# Harriet Thorpe

Harriet Amelia Thorpe (born 8 June 1957) is an English actress. Thorpe trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She is known for her roles in the British sitcoms The Brittas Empire (1991–1997) and Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012), and has also starred in the West End musicals Cabaret (2006), Wicked (2008) and Mamma Mia! (2010). In 2023, she took over the role of Elaine Peacock in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

## Early life

Harriet Amelia Thorpe was born on 8 June 1957 in Hampstead, London. She is the daughter of Gillian (née Freeman), a writer, and Edward Thorpe, an actor and writer. Her younger sister is the actress Matilda Thorpe.
Thorpe studied dance at the Royal Ballet School and afterwards attended Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 1979.
She is Jewish.

## Career
### Television

She appeared in the 1990s British television sitcom The Brittas Empire, playing Carole Parkinson, the receptionist who was prone to depression and fits of emotion who permanently kept her children with her in drawers under her desk, and would sometimes be seen feeding them or washing their clothes. Thorpe also starred in a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link as Madame Morrible, in which she was voted off in the first round.
Thorpe played Fleur in Absolutely Fabulous, an eccentric and somewhat odd work-colleague. Along with working extensively with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, she has appeared in BBC2's Alexei Sayle's Stuff, A Bit of Fry & Laurie; BBC's Casualty, Material Girl and ITV's The Bill, Midsomer Murders and the sitcom Me, You and Him. She played Beverley Osman in the BBC children's comedy drama No Sweat, starring boyband North and South. She made a guest appearance in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Elizabeth. In 2020, she played Nanny Ribble in an episode of Father Brown and in 2021 she guest starred in another episode of Midsomer Murders and in episode of Doctors. In September 2021, Thorpe played Miss Newell in Endeavour.

### Film

Thorpe has appeared in numerous films, such as Calendar Girls as the rather patronising and superior head of the Women's Institute; Mike Leigh's Life is Sweet; Greystoke; The Calling; and S.N.U.B. Also The Lenny Henry Show in the early 80s.

### Theatre

Thorpe has appeared on stage. She worked extensively at the Royal National Theatre, in London's West End and two Shakespeare seasons at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. She was in the original revival cast of Cabaret as Fraulein Kost at the Lyric Theatre in London on 22 September 2006. Prior to this, she played Mrs. Lovett in the national tour of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, originated the role of Ida Arnold in the Almeida Theatre's original musical, Brighton Rock, and played the role of Madame Thenardier in the hit musical, Les Misérables.
On 14 April 2008, she took over the role of Madame Morrible from Susie Blake in the West End production of Wicked. She played her final performance on 27 March 2010, and was replaced by Julie Legrand.
Thorpe took over the role of Tanya from Jane Gurnett in the West End production of Mamma Mia! on 14 June 2010.
She returned to the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park to play the parts of Lottie Childs and Patricia Fodor in Timothy Sheader and Stephen Mear's revival of Crazy For You, for which she was nominated for the 2012 Theatregoers' Choice Awards
Thorpe returned to Wicked to play Madame Morrible from Monday 22 April 2013 until Saturday 16 November 2013, in place of Louise Plowright who withdrew from the role due to illness.
In 2018, Thorpe joined the cast of Ruthless! The Musical as Miss Myrna Thorn.

### Ambassador

Thorpe is an ambassador for Walk the Walk, the UK's largest grant-making breast cancer charity, and the UK's Diversity In Media Awards (DIMAS)

