Zelah Clarke (born 5 April 1954) is a British actress who has mainly appeared in television productions.

Zelah Clarke
Born (1954-04-05) 5 April 1954 (age 70)
Occupationactress
SpouseFrancis Ash

Career

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Clarke trained as a ballet dancer alongside Jenny Agutter and Fiona Fullerton. She began her career in small roles, including in West End musicals and theatre.[1] She started to work as a television actor in 1972. Among her roles were Ceinwen Lloyd in How Green Was My Valley (1976) and Susan Nipper in Dombey and Son (1983). She also appeared in the first episode of Poldark (1975)

Clark is best known for playing Jane Eyre in the 1983 British television serial Jane Eyre, an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel of the same name, produced for the BBC. The serial also starred Timothy Dalton as Edward Rochester.[2] Clarke lamented in an interview that the role of Jane had virtually ended her career. She had received good reviews, she conceded, but for her, work had dried up while her co-star Timothy Dalton had become a star.[1]

Clarke was nominated for a 1985 CableACE Award for Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for her portrayal of Jane Eyre.[3]

Clarke has continued to undertake voice work recording audiobooks including, Nina Bawdin's Outside Child[4] and Carrie's War,[5] and Three Legged Friends.[6]

Reviews

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Ed Hulse from Barnes and Noble wrote of Clarke's performance as Jane Eyre, " ... [she] makes a properly soulful Jane: reserved but courageous in her quiet way."[7]

Mike Cummings for the All Movie Guide wrote,

Rarely has a motion picture presented a tale of romance with such subtlety, sensitivity, and power as this 1983 Julian Amyes adaptation of the Charlotte Bronte classic Jane Eyre. Credit Zelah Clarke (Jane) and Timothy Dalton (Edward Fairfax Rochester) for the success of the film. Perfectly cast in their roles as lovers separated by untold secrets and repressed emotions, they act beautifully together, mixing chemistry and charisma to produce the kind of magic that holds audiences in thrall.[8]

Private life

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Clarke is married to BBC executive producer Francis Ash and they have a daughter Lamorna.[1]

Appearances Film/Television

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Sourced from IMDb[9]

Year Title Role Year Title Role
1972 The Triple Echo (Film) First Girl 1975 Poldark (Mini Series Ep. 1.1) Woman in Coach
1976 How Green was my Valley (Mini Series) Ceinwen Lloyd 1976 Shadows (Series) Grizelda
1976 The Duchess of Duke Street (Series) Kath 1977 A Christmas Carol (Movie) Martha Cratchit
1978 Crown Court (Series) Nadia Phillips 1978 A Woman's Place (Series) Glenys
1978 The Lost Boys (Mini Series) Wendy 1980 Richard's Things Nurse
1981 BBC2 Playhouse (Series) Jane 1983 Dombey & Son (Mini Series Ep. 1.1–1.10) Susan Nipper
1983 Jane Eyre (Mini Series) Jane Eyre 1983 Lady Jane Lady Anne Wharton
1986 Casualty (Series 1 Ep.) Ruth White 1987 No Place Like Home (TV series) Mrs. Pilkington
1990 Perfect Scoundrels (Series 1 Ep.) Estate Agent 1991 Dodgem (Series Ep. 1.1) Magistrate
1993 Screen Two (Series) Shop Assistant 1993 The Chief (Series Ep. 3.4) Mrs Kelly

Selected Appearances Plays

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The plays were staged at the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park, London, all directed by David Conville, Richard Digby-Day and Christopher Biggins[10]

Title Title Title
1978
The Man of Destiny A Midsummer Night's Dream The Dark Lady of The Sonnets

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c "Forgottem: Zelah Clarke loved starring with Timothy DAlton, but still can't understand why 'Jane Eyre' made him a star but ended her acting career". OOCIties. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Jane Eyre". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  3. ^ McMullen, Marion (9 September 2011). "Mia Wasikowska's the latest star to play Bronte's enduring heroine". coventrytelegraph. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  4. ^ "[The Outside Child]". BBC. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  5. ^ Carrie's War. OCLC 748370446. Retrieved 20 July 2017 – via WorldCat.
  6. ^ Three legged friends. OCLC 173194020. Retrieved 20 July 2017 – via WorldCat.
  7. ^ "Barnes & Noble – Ed Hulse". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  8. ^ "All Movie Guide – Mike Cummings". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Filmography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Zelah Clarke Other Works". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 20 July 2017.