Annette Crosbie

As comfortable playing in sophisticated period pieces as she was in high concept science fiction, Annette Crosbie was the sort of indomitable character actress that might only come from the realm of classical training. In the earliest days of her career, the Scottish-born Crosbie set her talents to small screen challenges like "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (BBC 1970), gradually amounting film credits including "The Lord of the Rings" (1978) and "The Debt Collector" (1999) over time. As the years carried on, Crosbie only became more prevalent, acting in high-profile miniseries and motion pictures, including the Oscar-nominated "Into the Woods" (2014). Annette Ross Mcleod Crosbie was born on February 12, 1934 in the village of Gorebridge in Midlothian, Scotland. Despite undertaking an academic pursuit of acting as a teenager at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, it wouldn't be until her mid-20s that Crosbie landed her first screen role: "The Bridal Path" (1959), a Danish comedy that cast the rising star as a waitress. In the years following her film debut, Crosbie found work on screens big and small with the likes of the romantic drama "Gypsy Girl" (1965) and various installments of "ITV Play of the Week" (ITV 1955-1974). However, her BAFTA-award winning turn in the TV miniseries "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (BBC 1970) marked her ascension from working actress to bona fide name. Crosbie's small-screen successes continued to accumulate, notably with major roles on "A Picture of Katherine Mansfield" (BBC 1973) and "Edward the King" (ITV 1975). Although the wealth of her attention was committed to television, Crosbie likewise lent her talents to film, performing in such projects as the animated movie "The Lord of the Rings" (1978) and the fantasy adventure "Hawk the Slayer" (1980). The progression of time opened Crosbie to comic projects, foremost the sitcom "One Foot in the Grave" (BBC One 1990-2000). All the while, she maintained her presence in the realm of drama, turning out "Doctor Finlay" (ITV 1993-96), "Oliver Twist" (PBS 1999) and the thriller feature "The Debt Collector" (1999). The latter encouraged a new wave of big screen projects for Crosbie, including the Helen Mirren-led comedy-drama "Calendar Girls" (2003). From there on, she starred in the miniseries "Little Dorrit" (BBC One 2008) and "Hope Springs" (BBC One 2009), and in the musical film "Into the Woods" (2014).