Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lamond Lumley was born on 1 May 1946 in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, in the last days of British India. Both sides of her family had generations of service to the Raj, with many relatives born there. She has an older sister, Aelene.

Her mother, Thyra Beatrice Rose (née Weir; 1920–2005), was English. Her grandfather Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Weir (1883–1950) had been born in Ghazipur and served as an army officer in Kashmir; he was a close friend of the 13th Dalai Lama.[2]

Her father, Major James Rutherford Lumley (1917–1999), was born in Lahore (now part of Pakistan) with Scottish and English roots. He served as an officer in the British Indian Army's 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles in Burma during World War II, most notably at the Battle of Mogaung.[3][4] His life was saved by Tul Bahadur Pun.[5]

Joanna Lumley's parents married in 1941. She has early memories of living in the tropics.[5]

The family went "home" on leave to England, travelling on the HMT Empire Windrush.[6] When her parents returned to Asia, she stayed, boarding at Mickledene School in Rolvenden, Kent. She was eight years old, which she later described as “paralysingly young". From 11 to 17 she attended St Mary's Convent School on the Ridge, run by Community of the Holy Family:[7]

"I especially loved my second boarding school, an Anglo-Catholic convent in the hills behind Hastings. The nuns wore blue stockings and were brainy and lovely. There were 70 boarders and I was happy as a clam."[8]

She attended the Lucie Clayton Finishing School in London, after being turned down by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the age of 16.[9]

Lumley on the set of On Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby (1969)

Lumley spent three years as a photographic model, notably for Brian Duffy, who photographed her with her son, born in 1967. That year she also appeared on the BBC2 programme The Impresarios: For Appearance's Sake.[10] She also worked as a house model for Jean Muir. Over forty years later, she participated in another photoshoot – again with her son – for Duffy as part of a retrospective of the photographer's work.[11]

Lumley appeared in an early episode of the Bruce Forsyth Show in 1966. She appeared in a British television advertisement for Nimble Bread first screened in 1969.[12]

Lumley did not receive any formal training at drama school. Her acting career began in 1969 with a small, uncredited role in the film Some Girls Do, and as a Bond girl in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, in which she had two lines as a British girl among the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld's "Angels of Death". Lumley went on to have a brief but memorable role as Elaine Perkins in Coronation Street, in which her character turned down Ken Barlow's offer of marriage, as well as roles in other popular television series such as Are You Being Served?, Steptoe and Son and The Protectors. In 1973, she made another big screen appearance as Jessica Van Helsing in The Satanic Rites of Dracula, the last Hammer Dracula film to star Christopher Lee. She also had a role in the comedy film Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974) alongside Leslie Phillips and Joan Sims.[13]

She has worked with Tim Burton on two film projects, in James and the Giant Peach (1996) and Corpse Bride (2005). She has also appeared alongside Hugh Laurie in the British romantic comedy Maybe Baby (2000) and alongside Anne Hathaway in Ella Enchanted (2004). She has appeared twice as Mrs. Dolly Bantry in Agatha Christie's Marple, in the episodes; 'The Body in the Library' (2004) & 'The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side' (2009). In 2010, she appeared in a 4-episode guest arc on the BBC drama, Mistresses as Vivienne Roden.[14] In 2013, she appeared in the Martin Scorsese crime drama, The Wolf of Wall Street.[15]

Major roles

Lumley alongside Christopher Lee in The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

Lumley has specialised in upper-class parts throughout her career, thanks to her voice and accent. Lumley's first major role was as Purdey in The New Avengers, successor to the secret agent series The Avengers, a role she played in all twenty-six episodes from 1976 to 1977.

