Charlotte Ninon Coleman (3 April 1968 – 14 November 2001) was an English actress best known for playing Scarlett in the film ''

Four Weddings and a Funeral ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It is the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to star Hugh Grant, and follows the adventures of Charles (Grant) and his circle of ...

'' (1994) and Jess in the television drama ''

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press. It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Key themes of the book include transition from ...

'' (1990)''.'' For these roles she received BAFTA nominations in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Actress categories respectively. Her childhood roles included Sue in ''

Worzel Gummidge Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow in British children's fiction, who originally appeared in a series of books by the English novelist Barbara Euphan Todd.

'' (1979–1981) and the character Marmalade Atkins (1981–1984).

Early life

Coleman was the first of two daughters born to actress

Ann Beach Ann Beach (7 June 1938 – 9 March 2017) was a British actress. She is perhaps best remembered for her supporting role as Sonia Barrett, the quirky next-door neighbour on the comedy ''Fresh Fields'', starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers. ...

and Canadian-born television producer

Francis Coleman Francis Coleman (12 January 192410 April 2008) was a conductor and television producer and director. Early life and education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Coleman began working in an office at the age of fourteen while studying music at ...

."Obituary: Charlotte Coleman"
Daily Telegraph, 17 November 2001 Her younger sister is the actress Lisa Coleman. Charlotte was educated at

Camden School for Girls The Camden School for Girls (CSG) is a comprehensive secondary school for girls, with a co-educational sixth form, in the London Borough of Camden in north London. It has about one thousand students of ages eleven to eighteen, and specialis ...

, from which she was expelled. Outside regular school hours she attended classes at the Anna Scher Theatre School in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

north London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...

, because she said she was "too cool" to go to the Brownies.Valentine, Penny
"Obituary: Charlotte Coleman"
The Guardian, 19 November 2001 At 15, feeling that her upbringing had been too liberal, since her parents "didn't believe in restraint", Coleman enrolled at

Dartington Hall Dartington Hall in Dartington, near Totnes, Devon, England, is an historic house and country estate of dating from medieval times. The group of late 14th century buildings are Grade I listed; described in Pevsner's Buildings of England as ...

School in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. It was a very progressive school where pupils "didn't have to go to any lessons, so I didn't. I spent 15 grand, all my money, and it was just stupid really". After this, she attended cookery school.Jivani, Alkarim, '' Time Out'', 11–18 December 1996

Career

Coleman's first major television role was as Sue in

Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited. However, in 1966, during the application pr ...

's ''

Worzel Gummidge Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow in British children's fiction, who originally appeared in a series of books by the English novelist Barbara Euphan Todd.

''. This ran for four seasons from 1978 to 1981 on the ITV network. Other early work included ''A Choice of Evils'' (''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'',

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, 1977) and ''Two People'' (

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

, 1979), as Emma Moffatt). She had a crush on

Stephen Garlick Stephen Garlick (born 7 July 1959) is a British actor best known as the voice of Jen in '' Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal''. His career has centered on film, television and radio. At the age of five he attended the famous Corona Academy stage ...

, her co-star in ''Two People''. For the role, she had to choose a stuffed toy for Emma to carry; she named it "Haggis" and still had it when interviewed in 1990. This was soon followed by her role as the teenage rebel Marmalade Atkins, firstly in ''Marmalade Atkins in Space'' (a one-off drama shown in 1981), and then in two series, ''Educating Marmalade'' (1982–83) and ''Danger: Marmalade at Work'' (1984). All three were made by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

and written by Andrew Davies. In 1990, Coleman appeared as Jess, a teenage girl from

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

brought up by a strict

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

mother, in the BBC

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...

'', based on

Jeanette Winterson Jeanette Winterson (born 27 August 1959) is an English author. Her first book, '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', was a semi-autobiographical novel about a lesbian growing up in an English Pentecostal community. Other novels explore gender ...

's novel of the same name. Coleman won a

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

, Best Actress award and was nominated for a BAFTA for her portrayal of the young lesbian character. She also read the novel for release by

BBC Audiobooks AudioGO (formerly BBC Audiobooks) was a British publisher of audiobooks and a range of spoken word and large-print titles. It was majority owned by AudioGO Ltd, and minority owned by BBC Worldwide. It was formed in 2010, when AudioGO purchased ...

. Other television appearances in the 1980s and '90s included roles in Thames Television's ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' and

Central Independent Television ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central, ITV1 for Central England and commonly referred to as simply Central, is the ITV (TV network), Independent Television franchisee in Midlands, the English Midlands ...

's ''

Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...

'', the short-lived comedy series ''Freddie and Max'', with

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...

, a drama about homelessness, ''Sweet Nothing'' and another lesbian role, as Barbara Gale in the political satire ''Giving Tongue'' (1996). She also appeared in

Simon Nye Simon Nye (born 29 July 1958) is an English screenwriter, best known for television comedy. He wrote the hit British sitcom, sitcom ''Men Behaving Badly'', and all of the four ITV Pantos. He co-wrote the 2006 film ''Flushed Away'', created an ad ...

