Pam Ferris

3.1. Theatre

Ferris began her acting career in her younger years at the Mercury Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand. Upon returning to the United Kingdom, she continued to hone her craft with various regional theatre companies before making a significant impact in London's theatrical scene. Her notable stage performances include roles at the prestigious Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre.



In 1972, she appeared in several productions at the Ipswich Arts Theatre in Ipswich, including Gas Light as Bella Manningham, Murder in the Cathedral as a Woman of Canterbury, Gamma Gurton's Needle as Dame Chat, and Captain Pugwash as a Cannibal. She returned to the Ipswich Arts Theatre in 1974 for Time and Time Again, playing Anna.

In 1979, Ferris performed in Bleak House as Lady Dedlock and Cymbeline as Imogen, both at the Royal Court Theatre with the Shared Experience company. She continued her work at the Royal Court Theatre in 1984 with The Luckey Chance, taking on various roles with the Women's Playhouse Trust, and in 1985 in The Grace of Mary Traverse as Mrs. Temptwell. In 1988, she appeared in Roots as Mrs. Bryant at the Cottesloe Theatre.

In 1991, Ferris toured the UK with the Oxford Stage Company in The Seagull, portraying Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina. She played Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen and I and also appeared in Road as Brenda/Helen/Joe's Mum/Mr and Mrs Bald in 1994, both with the Out of Joint Theatre Company at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre. In 2002, she was Vera in Closing Time at the Royal National Theatre. In 2004, she played Mother in Notes on Falling Leaves at the Royal Court Theatre.

One of her most critically acclaimed theatre roles was Phoebe Rice in a 2007 revival of John Osborne's The Entertainer at The Old Vic in London, for which she received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

3.2. Television

Ferris has an extensive and highly visible career in British television, starring in numerous popular series and dramas. Her early television appearances include an episode of BBC Play of the Month in 1971, Dramarama in 1984 and 1987, and The Bill in 1985. She gained early recognition for her role as Nesta in the 1985 series Connie, appearing in 13 episodes. Other roles in the 1980s included Ladies in Charge, Hardwicke House, Lizzie's Pictures, Casualty, The Fear, Valentine Park, and South of the Border.



From 1991 to 1993, Ferris starred as the beloved, motherly Florence "Ma" Larkin in the ITV series The Darling Buds of May, appearing in 20 episodes. This role cemented her as a household name. She was also the subject of This Is Your Life in 1991 while recording an episode of The Darling Buds of May.

Her television career continued with a succession of acclaimed dramas. She played Mavis in Meantime, the Cockney mother of Phil Daniels and Tim Roth. She appeared in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1990), A Sense of Guilt (1990), Mr Wakefield's Crusade (1992), Cluedo (1992), Performance (1992), Comedy Playhouse (1993), Middlemarch (1994), The Rector's Wife (1994), and Screen Two (1995).

From 1997 to 2000, Ferris played Peggy Snow in Where the Heart Is for 36 episodes, a role for which she received three nominations for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards. She also took on roles in costume dramas such as The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996), Our Mutual Friend (1998), The Turn of the Screw (1999), Pollyanna, and Jane Eyre (2006).

From 2003 to 2006, she co-starred as the gardening sleuth Laura Thyme opposite Felicity Kendal in the popular series Rosemary & Thyme, appearing in 22 episodes. Other television credits include Linda Green (2001), Paradise Heights (2002), Clocking Off (2003), Agatha Christie's Marple (2004), Lilies (2007), and Little Dorrit (2008), where she played Mrs. Hortensia General in 9 episodes. She also appeared in the final series of the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey as Cath Smith from 2009 to 2010, and made a guest appearance in Grandma's House in 2010. In 2011, she featured in Midsomer Murders and Luther.

From 2012 to 2016, Ferris portrayed Sister Evangelina in the critically acclaimed series Call the Midwife, appearing in 36 episodes. Her more recent television work includes Urban Myths (2020) and Beauty and the Beast: A Comic Relief Pantomime for Christmas (2021). She has also acted in productions for BBC Radio 4 and was a guest on BBC Radio 3's Essential Classics in 2015.

3.3. Film

Ferris has an impressive filmography, featuring in a range of genres from family comedies to dramatic thrillers. Her film debut was in Meantime (1983) as Mavis.



One of her most iconic film roles came in 1996 when she portrayed the tyrannical and brutish school headmistress Miss Agatha Trunchbull in the film Matilda, an adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel directed by Danny DeVito. This performance introduced her to a wider, younger audience and showcased her ability to embody a formidable antagonist with a darkly humorous edge. She later reunited with DeVito for Death to Smoochy (2002), playing Tommy Cotter.

In 2004, Ferris joined the wizarding world, playing the foul-mouthed and unpleasant Marge Dursley in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment of the Harry Potter film series.

Her dramatic film roles include Miriam, a motherly British activist, in the critically acclaimed dystopian thriller Children of Men (2006). She also appeared as Mrs. Bevan in the Christmas comedy films Nativity! (2009) and Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012). Other film credits include Telstar (2009) as Mrs. Violet Shenton, Malice in Wonderland (2009) as The Duchess, The Raven (2012) as Mrs. Bradley, and Saving Santa (2013) as Mrs. Claus.

In 2016, she lent her voice to the animated biographical film Ethel & Ernest, portraying Mrs. Bennett and Aunty Betty. She also played Queen Victoria in Holmes & Watson (2018) and Mrs. Faulkner in Tolkien (2019).