Charlotte Cornwell obituary
She was not on the list.
The stage and screen actor Charlotte Cornwell, who has died aged 71 of cancer, stormed to stardom on television as one of the fictional Little Ladies pop group in Rock Follies, a groundbreaking drama about an all-female trio’s attempts to find fame and fortune.
The 1976 series – a TV rock musical featuring Cornwell as Anna, Julie Covington as Dee and Rula Lenska as Q, performers from a flop West End show teamed up by the musical director to have a go at cracking the pop industry – followed the trio’s gigging on the pub and club circuit while experiencing rip-off managers and music publishers. It won a 1977 Bafta award for best drama series.
Howard Schuman’s story also boasted original songs, with his lyrics, and music by the Roxy Music saxophonist Andy Mackay, who played alongside top session musicians such as Ray Russell on guitar and Peter Van Hooke on drums.
This led to chart success for the three real-life actors, whose soundtrack album, Rock Follies, produced by Mackay, went straight to No 1 in Britain, dislodging Status Quo from the top spot.
When Rock Follies of ’77 followed on screen a year later, the accompanying album was another Top 20 hit and OK became a No 10 single. In the series itself Cornwell’s character was consumed by drugs and was eventually replaced in the group by Rox, played by Sue Jones-Davies.
While a real-life court case raged that ended with an all-female band, Rock Bottom, successfully suing Thames Television for taking up their idea for the series but ditching them as the trio, Cornwell was convincing enough in her role to be cast as a fading rock star in another ITV drama.
She first played Shelley Maze, coming to terms with leaving behind her 1960s heyday as lead singer of the Angels, in Barrie Keeffe’s 1980 stage musical Bastard Angel, a Royal Shakespeare Company production at its Warehouse venue in London (now the Donmar Warehouse). The Stage applauded her “performance of enormous power and persuasion”.
When Keeffe adapted the play for the 1983 television series No Excuses, Cornwell enthused: “It’s a massive part about a woman who’s 39, about to be 40, and is reaching a midlife crisis in her work when all the skeletons come out of her cupboards and all the chickens come home to roost at the same time.”
But the role had an effect far beyond that generated by Cornwell portraying the highs and lows of rock stardom. She sued the Sunday People newspaper and Nina Myskow after the TV critic named her Wally of the Week, writing that she was ugly and middle-aged, and adding: “She can’t sing, her bum is too big and she has the sort of stage presence that jams lavatories.”
Cornwell claimed the review was a personal attack, but Myskow denied malice, saying it was fair comment. The actor was initially awarded £10,000 in libel damages by a high court jury in 1985, but this was set aside after the journalist appealed and, although a retrial two years later upheld the ruling and awarded Cornwell £11,500, the judge ordered her to pay costs for both the appeal hearing and the original trial, which ran into tens of thousands.
Born in London, Charlotte was the daughter of Ronnie Cornwell, a con artist who had already served terms in jail for fraud and obtaining money by false pretences, and Jean (nee Neal, formerly Gronow).
Her brother Rupert became an award-winning foreign correspondent on the Financial Times and the Independent, while her half-brother David, one of two sons from her father’s first marriage, was the best-selling novelist John le Carré. The character of Charlie, a British actor and double agent working for the Israelis in his 1983 thriller The Little Drummer Girl, was based on Charlotte.
When she left school and was unsure about her career, David asked her: “Have you ever thought of doing something creative?” He suggested acting and she landed a place at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
Then came a stint with the Bristol Old Vic company (1971-75) and an appearance as Sally Potter in the David Essex film musical Stardust (1974) before Rock Follies came along.
During three years (1977-80) with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, at the Aldwych theatre, London, and on tour, her roles included Rosalind in As You Like It and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.
Cornwell was Anna Petrovna alongside Ian McKellen in a 1984 National Theatre production of Wild Honey, and in the West End she played Miss Cooper, the hotel manager, in Separate Tables (Albery theatre, 1992-93).
In 1990, she was seen as Charlotte in a Hollywood film adaptation of the Le Carré novel The Russia House.
