Born:
October 05, 1941
in
Solihull
Best Known For:
Tenko, Waiting for God and Doc Martin.
Early-life:
Patricia Stephanie Cole was born in Solihull on October 5, 1941. She landed a place at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school when she was 15 and made her stage debut at the age of 17, playing a 90-year-old woman in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit (at the age of 63, she played the same role when the play was revived at the Savoy Theatre in 2004).
Career:
Cole made her TV debut in an episode of Z Cars in 1968. She went on to make guest appearances in several TV shows but her big break didn't come until she was cast as Dr Beatrice Mason in Tenko in 1981. She played the kindly doctor for three series and a one-off special. Other notable roles include Mrs Featherstone in Open All Hours, Betty Sillitoe in A Bit of a Do, Diana Trent in Waiting for God and Joan Norton in Doc Martin. More recently, she played Sylvia Goodwin in Coronation Street and revived the role of Mrs Featherstone in Still Open All Hours.
Quote:
'I laugh like a drain at most jokes, but then instantly forget them.'
Trivia:
In 2012, Cole won a British Soap Award for Best Comedy Performance for her role in Coronation Street. She was awarded an OBE in 2005.