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1984 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | Iris | |
| 1985 | Morons from Outer Space | Blood Royal Lady | |
| 1986 | Foreign Body | Gucci salesgirl | |
| 1987 | Maurice | Barmaid | |
| 1988 | Young Toscanini | Comparsa | |
| 1990 | Life Is Sweet | Customer | |
| 1995 | Jack and Sarah | Small role | |
| 2003 | Calendar Girls | Brenda Mooney | |
| 2004 | Suzie Gold | Charity Silver | |
| 2009 | The Calling | Consuela | |
| 2009 | That's for Me! | Marilyn Zimmerman | |
| 2010 | S.N.U.B! | Elaine | |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Wakanda | Scene cut |
| 2012 | City Slacker | Dating Interviewer | |
| 2015 | The Lady in the Van | Customer | Scene cut |
| 2016 | Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie | Fleur | |
| 2022 | Tomorrow Morning | Joy | |
| 2024 | Fyre Rises | Gloria | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1984 | Who Dares Wins | Woman in Restaurant | Episode: #1.8 |
| 1985 | Happy Families | Mother | Episode: "Cassie" |
| 1985–1986 | Girls on Top | Chris | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The Bill | Tarty Woman | Episode: "Loan Shark" |
| 1986 | The Comic Strip Presents... | Jane | Episode: "Consuela (Or 'The New Mrs Saunders')" |
| 1986 | Who Dares Wins | Secretary | Episode: #3.5 |
| 1986 | Lenny Henry Tonite | Stephanie | Episode: "Gronk Zillman" |
| 1987–2003 | French and Saunders | Various | 8 episodes |
| 1987 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Anita Margolis | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | The Comic Strip Presents... | Brenda | Episode: "Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door" |
| 1988 | Alexei Sayle's Stuff | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1990 | A Bit of Fry & Laurie | Various | Episode: #2.3 |
| 1990 | Smith and Jones | Various | Episode: #6.5 |
| 1991–1997 | The Brittas Empire | Carole | All 52 episodes |
| 1991 | 'Allo 'Allo! | Ethel | Episode: "Up the Crick Without a Piddle" |
| 1991 | Bottom | Wife | Episode: "Smells" |
| 1991 | Murder Most Horrid | Sarah Deveraux | Episode: "He Died a Death" |
| 1992 | The Big One | Various | Episode: "Flights of Fancy" |
| 1992 | Me, You and Him | Helen | All 6 episodes |
| 1992–2012 | Absolutely Fabulous | Fleur | 13 episodes |
| 1994 | Mike and Angelo | Margaret Pinner | Episode: "Up to My Neck" |
| 1996 | Goodnight Sweetheart | Gillian | Episode: "Change Partners" |
| 1997–1998 | No Sweat | Bev Osman | 13 episodes |
| 1998 | Duck Patrol | Abigail | Episode: "Occurrences" |
| 1999 | Hetty Wainthropp Investigates | Carol Singer | TV film |
| 2000 | Casualty | Hannah | Episode: "The Morning After" |
| 2000 | The 10th Kingdom | Charm Seller | Episode: #1.8 |
| 2000 | Happy Birthday Shakespeare | Victoria | TV film |
| 2000 | Mirrorball | Cat Rogers | TV pilot |
| 2002 | Crossroads | Denise Hamilton | Episode: #1.285 |
| 2003 | Final Demand | Mrs. Roe | TV film |
| 2003 | Casualty | Ruth | Episode: "Three in a Bed" |
| 2003 | The Bill | Anne Wilson | Episode: "Lured in to the Trap" |
| 2004 | All About Me | Ruth | Episode: "Downloading" |
| 2006 | Midsomer Murders | Elaine Trim | Episode: "Dance with the Dead" |
| 2007 | A Bucket o' French & Saunders | Various | Episode: #1.2 |
| 2007 | The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle | Journalist | Episode: #1.3 |
| 2007 | The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle | Janey Evans | Episode: "The Vivienne Vyle Show" |
| 2008 | Doctors | Clodagh Merrylees | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas | Eve Bluston | TV film |
| 2010 | Material Girl | Mimi's Mum | Episode: #1.5 |
| 2013 | Doctors | Sandy Wares | Episode: "No Smoke Without Fire" |
| 2014 | The Secrets | Lynn | Episode: "The Conversation" |
| 2015 | Doctors | Dr. Chris Bassey | Episode: "Mr Charity" |
| 2016 | The Musketeers | Lady Francoise | Episode: "The Queen's Diamonds" |
| 2017 | Hollyoaks | Elizabeth | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Casualty | Raquel Kovak | Episode: #32.3 |
| 2018 | Doctors | Miranda Hill | Episode: "Doctor Carter Said" |
| 2019 | Pancake | Ms. Shearer | TV pilot |
| 2020 | Father Brown | Nanny Ribble | Episode: "The Curse of the Aesthetic" |
| 2020 | Mister Winner | Sharon Winner | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Midsomer Murders | Georgie Tremayne | Episode: "The Stitcher Society" |
| 2021 | Doctors | Hattie Brooks | Episode: "Wonderland" |
| 2021 | Endeavour | Miss Newell | Episode: "Striker" |
| 2022 | The Man Who Fell to Earth | Newsie Hat | Episode: "Changes" |
| 2022 | Keep Calm & Carry On | Susan | All 4 episodes |
| 2023 | The Madame Blanc Mysteries | Flora Marshall | Episode: #2.4 |
| 2023 | Pointless Celebrities | Contestant | Series 16, Episode 8 |
| 2023–present | EastEnders | Elaine Peacock | Series regular |
| 2024 | Tracey: A Day in the Life | Elaine Peacock | 3 episodes |