# Linda Bassett

Linda Bassett (born 4 February 1950) is an English actress. Her television credits include Victoria Wood's dinnerladies (1999), Lark Rise to Candleford (2008–11), Grandma's House (2010–12) and Call the Midwife (2015–present).
She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1999 film East Is East and for the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress for the 2013 revival of the play Roots at the Donmar Warehouse.

## Early life and education

Bassett was born in Pluckley, Kent, England, to a typist mother and a police officer father. She moved to Pimlico, London, at a young age, where her passion for drama blossomed, as her family often watched classic plays at the Old Vic Theatre.
Bassett worked as an usher for the National Theatre at the Old Vic whilst a schoolgirl, before enrolling at The University of Leeds. She dropped out of university after one year to work in a community drama group.

## Career

Bassett's career began in the theatre. Her first professional work was in community and educational theatre in the 1970s.
In film, she first gained notice when she was cast as Gertrude Stein opposite Linda Hunt as Alice B. Toklas in Waiting for the Moon in 1987. She also appeared as Julia Roberts' mother in Mary Reilly in 1996 and had the award-winning role of Ella Khan in the 1999 British comedy film East is East. Other roles include Mrs. Brenner, the prison official in the 2008 film The Reader, Cora in Calendar Girls (March), Mrs. Jennings in the three-part BBC adaptation Sense and Sensibility, Queenie Turrill in Lark Rise to Candleford, Doll in the film Cass. Most recently she played Grandma in the BBC Two comedy Grandma's House. Since 2015, she has portrayed Nurse Phyllis Crane on the BBC One drama series Call the Midwife.

## Personal life

Bassett lives in Kent, in a village close to her birthplace.

## Filmography

| Year | Film / TV | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Waiting for the Moon | Gertrude Stein | |
| 1988 | Dramarama | Meg Crawford | TV series (1 episode: "Making Waves") |
| 1988 | Paris by Night | Janet Swanton | |
| 1989 | Traffik | Rachel Lithgow | TV series (4 episodes) |
| 1989 | Boon | Mrs. Sheridan | TV series (1 episode: "In It for the Monet") |
| 1990 | Screen One | Virginia Lyddon | TV series (1 episode: "News Hound") |
| 1990 | The Bill | Shena Jackson | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1991 | A Small Dance | Sandra Matkin | |
| 1991 | 4 Play | Phyllis Twigg | TV series (1 episode: "Say Hello to the Real Dr. Snide") |
| 1991 | Let Him Have It | Mrs. Miles | |
| 1994 | Love Hurts | Janice | TV series (1 episode: "Blue Heaven") |
| 1994 | A Touch of Frost | Mrs. Cornish | TV series (1 episode: "Nothing to Hide") |
| 1994 | Screen Two | Mrs. Loveless/Susan | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1994 | Frank Stubbs | Eileen | TV series (1 episode: "Babies") |
| 1995 | A Village Affair | Gwen | TV film |
| 1995 | The Bill | Chrissie Bates | TV series (1 episode: "Old Habitats") |
| 1995 | Bramwell | Maud | TV mini-series (1 episode: "Episode #1.7") |
| 1995 | Loved Up | Mother | TV film |
| 1995 | The Peter Principle | Iris Jennings | TV series (1 episode: "Pilot") |
| 1995 | Haunted | Madam Brontski | |
| 1995 | EastEnders | Bridget Gilsenan | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1996 | Mary Reilly | Mary's Mother | Film |
| 1996 | Casualty | Olwyn Humphries | TV series (1 episode: "Asking for Miracles") |
| 1996 | No Bananas | Ellen Slater | TV mini-series (10 episodes) |
| 1996 | Indian Summer | Doctor | Film |
| 1997 | Kavanagh QC | Miss Haddon QC | TV series (1 episode: "Mute of Malice") |
| 1997 | Oscar and Lucinda | Betty Stratton | |
| 1998 | Spoonface Steinberg | Mrs. Spud | TV film |
| 1998 | The Life and Crimes of William Palmer | Mary Thornton | TV film |
| 1998 | Our Mutual Friend | Abby Potterson | TV mini-series (2 episodes) |
| 1998 | Far from the Madding Crowd | Maryann Money | TV film |
| 1998 | Out of Hours | Carol-Ann Kumar | TV mini-series |
| 1999 | East is East | Ella Khan | Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role |
| 1999 | Beautiful People | Sister | Film |
| 1999 | dinnerladies | Peggy | TV series (1 episode: "Trouble") |
| 2000 | Lounge Act | Voice | Short |
| 2000 | Don Quixote | Housekeeper | TV film |
| 2000 | Losing It | Tom's Mother | TV film |
| 2001 | The Martins | Anthea | |
| 2002 | The Last Time | Evelyn | Short |
| 2002 | The Hours | Nelly Boxall | |
| 2003 | This Little Life | Nurse Nina | TV film |
| 2003 | Calendar Girls | Cora | Film |
| 2004 | Spivs | Auntie Vee | |
| 2004 | The Brief | Maureen Tyler | TV series (8 episodes: 2004–2005) |
| 2005 | Separate Lies | Maggie | |
| 2005 | Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story | Trolley Lady | |
| 2005 | Kinky Boots | Melanie | Film |
| 2005 | Heartbeat | Beryl Palmer | TV series (1 episode: "Burden of Proof") |
| 2005 | The English Harem | Monica Pringle | TV film |
| 2007 | Midsomer Murders | Eileen Carnack | TV series (1 episode: "The Animal Within") |
| 2008 | Sense and Sensibility | Mrs. Jennings | TV mini-series (3 episodes) |
| 2008 | Cass | Doll | Film |
| 2008 | The Reader | Ms. Brenner | |
| 2008 | Lark Rise to Candleford | Queenie Turrill | TV series (40 episodes: 2008–2011) |
| 2010 | West Is West | Ella Khan | |
| 2010 | Grandma's House | Grandma | TV series (12 episodes: 2010–2012) |
| 2012 | Nick Nickleby | Mrs. Smike | TV series (4 episodes: 2012–present) |
| 2013 | Spies of Warsaw | Malka Rosen | BBC miniseries |
| 2015–2017 | Twirlywoos | Narrator | children's TV show |
| 2015– | Call the Midwife | Nurse Phyllis Crane | TV series |
| 2017 | Carnage | Dr Yasmine Vondenburg | Mockumentary |
| 2022 | Strike | Joan Nancarrow | TV series (Troubled Blood) |

## Theatre

Among her most notable stage roles were those in:
* In Basildon – Royal Court Theatre London (2012)
* Love and Information – Royal Court Theatre London (2012)
* People – National Theatre London (2012/13)
* Roots – Donmar Warehouse London (2013)
* Visitors – Arcola Theatre London (2014) and Bush Theatre, London (2014/15)
* Escaped Alone – Royal Court Theatre London (2016), Brooklyn Academy of Music New York (2017) and BBC Radio (2018)
* What If If Only - Royal Court Theatre London (2021)