Judy Geeson

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Judy Geeson
Judy Geeson 1968.JPG
Publicity photo of Geeson from Prudence and the Pill (1968)
Born (1948-09-10) 10 September 1948 (age 75)
Arundel, Sussex, England
CitizenshipBritish
Alma mater Corona Stage Academy
OccupationActress
Years active1962–present
Spouse
(m. 1984;div. 1989)
Partner Sean Kenny (1969–1973)
Relatives Sally Geeson (sister)

Judith Amanda Geeson (born 10 September 1948 [1] ) is an English film, stage, and television actress. She began her career primarily working on British television series, with a leading role on The Newcomers from 1965 to 1967, before making her major film debut in To Sir, with Love (1967). She starred in a range of films throughout the 1970s, from crime pictures to thriller and horror films, including The Executioner (1970), Fear in the Night (1972), Brannigan (1975) and The Eagle Has Landed (1976). She played heiress Caroline Penvenen from 1975-1977 in the BBC series Poldark , from the Winston Graham novels.

Contents

Geeson appeared in several stage productions in the 1980s, including two for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as an Off-Broadway production of The Common Pursuit (1986). After relocating to the United States she returned to television, playing the recurring character of Maggie Conway in the American series Mad About You from 1992 until 1999, as well as a recurring role on Gilmore Girls in 2002. In 2012 and 2016, she appeared in Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem and 31 , respectively.

Early life

Judy Geeson was born in Arundel, Sussex. Her father was an editor for the National Coal Board magazine. [2] Her sister Sally Geeson, also an actress, is known for her roles in British television sitcoms of the 1970s. [3] Geeson attended Corona Stage Academy and made her stage debut in 1957. [2] [4]

Career

Geeson's professional acting career started in July 1962, with an appearance in an episode of the television series The Probation Officer . [5] Her first major film appearances came in 1967, with roles in To Sir, with Love [6] and Berserk! . [7] She followed these films with the comedy Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968). Geeson became well known as a result of a regular role in the BBC early-evening soap opera The Newcomers . She also had a major role in the mid-1970s costume drama Poldark as Caroline Penvenen (later Caroline Enys).

Geeson's other films include Prudence and the Pill (1968), Three into Two Won't Go (1969), 10 Rillington Place (1970), Doomwatch (1972), Brannigan (1975), starring John Wayne, and The Eagle Has Landed (1976). In the TV series Danger UXB (1979) she played the female lead, Susan Mount, opposite Anthony Andrews. She also had the lead role of Fulvia in the science fiction series Star Maidens (1976).

In addition to her film and television work during this time, Geeson also performed in theatrical productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company as Lavinia in Titus Andronicus and as Viven 532 in Section Nine (both 1973). She also had roles in stage productions of Next Time I'll Sing to You (1980) and The Real Thing (1985), both in London, before making her Off-Broadway debut in The Common Pursuit in 1987.

Geeson relocated from London to Los Angeles in 1984; there she began appearing in American television, including a role as a series regular in the sitcom Mad About You , playing the hostile neighbour, Maggie Conway, from 1992 to 1999. She also played the role of Sandrine in the Star Trek: Voyager episodes "The Cloud" and "Twisted". [8]

Having appeared in a number of horror films during the 1970s and 1980s, including Fear in the Night (1972), [9] A Candle for the Devil (1973), [9] Dominique (1978) and Inseminoid (1981), [9] Geeson returned to the horror genre in The Lords of Salem (2012), directed by Rob Zombie. [10] The film marked her return to acting following a nine-year absence. She portrayed Sister Dragon in Rob Zombie's slasher film 31 which was released in 2015. [11]

Personal life

In the 1970s, Geeson lived with set designer Sean Kenny until his death in 1973. [12] She was married to actor Kristoffer Tabori from 1985 until their divorce in 1989. [3] In a 2015 interview, Geeson stated that she had resided in Los Angeles, California, for the past 30 years. [7]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1963Wings of MysteryJane
1967 Berserk! Angela Rivers
1967 To Sir, With Love Pamela Dare
1968 Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Mary Gloucester
1968 Prudence and the Pill Geraldine Hardcastle
1968 Hammerhead Sue Trenton
1969 Three into Two Won't Go Ella Patterson
1969 Two Gentlemen Sharing Jane
1970 The Executioner Polly Bendel
1970 Goodbye Gemini Jacki
1970 10 Rillington Place Beryl Evans [lower-alpha 1]
1971Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?Jody KenyonTelevision film
1971 One of Those Things Susanne Strauss
1972 Doomwatch Victoria Brown
1972 Fear in the Night Peggy Heller
1973 A Candle for the Devil Laura Barkley
1974 Percy's Progress Doctor Fairweather
1975 Brannigan Detective Sergeant Jennifer Thatcher
1975 Diagnosis Murder Helen
1976 Adventures of a Taxi Driver Nikki
1976Short EndsClaudine
1976 Carry On England Sergeant Tilly Willing
1976 The Eagle Has Landed Pamela Verecker
1978 Dominique Marjorie Craven
1980Towards the Morning
1981 Inseminoid Sandy
1982 The Plague Dogs PekingeseVoice role
1987 The Price of Life Anthea
1988 The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick BabsTelevision film
1993Young Goodman BrownBridget Bishop
1996 To Sir, with Love II Pamela DareTelevision film
1998 Houdini Lady DoyleTelevision film
1999 The Duke Lady Fautblossom
2000Alien Fury: Countdown to InvasionAlienTelevision film; voice role
2000 Everything Put Together Angie's Mother
2003 Spanish Fly Miss England
2012 The Lords of Salem Lacy Doyle
2015 Grandma Francesca
2016 31 Sister Dragon
2019The Wrong HusbandMadame Briggs
2021 Let Us In Nana Edie
2021Last Call in the Dog HouseLilly
2021Waking Up DeadLila

