Cherie Lunghi

Cherie Mary Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is an English film, television, theatre actress and voice-over artist. She is known for her roles in many British dramas. Her international fame stems from her role as Guenevere in the 1981 film Excalibur. Lunghi's long list of screen, stage and TV credits includes football manager Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and a series of advertisements for Kenco coffee. She also competed in the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing. She is the mother of the actress Nathalie Lunghi.

Early life Lunghi was born in Nottingham. Her father, Alessandro Lunghi, was Italian. She was raised by her mother, aunt and grandmother, seeing her father only occasionally. Lunghi has described herself as feeling "different" as she did not have a mother and father like other children.

Career Educated at London's Arts Educational School, Lunghi played Hedvig in The Wild Duck

Strictly Come Dancing In 2008, she competed in the sixth series of BBC television's Strictly Come Dancing (14-week run), partnered by James Jordan. After her first dance, the Foxtrot on the Ladies Night in week two, she scored the highest points of the first two weeks (33). She beat this score with another series-best score of 35/40 for the rumba to finish week four atop the remaining 12 contestants with an average score of 34/40. The score for her third dance, the American Smooth, was an impressive 34 to maintain her average, though she slipped to 31/40 for the Paso Doble, and further to 26/40 on her fifth outing, in the Salsa. She returned to form the following week with a Waltz, scoring 36/40, and was joint first on the leaderboard.

She was voted off the competition on 16 November 2008 (week nine), losing by three votes to one in the dance-off against model Lisa Snowdon after performing a Cha-Cha-Cha. In the January–February 2009 Strictly Tour, she danced an American Smooth and a rumba with James Jordan.

Personal life Lunghi was briefly married to South African student Ralph Lawson after the pair met while studying at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She has a daughter, Nathalie Lunghi, with the director Roland Joffé.

Filmography

Television Year Title Role Notes

Radio Date Title Role Director Station Second girl Network Three Marilyn BBC Home Service Afternoon Theatre Alison Network Three Hedvig BBC Home Service Quiet Wedding Miranda Bute Light Programme Midweek Theatre Flora BBC Home Service Fanny's children Network Three International Couriers: The Kidnappers Judith Carroway Light Programme Mary Durban Ye Daughters of Jerusalem Debbie Hudson BBC Home Service When Sam was King Gail Fleming BBC Home Service Saturday-Night Theatre Kittens Are Brave Barbara Shiplake BBC Radio 3 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice BBC Radio 4 Golden Ring on my Finger Clara Blood Sport Lynnie Keeble BBC Radio 4 Saturday-Night Theatre Lost Yer Tongue? Janet BBC Radio 3 Drama Now Joyous Days in the Desert Janet Ross BBC Radio 4 Six Characters in Search of an Author the Step-daughter BBC Radio 4 & BBC World Service Peter Ibbetson Mary Duchess of Towers BBC Radio 4 Saturday-Night Theatre

Theatre

Her stage credits include:

Date Title Role Director Company / theatre – Alithea Royal Central School of Speech and Drama / Embassy Theatre, London – Canterbury Tales Nun Nottingham Playhouse Company / Nottingham Playhouse – She Stoops to Conquer Miss Kate Hardcastle – Major Barbara Sarah 1975 Teeth 'n' Smiles Laura English Stage Company / Royal Court Theatre, London – Much Ado About Nothing Hero Royal Shakespeare Company / Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon – Royal Shakespeare Company / Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne – Royal Shakespeare Company / Aldwych Theatre, London – Destiny Liz and Carol Royal Shakespeare Company / The Other Place, Stratford-on-Avon – Royal Shakespeare Company / Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Royal Shakespeare Company / Aldwych Theatre, London – Maisie Royal Shakespeare Company / Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon – Roberta Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Perdita Royal Shakespeare Company / Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon – Genevieve Royal Shakespeare Company / Aldwych Theatre – 1977 That Good Between Us Rhoda Royal Shakespeare Company / Warehouse Theatre, London – Bandits Madeline and Pat Royal Shakespeare Company / Warehouse Theatre – King Lear Cordelia Royal Shakespeare Company / Aldwych Theatre – 1978 As You Like It Celia Trevor Nunn – Saratoga Lucy Carter – Twelfth Night Viola Royal Shakespeare Company / Royal Shakespeare Theatre – Royal Shakespeare Company / Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne – Royal Shakespeare Company / Aldwych Theatre – Uncle Vanya Yelena Andreyevna National Theatre Company / Lyttelton Theatre, London – Holiday Julia Seton Old Vic, London – Ruth Comedy Theatre, London – Passion Play Eleanor