Patsy Palmer(I)
- Actress
- Producer
Born Julie Anne Harris, the youngest child of Albert and Pat Harris,
Patsy Palmer was born for stardom. She spent her childhood in
Bethnal Green, London with her whole family close by. She was
particularly close to her maternal parents, whom she affectionately
called "Farvey" and "Nor." Her parents separated when she was 8 and
her father, to whom she never felt close, remarried and moved to
America.
Palmer was bitten by the acting bug at the tender age of six when her
older brother Albert auditioned for a part in the West End production
of "Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Colored Dreamcoat". Accompanying him
to the audition along with their mother, Patsy demanded to be allowed to
audition despite being too young and, to the amazement of her family
and herself, she was given a chorus role - and was the youngest member
of the entire show! This prompted a young Julie Harris to audition for
the free-paying Anna Scher Theatre School
and, because there was already an accomplished film and theatre
actress by the name of Julie Harris, she was given the
stage name Patsy Palmer, her mother's maiden name. Whilst there Palmer
extended her talents to writing plays, resulting in her winning an
award at the London Festival of Plays at the age of just 12 for writing
her own play about prostitution.
Patsy began her career on television by starring as an extra in an
episode of The Bill (1984) in 1988
at 16. That year she had a prominent part as an acne-ridden
teenager in a TV commercial for Clearasil. Further small roles in TV
series such as
Tricky Business (1989),
Making News (1990),
Clarissa (1991),
Love Hurts (1992) and
Drop the Dead Donkey (1990)
followed before Patsy Palmer became an iconic household name with her
famous portrayal of feisty red-head Bianca Jackson in the BBC One soap
opera EastEnders (1985), making
her first appearance in November 1993 at 21. During her time on the
soap opera Palmer tackled various demanding storylines, such as her
turbulent romance with Ricky Butcher, played by real-life best friend
Sid Owen, the discovery of her father David Wicks, the premature
death of her disabled daughter Natasha, for which she became the first-
ever soap actress to be nominated for Best Actress at the Royal Television
Society Awards, the death of her best friend Tiffany Mitchell, and the
revelation of her affair with Dan Sullivan, her mother Carol Jackson's
fiancé. In April 1997 she commanded the soap's biggest-ever audience
draw with more than 22 million people tuning in to watch Ricky and
Bianca's wedding. Her role in the show also prompted a meeting between
her and Queen Elizabeth II, which she declared was one of the biggest
highlights of her life. But after 6 years in the soap opera, Palmer bowed out
to try new things, making her last appearance in September 1999.
Following her departure Palmer got involved in various projects, such
as the detective series
McCready and Daughter (2001),
Do or Die (2001) and the period
drama
He Knew He Was Right (2004),
as well as cameo appearances in short films
Another Green World (2005)
and Trapped (2008). Patsy also
reprised her role as fiery Bianca Jackson in a special spin-off show
Ricky and Bianca (2002),
reuniting her with Sid Owen for the first time
in three years, which detailed Bianca's life away from Walford, where
she struggled to raise her son Liam and attend fashion college in
Manchester as well as working in a seedy club in order to make ends
meet. The show was extremely popular with Palmer's fans and resulted in
her being invited to return to the show, but Palmer declined in order
to spend time with her family. Later on in October 2007 it was
announced that Patsy Palmer would be returning to
EastEnders (1985) after 8 years
away and, along with Sid Owen, her returning
scenes were aired in April 2008. Palmer's second stint in the soap
opera as Bianca portrayed her still as a struggling single mother, this
time being thrown out of her residence for failing to pay rent and
being made homeless along with her children. Palmer has also tackled
the difficult storyline of sexual abuse, with her jailbird boyfriend Tony
King grooming her stepdaughter Whitney.
Outside her career, Palmer is a mother to four children: Charley (born
in February 1992, fathered by an ex-boyfriend); and Fenton (born in
June 2000), Emilia (born in July 2001), and Bertie (born in December
2010), fathered by her husband, taxi-driver Richard Merkell. She was
married to director Nick Love,
who directed her in her role as a pregnant drug-addicted prostitute in
Love Story (1999), but they
separated after just five months of marriage. She lives in Brighton with
Merkell, to whom she's been married since August 2000, and her four
children. She is the active patron of Children's Cancer Charity CLIC Sargent.
Patsy Palmer is an incredible talent and a British icon from humble
beginnings, a shining example to all Britons that no matter their
background, there is hope for everyone that their dreams will come
true. Hers did.
