Stephanie Cole, a skilful actor admired for her powerful voice and diverse roles, has died at 84. She was known for portraying strong, no-nonsense characters with layers of vulnerability, humour, and kindness.
Cole made her television debut in 1968 in an episode of Z Cars. She rose to prominence as Dr Beatrice Mason in the BBC series Tenko (1981-84), a role she reprised in Tenko Reunion (1985).
She was particularly popular for playing irascible senior citizens in TV comedy, notably as Diana Trent in the sitcom Waiting for God (1990-94), a role that earned her a 1992 British Comedy award for best TV comedy actress. In 2011, she joined Coronation Street as Sylvia Goodwin, winning a British Soap award for best comedy performance in 2012.
Her other notable television appearances included Muriel in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads (1988), Dame Lettie Colston in Memento Mori (1992), and Martin Clunes’s aunt Joan in Doc Martin (2004-09). Cole was appointed OBE in 2005.