# Angela Pleasence

Daphne Anne Angela Pleasence (born 30 September 1941) is an English actress. Trained in theatre, Pleasence's first major film role came in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), followed by roles in horror films such as From Beyond the Grave and Symptoms (1974).
She worked extensively in television productions and British miniseries throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She had minor roles in the films The Search for John Gissing (2001), Gangs of New York (2002), and The Gigolos (2005).

## Biography

Pleasence was born in Chapeltown, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, to Miriam Raymond and actor Donald Pleasence. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and made her stage debut in 1964 as Titania in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She appeared extensively in London theatre productions throughout the 1970s.
She is known for her performance as Catherine Howard in the 1970 BBC serial The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Other television credits include Dixon of Dock Green, Les Misérables, The Barchester Chronicles (alongside her father), Mansfield Park, Silas Marner, Midsomer Murders, Whitechapel, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Agatha Christie's Marple. In 1978, she voiced the role of Ophelia in a BBC radio play production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
She is also noted for her roles in horror films of the 1970s, including From Beyond the Grave, Symptoms and The Godsend. She made a guest appearance in the parody series Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible satirising her earlier performances.
She has also appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1984 holiday television film A Christmas Carol, Sister Cecilia in Stealing Heaven (1988), a crowd member in Martin Scorsese's 2002 crime drama Gangs of New York, Elizabeth I in the 2007 Doctor Who episode "The Shakespeare Code", and Winnie in the BBC drama Happy Valley (2016).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1968 | Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush | Scruffy Girl | |
| 1969 | Destiny of a Spy | Peace Girl | Television film |
| 1973 | The Love Ban | Mick's Secretary | |
| 1973 | Hitler: The Last Ten Days | Traudel | |
| 1974 | From Beyond the Grave | Emily Underwood | Segment 2: 'An Act of Kindness' |
| 1974 | Symptoms | Helen Ramsey | |
| 1978 | Les Misérables | Fantine | Television film |
| 1980 | The Godsend | The Stranger | |
| 1984 | A Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Past | Television film |
| 1985 | Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe | Molly Farren | Television film |
| 1988 | Stealing Heaven | Sister Cecilia | |
| 1989 | Somewhere to Run | Anita Fitzpatrick | Television film |
| 1991 | The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish | Louis' Sister | |
| 1996 | September | Lottie | Television film |
| 1996 | The Shaman | Shaman | Short film |
| 1997 | The Pig's Family | Rosy | Short film |
| 1998 | Cider with Rosie | Crabby | Television film |
| 2001 | The Search for John Gissing | Johanna Frielduct | |
| 2002 | Gangs of New York | Woman Accomplice | |
| 2005 | Waverley | Waverley | Short film |
| 2006 | The Gigolos | Joy | |
| 2011 | Your Highness | Mother | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1965 | Armchair Mystery Theatre | Ginny | Episode: "The Madam" |
| 1966 | Seven Deadly Sins | Eileen | Episode: "The Erpingham Camp" |
| 1967 | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Maid | Episode: "The Chemistry of Love" |
| 1967 | Seven Deadly Virtues | Carol | Episode: "The Whole Truth" |
| 1968 | Coronation Street | Monica Sutton | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
| 1969 | The Wednesday Play | Liz | Episode: "Birthday" |
| 1969 | The Possessed | Marie Shatov | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1969 | The Expert | Tina | Episode: "One Life: More or Less" |
| 1969 | Plays of Today | Jackson | Episode: "The Ladies: Joan" |
| 1969 | The Wednesday Play | Beatrice Grayson | Episode: "The Last Train through the Harecastle Tunnel" |
| 1970 | The Six Wives of Henry VIII | Catherine Howard | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1970 | Paul Temple | Betty Martin | Episode: "Letters from Robert" |
| 1974 | Play of the Month | Julia | Episode: "The Wood Demon" |
| 1974 | Aquarius | Jean | Episode: "Oh Lovely Wall" |
| 1975 | Play for Today | Nell Hamer | Episode: "Breath" |
| 1975 | Churchill's People | Jorild | Episode: "The Conquerors" |
| 1975 | A Legacy | Clara von Felden/von Bernin | Miniseries; 4 episodes |
| 1976 | Dixon of Dock Green | Alice Benfield | Episode: "Alice" |
| 1979 | Murder at the Wedding | Pam Appleyard | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| 1981 | The Walls of Jericho | Elsie Inglis | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1982 | The Barchester Chronicles | Mrs. Grantly | Miniseries; 7 episodes |
| 1983 | Mansfield Park | Lady Bertram | Miniseries; 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Girls on Top | R.S.C Actress #2 | Episode: "Mr. Yummy Brownie" |
| 1986 | Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna | Clara | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Casualty | Sonia | Episode: "Everybody Needs Somebody" |
| 1994 | The English Programme | Anita Fitzpatrick | Episode: "Somewhere to Run" |
| 1995 | The Bill | Mrs. Sadler | Episode: "In the Midnight Hour" |
| 1997 | Crime Traveller | Mrs. Beavis | Episode: "The Broken Crystal" |
| 1998 | Midsomer Murders | Doris Winstanley | Episode: "Death of a Hollow Man" |
| 2001 | Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible | Lizzy | Episode: "Scream Satan Scream!" |
| 2003 | The Bill | Martha | Episode: "Cross Transfer" |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Miss Hartnell | Episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage" |
| 2006 | Doctors | Amy Edgeworth | Episode: "A Slip of the Mind" |
| 2007 | Doctor Who | Queen Elizabeth I | Episode: "The Shakespeare Code" |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Nanny | Episode: "Appointment with Death" |
| 2009 | Casualty | Catherine | Episode: "All You Need Is Love" |
| 2011 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Mystic Mags | Episode: "The Curse of Clyde Langer" |
| 2013 | Whitechapel | Louise Iver | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Happy Valley | Winnie | Recurring role; 2 episodes |