Mary E. Peach (20 October 1934 – 26 January 2025) was a South African-born British film and television actress.

Early life and career

Mary E. Peach was born in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

on 20 October 1934, to Cyrial and May Peach. After being nominated for a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

Award as most promising newcomer for the 1959 film '' Room at the Top'', she went on to appear on many British films and television series over the next 25 years. She starred opposite

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

in the film ''

A Gathering of Eagles ''A Gathering of Eagles'' is a 1963 SuperScope Eastmancolor film about the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War and the pressures of command. The plot is patterned after the World War II film '' Twelve O'Clock High'', which producer-screenwrite ...

'' and in 1970 she appeared in the film '' Scrooge'', a musical version of Dickens' ''A Christmas Carol'' starring

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

. Peach appeared as a regular in the television series ''Couples'', ''Inside Story'', the 1966 BBC adaptation of ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'', ''

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

'' and the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' serial ''

The Enemy of the World ''The Enemy of the World'' is the fourth serial of the fifth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in six weekly parts from 23 December 1967 to 27 January 1968. The serial is set in Aust ...

.'' Amongst her other television appearances she played Colonel Tanya Smolenko, a Russian counter espionage agent in ' episode ''"The Gadget Lovers''" (1967) and starred opposite

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...

in ''

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creat ...

'' (1978). When

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

left ''

The Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

'' in 1968, she was one of the actresses considered for the role of Steed's new assistant.

Personal life and death

Peach married film producer Thomas Clyde on 18 May 1961 at the Chelsea Register Office in London. They met on the set of the 1960 film '' Follow That Horse!'', which Clyde produced. The couple separated in the 1980s and later divorced. She later married to the screenwriter and director

Jimmy Sangster James Henry Kinmel Sangster (2 December 1927 – 19 August 2011) was a Welsh screenwriter and film director, best known for his work on the initial horror films made by Hammer Film Productions, including '' The Curse of Frankenstein'' (1957) an ...

from 1995 until his death in 2011. Peach died on 26 January 2025, at the age of 90.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peach, Mary 1934 births 2025 deaths British film actresses British television actresses South African actresses Actresses from Durban South African expatriates in the United Kingdom