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Discover more about the stars of BBC Drama. |
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 Maureen Lipman
With a career stretching over five decades, Maureen's a familiar face on TV. Her drama credits include Coronation Street, Doctor Who and Jonathan Creek. But it's her portrayal of Beattie in a popular advert that remains her most iconic role. Away from acting she's sold over six million copies of her books worldwide.
Test your knowledge of Maureen Lipman »
| What's she been in? |
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Maureen guests in The Idiot's Lantern, a 2006 episode of Doctor Who, written by The League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss.
Back in 2002, she played Lillian Spencer, temporary landlady of the Rovers Return, in several episodes of Coronation Street*. Her late husband Jack Rosenthal was a writer on the programme in the 1960s. In 2005, Maureen slammed the soap's 'ludicrous' storylines.
Her other drama credits include Jonathan Creek, Love's Labour's Lost, Smiley's People, The Sweeney, Regan, and The Evacuees.
In the 1980s she became hugely popular as overbearing grandmother Beattie in the BT adverts. One of the award-winning ads contained the famous line "You got an ology", a catchphrase that she'll forever be associated with. In 2000, it was voted 14th in Channel 4's The 100 Greatest Adverts
In 1991 Maureen made her one woman stage show, Re:Joyce, a homage to her heroine Joyce Grenfell, into a TV special. In the same year she starred in a second run of her 1989 series About Face, in which she played a different character each week.
Maureen's well known for appearing on TV as herself, guesting on Have I Got News For You, Grumpy Old Women, The Kumars at No. 42, Room 101 and Parkinson among others. In 1997, she appeared in an edition of Omnibus which profiled her husband Jack Rosenthal. Her own career was celebrated in 1999's Best Of British.
She made her screen debut with the 1967 film Up The Junction*, alongside Dennis Waterman. Maureen's also appeared in the movies Educating Rita*, The Pianist and Solomon & Gaenor*. Maureen also acts regularly on stage and on the radio.
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| Did you know? |
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Maureen was made a CBE in 1999 for services to comedy and drama.
She's a successful author, whose books include How Was It For You?, Thank You For Having Me, You Can Read Me Like a Book, and Lip Reading.
She also writes a weekly column for The Guardian* newspaper.
Maureen trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art*.
She won an Olivier Award* for Best Comedy Performance for 1984's See How They Run.
One of her hobbies is collecting strange ornaments. Among her collection is a statue of Clint Eastwood and a Marx Brothers candle.
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| Personal Details |
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Maureen was born into a Jewish family in Hull, on 10th May 1946.
She was married to Jack Rosenthal from 1974 to his death in 2004. The couple had two children, Amy and Adam.
Daughter Amy has adapted Jack's autobiography for a Radio 4. As well as playing herself, Maureen directed the play. She previously appeared in Amy's theatre production Sitting Pretty.
* The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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