Person
Dora Bryan
Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK
Dora May Bryan OBE was an English actress of stage, film and television. Born Dora May Broadbent, her career began in pantomime as a child actor. In World War II she joined the EN…
IMDbKnown for
Popular titles
Photos
More stills of Dora Bryan
Biography
A closer look
Read full biography
Dora May Bryan OBE was an English actress of stage, film and television. Born Dora May Broadbent, her career began in pantomime as a child actor. In World War II she joined the ENSA in Italy to entertain British troops. After having established herself as a versatile stage actress, covering everything from drama and comedy to musicals, she started to appear in film in the late 1940s, and in 1968 she even had her own TV series, "According to Dora". At one point in her career she was Britain's highest-paid star. She was active on stage until the mid 1990s and continued to work in film and television until 2005, when she finally had to give up the acting profession as she could no longer remember her lines. Her autobiography According To Dora was published in 1987. In 1996, she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to acting and the same year she was also awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for her role in the West End production of the Harold Pinter play "The Birthday Party". She was married to British cricket player Bill Lawton from 1954 to his death in 2008. She lived in a nursing home in Hove, outside Brighton, until her death in 2014.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2005
MirrorMask
Movie Aunt Nan
-
2003
Thora Hird Tribute
Movie Self (archive footage, uncredited)
-
2000
Doctors
TV show Lily Anderson
-
1999
Hippies
TV show Dame Nelly Fletcher
-
1998
dinnerladies
TV show Connie
-
1996
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
Movie Millie
-
1995
Bed
Movie Bosom Lady
-
1994
Mother's Ruin
TV show
-
1993
Frank Stubbs Promotes
TV show Molly Bramley
-
1992
Absolutely Fabulous
TV show Dolly
-
1992
Virtual Murder
TV show Mrs Mim
-
1992
Heartbeat
TV show Jane Thompson
-
1991
Performance
TV show Bosom Lady
-
1991
Palmer
Movie Monica
-
1990
On the Up
TV show
-
1989
Apartment Zero
Movie Margaret McKinney
More credits
-
1986
Casualty
TV show Hester Blewett
-
1983
Screamtime
Movie Emma
-
1978
An Audience with...
TV show Self
-
1973
Last of the Summer Wine
TV show Roz
-
1972
Up the Front
Movie Auntie Cora Crumpington
-
1972
Both Ends Meet
TV show Dora Page
-
1971
Hands of the Ripper
Movie Mrs. Golding
-
1967
Two a Penny
Movie Ruby Hopkins
-
1967
Before The Fringe
TV show
-
1966
The Sandwich Man
Movie Mrs. De Vere
-
1966
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
Movie Amber Spottiswood
-
1964
The Dream Machine
Movie Self
-
1963
World in Action
TV show
-
1961
A Taste of Honey
Movie Helen
-
1961
Happily Ever After
TV show Dora Morgan
-
1960
Alice Through the Looking Box
Movie Queen
-
1960
Hello London
Movie herself
-
1960
The Night We Got the Bird
Movie Julie Skidmore
-
1960
Follow That Horse!
Movie
-
1959
Operation Bullshine
Movie Pvt. Cox
-
1959
Desert Mice
Movie Gay Bennett
-
1958
Educating Archie
TV show
-
1958
Carry On Sergeant
Movie Norah
-
1958
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
Movie Telephonist