In 1979, she appeared in another series which acquired a cult following: Sapphire & Steel, with David McCallum. Conceived as ITV's answer to Doctor Who, Lumley played a mysterious elemental being ("Sapphire") who, with her collaborator, "Steel", dealt with breaches in the fabric of time. In 1986, television producer Sydney Newman suggested Lumley for the role of the Doctor but his idea was dismissed.[16][17][18] Over a decade later Lumley's career was boosted by her portrayal of the louche, selfish and frequently drunk fashion director Patsy Stone, companion to Jennifer Saunders' Edina Monsoon in the BBC comedy television series Absolutely Fabulous (1992–1996, 2001–2004, 2011–2012). Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie was released in 2016. From 1994 to 1995, Lumley starred alongside Nadine Garner and John Bowe in the British television show Class Act, playing the part of Kate Swift, an upper-class lady who had fallen on hard times.[19]

Other work has included: Lovejoy as widow Victoria Cavero, In the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon (1996), a film about a journey made by her grandparents in Bhutan, and A Rather English Marriage (nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress 1999) and Dr Willoughby (1999). In 1995, she provided the voice of Annie the rag doll in the animated series The Forgotten Toys. In 1999, she also provided the voice for Sims the chicken in the BAFTA award-winning animated series The Foxbusters. In 2000, she co-produced a new drama series The Cazalets. She appeared in a TV series on Sarawak, where she spent time in her childhood.[20][21]

Lumley starred as the elderly Delilah Stagg in the 2006 sitcom Jam & Jerusalem with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Sue Johnston. In July 2007, she starred in the second series of the drama Sensitive Skin where she played the main character Davina Jackson. The BBC said this will be the final series of the dark comedy.[22]

She starred in David Hirson's La Bête – Comedy Theatre, London, 26 June – 28 August 2010 with David Hyde Pierce and Mark Rylance, directed by Matthew Warchus. She also starred in La Bête at the Music Box Theatre, Broadway, New York which opened on 14 October 2010.[23] She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, for her performance.

Lumley, who has one of the most recognised voices in the UK,[24] has gained prominence as a voice-over artist. Users of AOL in the United Kingdom are familiar with Joanna Lumley's voice. She recorded the greetings "Welcome", "You have email" and "Goodbye" for that company.[25]

From 2004 to 2006 she appeared in adverts for insurance brokers Privilege.[26][27]

Lumley appeared on the last run of ITV's Parkinson as a guest, on 27 October 2007, discussing the subject of young girls in the UK. She was asked to write the introduction to a revised edition in November 2007 of the book called The Magic Key to Charm written by the pioneering female journalist Eileen Ascroft.[28] This is a book of tips to women, first written by Ascroft in 1938 about how to be glamorous. "I thought it was absolutely enchanting, it's how young women were told how to behave in the old days and I think it might be just coming back for a bit of a revival", she explained in the interview.

"Because, I have to say I adore our young ones and I think we have got some of the prettiest and loveliest girls in the world but I think sometimes the behaviour gets a bit bad and I think the girls let themselves down. They are so pretty and so lovely but they should behave better, I think, then they will be more successful."[28]

In 1999 she appeared in the Comic Relief Doctor Who parody The Curse of Fatal Death as the final incarnation of the Doctor.[29] She also appeared with Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Sienna Miller in the French and Saunders pastiche of Mamma Mia for Comic Relief 2009 in which she played the role of Tanya (named Patsy in the spoof).[30]

In 2004 Lumley appeared as the "Woman with the Sydney Opera House Head" in Dirk Maggs's long-awaited radio adaptation of the third book of the Douglas Adams series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.[31]

In 2005 she published her autobiography, No Room for Secrets, which was serialised by The Times,[32] for which she was once a regular contributor.

In September 2008, the BBC aired Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights, a documentary about her search to see the Northern Lights in northern Norway.[33][34]

In 2009 she portrayed a rock star, believed to have been dead for 35 years, and her twin, in the "Counter Culture Blues" episode of the British television mystery series Lewis (known in the U.S. as Inspector Lewis).[35]

In 2011, Lumley appeared in Uptown Downstairs Abbey, the Comic Relief parody of the critically acclaimed historical television dramas Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs. Playing herself and the character of Mrs. Danvers, she starred alongside others including Jennifer Saunders, Kim Cattrall, Victoria Wood, Harry Enfield, Patrick Barlow, Dale Winton, Olivia Colman and Tim Vine.

In recent years, Lumley has worked extensively on ITV, and in 2010 Lumley was executive producer and presenter of Joanna Lumley's Nile, where she journeyed up the River Nile from sea to source in Rwanda, for ITV.[36] This was broadcast in four parts on ITV beginning on 12 April 2010, and repeated in June 2013.

