Geraldine McEwan obit

Miss Marple actress Geraldine McEwan dies aged 82

She was not on the list.

Geraldine McEwan, the Miss Marple actress, has died aged 82.

McEwan starred in the role of Agatha Christie's spinster consultant detective Jane Marple in 12 films aired on ITV.

The Bafta award winner had a long and successful career in theatre, television and films which saw her work with the likes of Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Williams.

Her son Greg and daughter Claudia said in a statement: "Following a stroke at the end of October and a period in hospital, Geraldine McEwan passed away peacefully on January 30.

"Her family would like to thank the staff at Charing Cross Hospital who cared for her incredibly well."

She starred along side Laurence Olivier in numerous stage plays, including Love for Love, The Entertainer, The Dance of Death, and A Flea in Her Ear. Geraldine originated the female role in Joe Orton's Loot.

Her film work includes The Dance of Death with Laurence Olivier, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Alan Rickman, Henry V and Love's Labour's Lost, both with Kenneth Branagh, Vanity Fair, and The Magdalene Sisters.

In 2004, McEwan was chosen as the new Agatha Christie sleuth, Jane Marple and filmed twelve two hour mysteries before retiring from the role in 2008.

She said at the time: "Of course, it is terribly disappointing to have to pass the baton on, but it has been a marvellous experience to inhabit this role for the last few years, and I am sure that my successor, whomever she may be, will thoroughly enjoy her time with the production team - and with the extraordinarily talented group of writers and actors that they come up with for each series.

"It's been an absolute pleasure to work on Miss Marple since 2003, and I leave with fond memories."

John Challis, who played Boycie in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, said working alongside McEwan in a National Theatre production of The Rivals was "a highlight my career", adding that she was "generous and kind to all of us". "God bless you," he said.

McEwan was born in Old Windsor, England and made her theatre debut at the age of 14 at the Theatre Royal in Windsor.

By the age of 18 she was starring in London's West End in several long-running popular productions.

During the 1950's she acted with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961.

In 1976 she had the distinction of being nominated for an Olivier Award in two separate categories.

She won the BAFTA Best Actress Award in 1991 for her performance as the Mother in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and in 1995 she won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award for her performance of Lady Wishfort in The Way of the World.

The couple had son Greg and daughter Claudia together and she did not re-marry after Cruttwell's death in 2002.

Asked how they combined successful careers with a family life, Cruttwell was quoted saying: "I really don't know how we did it. Geraldine took care of it all."

Filmography

Title       Year       Roles     Notes

There Was a Young Lady               1953      Irene    

No Kidding          1960      Catherine Robinson         Beware of Children (U.S.)

Dance of Death 1969      Alice     

The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones      1976      Lady Bellaston  

Escape from the Dark     1976      Miss Coutt           The Littlest Horse Thieves (U.S.)

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie    1978      Jean Brodie         7 episodes

Mapp and Lucia                1985–1986          Emmeline Lucas (Lucia) 10 episodes

Foreign Body      1986      Lady Ammanford            

Henry V                1989      Alice     

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit 1990      Mother                

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves    1991      Mortianna          

Mulberry             1992–1993          Miss Farnaby      13 episodes

Moses   1995      Miriam TV Mini-Series

Red Dwarf           1999      Cassandra            Series 8, Episode 4, "Cassandra"

The Love Letter 1999      Constance Scattergoods               

Titus      1999      Nurse   

Love's Labour's Lost        2000      Holofernia          

Contaminated Man         2000      Lilian Rodgers   

Food of Love      2002      Novotna              

The Magdalene Sisters   2002      Sister Bridget    

Pure       2002      Nanna  

Carrie's War       2004      Mrs. Gotobed    TV movie

Vanity Fair           2004      Lady Southdown             

The Lazarus Child             2004      Janet    

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit               2005      Miss Thripp         Voice

A Matter of Loaf and Death          2008      Miss Thripp         Voice, Uncredited

Arrietty                 2010      Haru      UK version, Voice, (final film role)

Miss Marple in Marple: 2004–2008

Name    Year

Marple: The Body in the Library 2004

Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage        2004

Marple: 4:50 from Paddington    2004

Marple: A Murder Is Announced               2005

Marple: Sleeping Murder              2005

Marple: The Moving Finger          2006

Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs    2006

Marple: The Sittaford Mystery    2006

Marple: At Bertram's Hotel          2007

Marple: Ordeal by Innocence      2007

Marple: Towards Zero    2008

Marple: Nemesis              2008