Sandy Ratcliff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sandy Ratcliff
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Ratcliff as Sue Osman in EastEnders
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Born |
Alexandra Ratcliff
2 October 1948 Islington, England
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Died | 7 April 2019 London, England
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(aged 70)
Occupation |
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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.
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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 |
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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 |