Lumley travelled again for ITV in 2011, this time visiting Greece for a four-part series titled Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey. The series aired on ITV beginning on 13 October.[37] Once again, in 2012, Lumley travelled for ITV, now in search of Noah's Ark. The trip, which encompassed 3 continents and also involved an adventurous jaunt into Iran, aired in late 2012 as a single 90-minute documentary titled Joanna Lumley’s Ark.[38][39]

In March 2014 she appeared in a BBC One hour-long documentary featuring American musician Will.i.am. The programme was called Joanna Lumley Meets will.i.am.[40][41] In December 2014, she presented Bette Midler: One Night Only, a one-off ITV special.[42][43]

In 2015 she presented a three-part factual series for ITV called Joanna Lumley's Trans-Siberian Adventure.[44] The series saw Lumley travel 6400 miles from Hong Kong to Moscow, along the Trans-Siberian Railway.[45]

In September 2016, she presented Joanna Lumley's Japan, a three-part documentary series for ITV and in July 2017, she presented Joanna Lumley's India for ITV.

In 2018 she presented Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure, a four-part travelogue covering eight countries which were part of the ancient trade route.[46]

Lumley is also known for her support for Gurkhas, the exiled Tibetan people and government, the Khonds indigenous people of India and the Prospect Burma charity, which offers grants to Burmese students, for whom she broadcast a BBC Radio 4 charity appeal in 2001.[47] Her father was a commanding officer of a troop of Gurkhas who fought in World War II.[48]

Gurkha Justice Campaign

Lumley with David Cameron, Bob Russell and the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, celebrating the vote in favour of giving Gurkha veterans right of residence

In 2008, Lumley became the public face of the Gurkha Justice Campaign, a campaign to provide all Nepalese origin Gurkha veterans who served in the British Army before 1997 the right to settle in Britain. Those serving following 1997 had already been granted permission, but the British Government had not extended the offer to all of the Gurkhas. On 20 November 2008, Lumley led a large all-party group including Gurkhas starting from Parliament Square to 10 Downing Street with a petition signed by 250,000 people.[49]

On 24 April 2009, she stated that she was "ashamed" of the UK administration's decision to affix five criteria to the Gurkhas' right to settle in the UK. With the support of both Opposition parties and Labour rebel MPs on 29 April 2009, a Liberal Democrat motion that all Gurkhas be offered an equal right of residence was passed, allowing Gurkhas who served before 1997 residence in the UK and access to housing, social security and healthcare.[50][51][52] Following the Government defeat, the Minister for Immigration Phil Woolas stated that a further review would be completed by the middle of July.

On 5 May 2009, Lumley said that she had received private assurances of support from "a senior member of the Royal Family",[53] and attended a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street the following day. Afterwards, she described the meeting as "extremely positive", and praised Mr Brown, saying, "I trust him. I rely on him. And I know that he has now taken this matter into his own hands and so today is a very good day."[54]

However, on the day following the meeting with Brown, five Gurkha veterans who had applied for residency in the United Kingdom received letters telling them that their appeals had been rejected – many saw this as a betrayal, despite the fact that for the letters to have been received the day after the meeting they might have been sent before it (and certainly following the 29 April Commons vote). Lumley confronted Phil Woolas at the BBC Westminster studios about the issue and, after her pursuing him around the studio, the pair held an impromptu press conference in which Woolas agreed to accept Gurkha Justice Campaign input in developing new guidelines by July while giving sympathetic treatment to Gurkhas not meeting the then current immigration guidelines before the development of new guidelines.[55]

Following a Commons Home Affairs Committee meeting in which talks were held between campaigners, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office on 19 May,[56] all Gurkha veterans who had served four years or more in the British Army before 1997 were given the right to settle in Britain.[57]

Lumley's success in campaigning prompted calls for her to stand as a Member of Parliament at the forthcoming general election. However, she has dismissed the suggestion.[58] During an appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 29 May, she reiterated that she had no desire to run for election to the House of Commons.

