Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

133

Gender

Female

Birthday

1921-12-11

Deathday

2016-12-24 (95 years old)

Place of Birth

Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, UK

Also Known As

Betty Gleadle

Liz Smith

Biography

Betty Gleadle (December 11, 1921 – December 24, 2016), known by the stage name Liz Smith, was an English character actress, known for her roles in BBC sitcoms, including as Annie Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared (1975–1979), the sisters Bette and Belle in 2point4 Children (1991–1999), Letitia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley (1994–1996) and Norma Speakman ("Nana") in The Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006). She also played Zillah in Lark Rise to Candleford (2008) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1984 film A Private Function.

Known For

7.0%

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Acting

2010

The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa as Self

2009

The Antiques Rogue Show as Olive Greenhalgh

2008		City of Ember as Granny
2008		Flick as Ma
2008		Lark Rise to Candleford as Zillah

2007

The Graham Norton Show as Self

2006		The Queen of Sheba as Norma Speakman
2006		The Magic Flute as The Old Papagena

2005		Keeping Mum as Mrs. Parker
2005		Oliver Twist as Old Woman
2005		Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit as Mrs. Mulch (voice)
2005		Dead Cool as Liz
2005		Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as Grandma Georgina

2004		The Paul O'Grady Show
2004		Nero as Soothsayer
2004		Imperium: Nero as Sacrilega

2003		Between The Sheets
2003		Anna Spud as Gran

2002		A Good Thief as Lizzie
2002		V Graham Norton as Self

2001

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Peg Sliderskew

2000		Donovan Quick as Granny
2000		A Christmas Carol as Joyce
2000		The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades as Delfina

1999		A Christmas Carol as Mrs Dilber
1999		Oliver Twist as Sally
1999		Tube Tales as Older Lady (segment "Horny")
1999		Tom's Midnight Garden as Mrs Willows
1999		It's Only TV But I Like It as Self
1999		Alice in Wonderland as Miss Lory

1998		V.I.P. as Self - Gossip Columnist
1998		The Royle Family as Norma 'Nana' Speakman
1998		So Graham Norton as Self
1998		The Revengers' Comedies as Winnie
1998		Anthrakitis as Dolly

1997		Keep the Aspidistra Flying as Mrs Meakin
1997		Trial & Retribution

1996		An Evening with Lily Savage as Self - Audience Member
1996		Secrets & Lies as Woman with Cat
1996		Karaoke as Mrs. Baglin

1995		Queen's Nose as Grandma
1995		Haunted as Old Gypsy Woman
1995		Crapston Villas as Delia (voice)

1994		The Vicar of Dibley as Letitia Cropley
1994		Doggin' Around as Mrs. Thompson
1994		Pirates as Gran
1994		Takin' Over the Asylum as Harriet

1993		Shooting Stars as Self
1993		Pretty Princess as regina madre
1993		Son of the Pink Panther as Marta Balls

1992		Dakota Road as Joan Benson
1992		The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as Delfina

1991		Nona as Anyula
1991		Bottom as Fortune Teller
1991		2Point4 Children as Bette
1991		2Point4 Children as Auntie Belle
1991		Performance as Anyula

1990		Cluedo as Mrs. White
1990		Night of 100 Stars III as Self
1990		Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music as Self
1990		El C.I.D. as Mildred
1990		Drowning in the Shallow End as Agent

1989		The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover as Grace
1989		Apartment Zero as Mary Louise McKinney
1989		Bert Rigby, You're a Fool as Mrs. Rigby
1989		Words of Love as Gran
1989		Young Charlie Chaplin as Mrs. Greenwood

1988		We Think the World of You as Millie
1988		High Spirits as Mrs. Plunkett
1988		Jake's Journey as Witch

1987		When We Are Married as Mrs Northrop
1987		Little Dorrit as Mrs. Bangham
1987		The Ruth Rendell Mysteries as Lena Finn
1987		Valentine Park as Mrs. Giles
1987		On the Palm as Mrs Slatterthwaite

1986		The Life and Loves of a She-Devil as Mrs. Fisher
1986		Casualty as Tillie
1986		American Masters as Self
1986		Harem as Mrs. Pendleton
1986		Lovejoy as Florence

1985

Mann's Best Friends as Mrs. Anstruther

1984		A Private Function as Mother
1984		The Bill
1984		A Christmas Carol as Mrs. Dilber

1983		Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime as Hannah Macpherson
1983		Curse of the Pink Panther as Marta Balls
1983		Now And Then
1983		Mr. Right as Gran
1983		Fanny Hill as Mrs. Jones (uncredited)
1983		Separate Tables as Miss Meacham

1982		Trail of the Pink Panther as Martha Balls (archive footage)
1982		Mike Leigh: Making Plays as Self (archive footage)
1982		Britannia Hospital as Maisie
1982		Wogan as Self

1981		The French Lieutenant's Woman as Mrs. Fairley
1981		The Monster Club as Villager

1980		Sir Henry at Rawlinson End as Lady Phillipa of Staines
1980		The Gentle Touch as Edna Slater
1980		Murder Rap as Elfie

1979

Agatha as Flora

1978

An Audience with... as Self

1977		The Testing of Eric Olthwaite as Mrs. Bag
1977		The Duellists as Fortune Teller
1977		The Stick Up as Hotel Manageress
1977		Nicholas Nickleby as Peg Sliderskew
1977		Spend Spend Spend as Keith's Granny

1976		The Hunchback of Notre Dame as La Falourdel
1976		It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet as Mrs. Dodds
1976		Ripping Yarns as Mrs. Bag

1975		Keep an Eye on Albert as Mrs. Oxfam
1975		It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow as Vi Bell
1975		I Didn't Know You Cared as Annie Brandon
1975		Breath as Mrs. Pritchett
1975		The Sweeney as Mrs. Davies

1974		Taking Leave as Confused Lady
1974		Bedtime Stories as Miss Long
1974		Within These Walls

1973		Jack Point as Mrs. Matthews
1973		Hard Labour as Mrs. Thornley
1973		Last of the Summer Wine as Housekeeper

1972		Crown Court
1972		Crown Court as Mrs. Fowkes

1971

Bleak Moments as Pat's Mother

1970		Play for Today as Mrs. Mathews
1970		Play for Today as Keith's Granny
1970		Play for Today as Mrs. Thornley
1970		Play for Today as Mrs. Pritchett
1970		Play for Today as Mrs. Oxfam
1970		Play for Today as Elfie
1970		Play for Today
1970		Leo the Last

1969

In Loving Memory as Hilda Pardoe

1956

Tony Awards as Self (archive footage)