A Room With A View actress Rosemary Leach dies aged 81
The 81-year-old actress forged a long career on stage and screen, once winning an Olivier Award.
A Room With A View actress Rosemary Leach has died after a short illness, her agent said.
Leach, 81, forged a long career on stage and screen.
She won an Olivier Award for her performance in the play 84 Charing Cross Road.
The British actress played Mrs Honeychurch, the mother of Helena Bonham Carter’s character, in the 1985 Oscar-winning film A Room With A View.
She played Mrs MacLaine in the 1973 film That’ll Be The Day, starring David Essex and Ringo Starr.
She also appeared as Grace in episodes of the hit BBC sitcom My Family.
Her agent Caroline de Wolfe said in a statement: “It is with great sadness I must report the news that Rosemary Leach died in hospital yesterday, Saturday 21st October, after a short illness.”
The Rada-educated actress was twice nominated for a supporting actress Bafta for her roles in A Room With A View and That’ll Be The Day.
Her other screen credits include TV series No, That’s Me Over Here! (1967), TV movies Cider With Rosie (1971) and Just Between Ourselves (1978).
She also notched up roles in Midsomer Murders and Heartbeat.
Leach made her stage debut with the Amersham Repertory Theatre before appearing in rep theatre in Coventry, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Fans paid tribute on Twitter, with @AaronMLB writing “sad to read of the death of Rosemary Leach” and @dialmformovies writing “Farewell Rosemary Leach”.
She is survived by her husband, Mr Holmes actor Colin Starkey.
