student (uncredited)
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
Film • 1957
jako Annabel
Nicholas Nickleby
Serial • 1957
jako Miss Fanny Squeers
Fortune Is a Woman
Film • 1957
jako (uncredited)