Eleanor Bron

A veteran British character player, Eleanor Bron began her career in the 1960s appearing on with The Monty Python Flying Circus and translated her appeal to the screen in several comic romps. She made her screen debut alongside the Beatles in "Help!" (1965), playing a cult member trying to get the red ruby ring off Ringo Starr's finger at any costs so that an offering might be made to the god Kalli.

Bron could next be seen as the doctor treating Michael Caine's cad "Alfie" (1966) and then had featured roles in two 1967 films directed by Stanley Donen. In "Two for the Road" was the ex-lover of Albert Finney now married to William Daniels while in "Bedazzled" she was the waitress oozing sex who is the object of Dudley Moore's lust.

After a supporting role in Ken Russell's "Women in Love" (1969), Bron found success in British TV series and her film appearances became rather sporadic (e.g., "The National Health" 1973; "The Secret Policeman's Ball" 1979) until the 1980s. She offered a fine turn as the Virgin Mary in the 1980 CBS TV-movie "The Day Christ Died" and as the bitter housemate of Ben Kingsley in "Turtle Diary" (1985).

Bron was also featured as the society matron Mrs. Merdle in Christine Edzard's all-star production of Dickens' "Little Dorrit" (1988) and that same year was Edith Frank in the fact-based CBS TV movie "Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank."

Her impeccable comic timing and sensual persona were used to terrific effect in her recurring role as Patsy Stone's hippie-ish mother in the cult British sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" (1993-96). Bron did yeoman work as a judge in "Deadly Advice" and as Lady Wexmire in "Black Beauty" (both 1994), and made a particularly strong impression as the disapproving Miss Minchin in "A Little Princess" (1995).

Additionally, she was cast in the small role of the aviator-author's mother in "Saint-Ex" (1996), a little-seen biopic of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the author of the classic "The Little Prince," delivered a delicious turn as Lady Bareacres in the BBC/A&E miniseries "Vanity Fair" (1999) and as Lily Bart's disapproving aunt in "The House of Mirth" (2000).