Wendy Richard, MBE (born Wendy Emerton, 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) was an English actress best known for playing the roles of Miss Shirley Brahms on Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler on EastEnders, the latter for nearly 22 years. Until her character's onscreen death in December 2006, she was one of only two original cast members to appear continuously from the first episode in 1985, along with Adam Woodyatt, who played her screen nephew Ian Beale. Richard was first educated at St George's Primary School in Mount Street, Mayfair, west London, before attending the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, and then the Italia Conti Academy stage school in London.She died on 26 February 2009 at the Harley Street clinic where she was being treated for breast cancer.
Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Height
5' 6" (1.68 m)
Profession
Actress, Soundtrack
Education
Royal Masonic School, Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Nationality
British
Spouse
Leonard Blach
Parents
Beatrice Reay Cutter, Henry William Emerton
Awards
The British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement
Movies
Are You Being Served?, Carry On Girls, Bless This House, Carry On Matron, Gumshoe, On the Buses, Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye, The Contact
TV Shows
Grace & Favour, Are You Being Served?, Not On Your Nellie, Up Pompeii!, The Newcomers, The Likely Lads, EastEnders, Hogg's Back, A Question of EastEnders
[on "No Blade of Grass," the film adaptation of "Death of Grass"] I can say I successfully closed down Borehamwood Studios. It came from a brilliant book, but Cornel Wilde, God rest his soul, I don't think he did it justice when it came to the screenplay. He seemed to go over the top and get some bits of egg on his face.
2
John Inman never ever said Mr Humphries was gay. He was just a young man who was very, very good to his mother.
3
On receiving her M.B.E., Wendy said "This means a lot to me because I'm a royalist and one for tradition - I would hate to see our traditions disappear...I can't very well wear an MBE medal on Pauline's Overall."
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Fact
1
Was presented her Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Soap Awards 2007 (2007) by her former EastEnders (1985) co-star Todd Carty. Carty's character Mark Fowler was Richard's character Pauline Fowler's son on the show.
2
Ranked #6 in The 100 Greatest EastEnders (1985) Characters of All Time for her performance as Pauline Fowler (2015).
Her EastEnders (1985) character Pauline Fowler was one of 3 women to get married, give birth and die on the show. The other characters are Laura Beale (Hannah Waterman) and Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison). Pauline was the 2nd character to do this; she gave birth to her son Martin (James Alexandrou) on the episode dated 30 July 1985, married Joe Macer (Ray Brooks) on the episode dated 17 February 2006, and died after being murdered by her husband Joe on the episode dated 25 December 2006.
5
She was born in the Old Corporation Hotel in Middlesbrough, which her parents ran.
6
Was an ardent fan of BBC Radio 4's long-running soap "The Archers", and a life member of its' fan club.
7
Ranked #5 in the 100 Greatest EastEnders (1985) Characters of All Time for her performance as Pauline Fowler (2010).
8
As of 2016 she is the 3rd-longest serving actress in the history of EastEnders (1985) (behind only June Brown and Pam St. Clement), having played the character Pauline Fowler for 21 years (from 1985 until 2006).
9
Daughter of Henry William (1892-1954) and Beatrice Reay (née Cutter) Emerton (1910-1972).
Had two stepdaughters, Shannen Burns and Jade Burns, from her marriage to John Burns.
12
Her EastEnders (1985) co-star Peter Dean served as witness at her wedding to Paul Glorney.
13
Her marriage to Len Black lasted just 4 months; following their separation Wendy attempted suicide. She credited her role in Are You Being Served? (1972) in helping her to move on.
14
Her EastEnders (1985) character Pauline Fowler became the 1st woman on the soap opera to give birth. Pauline had a son Martin (played by James Alexandrou), born on 30 July 1985.
15
She studied acting at the Italia Conti Stage Academy in London. She changed her surname to Richard because it was "short and neat".
16
She left school when she was 15, and genuinely worked as a junior in the fashions department of Fortnum and Mason, an upscale Piccadilly store.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in the mid-1990s and again in 2002, she learned the disease had spread in 2008.
19
Her parents ran a pub in central London. The family lived upstairs above the pub.
20
Told the British Press Association she was informed that she is dying of cancer confirmed on October 4, 2008. She had been told she had several useful years ahead of her but when she got the news she moved up her wedding date to October 10, 2008.
21
She appeared in The Beatles' movie Help! (1965), but her scene ended up on the cutting room floor. She appears in a feature on the DVD release of "Help!" discussing the scene, frequently as a voice-over while stills from the scene are shown.
22
Owned a very extensive collection of ornamental frogs. She started her collection upon buying a frog statue she thought resembled her Are You Being Served? (1972) co-star Arthur Brough. She maintained that her collection exceeds 1,000 frogs.
Attended the Royal Masonic School as a schoolgirl.
26
Contributed a few lines on a number 1 hit single in the UK chart, entitled "Come Outside" featuring Mike Sarne (Michael Sarne). [May 1962]
27
She was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the 2000 Birthday Honours List for her services to television drama.
$17 Million
