Jean Alexander, the great character actress who played Hilda Ogden in Coronation Street for many years, has died, just three days after her 90th birthday. I was delighted to learn that, before she took up acting, Jean Alexander was a librarian, and she continued to be an active supporter of public libraries all her life. A librarian going into showbiz! That doesn't often happen, though I did once meet Caron Wheeler (later of Soul II Soul) when she was a Saturday library assistant. She didn't look like a career librarian to me...
Plenty of writers were also librarians, of course - Philip Larkin, Anne Tyler, Angus Wilson, etc - but have there been any actors, other than Jean Alexander, who began as librarians? Don't say Elizabeth Taylor - it was the other one, the writer. Over to you, Dave Lull?
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Beats me, Nige.
ReplyDeleteBut a number of librarians gave birth to or fathered actors, and, of course, a number of actors have played librarians. See for examples:
Persons with “librarian” in their IMDb biographical notes
PS: I didn't take a look at all the entries brought up by this search, so I cant't say there isn't a former librarian among them.
DeleteAs I am still in Venice this caught my eye in Dave's list - Casanova was librarian for a while.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed Guy - and a credit to the profession.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, I'll scrutinise that...
Such a shame Michael Richards was never a librarian...
ReplyDeleteI've just read that John Betjeman was chairman of the British League for Hilda Ogden (president Laurence Olivier).
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