Kate O'Mara
| Kate O'Mara | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances M. Carroll 10 August 1939 Leicester, England, UK |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | Jeremy Young (1961–1976) Richard Willis (1993–1996) |
| Children | 2 sons |
Kate O'Mara (born 10 August 1939, Leicester) is an English film, stage and television actress. She is perhaps most widely known for her role as Caress Morell, the scheming sister of Alexis Colby in the 1980s American primetime soap opera Dynasty, though is also known for playing other villains such as the Rani in Doctor Who and Laura Wilde in Howards' Way.
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[edit] Personal life
Born as Frances M. Carroll, the daughter of John F. Carroll and actress Hazel Bainbridge (b. 1909/1910 – d. 7 January 1998). Her younger sister is actress Belinda Carroll.[1] After boarding school she attended art school before becoming a full-time actress.[2] She had an out of wedlock son, Chris Linde, whom she was forced to give up for adoption but was later reunited with him. She also had a second son, Dickon Young. She has been married and divorced three times. She is a strict vegetarian and animal rights activist.[3]
[edit] Career
O'Mara made her stage debut in a production of The Merchant of Venice in 1963. Her earliest television appearances included guest roles on Danger Man, Adam Adamant Lives!, The Saint, Z-Cars and The Avengers in the 1960s. In 1970, she appeared in two Hammer Studio horror films; The Vampire Lovers and The Horror of Frankenstein. In 1975, she had a regular role in the BBC drama series The Brothers.
In the early 1980s, O'Mara starred in the BBC soap opera Triangle. In 1985, she played the Rani in the Doctor Who adventure "The Mark of the Rani". In 1986, she was cast as Caress Morrell in the American primetime soap opera Dynasty.[4] Playing the sister of Alexis Colby (Joan Collins), O'Mara appeared in 17 episodes of the sixth season and 4 episodes of the seventh. After returning to the UK, she appeared in her second Doctor Who story, "Time and the Rani" in 1987. She was then later cast as another scheming villain, Laura Wilde, in the BBC soap Howards' Way in 1989.
O'Mara continued to make television appearances throughout the 1990s, including Cluedo and Absolutely Fabulous. In 2001, she had a recurring role in the ITV prison drama series Bad Girls before appearing in the short-lived revival of the soap opera Crossroads. She has continued to perform on stage and in March 2008 she played Marlene Dietrich in a stage play entitled Lunch with Marlene. From August to November 2008, she played Mrs Cheveley in Oscar Wilde's stage play 'An Ideal Husband' directed by Peter Hall and produced by Bill Kenwright.[citation needed]
O'Mara has also performed in radio and audio plays. In 2000 she reprised her role as the Rani in the BBV audio play The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind, and in 2006 she made a guest appearance in the radio comedy series Nebulous.
[edit] Writing
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This article lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs. If the {{Cite book}} or {{citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (August 2011) |
O'Mara has written four books, two fictional novels (When She Was Bad and Good Time Girl) and two autobiographical books, Vamp Until Ready and Game Plan: A Woman's Survival Kit.