Later, during 12 years in the US, Cornwell worked as an acting coach much revered by her students at the University of Southern California school of theatre (2003-12), made guest appearances in TV series such as The West Wing (2000) and The Mentalist (2009), and had stage roles in Los Angeles that included Mrs Lintott in The History Boys (2007).
After returning to Britain, she rejoined the RSC after 33 years to play Gertrude in Hamlet and the Countess in All’s Well That Ends Well in Stratford in 2013 before retiring to Exmoor.
Cornwell said that having her daughter, Nancy, in 1981, from a relationship with the actor Kenneth Cranham, made her more politically aware.
With the same passion that she devoted to acting and teaching, she was an active campaigner for CND, the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, Artists Against Apartheid and the actors’ union Equity, for which she served as vice-president (1994-98 and 2014-16).
She is survived by Nancy and Martin Baylis, a son she gave up for adoption in her teens. Rupert and David predeceased her.
Actress (54 credits)
2015 Toast of London (TV Series)
Peggy Plywood
- Over the Moon (2015) ... Peggy Plywood
2015 Midsomer Murders (TV Series)
Jeannie Summersbee
- The Dagger Club (2015) ... Jeannie Summersbee
2014 New Tricks (TV Series)
Alison Willis
- Deep Swimming (2014) ... Alison Willis
2013 Kuhani (Short)
BBC Announcer
2013 Family Tree (TV Series)
Angie
- Treading the Boards (2013) ... Angie
2013 Jo (TV Mini Series)
Margot
- Le Marais (2013) ... Margot
2011 Dead Space: Aftermath (Video)
Interrogator #2 (voice)
2010 Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic (Video)
Nessus / Lust Minion #3 (voice)
2009 The Extraordinary Monday of Herman Brumby (Short)
Narrator (voice)
2009 Couples Retreat
Therapist
2009 The Mentalist (TV Series)
Muriel Renfrew
- Red John's Friends (2009) ... Muriel Renfrew
2003 The Practice (TV Series)
Dr. Pickford
- Down the Hatch (2003) ... Dr. Pickford
2003 Judge Koan
Aunt Elizabeth
2002 Family Affair (TV Series)
Charlotte
- I Know What You Did Last Sunday (2002) ... Charlotte
2001 The Agency (TV Series)
- Pilot (2001)
2001 Ghosts of Mars
Narrator (voice)
2001 Gideon's Crossing (TV Series)
Doctor
- Filaments and Ligatures (2001) ... Doctor
2000 The West Wing (TV Series)
Nadia Kozlowski
- Galileo (2000) ... Nadia Kozlowski
2000 Care (TV Movie)
Joanne Hallows
1999 CI5: The New Professionals (TV Series)
The Minister
- Orbit (1999) ... The Minister
- Hostage (1999) ... The Minister
- Back to Business (1999) ... The Minister
1999 Silent Witness (TV Series)
Penelope Arnold
- A Good Body: Part 2 (1999) ... Penelope Arnold
- A Good Body: Part 1 (1999) ... Penelope Arnold
1998 Where the Heart Is (TV Series)
Angela Smith
- Love (1998) ... Angela Smith
1997 The Saint
Inspector Rabineau
1995-1997 Dressing for Breakfast (TV Series)
Liz
- Old Boyfriend (1997) ... Liz
- Betrayal (1997) ... Liz
- Rose (1997) ... Liz
- Graham (1997) ... Liz
- Married Man (1997) ... Liz
Show all 13 episodes
1996 The Governor (TV Series)
Annette Bullock
- Episode #2.2 (1996) ... Annette Bullock
1995 A Touch of Frost (TV Series)
Marion Parfitt
- No Refuge (1995) ... Marion Parfitt
1993 Lovejoy (TV Series)
Matron
- The Ring (1993) ... Matron
1992 A Masculine Ending (TV Movie)
Insp. Parkinson
1992 Love Hurts (TV Series)
