Dilys Laye

Biography

Date of Birth 11 March 1934, Muswell Hill, London, England, UK Date of Death 13 February 2009, London, England, UK (lung cancer) Birth Name Dilys Lay Mini Bio Raven haired, sometimes blonde (particulary in the earlier years), pretty actress who was born in 1934. Dilys Laye is an actress who is capable of a wide range of roles, from straight drama to comedy. Starting in the 1950s; she started like most other British film actresses of her era in studio system style films. One of her first films was Paper Gallows (1950) and she continued in popular movies like Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957) and Doctor at Large (1957). Today, Dilys is often remembered for her appearances in the "Carry On.." films. Her first "Carry On..." appearance was in Carry on Cruising (1962) where along with Esma Cannon, she stole many of the best comedy scenes away from the regular cast; the famous bar scene is an example of this. She took over the role at four days' notice when Joan Sims was unable to appear because of ill health. Her next 'Carry On...' appearance saw her take on a sinister and darker role in Carry on Spying (1964) as Lila. She even sings in a café bar scene - which was quite extraordinary and delivered well. In Carry on Doctor (1967) she plays patient Mavis Winkle who is searching for love and finds it in the unusual place of the hospital ward, and in Carry on Camping (1969), she appeared alongside "Carry On..." legend Joan Sims. They are perfectly cast together and complement each others performances throughout the movie. Since "Carry On..." her work has mainly been on the stage with some television and film appearances. Character roles seem to be the order of the day recently with appearances in soaps such as Coronation Street (1960) and EastEnders (1985). Other character parts have included Holby City (1999) and Doctors (2000). A recent performance saw Miss Laye appear, quite brilliantly, as HM The Queen in The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006).