HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Diana Marilyn Quick (born 23 November 1946) is an English actress.


Early life and family background

Quick was born on 23 November 1946 in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England. She grew up in
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...
,
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, the third of four children. Her father was Leonard Quick, a dentist. Her mother was Joan Quick. She was educated at
Dartford Grammar School for Girls Dartford Grammar School for Girls is a grammar school for girls in Dartford, Kent, England. Formerly known as Dartford County School, the school opened in 1904. It is the sister school of Dartford Grammar School for Boys. History Early histo ...
, Kent. She was greatly aided by her English teacher, who encouraged her to pursue acting. She became a member of an amateur dramatic society in
Crayford Crayford is a town and Wards of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in South London, South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies east of Bexleyheath and north west of Dartford. Crayford was in the Historic countie ...
, Kent, while at school as well as appearing in many school productions. On leaving school, she went on in 1964 to pursue further studies at
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, located on a bank of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The ...
. Quick was the first female president of the
Oxford University Dramatic Society The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University a ...
. Quick spent seven years researching a book about her paternal family's life in India, which was published in 2009 by Virago with the title ''A Tug on the Thread: From the British Raj to the British Stage''. In her book, Quick reveals that she is of mixed race (
Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian people are a distinct minority group, minority community of mixed-race British and Indian ancestry. During the colonial period, their ancestry was defined as British paternal and Indian maternal heritage; post-independence, "Angl ...
) descent. Her great-grandfather served 23 years in the army in India before becoming a policeman, and her great-grandmother had to flee from the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
after her father was killed.


Career

Quick is perhaps best known for the role of Lady Julia Flyte in the television production of ''
Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by the English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of Charles Ryder, esp ...
''. She received an Emmy and
British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1 ...
s nomination for her work. Quick has also appeared in many theatre, film and television productions. She made her stage debut in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
'' at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London, in 1959. She has appeared in many stage productions in the United Kingdom and the United States, including ''The Rivals'' (1965), ''
Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage.Meyer, Michael Lever ...
'' (1968), ''
Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604. It was published in the First Folio of 1623. The play centers on the despotic and puritan Angelo (Measure for ...
'' (1970), ''
The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...
'' (1972), ''
Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...
'' (1973), ''
The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...
'' (1975), '' Saint Joan'' (1977), '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' (1981), and ''
The Good Person of Szechwan ''The Good Person of Szechwan'' (, first translated less literally as ''The Good Man of Setzuan'') is a play written by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Berlau. The play was begun in 1938 but no ...
'' (1984). Other stage work has included roles in Shakespeare's ''
Troilus and Cressida ''The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida'', often shortened to ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ), is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forc ...
'' and Brecht's ''
The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...
''. In 2009, she portrayed
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
in " How Do You Solve a Problem Like Camilla?", an episode of the television documentary drama '' The Queen''. Quick had played the same character as a younger woman in
Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. He has received numerous awards and honours including four BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2005 he received the Socie ...
's stageplay ''A Question of Attribution'', one half of his ''Single Spies'' double bill. She explained how she prepared for the television role:
I think one has to try to be as accurate as possible. You have to wear the right clothes, and in my case I wore a white wig, because I'm playing her as a mature Queen rather than when she was a younger woman. So you try and get the externals as accurate as possible, but then I think it's like any acting challenge, you just try to play the situation as truthfully as you can. So you play the spirit of the thing rather than the documentary reality of it.


Personal life

Quick was married to Scottish actor
Kenneth Cranham Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944) is a British film, television, radio and stage actor. His most notable screen roles were in '' Oliver!'' (1968), '' Up Pompeii'' (1971), '' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' (1988), '' Chocolat'' (1988), '' Layer ...
from 1974 until they divorced in 1978. From 1982 until 2008 her partner was English actor
Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Known for his work in numerous stage, television and film productions, he has received several awards including a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award, and ...
with whom she worked in David Hare's ''A Map of the World'' at the National Theatre in 1982. They have one daughter, actress Mary Nighy, born in 1984.


Politics

Quick was one of several celebrities who endorsed the successful parliamentary candidacy of the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
's
Caroline Lucas Caroline Patricia Lucas (born 9 December 1960) is a British politician who was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and 2016 to 2018. She was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parli ...
at the 2015 general election.


