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Judy Matheson (born 27 August 1945) is a British actress notable for her appearances in several horror films in the 1970s. She also appeared in many other films and television series.


Career

After drama school, Matheson began her career in 1967 with the
Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...
Theatre Company with which she toured the United States, including a season on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
, and Canada, followed by Europe and Israel, in three of Shakespeare's plays, the highlight of which was Sir Tyrone Guthrie's production of ''
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 ...
''. In 1967, Matheson signed with the prestigious talent agency Hazel Malone Management. Her debut film '' The Chairman'' (The Most Dangerous Man in the World), starred
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...
. She was chosen to star in the Spanish film '' The Exquisite Cadaver'' (''Las Crueles'') with
Capucine Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre (, 6 January 1928 – 17 March 1990), known by her stage name Capucine (), was a French fashion model and actress known for her comedic roles in ''The Pink Panther'' (1963) and '' What's New Pussycat?'' (1965). ...
, directed by
Vicente Aranda Vicente Aranda Ezquerra (; 9 November 1926 – 26 May 2015) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer. Due to his refined and personal style, he was one of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers. He started as a founding member ...
, in 1969, which was showcased as the Spanish entry at the San Sebastian Film Festival. In 1970, she was invited to play Helen Mirren’s friend in John Goldschmidt’s documentary Doing Her Own Thing about Mirren’s early years at The Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1971 she starred opposite Freddie Jones in Charles Wood's experimental drama ''The Emergence of Anthony Purdy esq.'' directed by Patrick Dromgoole for
Harlech Television ITV Wales and West, previously known as Harlech Television (HTV), was an ITV franchisee in the United Kingdom until 31 December 2013, licensed to broadcast by the regulator Ofcom. There is no channel, past or present, named "ITV Wales and Wes ...
. It was chosen that year as ITV's entry in the Monte Carlo TV Festival.In the 1970s, she appeared in the Hammer Horror films ''
Lust for a Vampire ''Lust for a Vampire'', also known as ''Love for a Vampire'' or ''To Love a Vampire'' (the latter title was the one used on American television), is a 1971 British Hammer Horror film directed by Jimmy Sangster, starring Ralph Bates, Barbara J ...
'' and '' Twins of Evil''. Her other films include Pete Walker's ''
The Flesh and Blood Show ''The Flesh and Blood Show'' is a 1972 British horror slasher film directed and produced by Pete Walker, and starring Ray Brooks, Jenny Hanley, and Luan Peters. The screenplay was by Alfred Shaughnessy. It follows a group of actors being st ...
'', '' The House That Vanished'' (AKA ''Scream and Die'') directed by Jose Larraz, '' Crucible of Terror'', '' Confessions of a Window Cleaner'', and ''
Percy's Progress ''Percy's Progress'' (US title: ''It's Not the Size That Counts'') is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Leigh Lawson, Elke Sommer, Denholm Elliott, Judy Geeson and Harry H. Corbett. It was written by Sid Colin, ...
''. Matheson's television work includes '' City '68'', ''
Spindoe ''Spindoe'' is a British television series shown on ITV in the spring of 1968. It was named after the lead character, Alec Spindoe, a South London gangster; the plot of the series showed how Spindoe re-established his gangland empire after he ...
'', ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'', ''
Z Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...
'' (twice, leading female), ''
Crossroads Crossroads is a junction where four roads meet. Crossroads, crossroad, cross road(s) or similar may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a ...
'', (Hugh Mortimer's secretary and Sandy's girlfriend), ''
Harriet's Back in Town ''Harriet's Back in Town'' is a 1972 British television series produced by Thames Television. The cast included Pauline Yates, William Russell, Edwin Richfield and Sally Bazely. The show featured a newly divorced woman (Harriet Preston, ...
'', '' The Adventurer'', ''
Dead of Night ''Dead of Night'' is a 1945 British supernatural horror anthology film directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, and Robert Hamer. It stars Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers, Sally Ann Howes, and Michael Redgrave. Produ ...
'', '' The Professionals'', ''
The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a British police drama television series focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective ...
'', ''Shelley'' (BBC film of the poet, opposite
Robert Powell Robert Thomas Powell ( ; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles in '' Mahler'' (1974) and '' Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agent Richard Hannay in '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) ...
and directed by Alan Bridges), ''
Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first series, prod ...
'', and ''
Citizen Smith ''Citizen Smith'' is a British television sitcom written by John Sullivan, first broadcast from 1977 to 1980. It starred Robert Lindsay as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith, a young Marxist "urban guerrilla" in Tooting, south London, who is attempti ...
''. Matheson's theatre work includes starring opposite
Richard O'Sullivan Richard O'Sullivan (born 7 May 1944) is an English comedy actor. He is known for his role as Robin Tripp in the TV sitcoms ''Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and '' Robin's Nest'' (1977–1981) and as the title character in the period adven ...
in a British tour of the comedy '' Boeing-Boeing'' with
Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Needham (20 August 1927 – 24 August 1980), known as Yootha Joyce, was an English actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom '' Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and its spin-off '' George ...
,
Sally Thomsett Sally Thomsett (born 3 April 1950) is an English actress who starred as Phyllis in the film '' The Railway Children'' (1970) and played Jo in the TV sitcom '' Man About the House'' (1973–1976). She also appeared as Janice in the film '' Straw ...
and Doug Fisher,
Ray Cooney Raymond George Alfred Cooney Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 30 May 1932) is an English playwright, actor, and director. His biggest success, ''Run for Your Wife (play), Run for Your Wife'' (1983), ran for nine years in London's West E ...
's ''Chase Me Comrade'', ''Stage Struck'' by Simon Gray, Hugh and Margaret Williams’ ''The Flip Side'', ''Funny Peculiar'' by Mike Stott, and
Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. As of 2025, he has written and produced 90 full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen ...
's ''Bedroom Farce''. In 1979, she undertook a season playing leading parts at the Donovan Maule Theatre in
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
,
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
. When Matheson returned to London, she was invited to train as a continuity announcer for the new television franchise for ITV in the South Of England,
Television South Television South (TVS) was the ITV (TV network), ITV franchise holder in the South East England, South and South East of England between 1 January 1982 at 9.25 am and 31 December 1992 at 11.59 pm. The company operated under various names, init ...
(TVS). She became a permanent continuity announcer for TVS in 1981. In 1990, she was part of the launch team for
British Satellite Broadcasting British Satellite Broadcasting plc (BSB) was a television company, based in London, that provided satellite television, direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom. It started broadcasting on 25 March 1990. The company ...
, later to become BSkyB. She has also worked as a free-lance continuity announcer for Carlton Television and London Weekend Television . In 1996 Matheson went to live in South Africa, returning to the U.K. in 2003 In 2016, she was the narrator for Encounter, the architecture and design radio series from Monitor Production in Sound. Resonance F.M., the international arts radio station, broadcast all series of the programmes and a live special, with the last series on the air every Sunday and Wednesday during the summer of 2017. Matheson also often attends film and television conventions and Hammer Film events as a guest. In 2017 Matheson took part, with fellow Hammer actress
Caroline Munro Caroline Jane Munro ( ; born 16 January 1949)McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. p. 538; is an English actress, model and singer known for her many appearances in ...
, in a short spoof horror film ''Frankula'' produced by The Misty Moon Film Society, of which she is an Honorary Patron. In 2019, she took part in a new documentary about Peter Cushing, ‘Peter Cushing In His Own Words’, talking about her work with him, released by the production company Rabbit & Snail Films. She also contributed to an American documentary about the actress Lynne Frederick: ''Lynne, the English Rose’ also released in 2019. As'' part of the 'special features' of the Studiocanal release of the Blu-ray of Hammer Films’ ''Lust For A Vampire ( released in 2019)'' she has recorded an interview about her work and in particular her experience of working on that film. She has returned to the big screen for a cameo in the feature film ''The Haunting of Margam Castle'', starring
Derren Nesbitt Derren Nesbitt (born Derren Michael Horwitz; 19 June 1935) is a British actor. Nesbitt's film career began in the late 1950s, and he appeared in many British television series throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He is perhaps best known for his ro ...
,
Jane Merrow Jane Meirowsky (born 1941), known professionally as Jane Merrow, is an English actress who has been active from the 1960s in both Britain and the United States. Early years Merrow was born in 1941 in Hertfordshire to an English mother and Germ ...
, and
