Liz Smith MBE was a fantastic and highly celebrated English actress, loved by many as Nana in The Royle Family.
Well-known for her roles in The Vicar of Dibley and The Royle Family, she established herself as a phenomenal character actress.
Read on to find out more about the British star…
Is Liz Smith still alive?
Sadly Liz Smith is no longer with us.
She passed away on December 24, 2016 aged 95.
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Her spokesperson said at the time: “The BAFTA award-winning actress Liz Smith has died, on Christmas Eve, at the age of 95, her family has announced.”
Who did Liz Smith play on the The Vicar of Dibley?
Liz played Letitia Cropley on The Vicar of Dibley for seven episodes.
She was a beloved character, but was killed off in the 1996 Easter Special.
Her character was one of many local eccentrics, and was known in the village for being a terrible cook.
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A parish council member, she was also said to be a real beauty in her youth.
Who did she play on The Royle Family?
Liz played Nana, full name Norma Speakman, on The Royle Family. Her character was killed off in a 2006 Christmas special.
At the time of her real life death, her former co-star Ralf Little tweeted his sympathies.
He shared: “Devastating to lose two members of my second family in one awful year. RIP Liz Smith. Goodbye Nana. Xxx.”
Actress Caroline Aherne died the same year from lung cancer.
What were some movies she was in?
The actress appeared in many movies throughout her career.
One of her last major film roles was playing Grandma Georgina in Johnny Depp’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.
She won a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA in 1985 for her role in the film A Private Function.
In the movie she plays Maggie Smith character’s mother.
The film is about a couple attempting to profit from the underground pork market during WWII.
Was she married? Did she have any children?
Liz was married to a man called Jack Thomas from 1945 to 1959. They had a son and a daughter together.
However, Liz says she raised her children on her own.
She spoke of the financial setbacks and societal disapproval she experienced during these years.
Speaking on Desert Island Discs in 2008, Liz explained: “No my husband left almost straightaway. No money and and no acceptance as well, because in a very prim suburb, to be on your own with two children, you were ignored. People would cross the road round and speak quite literally.
“Oh, yes. It was a very, very unhappy state to be in. And I used to go to jump out and buy about a two pennyworth of broken China, and I used to come back and throw it at the wall, things like that.”
Was she related to actress Maggie Smith?
Although she played her mother in a film, they were not related in real life.
They simply shared the very common last name.
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