Judy Parfitt, a star of Call the Midwife, has played Sister Monica Joan on the BBC drama since 2012 and has had a distinguished acting career.
Judy Parfitt, renowned for her role in Call the Midwife, the BBC’s beloved drama, has had a remarkable career that spans decades.
The 86-year-old actress, who has been a fixture on Call the Midwife since 2012, has a remarkable body of work that spans theater, cinema, and television.
Her professional career began in 1953 when she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she performed alongside renowned actors Laurence Olivier and others.
For her outstanding work in acclaimed dramas like Pride and Prejudice and The Jewel in the Crown, she has received numerous BAFTA nominations throughout her career.
Judy has consistently mesmerized viewers with her appearances in beloved programs like Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, Jonathan Creek, and Vera, despite not receiving the award for her supporting role in the 2003 film Girl with a Pearl Earring.
In a touching remembrance of her late husband, Judy reflected on her marriage to actor Tony Steedman, recognised for his appearances in Coronation Street and Citizen Smith.
She warmly recalls their initial encounter, saying, “Tony always tried to make me laugh because I was a terrible giggler. He definitely made an impression when I first saw him in a completely hideous, bright red jumper.
He always played the fool, and he always had people watching wherever we went. Tony never took himself or anything else too seriously, unlike I did, and he never took that seriously.
The couple, who got married in 1963, gave birth to son David a year later. In a strange way, Judy hasn’t been single since Tony passed away in 2001.
In a 2014 Mail Online interview, Judy depicted their traditional domestic lives despite their busy professional lives while reflecting on their years together.
She once said, “At home, it was a very traditional marriage, despite our respective busy schedules.” I enjoyed ironing his shirts and cooking with him.
He enjoyed cutting the vegetables while I prepared dinner. He liked using his trolley to carry me to the supermarket, but it didn’t really help him because he liked to chat and joke with the other shoppers.
Judy has previously been candid about her husband’s struggle with dementia, telling the Loose Women panel it’s crucial to discuss the subject.
She said, “I always said, I lost my husband that I loved, but I gained a child that I love because they become your children, and they’re there physically, but they’re not with you,” while reflecting on her experience with the condition.
Judy, who lost her husband, has maintained her dedication to her craft and continues to win over viewers in Call the Midwife as Sister Monica Joan.
Judy, who was born in Sheffield in 1935, described how she witnessed people simply carrying on despite the uncertainty surrounding them. She described her memories of her early years during the war.
She stated in Saga magazine, “I learned how people just got on with things the day after the war, despite food rationing, bomb dropping, and unsure if they would be alive the next day.”
The actress recalls a particular memory from her nine-year-old father when she recalls her wartime experiences.
She claimed that while Sheffield was being blitzed, people in Sheffield continued to work the next day, but my father “held me in his arms.”
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply