"But as he also points out, time teaches you that fame is relative. In 1983, [[w:Robert Lindsay|[Robert] Lindsay]] starred as Edmund in a Granada TV version of King Lear. "Larry Olivier, who was very poorly at the time, was Lear." he says. "And there we were in makeup. At Granada, there was this huge makeup trailer. At one end there was Larry in his crown, and sitting down the other end was Doris Speed, who played Annie Walker in Coronation Street." At a certain moment, Olivier rose from his seat – in Lindsay’s memory, it was a throne – and made his way slowly down to Speed. The trailer was silent. Everyone was agog. "He stood behind her, and he leaned into her mirror," says Lindsay. "And then he said [cue a pitch-perfect impression of Olivier]: 'My darling, on behalf of the theatrical profession, I'd like to congratulate you on a performance that has given such heart to the nation. It's real, it's humorous, and we love you so much. Congratulations, my darling, and thank you." Olivier then made his way back to his own seat, at which point Doris Speed looked up at her makeup artist and said: 'Who’s that?'""
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Women authors from EnglandPeople from SheffieldFeminists from EnglandColumnists from EnglandWomen born in the 1960s
Original Language: English
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Rachel Cooke
Rachel Cooke (7 July 1969 – 14 November 2025) was a British journalist and writer. Cooke began her career as a reporter for The Sunday Times becoming a regular contributor to The Observer newspaper and the New Statesman (as their television critic).
7 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Rachel Cooke →
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