Scottish actress Annette Crosbie is one of those actors who is in everything, and when you see her face, you’re immediately like “Oh! I like her!” And then when you go to write a post about her, you find out that while she is in so many historical films from the last 60 years, there’s hardly any photos of her online in said historical films. Which is a damn shame, because she’s been in some really good flicks! And that’s why we’re going to celebrate her anyway, even though this list represents only about 1/10th of the period films she’s been in…
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1972) – Catherine of Aragon
Actual Red Head Catherine of Aragon!
A Picture of Katherine Mansfield (1973) – L.M.
Edward the King (1975) – Queen Victoria
The Slipper and the Rose (1976) – Fairy Godmother
Lillie (1978) – Henrietta Labouchere
An absolutely terrible photo of a series that apparently has some amazing costumes. But it’s the only one I could find with Annette in it…
Twelfth Night (1980) – Maria
Little Dorrit (2008) – Mr. F’s Aunt
Cider With Rosie (2015) – Granny Trill
Call the Midwife (2012-) – Clarice Millgrove
What’s your favorite Annette Crosbie historical role? Share it with us in the comments!
One of my favourite roles she’s done is Catherine of Aragon, she’s got the fair hair, and her acting chops are equal to portraying how awesome CoA was.
Annette Crosbie has been a longtime favorite of mine. And her modern stuff isn’t bad either, especially her long-suffering wife in One Foot in the Grave.
I loved the slipper and the rose
Me too!
I saw that in the theater with my grandmother and my sisters and my aunt and all my female cousins and I still have the most wonderful memory of that day!
(“A bride-finding ball? A bride-finding ball!)
Will you do a longer review of Crimson Peak?
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I loved her in Slipper and the Rose, she was very matter of fact and stoic about being a fairy Godmother, make a cup of tea for you? no problem, try and make a cup of tea for herself? big hot mess.
Her daughter is an actress, (was in Being Human) and sounds EXACTLY like her mother
I love love love Slipper and the Rose! Can I have the dog (played by “Fred”), too? And her BBC Twelfth Night was the first production of that play I ever saw, as I embarked on a life-long love affair with the play–this one had bee-yootiful costumes, poignant settings of Feste’s songs, and a gaggle of actors who have been in everything over the years. I didn’t know she’d played Queen Victoria!
While she has done many lofty and important works, my favorite role she played was Jessie in Calendar Girls. She was such a hoot!
She did break my heart as the feisty Ms Millgrave in Call the Midwife. Many times no one talks about the PTSD and trauma suffered by those who fought for women’s sufferage.
Calendar Girls is one of my favorite pieces of ensemble work ever. It’s where I first discovered Celia Imrie.
How I adore this woman. Excellent, excellent choice!
(Now if I can just prevail upon you to do a WCW on Glynis Johns.)
SLIPPER and the ROSE for the win! Suddenly, suddenly it happens and your dreams come true…my 11 year old self went to the movies to see that three Saturdays in a row!! I fell in love with her and I’ve loved everything she’s done since, and before. I watch Lilly when it was first on TV and it was amazing. Annette Crosbie and Anna Massey, my heroes!
I think she is my favorite Queen Victoria, because her work in Edward the King is really marvelous. And she is the best thing in The Slipper and the Rose. Whata would be of this movie without her? 💗
OMG, Six Wives of Henry VIII – my gateway drug to everything!
I love Slipper and the Rose!! It’s such a fun take on Cinderella and Annette Crosbie’s matter of fact Fairy Godmother cracks me up.
She was great in Edward the King (its called Edward the Seventh here in the UK)