Doreen June Mantle, a renowned character actress, was born on June 22, 1926, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her early life was marked by frequent travels, as she first accompanied her parents to Britain when she was just six weeks old. However, they returned to South Africa four years later, only to have her return to the UK permanently in her late twenties.
Throughout her career, Mantle appeared in numerous British television series, including The Duchess of Duke Street, The Wild House, Chalk, Casualty, The Bill, Doctors, Holby City, Love Soup, and Jonathan Creek. She also played the iconic role of Queenie, a lollipop lady, in the popular series Clatterford.
In addition to her television work, Mantle has had a successful stage career, performing in productions such as My Fair Lady, Keep It in the Family, The Seagull, and Hamlet. She also toured the UK in Billy Liar, playing the role of Florence Boothroyd, and appeared at the National Theatre in The Voysey Inheritance.
Mantle's talents were recognized with the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1979 for her performance in Death of a Salesman. She also had a prolific radio career, working with BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, and the BBC World Service.
In 2011, Mantle made a memorable appearance in Coronation Street, playing the role of the mother of Colin Fishwick, whose identity was taken by John Stape.
