Joan Sims, affectionately known as the "First Lady of Carry On", was born Irene Joan Marion Sims on May 9, 1930. The daughter of an Essex railway station master, Joan was drawn to the world of show-business and soon became a familiar face in various amateur productions.
Despite initial rejection from RADA, Joan persevered and was eventually admitted to the academy's preparatory school. She graduated in 1950 at the age of nineteen.
Joan's big break came with a cameo appearance in Doctor in the House (1954) as Nurse Rigor Mortis, which caught the attention of Peter Rogers. This led to her becoming a regular in the Doctor series and ultimately, her starring role in the Carry On films.
Over the course of her career, Joan appeared in 24 Carry On films, making her the longest-serving female member of the team. She first starred in Carry on Teacher (1959),Carry on Constable (1960),and Carry on Regardless (1961) before taking a break to focus on stage work.
Joan returned to the Carry On series with Carry on Cleo (1964) and remained a part of the team until Carry on Emmannuelle (1978). Despite never being proclaimed the "Queen of Carry On", Joan's contributions to the series were immense.
In her later years, Joan became a cult figure and a British national institution, with her autobiography, High Spirits, released in 2000. The book revealed her struggles with ill health and her complaints about the lack of information on her IMDB trivia page.
Joan's passing on June 28, 2001, was met with widespread tributes from the Carry On community, with Barbara Windsor describing her as "the last of the great Carry Ons" and a "wonderful, talented" actress.