Filmography


Film

*''
The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' ( rus, Братья Карамазовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy, ˈbratʲjə kərɐˈmazəvɨ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly ...
'' (1958) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''
Nicholas and Alexandra ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay by James Goldman and Edward Bond based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name. It tells the story of the l ...
'' (1971) - Sonya *'' A Private Enterprise'' (1974) - Penny *''
The Duellists ''The Duellists'' is a 1977 British historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and produced by David Puttnam. Set in France during the Napoleonic Wars, the film focuses on a series of duels between two rival officers, the obsessive Bonapar ...
'' (1977) - Laura *'' The Big Sleep'' (1978) - Mona Grant *'' The Odd Job'' (1978) - Fiona Harris *''
Ordeal by Innocence ''Ordeal by Innocence'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 3 November 1958 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retai ...
'' (1984) - Gwenda Vaughan *''
1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...
'' (1985) - Anna * (1986) - Camille *''Vroom'' (1988) - Susan *'' Wilt'' (1989) - Sally *''
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...
'' (1994) - Diane de Poitiers *'' Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny'' (1996) - Grand Duchess Ella *'' The Leading Man'' (1996) - Susan *''Vigo'' (1998) - Emily *''
A Monkey's Tale ''A Monkey's Tale'' (; literally "The Castle of Monkeys") is a feature-length animated film directed by Jean-François Laguionie. It was released in 1999, and won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the fifth Kecskemét Animation Film Fest ...
'' (1999) - Princess Ida (voice) *'' Saving Grace'' (2000) - Honey *'' The Discovery of Heaven'' (2001) - Sophia Brons *''
The Affair of the Necklace ''The Affair of the Necklace'' is a 2001 American historical drama film directed by Charles Shyer and written by John Sweet, based on the 1785 scandal at the court of Louis XVI that became known as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, which con ...
'' (2001) - Madame Pomfré *'' AKA'' (2002) - Lady Gryffoyn *''
Revengers Tragedy ''Revengers Tragedy'' is a 2002 film adaptation of the 1606 play '' The Revenger's Tragedy'' (attributed to Thomas Middleton in the credits, following the scholarly consensus). It was directed by Alex Cox and adapted for the screen by Cox's fe ...
'' (2002) - The Duchess *''Love/Loss'' (2010) - Angela *''Mother's Milk'' (2011) - Kettle *''Side by Side'' (2013) - Joan Dunbar *''
The Death of Stalin ''The Death of Stalin'' is a 2017 political satire black comedy film written and directed by Armando Iannucci and co-written by David Schneider and Ian Martin with Peter Fellows. Based on the French graphic novel '' La Mort de Staline'' (20 ...
'' (2017) - Polina Molotova *'' Forever Young'' (2023) - Robyn Smith


Television

*''
The Complete and Utter History of Britain ''The Complete and Utter History of Britain'' is a 1969 television comedy sketch show. It was created and written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones between the two series of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set''. It was produced for and broadcast by London ...
'' (1969) - Ladye / Damsel in Distress *''
A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...
'' (1971, TV Short) - Ghost of Christmas Past (voice) *''
The Protectors ''The Protectors'' is a British action thriller television series created by Gerry Anderson. It starred Robert Vaughn as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt as Paul Buchet. It was Anderson's seco ...
'' (1974, Episode: "The Bridge") - Anna De Santos *'' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'' (1975, Episode: "The Trevi Collection") - Ariel (as Diane Quick) *'' The Three Hostages'' (1977, TV Movie) - Mary Hannay *''
Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by the English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of Charles Ryder, esp ...
'' (1981) - Julia Flyte / Julia Mottram *'' The Woman in White'' (1982) - Marian Halcombe *'' Minder: An Officer and a Car Salesman'' (1988) - Angie *'' Clarissa'' (1991) - Lady Betty *''
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 ...
'' (1992) - Hilary Stephens *'' Dandelion Dead'' (1994) - Marion Glassford-Gale *'' Little Big Mouth'' (2001) - Cass *''
Dalziel and Pascoe Detective Superintendent Andrew "Andy" Dalziel and Detective Sergeant, later Detective Inspector, Peter Pascoe are two fictional Yorkshire detectives featuring in a series of novels by Reginald Hill. Characterisation and style Dalziel is d ...
'' (2002) - ACC Stella Applegarth - “ For Love Nor Money”, “The Unwanted” *'' Agatha Christie’s Poirot'' (2003) - Mrs. Welman - Episode: “Sad Cypress” *'' Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka'' (2003) - Prime - 5 episodes *''
Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...
'' (2004) - Clare Bonavita - Episode: “Dead in the Water” *'' Kingdom'' (2008) - Janet Cramer *'' The Queen'' (2009) - The Queen *''
New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC On ...
'' (2009) - Julia Eldridge *''
Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...
'' (2010) - Gwen Raeburn *'' Law & Order: UK'' (2010–2014) – Judge Hall *''
Inspector George Gently ''Inspector George Gently'' (also known as ''George Gently'' for the pilot and first series) is a British crime drama television series produced by Company Pictures for BBC One, set in the 1960s and loosely based on some of the Inspector Gently ...
'' (2012) - Gitta Bronson - Episode: “Gently in the Cathedral” *'' The Missing'' (2014) - Mary Garrett - Episode: “Molly” *''
Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...
'' (2016) - Hermione Lancaster - Episode: “Habeas Corpus” *'' Houdini and Doyle'' (2016) – Cecilia Weiss – 4 episodes *'' The Living and the Dead'' (2016) - Sylvia - TV Series *''
Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He is featured in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and ...
'' (2022) - Lady Cecily - Episode: “The Final Devotion” *'' The Famous Five'' (2023) - Mrs Wentworth - Episode: "The Curse of Kirrin Island"


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Quick, Diana 1946 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actors from Dartford Actresses from Kent Actresses from London Alumni of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Anglo-Indian people English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English voice actresses National Youth Theatre members People educated at Dartford Grammar School for Girls Royal Shakespeare Company members