's sitcom '' How Do You Want Me?'' (1998–2000), alongside

Dylan Moran Dylan William Moran ( ; born ) is an Irish comedian, writer, actor and artist. He is best known for his observational comedy, the comedy series '' Black Books'' (which he co-wrote and starred in), and his work with Simon Pegg in films such as ' ...

and Emma Chambers, and voiced the lead female character, Primrose, in the animated adaptation of '' Brambly Hedge''. Coleman's final television appearance was in the adaptation of

Jacqueline Wilson Dame Jacqueline Wilson (' Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for tackling realistic topics such as adoption and divorce. Since her debut novel in 1969, ...

's ''

Double Act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act, often highlighting differences in their characters' ...

'', where she played the twins' teacher, Miss Debenham. Coleman played Scarlett in the film ''

'' (1994) with

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English actor. Known as a character actor on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Olivier Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for two BAFT ...

and

Kristin Scott Thomas Dame Kristin Ann Scott Thomas (born 24 May 1960) is a British actress. A five-time BAFTA Award and Olivier Award nominee, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' (1994) and the Olivi ...

. She received a BAFTA Film Award nomination for this part, losing to Scott Thomas. Coleman continued to act in films throughout the 1990s with her last major film being

Jasmin Dizdar Jasmin Dizdar (born 8 June 1961) is a British-Bosnian film director, screenwriter and author known for his feature film '' Beautiful People'' (1999) and his World War II thriller '' Chosen'' (2016). Early life Dizdar was born on 8 June 1961 and ...

's '' Beautiful People'' (1999), set in London in 1993, at the time of the

Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...

, playing the role of Portia Thornton.

Theatre

Coleman portrayed the character of the teenage Lorna in ''Our Own Kind'' (

Roy MacGregor Roy MacGregor (born 1948) is a Canadian author of fiction and non-fiction. Career Roy MacGregor was born in Whitney, Ontario in 1948 and grew up in Huntsville, Ontario. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Laurentian U ...

), at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. Artistic Directors * Brian McDermott ...

in London (April 1991). She co-starred with

Kevin Whately Kevin Whately OBE (born 6 February 1951) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Neville "Nev" Hope in the comedy drama ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''; Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the British crime drama ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000) ...

Nisha Nayar Nisha K Nayar is a British actress. After coming to prominence in the 1993 film '' Bhaji on the Beach'', she had starring roles as Debra Kumar in the film '' Out of Hours'' in 1998 and as Elaine "the Pain" Boyak in the CBBC series ''The Stor ...

and

Jane Horrocks Barbara Jane Horrocks (born 18 January 1964) is a British actress. She portrayed Bubble and Katy Grin in the BBC sitcom '' Absolutely Fabulous''. She was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the title role in the stage pl ...

"The prime focus falls on Sylvie's bright-eyed schoolgirl sister Lorna. Vividly brought to life by Charlotte Coleman, she's both a droll chorus figure and an optimistic, surrogate victim. The play is tightly directed by new Bush supremo
Dominic Dromgoole Dominic Charles Fleming Dromgoole (born 25 October 1963) is an English theatre director and writer about the theatre who has also worked in film. Early life and education Dominic Charles Fleming Dromgoole was born on 25 October 1963 in Bristo ...
."

Personal life and death

In 1987, Coleman's boyfriend Jonathan Laycock was killed by a lorry driver whilst cycling to work. He was 23 years old. After his death Coleman went through periods of depression, and developed the

eating disorder An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's health, physical or mental health, mental health. These behaviors may include eating too much food or too little food. Types of eatin ...

anorexia Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...

and

bulimia Bulimia nervosa, also known simply as bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating (eating large quantities of food in a short period of time, often feeling out of control) followed by compensatory behaviors, such as self-induc ...

. Coleman died aged 33 on 14 November 2001 from bronchial

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

. A memorial was held at the

Mill Hill Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross, close to the Hertfordshire border. It was in the Historic counties of England, historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it b ...

Buddhist Centre in north London later that month and attended by family and close friends.

Charlotte Coleman Scholarship Award

The New London Performing Arts Centre (NLPAC) introduced the Charlotte Coleman Scholarship in 2003. All NLPAC members are eligible for the prize of a year's classes in dance, drama and music. A showcase event is held every November, from which one performer is chosen to receive the award."Charlotte Coleman Scholarship Award"
''New London Performing Arts Centre''

Roles

Film

*''Bodywork'' (2001) ... Tiffany Shades *''A Loving Act'' (2001) ... Det. Jane Thompson *'' Beautiful People'' (1999) ... Portia Thornton *''

Faeries A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

'' (1999) ... voice of Merrivale *'' If Only...'' (1998) aka ''Twice Upon a Yesterday'' ... Alison Hayes *'' Sweet Revenge'' (1998) ... Norma *'' Different for Girls'' (1996) ... Alison *'' The Young Poisoner's Handbook'' (1995) ... Winnie *''

'' (1994) ... Scarlett *''

Map of the Human Heart ''Map of the Human Heart'' (also called ''Carte du Tendre'' and ''La Carte du Tendre''; released in the Philippines as ''War Dragon'') is a 1992 film by New Zealand director Vincent Ward. The script for ''Map of the Human Heart'' was written by ...

