Carry on actress passes away

Actress Dilys Laye, who starred in several of the Carry On films, has passed away at the age of 74 following a battle with the cancer. As well as starring in several Carry On films the actress also appeared in many television shows, such as EastEnders and Coronation Street, and also starred in many theatre shows including Broadway shows.

Actress Dilys Laye has passed away at the age of 74 following a battle with lung cancer. The actress had a long and varied career with having appeared in a variety of films, television and stage shows. Amongst her more famous roles were roles in four Carry On films. Her first Carry On film was in 1962 where she played the character of Flo Castle in Carry On Cruising, the first of the films to be shot in colour. Joan Sims had originally be cast in the role but had to drop out at the last minute, due to illness, and Dilys Laye stepped into the role. In 1964 the actress returned to the film franchise for Carry On Spying, a spoof of the James Bond films, where she played double-agent Lila. Her third Carry On film was 1967’s Carry On Doctor, widely regarded as one of the best films in the series. In the film she played patient Mavis who enjoyed a romance with Bernard Bresslaw’s character. Her final Carry On film was 1969’s Carry On Camping, also highly regarded, where she played Anthea and worked alongside Joan Sims who she had replaced in her very first Carry On.

On television the actress appeared in a wide variety of drama’s and even soaps guest starring in daytime series Doctors and also EastEnders. At the turn of the century she had a recurring role in Coronation Street as Isobel Stephens, a woman is dying and whose husband, Anthony [John Quayle] was having a relationship with Rita [Barbara Knox]. More recently the actress played Queen Elizabeth II in two episodes of BBC Drama The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, which starred Jane Horrocks in the title role. Just last year she appeared in two drama’s, playing Frankie Howard’s mother in BBC Four’s Rather You Than Me and appearing in ITV drama The Commander.