Quick Facts
SagittariusBiography
Kate Williams (born 12 December 1941) is an English actress best known for playing Joan Booth inLove Thy Neighbour (1972–1976) and Liz Turner in EastEnders (2006–2010).
She has also played Dorothy Burgess in May to December (1989–1994), Myra Costello in Family Affairs (2003–2005) and Auntie Vera in Birds of a Feather (2015–2016) as well as roles in the films Holiday on the Buses (1973) and Quadrophenia (1979).
Career
Williams is known for three television roles: Joan Booth in the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour; Teresa in the 1971 BBC play Edna, the Inebriate Woman; and Audrey Withey in the crime drama Widows. She reprised the role of Audrey in both Widows 2 (1985), and 1995 sequel She's Out. In addition to her appearance in Holiday on the Buses, in which she played the Holiday Camp nurse, she had previously appeared as Wendy, a brassy conductress, in the fourth episode of the fourth series of On the Buses, the episode entitled"The Other Woman"', and in an earlier episode titled "Late Again"' as a different character called Doreen.
Williams starred in the film version of Love Thy Neighbour (1973), and played Mrs Perkins in the film Melody (1971). Her other film credits include: Poor Cow (1967), Till Death Us Do Part (1969), Holiday on the Buses (1973), What's Up Nurse! (1977), Quadrophenia (1979), Party Party (1983) and Little Dorrit (1987).
Her guest roles on TV include: Dixon of Dock Green, On the Buses, Please Sir!, Minder, The Gentle Touch, Just Good Friends, C.A.T.S. Eyes, Only Fools and Horses, May to December, Murder Most Horrid, Lovejoy, Doctor At Large, Born and Bred, The Bill andUnforgotten.
Williams also appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing Liz Turner. Williams returned as a regular character in 2009, but in 2010, it was announced that the character of Liz Turner was to be dropped. Williams was last seen in the role in August 2010.
In January 2016, Williams played the role of Sharon and Tracey's 'Auntie' Vera on Birds of a Feather, a role which she went on to reprise in later episodes. In November 2019, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Peggy Sampson. In 2023, she was cast in the BBC medical drama series Casualty, in the recurring role of Stella Lawson.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Poor Cow | Beryl | |
| 1969 | Till Death Us Do Part | Sergeant's Girlfriend | |
| 1971 | Melody | Mrs Perkins | |
| 1973 | Love Thy Neighbour | Joan Booth | |
| 1973 | Holiday on the Buses | Red Cross Nurse | |
| 1975 | The Golden Cage | Girl in Disco | |
| 1978 | What's Up Nurse! | Matron | |
| 1979 | Quadrophenia | Mother | |
| 1983 | Party Party | Mum | |
| 1987 | Little Dorrit | Mrs Greasby | |
| 1993 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | Opium Woman | |
| 2001 | Hot Money | Molly Stern |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Love Story | Jeopardy | Episode: "Love in a Geary Suit" |
| 1967–1968 | The Wednesday Play | Janice, Valerie Chapman | Episodes: "An Officer of the Court", "Mrs. Lawrence Will Look After It" |
| 1969 | The Newcomers | Jane Tompkins | 2 episodes |
| 1969–1970 | On the Buses | Doreen, Wendy | Episode: "Late Again", "The Other Woman" |
| 1969–1971 | Dixon of Dock Green | Connie Lester, Jane Simpson, Billie Rogers | Episodes: "Obsession", "The Lag's Brigade", "No One Loses" |
| 1971 | Doctor at Large | Mrs Temple | Episode: "Congratulations- It's a Toad!" |
| 1971 | Please Sir! | Mrs Davis | Episode: "Identitwit" |
| 1971 | Play for Today | Teresa | Episode "Edna, the Inebriate Woman" |
| 1972–1976 | Love Thy Neighbour | Joan Booth | 54 episodes |
| 1972 | All Star Comedy Carnival | Television film | |
