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Sandy Ratcliff
Sue osmss.jpg
Ratcliff as Sue Osman in EastEnders
Born
Alexandra Ratcliff

(1948-10-02)2 October 1948
Islington, England
Died 7 April 2019(2019-04-07) (aged 70)
London, England
Occupation
  • Actress
  • model
  • counsellor
Years active 1970–1994

Alexandra Ratcliff (2 October 1948 – 7 April 2019) was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap opera EastEnders in the 1980s. She portrayed the role of Sue Osman but left the role in 1989. In 2010, she revealed that she had retired from acting to train as a counsellor.

Early life

Ratcliff, the daughter of an insurance salesman, had a turbulent youth. She was expelled from school at the age of 12. She had numerous jobs before she took up acting, including waitressing, disc-jockeying and performing as a guitarist in the rock groups Tropical Appetite and Escalator.

Career

Ratcliff's career changed direction at 23, when she made a big impression as a model and was cast as "The face of the '70s" by royal photographer Lord Snowdon. This later facilitated a move into film. Her first major role was in the Ken Loach BAFTA-nominated film Family Life (1971), in which she played a schizophrenic teenager. This was followed by roles in slightly less well-received films including The Final Programme (1973) and Yesterday's Hero (1979). She also appeared in Chris Petit's British road movie Radio On (1979). Ratcliff subsequently acted in several television productions including Minder, Couples, Play for Today, Target, The Sweeney, Shoestring and Shelley, and on stage in 1981 in the Ray Davies/Kinks musical, Chorus Girls.

She became a household name in 1985, as Sue Osman in the BBC serial EastEnders. She played the long-suffering wife of highly-strung cafe owner and mini-cab boss Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih). She was written out of the show in 1989.

Her television appearances after EastEnders were in 1992's Maigret opposite Michael Gambon, and in the BBC2 productions A Box of Swan (1990) and Men of the Month (1994).

In later life, Ratcliff retrained as a counsellor, and drove ambulances; in 2010, it was reported she "eke(d) out a living doing part time jobs", and was living "in a run-down ground floor flat on a busy road in North London".

Personal life

Ratcliff married photographer Peter Wright in Kensington, London in 1968. They broke up and by 1973 she had her only son, William, by theatre director Terence Palmer.

In later life, Ratcliff lived on a £70 a week disability allowance. She suffered three strokes and was diagnosed with cancer.

Death

Ratcliff died in her sleep and her body was found on 7 April 2019.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1971 Family Life Janice Baildon Film
1973 The Final Programme Jenny Film
1973 Centre Play Girl 1 episode
1974 Crossroads Barbara Wells 7 episodes
1974 Marked Personal Paula Barry 2 episodes
1975 Whodunnit? Rikki Howard 1 episode
1975 The Sweeney Liz Jenner 1 episode
1976 Couples Sally Knott 9 episodes
1976 BBC2 Playhouse Mimi 1 episode
1977 ITV Playhouse Lana Cork 1 episode
1977 Target Angie Dawson 1 episode
1978 Hazell Mrs O'Rourke 1 episode
1978 Play for Today Mum 1 episode
1978 Touch and Go Charmaine Main role
1979 Radio On Kathy Film
1979 Danger UXB Rosalyn 1 episode
1979 Kids Carmen Fox 1 episode
1979 Shoestring Mel Shepherd 1 episode
1979 Yesterday's Hero Rita Film
1979 Premiere Muriel 1 episode
1980 The Gentle Touch Ruby 1 episode
1982 Minder Barbara 1 episode
1982 Doll's Eye Maggie Film
1982 Shelley Sandra 1 episode
1982 BBC2 Playhouse Alice 1 episode
1983 The Balance of Nature Julie Television film
1985–1989 EastEnders Sue Osman Series regular; 271 episodes
1990 Debut on Two Patricia 1 episode
1992 Maigret Ernestine Jussiaume 1 episode
1994 Screen Two Meg 1 episode
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