Rosemary Leach was a renowned English character actress, often typecast as genteel aristocrats and kindly mothers. Born to a family of teachers, she took an unconventional route into the acting profession, initially working as a shoe saleswoman in Reading before enrolling in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the tender age of eighteen.
Leach's illustrious career spanned multiple mediums, with a particular fondness for radio and the stage. She made her stage debut in repertory theatre at Amersham in 1955 and went on to appear in a plethora of supporting and leading roles on screen. Her impressive repertoire included a range of iconic characters, such as Queen Victoria in Disraeli: Portrait of a Romantic (1978),and Queen Elizabeth II, whom she portrayed on at least four occasions on both stage and screen.
One of her most memorable roles was that of scatterbrained Aunt Fenny in The Jewel in the Crown (1984),which sparked a lifelong fascination with India and led to several subsequent visits. She also appeared as the swindled widow Joan Plumleigh-Bruce in The Charmer (1987),one of three nannies working for wealthy families in Edwardian London's exclusive Berkeley Square (1998),the verger's wife, Mrs. Tope, in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993),and Zoë Wanamaker's habitually Martini-imbibing mother Grace in My Family (2000).
Leach received two BAFTA nominations, including one for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the kindly Mrs. Honeychurch in A Room with a View (1985). Among her personal favorite roles were Miss Adelaide in a 1973 Birmingham Repertory Theatre production of "Guys and Dolls" and that of eccentric real-life author Helene Hanff in "84 Charing Cross Road" (1981, Ambassador Theatre, London),for which she received an Olivier Award as Best Actress.
