The English actress Penelope Keith came to fame for starring in several movies and sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s. She has also become a household name for presenting on television, radio, and stage for several years. Below, we have compiled a complete history of her life and career.
Penelope Anne Constance Hatfield was the daughter of Frederick A.W. Hatfield and Constance Mary Keith who was born in 1940 in Sutton. She spent her childhood in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex and Clapham, south London.
When Keith was six, she attended a Catholic convent boarding school owned by French nuns in Seaford, East Sussex. She was a classmate of an English actress and writer, Judy Cornwell.
At the age of eight, Penelope's mother remarried and she adopted her stepfather's surname, Keith. She was close to her mother and they frequently went to theatricals in the West End.
Keith's passion for acting grew so her parents enrolled her at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She was, unfortunately, rejected by the institution using the excuse that she was tall.
Penelope Keith was accepted at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and was trained for two years. She worked for four pounds ten shillings a week in the evenings at the Hyde Park Hotel.
In 1958, Keith started her acting career by working in several theatres around Britain including Salisbury, Lincoln, and Manchester. Her first appearance was in the romantic comedy The Tunnel of Love and Gigi.
The sitcom queen worked at the major British theatre company, the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was performing at the Aldwych Theatre in London and Stratford.
Penelope Keith started her television career and appeared in several sitcoms such as Dixon of Dock Green, and The Army Game. In the early 1970s, Keith had minor roles in television series including Ghost Story and The Pallisers.
Keith was at the peak of her career when she performed in the sitcom The Good Life playing Margo Leadbetter. She was honoured with a BAFTA award for Best Comedy Performer for this role in 1977.
The English actress’s best performance was in theatre The Norman Conquests in 1974 when she played the role of Sarah alongside Felicity Kendal. The two popular actresses co-starred in the BBC sitcom The Good Life aired in 1975.
In 1978, Keithmarried Rodney Timson, a policeman after meeting at a theatre in Chichester, West Sussex. After the wedding, Rodney Timson stepped down from his job and started a new career as Keith's manager. The couple adopted two boys after ten years of the marriage.
Penelope Keith starred in the BBC television show To the Manor Born playing the lead role of Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton. The Sitcom queen also appeared in a major role in other TV shows including Executive Stress, Next of Kin, and Moving.
Keith starred in the romantic comedy The Importance of Being Earnest acting as Lady Bracknell. She also played in Blithe Spirit at the Savoy Theatre acting as Madame Arcati.
On her 62nd birthday, Penelope Keith became the third woman who held the post of High Sheriff of Surrey. Previously, she had also served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.
In 2014, Keith presented the three series of Penelope Keith's Hidden Villages programme on More4 and Channel 4. She also presented Penelope Keith at Her Majesty's Service in celebration of Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday.
In 2017, Keith presented Penelope Keith's Coastal Villages to make viewers discover the coastal villages of the UK. The programme is a continuation of the series the Hidden Villages.
Penelope Keith lives in Milford, Surrey, England with her family. She has a passion for gardening and had a rose named after her in 1984.
Keith attended the drama course at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London where she won several cups for Shakespeare. She was awarded a CBE or Commander of the British Empire for her services to drama.
The 82 years old actress and presenter received a DBE or Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The order of chivalry was gratified for her engagement in charity services.