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961–64 Dixon of Dock Green Jenny Fenton / Dawn Pearce2 episodes
1962 The Probation Officer Gwen Thomas1 episode
1962 Emergency – Ward 10 Joanne Phipps3 episodes
1964MalatestaVanella1 episode
1964Television Club Shirley Brent18 episodes
1965Alexander Graham BellBerta Hubbard3 episodes
1965 The Flying Swan Sonia Dale1 episode
1965 Cluff Joan Cluff1 episode
1965BlackmailSarah1 episode
1965 Danger Man Helen Cazalet1 episode
1965–67 The Newcomers Maria Cooper51 episodes
1966 Mrs Thursday Brenda Scott1 episode
1967Mickey DunneSasha Newman1 episode
1967 Mr. Rose Shirley1 episode
1967 Man in a Suitcase Sue Mandel1 episode
1972 Lady Windermere's Fan ( Play of the Month )Lady WindermereBBC taped drama
1973 A Room with a View (Play of the Month)Lucy HoneychurchBBC taped drama
1973 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes , "The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway"Polly BurtonThames Television taped drama
1974 The Skin Game (Play of the Month)ChloeBBC taped drama
1975 Space: 1999 Regina Kesslann1 episode
1975–77 Poldark Caroline Enys (née Penvenen)19 episodes
1975 Thriller Helen MarlowEpisode: "Night is the Time for Killing"
1976 Star Maidens Fulvia8 episodes
1977Seven Faces of Woman Carol1 episode
1978 Return of the Saint Selma Morrell1 episode
1978 The Newcomers Maria Cooper2 episodes
1979 Danger UXB Susan Mount9 episodes
1980BreakawayBecky Royce6 episodes
1980–83 Tales of the Unexpected Mary / Sandra2 episodes
1985–86 Murder, She Wrote Sister Ruth Fargo / Elaine McComber2 episodes
1986 The A-Team Marlena Strasser1 episode
1986 Hotel Pat Magnuson1 episode
1988 MacGyver Liane Auber1 episode
1990 Monsters AnnaEpisode: "Refugee"
1992–99 Mad About You Maggie Conway33 episodes
1995 Star Trek: Voyager Sandrine2 episodes
1996–99 Tracey Takes On... Elsie Ayliss / Dorothy Appleton / Guest3 episodes
1998 NewsRadio Auctioneer1 episode
2000 Touched by an Angel Pookie Longfellow-Smith1 episode
2000 Charmed Ruth Cobb1 episode
2000Love & MoneyEmma1 episode
2001–02 Gilmore Girls Natalie Swope3 episodes

Stage credits

YearTitleRoleVenueRef.
1972 Othello Desdemona The Space, London
1973 Titus Andronicus Lavinia Aldwych Theatre, London
1973Section NineViven 532The Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
1980Next Time I'll Sing to YouLizzie Greenwich Theatre, London
1985 The Real Thing Novello Theatre, London
1986 The Common Pursuit Marigold WatsonPromenade Theatre, New York City
1987 Aunt Dan and Lemon Lemon's mother Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles
1987 Henceforward... Zoe Alley Theatre, Houston
2002 Under the Blue Sky Anne Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles [13]

Notes

  1. 10 Rillington Place has been cited as one of Geeson's favourite films. She owns a first edition of the journalistic investigation by Ludovic Kennedy, on which the film is based; see 10 Days In LA: Interview With Judy Geeson (2005) Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Tvo.org.

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References

  1. "Birthdays". The Independent . 9 September 1994. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 Cotter 2013, p. 84.
  3. 1 2 Hal Erickson (2013). "Judy Geeson – About This Person". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  4. "Judy Geeson Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 3 March 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  5. "Judy Geeson". BFI. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  6. "To Sir, with Love - film by Clavell [1967]". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  7. 1 2 Geeson, Judy (2015). A Devil in Spain. A Candle for the Devil (Blu-ray). Scorpion Releasing. Event occurs at [ time needed ].
  8. "Rob Zombie's '31' Nears Wrap, Announces More Cast!". Bloody-Disgusting!. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Cotter 2013, p. 85.
  10. "'The Lords of Salem' Star Rejoins Rob Zombie In '31'". Bloody-Disgusting. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  11. "Sister Dragon Flies into Rob Zombie's 31". Dread Central. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  12. "The Liverpool R 'N' R Childrens Charity-Maggie May The Liverpool Musical". MerseyCats. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  13. Hirschhorn, Joel (19 September 2002). "Under the Blue Sky". Variety. Retrieved 26 October 2017.

Works cited