Leonie Forbes obit

Iconic Jamaican Actress and Broadcaster Leonie Forbes Has Died

 

She was not on the list.

Born Leonie Evadne Forbes, one of Jamaica’s greatest history-makers in theatre and radio broadcasting, has passed away at the age of 85 on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. It was reported that Forbes spoke up about not feeling well earlier today and so was taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies where she later died.

Forbes was born at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital on June 14, 1937, and was raised in Kingston as an only child. Daughter of mother G. Forbes-Wedderburn and father Roderick Wedderburn she is a graduate of Mico Practising School, Kingston Senior School, Durham College, and Excelsior College. After transitioning into the world of work, she worked as a typist for Sir Philip Sherlock before leaving to work as a playwright for Barry Reckord.

Her career in the broadcasting and theatre industry began when she started working with Reckord. In order to further her talents in both, she migrated to London for a six-year period where she completed a diploma course in Radio Television, and Stage (at the RADA [Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts]) and assisted with the writing of scripts for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation.

An outstanding figure in pantomime and theatre, Forbes appeared in the pantomime Cinderella and theatre productions such as Unknown Woman of Arras, Days of the Lion, Old Story Time, The Rope and the Cross, Smile Orange, and Antony and Cleopatra for which she played the leading role, among many others.

The late Forbes was honoured for her role in “Lord Have Mercy” in 2003 when she received the Gemini Award that year for Best Actress in a comedy-drama. More recently, she was also bestowed with a certificate of merit and a citation in acknowledgment of her outstanding body of work. The ceremony was hosted in New York at the Consulate General.

Making the presentation, Acting Consul General, Lincoln Downer stated Forbes, “blazed a trail of excellence and has also paved the way for aspiring Jamaicans and Caribbean actors and actresses. It is only fitting that we applaud Ms. Forbes given her outstanding contribution to the dramatic arts and for promoting Brand Jamaica.”

Also called M.s Lee, Forbes had a book written entitled Leonie: Her Autobiography, Leonie Forbes as Told to Mervyn Morris. She noted that she hoped the book would be “an encouragement for others to write their own story”.

 

Writer

Jamaica's Leonie Forbes in Frances-Anne Solomon's "A Winter Tale"

A Winter Tale

8.6

additional dialogue

2007

 

What My Mother Told Me (1995)

What My Mother Told Me

7.6

Writer

1995

 

Actress

Origins - Pitch Pilot (2023)

Origins - Pitch Pilot

TV Movie

Mama Lou

2023

 

Ashley Walters in Top Boy (2011)

Top Boy

8.4

TV Series

Miss Carmen

2019

1 episode

 

Masterminds (2019)

Masterminds

Short

Steven's Mother

2019

 

Battledream Chronicles: A New Beginning (2018)

Battledream Chronicles: A New Beginning

7.9

TV Movie

Kerberia

2018

 

The Lightning Bird

Short

Fable

2018

 

Origins (2016)

Origins

Short

The Storyteller

2016

 

Leonie Forbes, Tony Hendriks, Bertina Macaulay, Ian Ity Ellis, Emprezz Golding, Brian Brown, and Dahlia Harris in It's a Family Affair (2016)

It's a Family Affair

Reverend

2016

 

Good Country People

Short

Aunt Birdie

2013

 

Vas Blackwood, Audrey Reid, Carl Welington, Candice Buchanan, Everaldo Creary, Carey Campbell, and Hemsley C. Morris Jr. in Me & Mi Kru (2010)

Me & Mi Kru

7.5

TV Series

Grandma (2010)

2010

 

Naomie Harris, David Oyelowo, and Benedict Cumberbatch in Small Island (2009)

Small Island

7.5

TV Mini Series

Miss Jewel

2009

 

Jamaica's Leonie Forbes in Frances-Anne Solomon's "A Winter Tale"

A Winter Tale

8.6

Miss G

2007

 

Glory to Gloriana (2006)

Glory to Gloriana

8.0

2006

 

Lord Have Mercy!

4.3

TV Series

Sister Hope MacAulay

2003

2 episodes

 

Benjamin Burdick, Cee Cee Michaela, Laura Johnson, John Novak, and Basil Wallace in Born Free (1998)

Born Free

7.0

TV Series

Old Lady

1998

1 episode

 

Guttaperc

Sister Pam

1998

 

Shattered Image (1998)

Shattered Image

4.8

Isabel

1998

 

Dennis Rodman, Tim Abell, Melinda Clarke, David Eigenberg, and Brad Johnson in Soldier of Fortune, Inc. (1997)

Soldier of Fortune, Inc.

6.8

TV Series

Mother

1998

1 episode

 

What My Mother Told Me (1995)

What My Mother Told Me

7.6

Catherine Stewart

1995

 

Soul Survivor (1995)

Soul Survivor

4.4

G'ma T

1995

 

Elizabeth Hurley, Frances Barber, Kate Buffery, Diana Quick, and Nigel Terry in The Orchid House (1991)

The Orchid House

7.0

TV Mini Series

Christophine the Cook

1991

4 episodes

 

South of the Border (1988)

South of the Border

7.1

TV Series

Monica Stone

1990

1 episode

 

Armand Assante and Catherine Mary Stewart in Passion and Paradise (1989)

Passion and Paradise

6.5

TV Movie

Mrs. Kinbona

1989

 

Milk and Honey (1988)

Milk and Honey

7.9

Miss Emma

1988

 

Robin Williams, Peter O'Toole, Joanna Cassidy, Rick Moranis, Twiggy, and Eugene Levy in Club Paradise (1986)

Club Paradise

5.1

Mrs. Geddes

1986

 

Children of Babylon (1980)

Children of Babylon

5.6

Dorcas

1980

 

CBS Children's Film Festival (1967)

CBS Children's Film Festival

8.6

TV Series

Debbie Johnsom

1977

1 episode

 

Stories Round the World

TV Series

Debbie Johnson

1976

1 episode

 

Errol John and Gemma Jones in Rainbow City (1967)

Rainbow City

TV Series

Sheila

1967

1 episode

 

Alfred Burke in Public Eye (1965)

Public Eye

8.5

TV Series

Amanda

1965

1 episode

 

Jack Warner in Dixon of Dock Green (1955)

Dixon of Dock Green

6.9

TV Series

Mrs. Thomas

1964

1 episode

 

Hugh and I (1962)

Hugh and I

6.6

TV Series

1964

1 episode

 

Z Cars (1962)

Z Cars

7.1

TV Series

Girl in Cafe

1963

1 episode

 

William Mervyn and Edwin Richfield in The Odd Man (1960)

The Odd Man

7.1

TV Series

Sarah Ross

1963

1 episode

 

80,000 Suspects (1963)

80,000 Suspects

6.0

Nurse Vicky (uncredited)

1963

 

Your World

TV Series

Dora Williams

1963

1 episode

 

Drama 61-67 (1961)

Drama 61-67

7.6

TV Series

Nurse Hamilton

1963

1 episode

 

A Man Called Harry Brent (1965)

The Desperate People

7.5

TV Series

Nurse

1963

1 episode

 

Wendy Richard in Harpers West One (1961)

Harpers West One

TV Series

Bessie Barlow

1963

1 episode

 

A World Inside

TV Movie

Clara Meade

1962

 

Producer

Literature Alive

8.2

TV Series

producer (as Leonie Forbes-Harvey)

2005

1 episode

 

Self

Literature Alive

8.2

TV Series

Self

2005–2006

2 episodes

 

I Is a Long Memoried Woman

7.9

Older Woman

1990