Patsy Palmer was born for stardom. She spent her childhood in
Bethnal Green, London with her whole family close by. She was
particularly close to her maternal parents, whom she affectionately
called "Farvey" and "Nor." Her parents separated when she was 8 and
her father, to whom she never felt close, remarried and moved to
America.
Palmer was bitten by the acting bug at the tender age of six when her
older brother Albert auditioned for a part in the West End production
of "Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Colored Dreamcoat". Accompanying him
to the audition along with their mother, Patsy demanded to be allowed to
audition despite being too young and, to the amazement of her family
and herself, she was given a chorus role - and was the youngest member
of the entire show! This prompted a young Julie Harris to audition for
the free-paying Anna Scher Theatre School
and, because there was already an accomplished film and theatre
actress by the name of Julie Harris, she was given the
stage name Patsy Palmer, her mother's maiden name. Whilst there Palmer
extended her talents to writing plays, resulting in her winning an
award at the London Festival of Plays at the age of just 12 for writing
her own play about prostitution.
Patsy began her career on television by starring as an extra in an
episode of The Bill (1984) in 1988
at 16. That year she had a prominent part as an acne-ridden
teenager in a TV commercial for Clearasil. Further small roles in TV
series such as
Tricky Business (1989),
Making News (1990),
Clarissa (1991),
Love Hurts (1992) and
Drop the Dead Donkey (1990)
followed before Patsy Palmer became an iconic household name with her
famous portrayal of feisty red-head Bianca Jackson in the BBC One soap
opera EastEnders (1985), making
her first appearance in November 1993 at 21. During her time on the
soap opera Palmer tackled various demanding storylines, such as her
turbulent romance with Ricky Butcher, played by real-life best friend
Sid Owen, the discovery of her father David Wicks, the premature
death of her disabled daughter Natasha, for which she became the first-
ever soap actress to be nominated for Best Actress at the Royal Television
Society Awards, the death of her best friend Tiffany Mitchell, and the
revelation of her affair with Dan Sullivan, her mother Carol Jackson's
fiancé. In April 1997 she commanded the soap's biggest-ever audience
draw with more than 22 million people tuning in to watch Ricky and
Bianca's wedding. Her role in the show also prompted a meeting between
her and Queen Elizabeth II, which she declared was one of the biggest
highlights of her life. But after 6 years in the soap opera, Palmer bowed out
to try new things, making her last appearance in September 1999.
Following her departure Palmer got involved in various projects, such
as the detective series
McCready and Daughter (2001),
Do or Die (2001) and the period
drama
He Knew He Was Right (2004),
as well as cameo appearances in short films
Another Green World (2005)
and Trapped (2008). Patsy also
reprised her role as fiery Bianca Jackson in a special spin-off show
Ricky and Bianca (2002),
reuniting her with Sid Owen for the first time
in three years, which detailed Bianca's life away from Walford, where
she struggled to raise her son Liam and attend fashion college in
Manchester as well as working in a seedy club in order to make ends
meet. The show was extremely popular with Palmer's fans and resulted in
her being invited to return to the show, but Palmer declined in order
to spend time with her family. Later on in October 2007 it was
announced that Patsy Palmer would be returning to
EastEnders (1985) after 8 years
away and, along with Sid Owen, her returning
scenes were aired in April 2008. Palmer's second stint in the soap
opera as Bianca portrayed her still as a struggling single mother, this
time being thrown out of her residence for failing to pay rent and
being made homeless along with her children. Palmer has also tackled
the difficult storyline of sexual abuse, with her jailbird boyfriend Tony
King grooming her stepdaughter Whitney.
Outside her career, Palmer is a mother to four children: Charley (born
in February 1992, fathered by an ex-boyfriend); and Fenton (born in
June 2000), Emilia (born in July 2001), and Bertie (born in December
2010), fathered by her husband, taxi-driver Richard Merkell. She was
married to director Nick Love,
who directed her in her role as a pregnant drug-addicted prostitute in
Love Story (1999), but they
separated after just five months of marriage. She lives in Brighton with
Merkell, to whom she's been married since August 2000, and her four
children. She is the active patron of Children's Cancer Charity CLIC Sargent.
Patsy Palmer is an incredible talent and a British icon from humble
beginnings, a shining example to all Britons that no matter their
background, there is hope for everyone that their dreams will come
true. Hers did.