Alexandra Bastedo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexandra Bastedo
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Bastedo in The Champions, 1968
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| Born |
Alexandra Lendon Bastedo
9 March 1946 Hove, Sussex, England
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| Died | 12 January 2014 (aged 67) Worthing, England
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| Occupation | Actress and writer |
| Years active | 1962–2014 |
| Spouse(s) |
Patrick Garland
(m. 1980; died 2013) |
Alexandra Lendon Bastedo (born March 9, 1946 – died January 12, 2014) was a British actress. She was best known for her role as secret agent Sharron Macready. This was in the 1968 British TV show The Champions. Alexandra was also a vegetarian and loved helping animals. She wrote several books about these topics.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Alexandra Bastedo was born in Hove, England. Her mother had French, German, and Italian family. Her father, who was born in Canada, had Spanish, Dutch, Scottish, and Native American roots. Alexandra went to Brighton and Hove High School. She also studied acting at the Brighton School of Drama.
First Steps in Acting
Alexandra's first movie was 13 Frightened Girls in 1963. She became well-known in Europe. People there even gave her the nickname "La Bastedo." One of her early appearances was in the 1966 film Doctor in Clover. In this movie, she played a young nurse dancing at a party.
Becoming a Champion and More
Most people remember Alexandra from the 1960s TV show The Champions. In this show, she played Sharron Macready, a secret agent. But she was also very good at languages. She could speak Italian, Spanish, French, and German.
Working for the Government
Because of her language skills, she even helped the British government. She worked for 10 Downing Street, helping with translations. This amazing skill also led her to co-host the Miss World competitions in the 1980s.
Other Famous Roles
In 1979, she acted in the TV series The Aphrodite Inheritance. Later, in 1988, Alexandra was on the cover of Rank. This was a live music album by the British band The Smiths. It became very popular.
In 1992, she appeared in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous. She played a 1960s model. She also appeared in two episodes of The Saint with Roger Moore.
Later Career Highlights
In 2006, Alexandra met her The Champions co-stars again. They recorded comments and interviews for a DVD release of the show. She continued acting, even appearing in the movie Batman Begins. In 2008, she joined the cast of EastEnders, a popular TV show, playing a character named Cynthia. She also co-hosted music concerts.
Personal Life and Animal Welfare
In 1980, Alexandra married Patrick Garland. He was a director, writer, and actor. He also directed plays at the Chichester Festival Theatre for many years. Alexandra wrote a book about her life called Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks. She also wrote books about how to care for cats and dogs. Her husband passed away in 2013.
Helping Animals
Alexandra was a vegetarian and cared deeply about animals. She started her own animal sanctuary called Alexandra Bastedo Champions (ABC) Animal Sanctuary. She used to be the president of her local RSPCA branch. But she left that role in 2008. She wanted to spend more time helping the animals at her growing sanctuary. It was located at her home in West Chiltington, West Sussex.
She also supported many other animal welfare groups. These included Compassion in World Farming and the Wildlife Aid Foundation.
Death
Alexandra Bastedo died on January 12, 2014, when she was 67 years old. She passed away from breast cancer in a hospital in Worthing, England. She was buried next to her husband, Patrick Garland. Their graves are at St Mary's Church in Sullington, West Sussex.
Filmography
- 13 Frightened Girls (1963) – Alex
- The Liquidator (1965) – Radio Operator
- Doctor in Clover (1966) – Nurse at Party
- That Riviera Touch (1966) – Girl at Roulette Table
- Casino Royale (1967) – Meg
- Wedding Night (1970) – Gloria
- My Lover, My Son (1970) – Cicely Clarkson
- This, That and the Other (1970) – Angie
- The Kashmiri Run (1970) - Henrietta Fleming
- The Blood Spattered Bride (1972) – Mircalla Karstein
- I Hate My Body (1974) – Leda Schmidt
- The Ghoul (1975) – Angela
- El Clan de los Nazarenos (1975) – Arima
- Tu dios y mi infierno (1976) – Liselotte
- Find the Lady (1976) – Victoria
- The Man Inside (1976, TV movie) – Joan Lytton
- La Gioconda está triste (1977)
- El Mirón (1977) – Elena
- Cabo de vara (1978) - Lola
- Stigma (1980) – Anna
- A Choice of Two (1981)
- Draw! (1984, TV movie) – Bess
- La veritat oculta (1987) – Agnes / Chiromancer
- The Byzantine Cat (2002) - Barbara
- Batman Begins (2005) – Gotham Society Dame
Television
- The Count of Monte Cristo (1964) – Renée de Saint-Méran
- The Scales of Justice (episode The Haunted Man, 1966) – Laura
- The Wednesday Play (1966) – The Girl
- The Saint (episode "The Counterfeit Countess", 1967) – Mireille / Joan Vendel
- The Champions (1968–69) – Sharron Macready
- Call My Bluff as herself, 4 episodes (1969-1975)
- Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (episode "Whoever Heard of a Ghost Dying?", 1969) – Carol Latimer
- Codename (1970) – Diana Dalzell
- From a Bird's Eye View (episode "Sicillian Affair", 1970) – Lisa Vespucci
- The Starlost (1973), episode 11 "The Astrometrics"
- The Aphrodite Inheritance (miniseries, 1979) – Helene
- Magnolia Blossom by Agatha Christie, 1982 - Clare Hamilton
- Legend of the Champions (1983) – Sharron Macready
- Absolutely Fabulous (episode "Fat", 1992) – Penny Caspar-Morse
- EastEnders (2008–2009) – Cynthia
Radio
- Halloween Party by Agatha Christie, BBC radio 1993
- Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie, BBC radio 1994
- Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie, dramatised by Michael Bakewell, BBC radio 2006
See Also
In Spanish: Alexandra Bastedo para niños
