Michèle Winstanley
Acting
Biography
British actress and playwright, known for her works with cult director Alex Cox, including 'Straight To Hell' and 'Sid and Nancy', and for playing Cathy in Phil Redmond's seminal teenage television series, 'Going Out'. Michèle Winstanley is also known for her role as Karen the barmaid at The Nags Head in 'Only Fools and Horses', as well as for playing Harry's mother in Safeways' long-running series of commercials, which follow the adventures of Harry, a thoughtful toddler, voiced by Martin Clunes OBE. In 2024, she had a regular role in the BBC series Silent Witness as a sign language interpreter, a role she also does in real life. As a playwright, Winstanley's works have been produced at Hampstead Theatre, Arcola Theatre and The Space Theatre.
Born: January 26, 1964
Place of Birth: Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Known For
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses.... Is a British sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally transmitted on BBC One from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until 2003. In working-class Peckham in south-east London, ambitious market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter and his younger half-brother Rodney, explore their highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Initially not an immediate hit and receiving little promotion early on, it later achieved consistently high ratings, and the 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the series finale) holds the record for the biggest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers. The series bears a significant influence on British culture, contributing several words and phrases to the English language.
Shine on Harvey Moon
Shine on Harvey Moon! is a British comedy-drama series made by Central Television for ITV from 8 January 1982 to 23 August 1985 and briefly revived in 1995 by Meridian. This generally light-hearted series was created by comedy writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. The series is set in the East End of London shortly after the Second World War. Upon being demobbed RAF serviceman Harvey Moon, played by Kenneth Cranham, returns home and finds his family involved in various troubles. His wife Rita, played by Maggie Steed, is not interested in resuming their relationship, and works in a seedy nightclub frequented by American servicemen. He becomes involved with the Labour Party and the union movement. The name of the series is a wordplay on the title of the popular 1908 song 'Shine On, Harvest Moon'. The first series was commissioned and recorded by ATV at their Elstree studios with the remaining series filmed at newly constructed facilities in Nottingham.
The Comic Strip Presents...
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents... which was labelled as an example of alternative comedy. The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and others.
Going Out
Going Out was a six part, thirty minute episode, drama series written by Phil Redmond (Grange Hill, Brookside etc) and produced by the ex-ITV franchise, Southern Television. The series followed the first six weeks after Sean, Roger Sammy, Cathy and Gerry were released from school and onto Thatcher’s scrap heap. Along with Dikey, who'd already been drawing his Giro for a year, they tried to avoid the nutter Arty 'Haggis' Jackson and his 'crew'.
Minder
Roguish comedy drama following the misadventures of small-time crook Arthur Daley.
Sid and Nancy
January 1978. After their success in England, the punk rock band Sex Pistols venture out on their tour of the southern United States. Temperamental bassist Sid Vicious is forced by his band mates to travel without his troubled girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, who will meet him in New York. When the band breaks up and Sid begins his solo career in a hostile city, the turbulent couple definitely falls into the depths of drug addiction.
I.D.
Four policemen go undercover and infiltrate a gang of football hooligans hoping to route out their leaders. For one of the four, the line between 'job' and 'yob' becomes more unclear as time passes . . .
Walker
William Walker and his mercenary corps enter Nicaragua in the middle of the 19th century in order to install a new government by a coup d'etat.
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC One from 1989 until 1998 and on ITV from 2013. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers. The first episode sees sisters Tracey Stubbs and Sharon Theodopolopodos brought together when their husbands are sent to prison for armed robbery. Sharon, who lived in an Edmonton council flat, moves into Tracey's expensive house in Chigwell, Essex. Their next-door neighbour, and later friend, Dorien Green is a middle-aged married woman who is constantly having affairs with younger men. In the later series the location is changed to Hainault. The series ended on Christmas Eve 1998 after a 9-year-run.
Straight to Hell
A gang of bank robbers with a suitcase full of money go to the desert to hide out. After burying the loot, they find their way to a surreal town full of cowboys who drink an awful lot of coffee.
Filmography
as Stef
as Tina
as Clerk
as The nurse
as Michelle
as Maid
as Louise
as Olive McBollocks
as Elaine
as Christine
as Anne
as Michelle
as Gail
as Julie
as Janice
as Karen
as Jill
as Cathy Wickes
as Sandra