Carol Harrison
Encyclopedia
Carol Harrison is a British
actress and writer. She is known mostly for her work on British television
, in particular her role as Louise Raymond
in BBC
's EastEnders
.
police
drama, Softly Softly
, which was a spin-off from the hugely popular Z-Cars
. In 1980 she made her film debut, securing a minor role in the 1980 adaptation of The Elephant Man
. She went on to appear in many successful television programmes including The Gentle Touch
(1982); Q.E.D.
(1982); The Cleopatras
(1983); Minder
(1984); Casualty (1987, 1996 & 2008); Dorothy in London's Burning
from 1988–1989; Kavanagh QC
(1995) and ITV
's A Touch of Frost
(1997).
One of her most notable and long running roles, was playing the part of Gloria in the popular BBC sitcom Brush Strokes
(1986–1991); remaining in the role for five series. However, it is her role in the BBC soap opera
EastEnders
(1998–1999) that she is most remembered for. Harrison played Louise Raymond
, the selfish mother of Tiffany
(Martine McCutcheon
) and Simon
(Andrew Lynford
). Harrison's character was involved in many explosive storylines, including an affair with her daughter's husband Grant
(Ross Kemp
). This role was not the first time Harrison had appeared in the soap. She had previously had a minor role in 1986, playing the mother of a young boy who was rescued from a speeding lorry by Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson
).
Harrison quit EastEnders in 1999 to do a masters degree in screenwriting. In 2006 she began teaching Script and Screen, a five-week course offered through the Adult and Community non-accredited provision, at Brighton and Hove College.
Harrison's other acting credits include the cult
film Human Traffic
and the ITV police drama The Bill
(2002). In 2005 she also took part in the Channel 4
series Extreme Celebrity Detox
.
She took part in TV series Celebrity Coach Trip partnered with friend Ingrid Tarrant
.
, son of the notorious 1960s London gangster Freddie Foreman
. They have one son named Alfie.
Carol is also a fan of the London football team West Ham United Fc
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress and writer. She is known mostly for her work on British television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, in particular her role as Louise Raymond
Louise Raymond
Louise Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Carol Harrison from May 1998 to April 1999. Louise was the estranged mother of the characters Tiffany and Simon Raymond. She was featured most prominently in a high-profile storyline about adultery, when she...
in BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
.
Career
Harrison made her acting debut in 1976, in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
drama, Softly Softly
Softly, Softly (TV series)
Softly, Softly is a British television drama series, produced by the BBC and screened on BBC 1 from January 1966. It centred around the work of regional crime squads, plain-clothes CID officers based in the fictional region of Wyvern - supposedly in the Bristol and Chepstow area of the UK...
, which was a spin-off from the hugely popular Z-Cars
Z-Cars
Z-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
. In 1980 she made her film debut, securing a minor role in the 1980 adaptation of The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man (film)
The Elephant Man is a 1980 American drama film based on the true story of Joseph Merrick , a severely deformed man in 19th century London...
. She went on to appear in many successful television programmes including The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which ran from 1980-1984. Commencing transmission on 11 April 1980, the series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police detective as its leading character, ahead of...
(1982); Q.E.D.
Q.E.D. (BBC TV series)
Q.E.D. was the name of a strand of BBC popular science documentary films which aired in the United Kingdom from 1982 to 1999.-Format:...
(1982); The Cleopatras
The Cleopatras
The Cleopatras is a British television series produced by the BBC in 1983.The eight-part serial was a historical drama set in ancient Egypt and charted the ruling dynasty of the Cleopatras...
(1983); Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
(1984); Casualty (1987, 1996 & 2008); Dorothy in London's Burning
London's Burning
London's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
from 1988–1989; Kavanagh QC
Kavanagh QC
Kavanagh QC is a British television series made by Carlton Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. It has been shown on ITV3 as recently as August 2011; series 1–6 are available on Region 2 DVDs....
(1995) and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's A Touch of Frost
A Touch of Frost (TV series)
A Touch of Frost is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 1992 until 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield....
(1997).
One of her most notable and long running roles, was playing the part of Gloria in the popular BBC sitcom Brush Strokes
Brush Strokes
Brush Strokes is a British television sitcom, broadcast on BBC television from 1986 to 1991. Written by Esmonde and Larbey and set in South London, it depicted the amorous adventures of a good-looking, wisecracking house painter, Jacko...
(1986–1991); remaining in the role for five series. However, it is her role in the BBC soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
(1998–1999) that she is most remembered for. Harrison played Louise Raymond
Louise Raymond
Louise Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Carol Harrison from May 1998 to April 1999. Louise was the estranged mother of the characters Tiffany and Simon Raymond. She was featured most prominently in a high-profile storyline about adultery, when she...
, the selfish mother of Tiffany
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Dawn Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan...
(Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
) and Simon
Simon Raymond
Simon Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Andrew Lynford. Simon was introduced in 1996 as the homosexual brother of Tiffany Mitchell. His relationship with the bisexual character Tony Hills featured a gay kiss that caused controversy in the UK; numerous...
(Andrew Lynford
Andrew Lynford
Andrew Lynford is a British television presenter and actor. He is widely remembered for playing the role of Simon Raymond in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders and presenting Playdays for Children's BBC....
). Harrison's character was involved in many explosive storylines, including an affair with her daughter's husband Grant
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
). This role was not the first time Harrison had appeared in the soap. She had previously had a minor role in 1986, playing the mother of a young boy who was rescued from a speeding lorry by Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson
Ross Davidson
William Russell "Ross" Davidson was a British actor best known for his role as Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
).
Harrison quit EastEnders in 1999 to do a masters degree in screenwriting. In 2006 she began teaching Script and Screen, a five-week course offered through the Adult and Community non-accredited provision, at Brighton and Hove College.
Harrison's other acting credits include the cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
film Human Traffic
Human Traffic
Human Traffic is a British independent film written and directed by Welsh filmmaker Justin Kerrigan. The film explores themes of coming of age, drug and club cultures, as well as relationships. It includes scenes provoking social commentary and the use of archive footage to provide political...
and the ITV police drama The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(2002). In 2005 she also took part in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
series Extreme Celebrity Detox
Extreme Celebrity Detox
Extreme Celebrity Detox was a Channel 4 reality television programme in which 15 British celebrities were sent to try a range of detox programmes, which aimed to enhance inner peace....
.
She took part in TV series Celebrity Coach Trip partnered with friend Ingrid Tarrant
Ingrid Tarrant
Ingrid Dupre Tarrant is an English broadcaster and former wife of Chris Tarrant. She was educated at St Margaret's School, Bushey and has presented such programmes as TV Mail, Wish You Were Here? and This Morning...
.
Personal life
Harrison was born in east London to a working class, single parent family. She failed her 11 plus exams in her youth, but has since discovered that she is dyslexic. Harrison was once married to the actor Jamie ForemanJamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in Layer Cake and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist . He played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth and also featured in Elizabeth , Gangster No. 1 and Sleepy Hollow...
, son of the notorious 1960s London gangster Freddie Foreman
Freddie Foreman
Frederick Foreman is a convicted British criminal involved in the disposal of the body Jack “the Hat” McVitie and for which he served 16 years in prison....
. They have one son named Alfie.
Carol is also a fan of the London football team West Ham United Fc