Brenda Blethyn has spoken fondly of her early years growing up in post-war Ramsgate, where her family of eleven lived in poverty and storytelling was often their main entertainment. Despite her modest upbringing, she quickly showed the spark that would later make her one of Britain’s most respected screen actresses. She recalls her father acting out tales for his children during those years without a television or even a radio at times.
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After 14 years as DCI Vera Stanhope in ITV’s hugely popular drama Vera, Blethyn admits it was difficult to say goodbye to a role that resonated with millions of viewers. Although she had been looking forward to a rest, she soon accepted a new challenge in Paul Andrew Williams’ independent film Dragonfly, portraying an elderly woman who forms an unlikely bond with a neighbour. The drama explores growing loneliness across the UK, a subject Blethyn believes has worsened with declining in-person interaction and rapidly changing technology.
Blethyn, now approaching her 80th birthday, describes herself as fiercely independent and notes her own participation in the growing “living apart together” trend. She and her husband, Michael Mayhew, maintain separate flats within the same building, a practical arrangement that allows them personal space while remaining very much a couple. She also shares a close companionship with her dog Jack, who often accompanies her to work.
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Looking back over a career that spans theatre, film, and television, Blethyn remains grateful for the opportunities that found her later in life than for many actors. With acclaimed performances in Secrets & Lies and Little Voice behind her, and a new role in Channel 4’s forthcoming adaptation of A Woman of Substance, she continues to bring compelling characters to the screen. Awarded an OBE in 2003, she remains grounded, humorous, and proud to have risen from humble beginnings to a celebrated place within British drama.
