Su Pollard
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| Su Pollard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Susan Georgina Pollard 7 November 1949 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK |
Susan Georgina Pollard (born 7 November 1949) is an English comedy actress, most famous for her roles in the sitcoms Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?. She is also well known for her unusual and flamboyant dress sense.
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[edit] Early life
Pollard was born in Nottingham in 1949, was the eldest daughter of Don and Hilda Pollard,[1] and she is a supporter of Nottingham Forest.[1] Pollard's interest in acting began at the age of six when she played an angel in a school nativity play,[2] and at the age of 16 she began singing in working men's clubs and charity shows.[3] Following an apprenticeship at the Arts Theatre in Nottingham, Pollard appeared on Opportunity Knocks in 1974 singing "I Cain't Say No" from Oklahoma! and came second to a singing Jack Russell.[1] Pollard started appearing in many West End musicals including Godspell, Big Sin City, Grease and Oh, Mr Porter!.
[edit] Television fame
In 1979, Pollard was chosen by the BBC to play Flo in a new sitcom called Two Up, Two Down with Paul Nicholas. However, this only lasted one series. The following year, Su Pollard landed the role of chalet maid Peggy Ollernshaw in Hi-de-Hi!. She continued in this role until the programme's end in 1988, by which time she had become a household name.
In 1981 she became one of the presenters of children's magazine show, Get Set for Summer, in which she delivered wacky reports and bogus weather forecasts.
During the run of Hi-de-Hi!, Pollard had a singing career, and in 1986, she reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart with the song "Starting Together".[1] It was her only Top 40 hit; her first single, "Come To Me (I Am Woman)", had reached number 71 in 1985 and her only charting album, "Su", peaked at number 86 in November 1986. In 1987, she toured the UK with The Su Pollard Show[1] and co-hosted It's a Royal Knockout.
In 1988, the year Hi-de-Hi! ended, the writers David Croft and Jimmy Perry chose Pollard to star as Ivy Teasdale in their new sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?, which starred her Hi-de-Hi! co-stars Paul Shane and Jeffrey Holland. This period sitcom ran until 1993. In 1995 Pollard took over as face of the National Egg Awareness Campaign. From 1995 to 1997 she played Ethel Schumann in another David Croft sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!. In 1988, she won the "Rear of the Year" award. From 1989 to 1990, Pollard's distinctive voice voiced the lead character in the BBC children's television series Penny Crayon.
[edit] Personal life
When filming one episode of Hi-de-Hi, Peter Keogh proposed to her while she was dressed as an insect.[4] She said yes, but they later divorced.[1]
[edit] Since 2000
More recently, Su Pollard made a guest appearance in Gimme Gimme Gimme in 2001 and voiced Noisy in Little Robots. In 2001, she presented Songs of Praise three times and she has made four appearances on Just a Minute. She also regularly appears in pantomimes and other stage shows[1] including Annie and The Pirates of Penzance. In 2008, Pollard starred in the musical Shout! alongside Claire Sweeney. From 29 April 2009 Pollard will be appearing in the London transfer of Shout! at the Arts Theatre.[5]
Su Pollard recently made headlines related to her outrageous dress sense as she was photographed shopping around her Islington neighbourhood.[6] She is also a regular customer at the Albion pub in Islington, where a salad has been named in her honour.
[edit] Discography
Singles[7]
- October 1985 "Come To Me (I Am Woman)"
- January 1986 "Starting Together"
- July 1986 "You've Lost That Loving Feeling"
- November 1986 "Wives Will Always Be the Last to Know"
- March 1987 "Come To Me (I Am Woman)" (re-issue)
- 1990 "My Miracle"
Album
- November 1986 Su
- 2001 The Collection
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Great Nottinghamians:Su Pollard". BBC. November 2002. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/features/2002/11/great_nottinghamians_su_pollard.shtml.
- ^ "Su Pollard". tv.com. http://www.tv.com/su-pollard/person/96073/summary.html.
- ^ "Su Pollard". u-reds.com. http://www.u-reds.com/Fans/Celebrities/SuPollard.asp.
- ^ "An Interview With Su Pollard". BritishExpat.com. 2002. http://www.britishexpat.com/Television__Su_Pollard.194.0.html.
- ^ "New Musical Shout! Twists into the Arts Theatre". Show and Stay news. http://www.show-and-stay.co.uk/theatre-news/su-pollard-stars-in-shout-20363.html. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
- ^ "Shy and retiring as ever: Su Pollard continues to wear wacky outfits as she approaches 60". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1165402/Shy-retiring-Su-Pollard-continues-wear-wacky-outfits-approaches-60.html.
- ^ Official website - Discography