[edit] Film and television credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Emergency – Ward 10 | Nurse | Soap opera |
| 1964– 1966 |
No Hiding Place | Jacqueline | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | Danger Man | Annette | Episode: A Room in the Basement |
| 1965 | Gaslight Theatre | Patience | Episode: The Drunkard or, the Sins of the Parents Shall Be Visited... |
| 1966 | Court Martial | Episode: Logistics of Survival | |
| 1966 | Weavers Green | Mick Armstrong | |
| 1967 | Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond | Miss Moneypenny's assistant | Uncredited |
| 1967 | Adam Adamant Lives! | Sonia Fawzi | Episode: The Basardi Affair |
| 1967 | The Troubleshooters | Kim Hart | Episode: Mr. Know-How |
| 1967– 1968 |
The Saint | Annabelle/Nadine/Yvette | Episodes: Double Take, Counterfeit Countess, Fast Women |
| 1967– 1969 |
Z-Cars | Kate/Mae Astell | 4 episodes |
| 1968 | Promenade | Laura | Short film |
| 1968 | The Limbo Line | Irina Tovskia | |
| 1968 | Corruption | Val Nolan | |
| 1968 | The Champions | Jane Purcell | Episode: To Catch a Rat |
| 1968 | Great Catherine | Varinka | Gordon Flemyng film |
| 1969 | The Avengers | Lisa | Episode: Stay Tuned |
| 1969 | The Desperados | Adah (Jacob's girl) | Henry Levin film |
| 1969 | The Main Chance | Julia Main | 4 episodes |
| 1969 | Department S | Pietra | Episode: Who Plays the Dummy |
| 1970 | Never a Cross Word | Ellie | Episode: When is a Spy... |
| 1970 | Codename | Helen Lingard | Episode: Opening Gambit |
| 1970 | Paul Temple | Luciana Benedetti | Episode: Re-take |
| 1970 | The Vampire Lovers | The Governess (Mme. Perrodot) | Roy Ward Baker film |
| 1970 | The Adventures of Don Quick | Peleen | Episode: People isn't Everything |
| 1970 | The Horror of Frankenstein | Alys | Jimmy Sangster film |
| 1972 | A Man About a Dog | Storm Riordan | |
| 1972 | ITV Sunday Night Theatre | Storm Riordan | |
| 1972 | The Persuaders! | Heidi Schulman | Episode: Read and Destroy |
| 1972 | Jason King | Delphi | Episode: A Kiss for a Beautiful Killer |
| 1972 | Clouds of Witness | Cynthia Tarrant | Episode 1.3 |
| 1972 | Pathfinders | Section Officer Anne Denby | Episode: Fog |
| 1973 | Spy Trap | Sharon Lunghi | 3 episodes |
| 1974 | Feelings | Barbara Martin | Gerry O'Hara film |
| 1974 | The Protectors | Sarah Trent | Episode: A Pocketful of Posies |
| 1974 | The Tamarind Seed | Anna Skriabina | Blake Edwards film |
| 1975– 1976 |
The Brothers | Jane Maxwell | 30 episodes |
| 1976 | Machinegunner | Pat Livingston | |
| 1976 | Morecambe & Wise | Kate O'Mata Hari | Christmas Special |
| 1977 | The Two Ronnies | Lucy Lee | Series 6 Episode 3 |
| 1978 | Tuntematon ystävä (An Unknown Friend) | Karen Lindén/Judith Russell/Berit Lindström | Finnish crime/suspense film |
| 1978 | Return of the Saint | Jeanette | Episode: Assault Force |
| 1978 | The Nativity | Salome | TV movie |
| 1979 | The Plank | 'It's Paint' Woman | |
| 1981– 1982 |
Triangle | Katherine Laker | 27 episodes |
| 1985– 1987 |
Doctor Who | The Rani | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Dempsey & Makepeace | Joyce Hargreaves | Episode: Guardian Angels |
| 1986 | Dynasty | Cassandra 'Caress' Morrell | 21 episodes |
| 1989– 1990 |
Howards' Way | Laura Wilde | 26 episodes |
| 1990 | Cluedo | Mrs. Peacock | Episode: Christmas Past, Christmas Present |
| 1992 | Aladdin | Madam Roly Poly (voice) | Ron Clements and John Musker film |
| 1993 | Comic Relief: The Invasion of the Comic Tomatoes | Female Patient | |
| 1993 | Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time | The Rani | |
| 1995– 2003 |
Absolutely Fabulous | Jackie Stone | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Lady Isabelle | Episode: Marion to the Rescue |
| 1999 | The Road to Ithaca | Despina | |
| 2001 | Bad Girls | Virginia O'Kane | 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Crossroads | Lady Alice Fox | Soap opera |
| 2005 | Family Affairs | Jackie Lawrence | Soap opera |
| 2008 | Doctors | Rosetta Froom | Episode: Fears, Feats & the Frooms |
[edit] References
- ^ Birth registration info from Findmypast.co.uk:
Civil Registration event: Birth
Name: CARROLL, Frances M
Registration District: Leicester
County: Leicestershire
Year of Registration: 1939
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Mother's Maiden Name: Bainbridge
Volume No: 7A, Page No: 592 - ^ "She's not a superbitch after all", Edinburgh Evening News. 25 April 2002
- ^ "The shape I'm in: Kate O'Mara", Daily Mail. Retrieved on 9 July 2010
- ^ Kate O'Mara (interview) Metro. 31 January 2005
