Barbara Leigh-Hunt

Barbara Leigh-Hunt (14 December 1935 – 16 September 2024) was an English actress. Her numerous theatre credits included Broadway productions of Hamlet, Sherlock Holmes (1973) and Justice (1974), and she won the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for the National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls. Her film appearances included Frenzy (1972), Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), Bequest to the Nation (1973), and Billy Elliot (2000).

Career On stage, Leigh-Hunt appeared in many productions as well those with the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. Her early film roles included Catherine Parr in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), Bequest to the Nation (1973) and Oh Heavenly Dog (1980). Her most famous movie role was probably in Alfred Hitchcock's penultimate film Frenzy (1972), as a woman raped and strangled by a serial killer, that included the first graphically violent scene featuring visible nudity of Hitchcock's career.

In 1983, Leigh-Hunt appeared as the Queen of Bavaria in the mini-series Wagner, sharing her scenes with Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud as court ministers. Richard Burton played the composer Richard Wagner. Her husband, Richard Pasco, whom she married in 1967, appeared also.

Leigh-Hunt played Jean Lawrence in the controversial BBC drama Tumbledown (1988), and Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice (1995), and provided the voices of the farmer's wife in The Plague Dogs (1982), and Captain Mildred and Mary the Hover Fairy in the 1987 Children's BBC series Charlie Chalk. In 1999, Leigh-Hunt starred as Lady Cumnor in BBC's four-part series adaptation of the novel Wives and Daughters (1999). More recently she appeared in such films as Paper Mask (1990), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997), Billy Elliot (2000), The Martins (2001) and Vanity Fair (2004), and had much work on television, mainly in guest character parts.

Personal life and death Leigh-Hunt's cousin was the actor Ronald Leigh-Hunt.

Leigh-Hunt was married to Richard Pasco from 1967 until his death in 2014. She died in Aston Cantlow, Warwickshire, on 16 September 2024, aged 88.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1969CallanSusanneSeason 2, episode: "Death of a Hunter" 1972 Frenzy Brenda Blaney Henry VIII and His Six Wives Catherine Parr 1973 Bequest to the Nation Catherine 'Catty' Matcham 1974 Who Killed Lamb? Madeleine Television film 1980 Oh Heavenly Dog Margaret 1982 The Plague Dogs Farmer's Wife Voice only 1986 Charlie Chalk (1987) Captain Mildred, Mary the Hover Fairy Voice only; 12 episodes Screenplay Mrs Oxney 1988 Tumbledown Jean Lawrence Television film 1990 Paper Mask Celia Mumford The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Mrs Fanshawe Episodes: "The Best Man to Die Parts 1,2,3" Inspector Morse Blanche Copley-Barnes Episode: "The Infernal Serpent" 1993 Anna Lee: Headcase Beryl Television film 1995 Pride and Prejudice Lady Catherine de Bourgh As Time Goes By Registrar Episode: "Wedding Day Nerves" 1997 Keep the Aspidistra Flying Mrs. Wisbeach 1998 The Echo Mrs Deacon Series 1 episode 2 1999 Wives and Daughters Lady Cumnor 3 episodes Sunburn Edna Hand Series 1 episode 1 1999–2001 Kavanagh QC Lady Justice Pinnock 2 episodes 2000Billy Elliot Vice-Principal Longitude Dodo Gould Television film 2001 The Martins Mrs. Heath 2002 Midsomer Murders Marjorie Empson George Eliot: A Scandalous Life Gossip Television film Bertie and Elizabeth Lady Mabel Airlie 2004 Vanity Fair Lady Bareacres