Scott, Margaretta (1912–2005)

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Scott, Margaretta (1912–2005)

English actress. Born Feb 13, 1912, in London, England; died April 15, 2005; dau. of Bertha Eugene and Hugh Arthur Scott (music critic); attended RADA; m. John Wooldridge (composer), 1948 (killed in car accident, 1958); children: Susan Wooldridge (actress) and Hugh Wooldridge (director).

Probably best known for her portrayal of Mrs. Pumphrey on tv series "All Creatures Great and Small" (1978–90), had a career that spanned 70 years; at 14, made stage debut as Mercutio's page in Romeo and Juliet at the Strand; appeared as Ophelia (1931) and as Gertrude to Peter O'Toole's Hamlet (1958); was the 1st woman to appear in Shakespeare on tv (as Portia); also specialized in Oscar Wilde; helped establish Equity (1934), Britain's actors union; films include Things to Come (1936), The Girl in the News (1940), Quiet Wedding (1930) and Fanny by Gaslight (1944).

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