Helen Ramsay
- Charity Begins at Home (1992) ... Helen Ramsay
1991 Casualty (TV Series)
Chris Williamson
- Sins of Omission (1991) ... Chris Williamson
1991 The Men's Room (TV Mini Series)
Margaret Lacey
- Episode #1.5 (1991) ... Margaret Lacey
- Episode #1.4 (1991) ... Margaret Lacey
- Episode #1.3 (1991) ... Margaret Lacey
- Episode #1.2 (1991) ... Margaret Lacey
- Episode #1.1 (1991) ... Margaret Lacey
1991 The House of Eliott (TV Series)
Lady Finehurst
- Episode #1.6 (1991) ... Lady Finehurst
1990 The Russia House
Charlotte
1990 Capital City (TV Series)
Petra Allenson
- Headhunting (1990) ... Petra Allenson
1990 Without Walls (TV Series documentary)
Commentator
- Sexual Intercourse Began in 1963 (1990) ... Commentator
1990 White Hunter Black Heart
Miss Wilding, Wilson's Secretary
1990 The Krays
May
1989 4 Play (TV Series)
Vivian
- Goodbye and I Hope We Meet Again (1989) ... Vivian
1989 Chambre à part
Femme Portefeuille
1989 Shalom Salaam (TV Mini Series)
Sarah Morris
- Episode #1.5 (1989) ... Sarah Morris
- Episode #1.4 (1989) ... Sarah Morris
- Episode #1.3 (1989) ... Sarah Morris
- Episode #1.2 (1989) ... Sarah Morris
- Episode #1.1 (1989) ... Sarah Morris
1983-1985 Dramarama (TV Series)
Mentora / Grand Vamp
- The Young Person's Guide to Going Backwards in the World (1985) ... Mentora
- The Young Person's Guide to Getting Their Ball Back! (1983) ... Grand Vamp
1971-1984 Play for Today (TV Series)
Jill / Doctor / Tycoon's secretary
- Only Children (1984) ... Jill
- Early Struggles (1976) ... Doctor
- Thank You Very Much (1971) ... Tycoon's secretary
1983 No Excuses (TV Series)
Shelley Maze / Shelley
- Encore (1983) ... Shelley Maze
- Never Going Home (1983) ... Shelley Maze
- Getting Harder (1983) ... Shelley Maze
- Whole Lot of Nothing (1983) ... Shelley Maze
- They're Onto Us (1983) ... Shelley Maze
Show all 8 episodes
1982 ITV Playhouse (TV Series)
Ann Mitchell
- Something's Got to Give (1982) ... Ann Mitchell
1981 Bognor (TV Series)
Molly Mortimer
- Deadline: Part 6 - Hard Cheese on Eric (1981) ... Molly Mortimer
- Deadline: Part 5 - Good Luck Willy (1981) ... Molly Mortimer
- Deadline: Part 4 - The Cricketer's Almanac (1981) ... Molly Mortimer
- Deadline: Part 3 - There Comes No Answer (1981) ... Molly Mortimer
- Deadline: Part 2 - Who Goes Home? (1981) ... Molly Mortimer
Show all 6 episodes
1980 Drake's Venture (TV Movie)
Elizabeth I
1980 Shoestring (TV Series)
Christine Page
- The Teddy Bears' Nightmare (1980) ... Christine Page
1977 The Contraption (Short)
The Woman (voice)
1977 Rock Follies of '77 (TV Series)
Anna Ward
- The Real Life (1977) ... Anna Ward
- The Divorce (1977) ... Anna Ward
- The Loony Tunes (1977) ... Anna Ward
- The Hype (1977) ... Anna Ward
- The Empire (1977) ... Anna Ward
Show all 6 episodes
1977 The Brute
Primrose
1976 Rock Follies (TV Mini Series)
Anna Ward
- The Blitz (1976) ... Anna Ward
- The Pounds Sterling (1976) ... Anna Ward
- The Talking Pictures (1976) ... Anna Ward
- The Road (1976) ... Anna Ward
- The Little Ladies (1976) ... Anna Ward
Show all 6 episodes
1974 Omnibus (TV Series documentary)
Catherine
- Find Me (1974) ... Catherine
1974 Stardust
Sally Potter (as Charlotte Cornwall)
1972 The Man Outside (TV Series)
Miss Blake
- Mandala (1972) ... Miss Blake
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