'' (1993) ... Julie *''Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale'' (1989) ... Kate

Television

* ''Double Act'' ... Miss Debenham; 2 June 2002,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

(writer:

; director: Cilla Ware) *''McCready and Daughter'' ... Shelley Bennett in "No Bed of Roses" (1.5); Ecosse Films for

*'' How Do You Want Me?'' ... Lisa Lyons; 24 February 1998 – 22 December 1999, Kensington Films & Television for

(writer: Simon Nye; director: John Henderson) *'' Wycliffe'' ... Laura Kessell in "Bad Blood" (4.6); 3 August 1997, ITV (director: Alan Wareing) *'' Oliver's Travels'' ... Cathy; 1995, BBC Wales (writer:

Alan Plater Alan Frederick Plater (15 April 1935 – 25 June 2010) was an English playwright and screenwriter, who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s to the 2000s. He is best known for the sitcom ''Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt'' and th ...

; director:

Giles Foster Giles Foster has been an English television director since 1975, specialising in television dramas. He has also directed in Australia and in Germany (2012-2014). He wrote some television dramas in the 1970s. He is from Bath, Somerset and was edu ...

) *''The Vacillations of Poppy Carew'' ... Mary; 5 March 1995, (director:

James Cellan Jones Alan James Gwynne Cellan Jones (13 July 1931 – 30 August 2019) was a British television and film director. From 1963, he directed over 50 television series and films, specialising in dramas. He was particularly associated with the "Classic Ser ...

) *''Olly's Prison'' ... Sheila; May 1993,

(writer: Edward Bond; director: Roy Battersby)Battersby, Roy
"Obituary letter: Charlotte Coleman"
''The Guardian'', 28 November *'' The Comic Strip Presents...'' ... Patsy in "Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase"; 13 May 1993 (director: Peter Richardson) *''

'' ... Sharon Palmer in "Happy Families" (8.93); 19 November 1992, ITV (director: Andrew Higgs) *''

'' ... Jessica White in "Happy Families" (6.2); 11 March 1992, Zenith Entertainment for ITV (director: Adrian Shergold) *''Freddie and Max'' ... Freddie Latham; 12 November – 18 December 1990 (director: John Stroud) *''

'' ... Jess; 10–24 January 1990 (writer:

; director:

Beeban Kidron Beeban Tania Kidron, Baroness Kidron, (born 2 May 1961), is a British politician and a filmmaker. She is an advocate for children's rights in the digital world and has played a role in establishing standards for online safety and privacy across ...

)"Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1990)"
''BFI ScreenOnline'' *''Inappropriate Behaviour'' ... Helen Bardsley; 8 March 1987,

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

Screen Two ''Screen Two'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March 1978 ...

, Season 3, Episode 10 (Writer: Andrew Davies; director: Paul Seed) *''The Insurance Man'' ... Seamstress; 22 February 1986, BBC (Writer: Alan Bennett; director: Richard Eyre)"Insurance Man, The (1986)"
''BFI ScreenOnline'' *'' Danger: Marmalade at Work'' ... Marmalade Atkins; 20 February – 30 April 1984,

for ITV (writer: Andrew Davies; director: John Stroud) *'' Educating Marmalade'' ... Marmalade Atkins; 25 October 1982 – 3 January 1983, Thames Television for ITV (writer: Andrew Davies; directors: John Stroud, Colin Bucksey) *'' Marmalade Atkins in Space'' ... Marmalade Atkins; 2 November 1981, Thames Television for ITV (writer: Andrew Davies) *''

Worzel Gummidge Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow in British children's fiction, who originally appeared in a series of books by the English novelist Barbara Euphan Todd.

'' ... Sue Peters; 25 February 1979 – 31 October 1981,

for ITV (writers:

Keith Waterhouse Keith Spencer Waterhouse Order of British Empire, CBE (6 February 1929 – 4 September 2009) was a British novelist and newspaper columnist and the writer of many television series. He was also a noted arbiter of newspaper style and journalisti ...

and Willis Hall ; directors: James Hill and David Pick)"Worzel Gummidge (1979–81)"
''BFI ScreenOnline''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Charlotte 1968 births 2001 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London Alumni of the Anna Scher Theatre School Respiratory disease deaths in England Deaths from asthma English film actresses English television actresses English voice actresses Actors from the London Borough of Islington People educated at Camden School for Girls People educated at Dartington Hall School English people of Canadian descent English people of American descent 20th-century English businesspeople People from Islington (district)