Yootha Joyce

Biography

British actress best known for her role as Mildred Roper in the '70s sitcom Man About the House and its spin-off George and Mildred. Born to musical parents Hurst Needham and Jessica Rivett in 1927, Joyce was trained at RADA, toured with ENSA and came to prominence via the Joan Littlewood Theatre Workshop, securing roles in TV shows such as The Avengers, Man in a Suitcase, Te Saint, Jason King and Steptoe and Son, and the films The Pumpkin Eater, A Man For All Seasons, Charlie Bubbles, All the Right Noises and Burke and Hare. She was married to fellow actor Glynn Edwards from 1956 to 1968, and they remained friends all her life. An alcoholic, Joyce died from liver failure in 1980, just four days after her 53rd birthday. Her sitcom co-star Brian Murphy was by her side. In 1986 the Smiths used an image of Joyce on the sleeve of their UK single release "Ask" and the German release of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" securing her place as a British cultural icon.

Known for

HD

George & Mildred

1980 ⭐ 8.3

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Frankenstein: The True Story

1974 ⭐ 7.5

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Steptoe & Son Ride Again

1973 ⭐ 6.8

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Nearest and Dearest

1972 ⭐ 7.1

Career timeline

2023

Man About the House: 50 Years of Laughs

Archive Footage · 2023

1980

George & Mildred Notable

Mildred Roper · 1980

⭐ 8.3

1974

Man About the House

Mildred Roper · 1974

⭐ 4.8

Frankenstein: The True Story Notable

Hospital Matron · 1974

⭐ 7.5

1973

Steptoe & Son Ride Again

Freda · 1973

⭐ 6.8

Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width

Mrs. Finch · 1973

⭐ 5.7

1972

Burke & Hare

Mrs. Hare · 1972

⭐ 5.2

Nearest and Dearest Notable

Mrs. Rhoda Rowbottom · 1972

⭐ 7.1

1971

The Road Builder

Mrs. Palafox · 1971

⭐ 6.3

1970

All the Right Noises

Mrs. Bird · 1970

⭐ 5.8

Fragment of Fear

Miss Ward-Cadbury · 1970

⭐ 5.9

1969

Maigret at Bay

Mlle. Motte · 1969

Twenty-Nine

The Prostitute · 1969

⭐ 4.5

1968

Your Name's Not God, It's Edgar

1968

⭐ 5.0

Charlie Bubbles

Woman in Cafe · 1968

⭐ 6.6

Luther

Katharine Luther · 1968

1967

Our Mother's House Notable

Mrs. Quayle · 1967

⭐ 7.2

Stranger in the House

Shooting Range Girl · 1967

⭐ 5.4

1966

A Man for All Seasons Notable

Averil Machin · 1966

⭐ 7.3

Kaleidoscope

Museum Receptionist · 1966

⭐ 5.3

1965

Catch Us If You Can

Nan · 1965

⭐ 5.4

Fanatic

Anna · 1965

⭐ 6.7

1964

The Pumpkin Eater

Woman at Hairdresser's · 1964

⭐ 6.7

1963

A Place to Go

Bit Role (uncredited) · 1963

⭐ 6.4

Sparrows Can't Sing

Barmaid · 1963

⭐ 5.3

Frequently appears with

Brian Murphy

George Roper

Stratford Johns

Harry Pinto

Norman Eshley

Jeffrey Fourmile

Sheila Fearn

Ann Fourmile

James Mason

Dr. John Polidori

Leonard Whiting

Victor Frankenstein

David McCallum

Dr. Clervall

Jane Seymour

Agatha / Prima

Nicola Pagett

Elizabeth Fanschawe

Full filmography

HD

Man About the House: 50 Years of Laughs

2023

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George & Mildred

1980 ⭐ 8.3

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Man About the House

1974 ⭐ 4.8

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Frankenstein: The True Story

1974 ⭐ 7.5

HD

Steptoe & Son Ride Again

1973 ⭐ 6.8

HD

Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width

1973 ⭐ 5.7

HD

Burke & Hare

1972 ⭐ 5.2

HD

Nearest and Dearest

1972 ⭐ 7.1

HD

The Road Builder

1971 ⭐ 6.3

HD

All the Right Noises

1970 ⭐ 5.8

HD

Fragment of Fear

1970 ⭐ 5.9

HD

Maigret at Bay

1969

HD

Twenty-Nine

1969 ⭐ 4.5

HD

Your Name's Not God, It's Edgar

1968 ⭐ 5.0

HD

Charlie Bubbles

1968 ⭐ 6.6

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Luther

1968

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Our Mother's House

1967 ⭐ 7.2

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Stranger in the House

1967 ⭐ 5.4

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A Man for All Seasons

1966 ⭐ 7.3

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Kaleidoscope

1966 ⭐ 5.3