| 1976 | No Hard Feelings | Elsie | Television film |
| 1977 | I'm Bob, He's Dickie | Episode: #1.1 | |
| 1978–1980 | Born and Bred | Marge Benge | 12 episodes |
| 1980 | Belle Starr | Woman | Television film |
| 1981 | A Sharp Intake of Breath | Juliet | Episode: "The Weekend" |
| 1982 | Shine on Harvey Moon | Mrs Gold | Episode: "Safe as Houses" |
| 1982 | Young at Heart | Alice | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | The Lady Is a Tramp | Mrs Platt | Episode: "Episode 3" |
| 1983–1985 | Widows | Audrey Withey | 11 episodes |
| 1983 | R.H.I.N.O. | Care Assistant | Television film |
| 1984 | Miracles Take Longer | Mrs Anderson | 3 episodes |
| 1984 | Bottle Boys | Traffic warden | Episode: "Fools Rush In" |
| 1984 | The Gentle Touch | Sheila Oates | Episode: "Do It Yourself" |
| 1984 | Minder | Mary | Episode: "A Number of Old Wives Tales" |
| 1984 | Just Good Friends | Geraldine | Episode: "Special" |
| 1984 | Young Ones | Neighbour | Episode:"Cash" |
| 1985, 1992, 1996, 1997 | The Bill | Mrs Mullins, Mrs Hunt, Ruth Walker, Rose | Various roles |
| 1985 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Christabel | Episode: "The Double Dutch Deal" |
| 1986 | Prospects | Bess | Episode: "Frying Tonight" |
| 1986 | Only Fools and Horses | Mrs Miles | Episode: "A Royal Flush" |
| 1988 | The Storyteller | Chief Maid | Episode: "Sapsorrow" |
| 1989–1994 | May to December | Dorothy Burgess | 27 episodes |
| 1989 | The Jim Henson Hour | Maid | Episode: "Garbage" |
| 1989 | Alas Smith and Jones | 2 episodes | |
| 1990 | Perfect Scoundrels | Brenda | Episode: "Blue Kisses" |
| 1990 | This is David Harper | Shirley English | Episode: "Partners in Crime?" |
| 1991 | Murder Most Horrid | Woman on bus | Episode: "The Case of the Missing" |
| 1992 | Lovejoy | Bella | Episode: "Scotch on the Rocks" |
| 1992 | KYTV | Episode: "Talking Heads" | |
| 1993 | Seekers | Beryl Sinclair | Episode: "Episode 2" |
| 1993 | Outside Chance | Ma Conway | Television film |
| 1993 | London's Burning | Landlady | Episode: #6.9 |
| 1994–1995 | Time After Time | Ma Conway | 7 episodes |
| 1994 | She's Out | Audrey Withey | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Dressing for Breakfast | Joan | Episode: "Hospital" |
| 1996 | Porkpie | Sheila | Episode: "Birth Rites" |
| 1998 | Berkeley Square | Mrs McClusky | 10 episodes |
| 2000 | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) | Mrs Coles | Episode: "Mental Apparition Disorder" |
| 2001 | Best of Both Worlds | Brigitte | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Silent Witness | Bea Johnson | Episode: "Tell No Tales: Part 2" |
| 2003 | In Deep | Rose | 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Danielle Cable: Eyewitness | Neighbour | Television film |
| 2003–2005 | Family Affairs | Myra Costello | 64 episodes |
| 2006–2010 | EastEnders | Liz Turner | 69 episodes |
| 2008 | Hughie Green, Most Sincerely | Mrs Carr | Television film |
| 2010 | Silent Witness | Glenda Carmody | Episode: "Run: Part 2" |
| 2011 | Holby City | Catherine Salter | Episode: "Too Much Monkey Business" |
| 2014 | Casualty | Rosie Cornwall | Episode: "The Quiet Man" |
| 2014 | Doctors | Dora Harrington | Episode: "Golden Boy" |
| 2015–2016 | Birds of a Feather | Auntie Vera | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Man Down | Rachel | Episode: "Dennis" |
| 2017 | Call the Midwife | Ivy Jackson | Episode: #6.5 |
| 2018 | Hetty Feather | Mrs. Whittock | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Doctors | Peggy Sampson | Episode: "Every Dog Has Its Day" |
| 2021 | Unforgotten | Mary Quinn | Episode: #4.5 |
| 2023 | Casualty | Stella Lawson | Recurring role |