Janet Brown

Career Brown was born in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, and educated at Rutherglen Academy.

She entered British film as an actress in 1948, notably in Folly to Be Wise (1952), and then appeared in several British television series, such as The Eric Barker Half-Hour (1952), How Do You View? (1952–1953) and Friends and Neighbours (1954).

Margaret Thatcher impersonations Beginning with Margaret Thatcher's election as the leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, Brown gained increasing prominence because of her realistic impression of the Tory politician. She performed as Thatcher on BBC TV's Mike Yarwood Show, on BBC Radio's The News Huddlines, and on film in the 1981 James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.

In 1979, Brown starred as Thatcher on the comedy album Iron Lady: The Coming of the Leader, written by Private Eye satirist John Wells and produced by Secret Policeman's Ball series co-creator/producer Martin Lewis and Not the Nine O'Clock News series co-creator/producer John Lloyd. The largely sprechstimme track "Iron Lady" was released as a single, and Brown promoted it on Top of the Pops as a new release, but it did not chart.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1980 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

During the 1970s and 1980s, she was occasionally confused by some with fellow actress and comedienne Faith Brown because they had the same surname and were both best remembered for their Margaret Thatcher impersonations. In 1990, she recorded a spoken-word sequence in her Margaret Thatcher voice for Mike Oldfield's album Amarok. Still acting in her eighties, her last role was as Old Lady Squeamish on the London West End stage in a production of Wycherley's The Country Wife at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, which opened in September 2007.

She entitled her 1986 autobiography Prime Mimicker.

Personal life Brown was married to Carry On actor Peter Butterworth from 1946 until his death in 1979. The two appeared alongside each other in the television comedy series How Do You View? (1947–53), written by and starring Terry-Thomas. They also appeared together in the 1972 film Bless This House.

The couple had two children, a son, actor Tyler Butterworth (born 1959), and a daughter, Emma, who died in 1996, aged 34.

Filmography Title Year Role NotesFloodtide 1949 Rosie A Ray of Sunshine: An Irresponsible Medley of Song and Dance 1950 Self – Impressionist Folly to Be Wise 1953 Jessie Killegrew A Home of Your Own 1964 Hey Boy! Hey Girl 1967 The Adding Machine 1969 Fat Woman My Lover, My Son 1970 Mrs. Woods Bless This House 1972 Annie Hobbs Wombling Free 1977 Womble VoiceFor Your Eyes Only 1981 Margaret Thatcher, The Prime Minister Summer Solstice 2005 Mrs. Armstrong Underground Ernie 2006 Victoria VoiceZorro and Scarlet Whip Revealed! 2010 Mrs. McAlistair Voice, (final film role)