Judy Parfitt

Early life Parfitt was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1935 to Catherine Josephine (née Caulton) and Lawrence Hamilton Parfitt. As a teenager, she attended Notre Dame High School for Girls and later trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1953.

Career Parfitt began her career in theatre in 1954, appearing in a production of Fools Rush In at the Amersham Repertory Company.

In 1968, Parfitt appeared in the Hammer television film Journey to The Unknown, opposite Joseph Cotten and hosted by Joan Crawford. In 1978, Parfitt appeared opposite Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright and Frank Finlay in the episode "Saturday, Sunday, Monday" of Laurence Olivier Presents. In 1981 she created the role of Eleanor in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Peter Nichols' Passion Play. In 1984 she played Deidre in Jack Rosenthal's The Chain. In 1987, she appeared in Maurice.

Two of her most notable past roles are Mildred Layton in The Jewel in the Crown (1984), for which she received her first BAFTA nomination, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the 1980 TV serial version of Pride and Prejudice. In 1995, she appeared in Dolores Claiborne playing the protagonist's domineering former employer who is dying in present-time, but is seen as a vibrant, glowing woman in flashback sequences.

Parfitt has appeared in some American television shows, beginning with her regular role as Snow White's Stepmother, Evil Queen Lillian "Lily" White in the series The Charmings. Parfitt's real-life husband Tony Steedman guest-starred as Santa Claus in The Charmings' second season Christmas special. She appeared on an episode of Murder, She Wrote in 1989, and as the mother of Dr Elizabeth Corday (played by Alex Kingston) on several episodes of ER in 2002.

In 2012, Parfitt began appearing in the BBC TV series Call the Midwife as Sister Monica Joan, an elderly nun in early stages of dementia. Sister Monica Joan's strong educational background and knowledge of classical literature are often used in the programme as a way of reflecting on the unfolding drama. Her character died in the season 15 finale, which aired in March 2026 when Parfitt was at the age of 90.

Parfitt has also recently appeared in BBC's spy tale, The Game; a film, Hello Carter; a Radio 4 show, Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups; and Jessica Hynes's suffragette sitcom Up the Women.

Personal life In 1963, Parfitt married actor Tony Steedman in Harrow, Middlesex. He died in 2001. The couple had a son.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 A Likely Tale Ursula Bludgeon Television film 1964 Hide and Seek Chauffeur 1966 David Copperfield Rosa Dartle 1967 Angel Pavement Lilian Matfield Television film 1969 Hamlet Queen Gertrude 1970 The Mind of Mr. Soames Jenny Bannerman 1971 Journey to Murder (Do Me a Favor and Kill Me) Faith Wheeler Television film 1972 The Edwardians E. Nesbit Television miniseries 1974 Alice Through the Looking-Glass Red Queen 1974 Galileo Angelica Sarti 1979 Secret Orchards Muriel Perry Television film 1980 Death of a Princess Elsa Gruber 1983 Office Romances Pam Ivygale Television film 1983 Champions Dr. Merrow 1984 The Chain Deirdre 1985 The Covenant Renata Beck Television film 1985 Bon Voyage Lola Widmeyer Television film, also known as Star Quality: Bon Voyage 1987 Maurice Mrs. Durham 1989 Diamond Skulls Lady Crewne Also known as Dark Obsession 1989 Getting It Right Lady Stella Munday 1991 King Ralph Queen Katherine 1993 The Return of the Borrowers Mrs. Platter Television film 1995 Dolores Claiborne Vera Donovan 1995 Heavy Weather Lady Constance Keeble 1996 Element of Doubt Genevieve 1996 Goodbye My Love Ruth 1996 September Verena Television film 1997 Wilde Lady Mount-Temple 1998 Ever After Queen Marie 2000 Falling Through Ambassador 2003 Girl with a Pearl Earring Maria Thins Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2003 Hearts of Gold Isobel John Television film 2004 The Aryan Couple Rachel Krauzenberg 2005 Asylum Brenda Raphael 2008 Dean Spanley Mrs. Brimley 2008 My Talks with Dean Spanley Mrs. Brimley 2011 The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff Aunt Chastity Television film 2011 W.E. Queen Mary 2012 The Moth Diaries Mrs. Rood 2013 Hello Carter Aunt Miriam

