# Elizabeth Counsell

Elizabeth Counsell (born 7 June 1942) is an English actress and singer, known for her role in the BBC television series Brush Strokes, as well as for her work in classical theatre.

## Career

She played Lady Macbeth to Michael Gambon's Macbeth at the Forum Theatre, Billingham in 1968, and was Michael Redgrave's leading lady in his anthology Shakespeare's People, 1976–77. In 1983 she took the nominal part in Peter Hall's Jean Seberg at the Royal National Theatre. Her film career includes roles in Hot Millions (1968), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), Doctor at Sea (1974), Under the Doctor (1976), Killer's Moon (1978), and Claudia (1985). She featured in the Channel 4 comedy drama Hollywood Hits Chiswick, alongside Derek Newark as W.C. Fields. Her most recent film appearances include the 2012 film Song for Marion with Vanessa Redgrave, and the 2014 film Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman. She appeared in the second series of the BBC1 drama The Split (2020).
In December 2023, it was announced that Counsell had been cast as Gloria Knight in EastEnders.

## Personal life

Counsell is the daughter of actress Mary Kerridge and stage director John Counsell, who together ran the Theatre Royal, Windsor. Her twin sister was the actress Jenny (Jennifer M) Counsell. Jenny died on 23 May 2020. In 1978, Elizabeth married the actor David Simeon, the couple have a son, who was born in 1979.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1963 | The Mind Benders | Girl Student at Station | Uncredited |
| 1963 | From Russia with Love | Woman in a Punt | Uncredited |
| 1965 | The Intelligence Men | Girl in Cucaracha | |
| 1967 | Carry On Follow That Camel | Harem Girl | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Hot Millions | Miss Glyn | Uncredited |
| 1969 | Anne of the Thousand Days | Anne's Lady-in-Waiting | |
| 1976 | Under the Doctor | Nurse Addison | |
| 1978 | Killer's Moon | Miss Lilac | |
| 1985 | Claudia | Audrey | |
| 2002 | The Great Sarah: A Portrait of Sarah Siddons | Sarah Siddons | |
| 2012 | Song for Marion | Cheryl | |
| 2014 | Grace of Monaco | Princess Ghislaine Dommanget | |
| 2018 | The Little Stranger | Miss Rossiter | |
| 2018 | Intrigo: Death of an Author | Frau Bloeme | |
| 2018 | The Double | Dr. Rutenspitz | |
| 2019 | Intrigo: Dear Agnes | Frau Bloeme | |
| 2021 | Bull | Marge | |
| 2022 | The Invitation | Mina Harker | |
| 2023 | Forever Young | Janice | |

## Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1962 | Call Oxbridge 2000 | Thora | Episode: #2.7 |
| 1963 | The Plane Makers | Jean Phillips | Episode: "A Matter of Self Respect" |
| 1964 | First Night | Ingrid | Episode: "Hunt the Man" |
| 1965 | Gideon's Way | Veronica Kendal | Episode: "The Alibi Man" |
| 1965 | Six of the Best | Irma | Episode: "Porterhouse: Private Eye" |
| 1966 | The Idiot | Adeline | All 5 episodes |
| 1966 | Emergency-Ward 10 | Nora Penhurst | 3 episodes |
| 1967 | Z-Cars | Ruth Grant | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Les Misérables | Eponine | 4 episodes |
| 1970 | Hark at Barker | Heroine | Episode: "Rustless on Music" |
| 1971 | Jason King | Anna Brenskaja | Episode: " To Russia with... Panache" |
| 1972 | The Two Ronnies | Party Guest | Episode: #2.8 |
| 1972 | The Reg Varney Revue | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1973 | Crown Court | Rita Davey | ' Crime in Prison ', episode: 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Nobody Is Norman Wisdom Anya | Episode: #1.6 |
| 1973 | The Adventures of Black Beauty | Elizabeth | Episode: "The Outcast" |
| 1974 | Doctor at Sea | Nurse Joyce Wynton | 8 episodes |
| 1974 | The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs | Cathy | 10 episodes |
| 1976 | Bless This House | Miss Plummer | Episode: "Well, Well, Well..." |
| 1976–1978 | The Many Wives of Patrick | Helen Woodford | 12 episodes |
| 1976 | The Dick Emery Show | Various | Episode: #15.4 |
| 1976 | Beasts | Mrs. Gibson | Episode: "During Barty's Party" |
| 1977 | The Sunday Drama | Doreen | Episode: "A Good Human Story" |
| 1979 | Take My Wife... | Various | Episode: #1.3 |
| 1981 | Partners | Pamela Heslop | All 6 episodes |
| 1981 | Present Laughter | Joanna Lyppiatt | TV film |
| 1982 | The Gentle Touch | Marcia Bancroft | Episode: "Black Fox, White Vixen" |
| 1982 | Fame Is the Spur | Lady Lettice | 4 episodes |
| 1983 | Tears Before Bedtime | Lady Lavenham | Episode: "Jobs for the Boys" |
| 1983 | Jemima Shore Investigates | Diana Boyle | Episode: "A Model Murder" |
| 1985 | The Moving Finger | Angela Symmington | Both 2 episodes |
| 1985 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Bella Lewis | Episode: "Goodbye Jenny Wren" |
| 1986 | If Tomorrow Comes | Blanche Deauville | Episode: #1.2 |
| 1986–1991 | Brush Strokes | Veronica Bainbridge | 37 episodes |
| 1986–1988 | Executive Stress | Anthea Duxbury | 17 episodes |
| 1986 | Lytton's Diary | Fanny | Episode: "The Ends and the Means" |
| 1988 | The Woman He Loved | Katherine Rogers | TV film |
| 1988 | Boon | Denise Appleby | Episode: "Honourable Service" |
| 1992 | Bunch of Five | Ivy | Episode: "Blue Heaven" |
| 1994–1995 | Nelson's Column | Jackie Spicer | All 12 episodes |
| 2000 | Lock, Stock... | Moira | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Doctors | Anita Broughton | Episode: "Sense of Duty" |
| 2002 | The American Embassy | Magistrate | Episode: "China Cup" |
| 2006 | Doctors | Betty Dillon | Episode: "Honourable Gentlemen " |
| 2008 | Doctors | Jeanette Cooper | Episode: "Parting Glances" |
| 2011 | Doctors | Dorien Frost-Griffiths | Episode: "Ring Me, Marry Me, Text Me, Kill Me" |
| 2013 | Doctors | Anitta Purchase | Episode: "Exterminating Angel" |
| 2013 | The Mimic | Della | Episode: #1.3 |
| 2015 | Doctors | Sylvia Blim | Episode: "The Route of All Good" |
| 2015 | Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | Storm Cloud Woman | Episode: "Chapter Two: How Is Lady Pole?" |
| 2015 | Casualty | Amy Beth Page | Episode: "The Long Haul" |
| 2015 | Walliams & Friend | Various | Episode: "Joanna Lumley" |
| 2017 | Born to Kill | Margaret Anderson | All 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Quacks | Lady Neilson-Toy | Episode: "The Lady's Abscess" |
| 2019 | Cold Call | Elisabeth Wiley | All 4 episodes |
| 2020 | The Split | Amanda Venwell | Episode: #2.1 |
| 2021 | Unforgotten | Suzie Montgomery | Episode: #4.5 |
| 2021 | Trying | Aunt | Episode: "I'm Scared" |
| 2022 | Call the Midwife | Mrs. Nyall | Episode: #11.1 |
| 2022 | The Outlaws | Barbara | Episode: #2.4 |
| 2022 | Miss Scarlet and The Duke | Mrs. Dashwood | Episode: "The Black Witch Moth" |
| 2023 | Doctors | Dorothy Bisset | Episode: "I Don't Want Any Fuss" |
| 2024 | EastEnders | Gloria Knight | Guest role |