Angela Thorne dies aged 84: Actress best known for starring as Marjory Frobisher in To The Manor Born passes away, her family announces
- Angela Thorne died ‘peacefully’ at her home on June 16, her family has revealed
Actress Angela Thorne, best known for starring in To The Manor Born and the mother of Rupert Penry-Jones, has died aged 84.
She played Marjory Frobisher in the BBC sitcom opposite Penelope Keith and Richard DeVere from 1979 to 1981 as well as appearing in a string of long-running shows including Midsomer Murders.
Thorne, who is also the mother of actor Laurence Penry-Jones, was nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in Anyone for Denis? when she turned her hand to the stage.
A statement from her son Rupert said: ‘The actress Angela Thorne died peacefully at her home on the 16th of June. She was 84 years old.
‘She was the beloved wife of Peter Penry Jones, and is survived by her two sons Rupert and Laurie Penry Jones and her grandchildren, Florence, Peter, Giorgio and Delilah.
Actress Angela Thorne (right), best known for starring in To The Manor Born and the mother of Rupert Penry-Jones (left), has died aged 84.
Angela (right) played Marjory Frobisher in the BBC sitcom opposite Penelope Keith (left) from 1979 to 1981
‘We will all miss her very much.’
She trained at the Guildhall School of Music And Drama on a scholarship and later performed in repertory seasons.
Her on screen credits also include BBC One sitcom Three Up, Two Down, police drama series Heartbeat and drama series Elizabeth R, which starred the late Glenda Jackson.
In 1989 she featured as the Queen of England in The BFG, the animated film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book, and worked alongside David Jason.
In To the Manor Born, her character Marjory was the loyal pal of Audrey, who had a love-hate relationship with Richard until they married at the end of the show’s three series in 1981.
Angela reprised her role as Marjory for both a 10-episode radio series in 1997 and the one-off 2007 Christmas Special on television.
In 2013, she appeared in a stage adaptation of Alexander Mackendrick’s 1955 black comedy The Ladykillers alongside Death In Paradise’s Ralf Little, Grass actor Simon Day and Gregory’s Girl actor John Gordon Sinclair.
Angela appeared alongside Simon Day, Ralf Little, John Gordon Sinclair, Con O’Nell and Chris McCalphy as part of the cast of The Ladykillers
In the late 1980s she emerged as a voice artist working on The BFG, the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book. Pictured is the BFG in 1989
She married her husband Peter Penry-Jones, himself a successful TV star from Cardiff, in 1967 and they had two boys together, Rupert and Laurence.
The husband and wife duo even appeared alongside one another in a number of To The Manor Born episodes before Peter died in 2009 following a long battle with bowel cancer.
In 2010, Angela appeared on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? alongside her son Rupert.
During the show, the pair discovered Angela’s father William had served with the Indian Medical Corps at the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy in 1944.
Her late husband Peter and two sons Rupert and Laurence all found their feet in acting world as well.
Rupert is best known for his roles as Adam Carter in Spooks, QC Clive Reader in Silk and DI Joseph Chandler in Whitechapel while Laurence has appeared in Waking The Dead and Doctors.
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