Television Year Title Role Notes 1962 The Avengers Miss Ellis Episode: "Bullseye" 1962 Z-Cars June Clifford Episode: "Information Received" 1963 The Odd Man Lisa Kapp Episode: "Portrait of Caroline" 1963 The Avengers Brenda Paterson Episode: "The White Elephant" 1963 The Sentimental Agent Sally Clare Episode: "The Height of Fashion" 1965 Public Eye Marion Hordern Episode: "But the Joneses Never Get Letters" 1965 Undermind Marion Gordon Episode: “The New Dimension” 1965 Out of the Unknown Marie Episode: "Time in Advance" 1965 The Wednesday Play Dorothy Gorbet Episode: "Tomorrow, Just You Wait" 1965 Z-Cars Christina Haines Episode: "But the Crying..." 1967 The Saint Anne Liskard Episode: "The Persistent Patriots" 1967 The Avengers Vesta Episode: "Escape in Time" 1967 Adam Adamant Lives! Ireyna Episode: "Black Echo" 1967 Les Misérables Mme. Thenardier 5 episodes 1967 Angel Pavement Lilian Matfield 4 episodes 1968 Dixon of Dock Green Mary Dewar Episode: "The Attack" 1968 The Avengers Loris Episode: "Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?" 1969 Journey to the Unknown Faith Wheeler Episode: "Do Me a Favor and Kill Me" 1970 Villette Lucy Snowe 5 episodes 1971 Shadows of Fear Episode: "The Death Watcher" 1973 Play for Today Episode: "Like the Filmstar" 1973 The Protectors Lena Hayden Episode: "Lena" 1974 Shoulder to Shoulder Lady Constance Lytton Episode: "Lady Constance Lytton" 1975 Crown Court Pauline Fanshawe Episode: "The Healing Hand: Part 1" 1976–82 Crown Court Gillian Forrest QC 16 episodes 1978 Rumpole of the Bailey Anna Aspen Episode: "Rumpole and the Honourable Member" 1978 Laurence Olivier Presents Unknown episodes 1979 Malice Aforethought Julia Bickleigh 2 episodes 1980 Pride and Prejudice Lady Catherine de Bourgh 2 episodes 1980 A Tale of Two Cities Madame Defarge 7 episodes 1981 Yes Minister Betty Oldham Episode: "A Question of Loyalty" 1984 The Jewel in the Crown Mildred Layton 9 episodesNominated—BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress 1986 Mr Pye Miss Dredger 4 episodes 1987–88 The Charmings Queen Lillian White 21 episodes 1989 Murder, She Wrote Peggy Brooks Episode: "From Russia...with Blood" 1992 The Blackheath Poisonings Harriet Collard 3 episodes 1993 The Alleyn Mysteries Lady O'Callaghan Episode: "The Nursing Home Murder" 1993 Eye of the Storm Martha Tabbert 6 episodes 1997 Holding the Baby Margaret Episode: "#1.7" 1998 Berkeley Square Lady Harmonsworth Episode: "Ladybird, Ladybird" 1999 Midsomer Murders Angela Wentworth Episode: "Death's Shadow" 2000, 2001 ER Isabelle Corday Episodes: “Abby Road”, “Be Still My Heart” and "April Showers" 2001 Murder in Mind Margaret Collins Episode: "Mercy" 2004 Agatha Christie's Poirot Miss Van Schuyler Episode: "Death on the Nile" 2004 The Long Firm Lady Ruth Thursby Episode: "Teddy's Story" 2005 Funland Mercy Woolf 11 episodes 2008 Heartbeat Lady Veronique Episode: "Danse Macabre" 2008 Little Dorrit Mrs. Clennam 12 episodesNominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2008 Midsomer Murders Caroline Halsey Episode: "Days of Misrule" 2009 Jonathan Creek Constance Gessler Episode: "The Grinning Man" 2012–2026Call the Midwife Sister Monica Joan 102 episodesNominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2012 The Syndicate Maureen Episode: "#1.2" 2012 Vera Maggie Episode: "A Certain Samaritan" 2013 Agatha Christie's Marple Cicely Beauclerk Episode: "Greenshaw's Folly" 2013 Up the Women Myrtle Series regular 2015 The Game Hester Waterhouse 5 episodes

Awards and nominations BAFTA Film Awards 2003 – Best Actress in a Supporting Role – as Maria Thins in Girl with a Pearl Earring – nominated BAFTA TV Awards 1984 – Best TV Actress – as Mildred Layton in The Jewel in the Crown – nominated

Other awards 2009 – Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – as Mrs Clennam in Little Dorrit – nominated 2014 – Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – as Sister Monica Joan in Call the Midwife – nominated