Caroline Munro Caroline Jane Munro ( ; born 16 January 1949)McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. p. 538; is an English actress, model and singer known for her many appearances in ...
, directed by Andrew Jones for North Bank Entertainment, due for release in 2020. Most recently Matheson has undertaken the narration for "Mary Millington On Location", part of the special features for the new Mary Millington box set, released by Screenbound Entertainment in 2020. During lockdown in May 2020 she performed a monologue (Spy) written by Martin Murphy, recorded for Bruised Sky Productions. In March 2021, also during lockdown, Matheson took part in a live online reading of a new play by David Barry, ''The Lives of Frankie Abbott,'' based on an episode in the life of the popular 1970s '' Please Sir'' character in old age. Produced by The Misty Moon Film Society, the cast included
Felicity Dean Felicity Jane Dean (born 24 January 1959) is a British actress, who is critically acclaimed for her extensive work in film and on stage, including works with, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Al Pacino, HBO, Sir Jonathan Miller and Joseph Losey. ...
,
Suzanne Maddock Suzanne Maddock (born 13 February 1976) is an English actress, singer and voice actress. Suzanne has been an industry professional since 1994, working in both TV and Film. She first appeared in the ITV police procedural drama ''The Bill'' as P ...
,
Graham Cole Graham Cole OBE (born Graham Coleman-Smith on 16 March 1952) is an English actor. Early life Cole was born in Willesden, Middlesex in 1952 to Victor and Freda Coleman-Smith (née Coleman), the youngest of three children. Career He appeared ...
OBE and David Barry. In July 2021, she took the part of Lady Lloyd George in an audio recording of a new play by AD Cooper, ''What Did You Do In The War, Mama'', for Towton Productions, directed by Laurel Parker of Mobley Street Productions. It also starred fellow Hammer Films actress
Madeline Smith Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949) is an English actress. After working as a model in the late 1960s, she went on to appear in many television series and stage productions, as well as comedy and horror films, in the 1970s and 1980s. Smith pla ...
and was released as a podcast in 2021. In October 2021, she played Sir
Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television sitcom ''Blackadder'' and has presented many historical documentaries, including the Channel ...
’s wife in a short film, ''Joe’s Journey'', the script created from a cartoon by Tony Husband to raise awareness of dementia, directed by Jason Read. Also in October 2021 Matheson took part in a live public reading of
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
’s '' Pygmalion'' at The Actors Church in
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
, London, produced by Paul Burton Productions in aid of the charity Acting For Others. In March 2022, a live reading of ''The Lives of Frankie Abbott'', which had previously been performed on
Zoom Zoom may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''Zoom'' (2006 film), starring Tim Allen * ''Zoom'' (2015 film), a Canada-Brazil film by Pedro Morelli * ''Zoom'' (2016 Kannada film), a Kannada film * ''Zoom'' (2016 Sinhala film), a Sr ...
during lockdown, was performed in front of an audience at The Phoenix Arts Club. The cast included David Barry, Matheson, Felicity Dean, Graham Cole, Suzanne Maddock, and Larry Dann, and it was produced by The Misty Moon Film Society. It was recorded and will be distributed on CD. During the summer of 2023, Matheson took the part of Madame Drakaina, a part specifically written for her by the director Dani Thomson, in the short film ''Dragon'', part of a Horrorscope2 anthology, to be released later in the year by Mycho Entertainment. Matheson’s return to the screen continues with an appearance in the feature length documentary ''Saucy! Secrets of the British Sex Comedy'', directed by Simon Sheridan, due to be broadcast by
Channel Four Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded entirely by its commer ...
early in 2024. Also directed by Simon Sheridan in 2024,a new interview for the extras in the ''Confessions'' films blu-ray box-set, to be released in August. In September 2024, a new BluRay of Crucible of Terror was released by Vinegar Syndrome as part of the box set Cruel Britannia, for which Matheson recorded an interview, for one of the extras.


Filmography


Film


Television


References

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374622/fullcredits
ENCOUNTER RADIO SERIESThe Lives of Frankie Abbott (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDbThe Mary Millington Movie Collection Limited Edition Blu-Ray Box-SetTHE HAUNTING OF MARGAM CASTLEPreview: London Film Memorabilia Convention Hammer and Horror Film Day, 9th November 2013 , The Dark SideAboutThe New York Shakespeare Festival, 1967Charles Wood – British Television Drama- YouTubeFirst guests announced for McM Comic Con / Memorabilia Birmingham


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Matheson, Judy English film actresses English television actresses Living people 1945 births Actors from Thurrock Actresses from Essex