Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence facts for kids

Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence is a British former actress. She is best known for playing the character Etta Tavernier in the BBC television show EastEnders. After her acting career, she started working in criminal law, which deals with laws about crimes.

Acting Career

Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence first trained to be a dancer. She studied at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She moved there with her parents, who were from Jamaica.

However, she decided that dancing was not the right path for her. In 1981, she switched to acting. She started with stage plays and later moved into film and television roles.

Her first important role was in the 1989 film Strapless. In this movie, she played a nurse.

Role in EastEnders

Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence's most famous role was as Etta Tavernier in EastEnders. She played a school teacher on the show. She was on the show from 1990 to 1992 and came back for a short time in 1994.

The Tavernier family was special because they were the first whole family to join EastEnders at the same time. Their arrival helped the show feature more diverse characters. It was an important step to show a wider range of black characters on television.

Other Acting Roles

After leaving EastEnders, Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence appeared in other TV shows. She was in the mini-series Close Relations in 1998. She also acted in the TV film The Greatest Store in the World in 1999.

In 2001, she was in an episode of the ITV police drama The Bill. Since then, she has not taken on any more acting roles.

Current Work

As of 2008, Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence works in the legal field. She works for a law firm in London. She is a police station representative, which means she helps people who are at a police station. She has special knowledge in this area of law.

Personal Life

Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence lives in Hayes, which is in South East London. She lives with her partner, Horace Notice. Horace Notice is a former boxing champion.

They have two daughters named Naomi and Amelia. The singer and actress Michelle Gayle is the godmother to one of their daughters. Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence is a follower of the Mormon religion.