Stephanie Cole facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephanie Cole OBE
Cole filming Doc Martin in Port Isaac, June 2009
Born	Patricia Stephanie Cole (1941-10-05) 5 October 1941 (age 83) Solihull, Warwickshire, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Henry Marshall ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1986)​ Peter Birrel ​ ​ (m. 1998; died 2004)​
Children	1

Patricia Stephanie Cole (born 5 October 1941) is a famous English actress. She has starred in many TV shows, radio plays, films, and stage productions. Some of her well-known roles include Tenko, Open All Hours, Waiting for God, and Doc Martin. She also played Sylvia Goodwin in the popular soap opera Coronation Street.

Stephanie Cole has won several awards for her acting. In 1992, she won Best TV Actress at the British Comedy Awards for her role in Waiting For God. Later, in 2012, she won Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards for her work in Coronation Street. In 2005, she was given an OBE by the Queen. This honor recognizes her great contributions to drama.

Early Life and Training

Stephanie Cole was born in Solihull, Warwickshire, England. She started her acting training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1958 to 1960. After her training, she worked in different repertory theatres across the UK. This helped her become a very skilled actress.

When she was just 17, Stephanie made her first stage appearance. She played an old, quirky character called Madame Arcati in Noël Coward's play Blithe Spirit. Many years later, in 2004, she returned to play the same role in London's West End.

Television Career Highlights

Stephanie Cole has had many memorable roles on television. She often played characters much older than her actual age.

Playing Dr. Bea Mason in Tenko

One of Stephanie's most famous roles was Dr. Beatrice (Bea) Mason in the 1980s TV series Tenko. This drama showed the lives of British women held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Stephanie played Dr. Mason, a strict but kind doctor, for three series and a special episode between 1981 and 1985.

Mrs. Featherstone in Open All Hours

Around the same time, Stephanie also played Mrs. Delphine Featherstone in the BBC comedy Open All Hours. Her character was an elderly, gloomy customer known as "The Black Widow." Mrs. Featherstone was interested in the shopkeeper Arkwright, played by Ronnie Barker. Arkwright was often scared of her! Stephanie was only in her early forties when she took on this role, showing her talent for playing older characters.

Talking Heads and Waiting for God

In 1988, Stephanie joined other famous actresses in the TV series Talking Heads. This show featured special dramatic speeches written by Alan Bennett. Stephanie's performance in the monologue "Soldiering On" was highly praised. She later performed this monologue on stage and for BBC Radio.

From 1990 to 1994, Stephanie starred as Diana Trent in the comedy show Waiting for God. Diana was a grumpy retired photojournalist. Even though Diana was supposed to be a pensioner, Stephanie was only 48 when she started the role. She won the 1992 Best TV Comedy Actress award for this part.

Later TV Roles

From 2004 to 2009, Stephanie appeared in the ITV comedy-drama Doc Martin. She played Joan Norton, the aunt of Dr. Martin Ellingham, played by Martin Clunes. In 2006, she also starred with Victoria Wood in the award-winning World War II drama Housewife, 49.

In April 2011, Stephanie joined the cast of Coronation Street. She played Sylvia Goodwin, the mother of character Roy Cropper. She left the show in August 2013. Her departure was moved up due to the sad news of her brother's death.

From 2013 to 2019, Stephanie returned to her role as Mrs. Delphine Featherstone in Still Open All Hours. She acted alongside original cast members like David Jason. In 2018, she made a guest appearance in the live episode of Inside No 9 called 'Dead Line'. This episode was highly praised by critics. In 2019, she appeared in the BBC One comedy Scarborough.

Stage Performances

Stephanie Cole has also had a long and successful career in theatre, performing for over 50 years.

West End Shows

She has appeared in several plays in London's famous West End. These include The Mousetrap (1968), Noises Off (1983), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Quartet (1999). Her most important stage role was as Betty in the popular comedy A Passionate Woman in 1994. The play ran for nine months. On the final night of the show, Stephanie was surprised with an episode of This Is Your Life.

Radio Work

Stephanie Cole has also lent her voice to many radio series. She starred in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Ed Reardon's Week as Olive. She also played Carolyn Knapp-Shappey in the popular airline sitcom Cabin Pressure, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. In 2017, she even played Queen Victoria in an episode of John Finnemore's Double Acts on Radio 4.

Honors and Recognition

In 2002, Stephanie Cole received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of Bristol. In 2005, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for her amazing work in drama, and for helping charities that support the elderly and mental health.

In 2006, Stephanie was voted Solihull's favorite "Silhillian" (someone from Solihull). She won against other famous people like Lucy Davis and Richard Hammond.

Charity Work

Stephanie Cole is an Ambassador for the medical charity Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal. This means she helps promote their important work.

Personal Life

In 1973, Stephanie Cole married Henry Marshall, a fight director. They have one daughter named Emma Battcock, who was born in 1973. They later divorced in 1988. In 1998, Stephanie married fellow actor Peter Birrel. They had first met 30 years earlier while performing in a play together.

Film and Television Roles

Stephanie Cole has appeared in many films and TV shows throughout her career.

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Awards and Achievements

• 1992 British Comedy Awards – Best TV Comedy Actress for Waiting for God
• 2012 British Soap Awards – Best Comedy Performance for Coronation Street