In July 2009, Lumley went on a visit to Nepal. Upon her arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, she was greeted by crowds of Gurkha supporters. Lumley said in a statement, "I feel so humbled by the fact I'm going to meet so many ex-Gurkhas and their families, and see where they are and how they live."[59] While there, Lumley was hailed 'Daughter of Nepal' by the crowds of fans at the airport.[60]

In February 2013, she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.[82]

Lumley's son, James (known as Jamie), was born in 1967.[83] His father is photographer Michael Claydon.[84] She was briefly married to actor Jeremy Lloyd during 1970.[85] She married the conductor Stephen Barlow in 1986; they live in London. They also own a house near the village of Penpont, Dumfriesshire, in Scotland.[86]

Lumley supports over 60 charities, and has been a vegetarian for 40 years.[87] She has donated books to Book Aid International. She is patron of the Born Free Foundation[88] and passionate about the Free Tibet campaign.[89]

From 2012 to 2016, Lumley supported the proposals for a pedestrian "Garden Bridge" across the Thames in London, in collaboration with the designer Thomas Heatherwick and former Mayor of London Boris Johnson. The proposals foundered after more than £40 million of public money had been spent.[90][91][92]

In May 2009 Lumley supported the Green Party during the 2009 European Elections campaign. For Lumley, the work of Green MEPs in the European Parliament in pursuing human rights and animal rights made the Green Party "the obvious choice" and urged UK voters "to cast a positive vote for a better future by voting Green in the European Elections."[93] Lumley also appeared in literature to support changing the British electoral system from first-past-the-post to alternative vote for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the Alternative Vote referendum in 2011.[94]

In 2010, Lumley donated £1,000 to Caroline Lucas's campaign to become the first Green Party MP during the 2010 General Election campaign.[95] She endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of Lucas at the 2015 general election.[96]

In August 2015, Lumley backed children's fairytales app "GivingTales" in aid of UNICEF together with other British celebrities including Roger Moore, Stephen Fry, Ewan McGregor, Joan Collins, Michael Caine, David Walliams, Charlotte Rampling, Paul McKenna and Michael Ball.[97]

In July 2021, Lumley joined an international line-up of actors in backing calls for the Great Barrier Reef to be placed on a list of world heritage sites currently in danger.[98]

Lumley was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1995 New Year Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to drama, entertainment and charitable causes.[99][100][101]

Lumley is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. D.Litt.) by the University of Kent in July 1994.[102] In 2002, she was awarded an honorary degree from Oxford Brookes University.[103] In 2006, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. D.Litt.) from the University of St. Andrews.[104][105]

In July 2008, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of the University (Hon DUniv) from Queen's University Belfast,[106][107][108] and in March 2019, she and her husband were both awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Chester.[109]

• Not Now, Darling – Canterbury, 1969
• Don't Just Lie There Say Something – Garrick Theatre, 1971
• The End of Me Old Cigar – Greenwich Theatre, 1975
• Cinderella's Star Night (all-star cast to raise funds for The Bobath Centre Prince) – Prince Edward Theatre, 31 January 1982
• Private Lives – UK tour, 1982
• Noel & Gertie – King's Head, Islington, 1983
• Hedda Gabler – Dundee Rep, 1984
• Blithe Spirit – Vaudeville Theatre, 1986
• An Ideal Husband – Chichester Festival, 1987
• The Cherry Orchard – Dundee Rep, 1988
• The Revengers' Comedies – Strand Theatre, 1991
• Who Shall I Be Tomorrow? – Greenwich Theatre, 1992
• The Letter – Lyric Hammersmith, 1995
• Jack and the Beanstalk – Royal Albert Hall, 1996
• The Cherry Orchard – Sheffield Crucible, 2007
• La Bête – Comedy Theatre and Music Box Theater, New York, 2010
• The Lion in Winter – Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2011
• Joanna Lumley: It’s All About Me – UK and Ireland tour, 2018

• Joanna Lumley's Nile (2010)
• Joanna Lumley's Trans-Siberian Adventure (2015)
• Joanna Lumley's Japan (2016)
• Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure (2018)
• Joanna Lumley's India (2018)
• Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home (2021)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joanna Lumley.

• Joanna Lumley at IMDb 
• Biography on the BBC
• Joanna Lumley's biography
• Joanna Lumley discography at Discogs
• Booking Agent Profile Archived 13 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine
• The Gurkha Welfare Trust Vice Patron