Jean Alexander
Encyclopedia : J : JE : JEA : Jean Alexander
Jean Alexander (born February 24, 1926 in Liverpool) is an English television actress. She is best known to the British collective television audience as Hilda Ogden on the British soap opera Coronation Street.
Although she always had aspirations to become an actress, Alexander began her working life as a library assistant in Liverpool, but after five years the pull of the theatre became irresistible.
She began her acting career in 1949 at the Adelphi Guild Theatre in Macclesfield, and then toured in repertory companies in Oldham, Stockport and York. During this time she worked as an actress, wardrobe mistress and stage manager. Alexander then moved to London where she made the 1951 film The Mob, in which she played Doris. Her television debut was in the hit television police series Z-Cars. She first appeared in Coronation Street in 1962 as landlady Mrs Webb.
Two years later, Alexander returned to Coronation Street and this time she played the unforgettable Hilda Ogden. She started playing the role in May 1964, finally retiring in December 1987.
Her dialect speech incorporating phrases such as "nowt" or "eh, chuck" resonated with the programme's viewers. On the 40 Years on Coronation Street special, Alexander recounted an incident years ago: while she was shopping, a fan asked if she was Hilda. Alexander responded in her normal accent, "I beg your pardon?" Taken aback, the fan said, "Oh, don't you talk funny?"
In 1984, hundreds of fans sent Alexander condolence cards upon the death of her on-screen husband, Stan (Bernard Youens). When she decided to leave the programme late in 1987, fans started "Save Hilda!" campaigns; the lines of communication had been muddied as many did not realize that Alexander was leaving of her own accord.
In 1988, she started a recurring role as Auntie Wainwright on the BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine.
She has also appeared on TV in The Phoenix and the Carpet, Barbara, Heartbeat and Where the Heart Is.
She has appeared in the films Scandal (1989) and Willie's War (1994).
Alexander has never married.
External link
- [Jean Alexander] at the Internet Movie Database
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.