Jill Gascoine
Encyclopedia
Jill Gascoine is a British actress and novel
ist. She is most widely known for her role as Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in the 1980s television series The Gentle Touch
and its spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes
. In the 1990s, she also became a novelist and has published three books.
. Her early work also included collaborations with future film and television director, Ken Loach
.
From 1970 onwards, Gascoine turned her attention to television and made guest appearances in series such as Z-Cars
, Dixon of Dock Green
, Softly, Softly: Taskforce
and Within These Walls
. In 1975 she had a part in British sex-farce Confessions of a Pop Performer
. She then had a recurring role playing Letty Gaunt in The Onedin Line
from 1976 to 1979. However, she became a household name in 1980 when she starred in the groundbreaking ITV drama series The Gentle Touch
, playing Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes. This was the first British television drama that centred around a female police officer, coming several months before the BBC's similarly themed Juliet Bravo
. The Gentle Touch ran for five series until 1984, though Gascoine continued to play Maggie Forbes in the more action-oriented spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes
from 1985 to 1987. Following this, she then appeared as Judy Schwartz in the final series of the sitcom Home To Roost
(1989–90) opposite John Thaw
, and continued to make guest appearances on British television in series such as Taggart
and Boon
.
After a high profile career that had spanned over twenty years on British television, Gascoine and her second husband, actor Alfred Molina
, moved to Los Angeles
in the 1990s. Since moving there, Gascoine has made guest appearances on U.S. television in series such as Northern Exposure
and Touched By An Angel
, as well as performing extensively in theatre.
Though she still lives in Los Angeles, she returned to the UK in 2008 to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, appearing in the play Sister Cities at the Gilded Balloon Theatre.
In October 2009, it was announced that Gascoine would portray the role of Glenda Mitchell
, former wife of Archie Mitchell
and mother of Ronnie
and Roxy
, in the BBC One
soap opera EastEnders
from early 2010. However, during her first day on set, she withdrew from her filming commitments, as she felt that she "lacked the right experience to film such a big continuing drama". The part was re-cast with Glynis Barber
.
is an actor of Italian/Spanish descent and is 16 years her junior.
This was followed by Lillian (1995) about a woman who begins a love affair when she goes on holiday to California with her best friend.
Gascoine's third novel was Just Like A Woman (1997), which details the story of Shirley, a middle-aged woman who is being pressured by her family to have an abortion after she falls pregnant in her fifties.
Gascoine has been married twice. Her first husband was Dundee hotelier Bill Keith, with whom she had two sons. However, the marriage ended in the 1960s, in part because of Keith's gambling addiction. Gascoine was then left to raise her two sons alone and has not seen Keith since they divorced.
In 1982, she met actor Alfred Molina
when they were both working in the same theatre production. They later married in Tower Hamlets
, London, in 1986.
In 1997, Gascoine was found to have kidney cancer, though the disease was detected early and she made a full recovery.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist. She is most widely known for her role as Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in the 1980s television series 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...
and its spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes is a British television series made by TVS for ITV between 1985 and 1987.-Premise:The series was a spin-off from The Gentle Touch and saw Jill Gascoine reprise her role as Det. Insp. Maggie Forbes, having left the police force to join a private detective agency called "Eyes" that is...
. In the 1990s, she also became a novelist and has published three books.
Career
Gascoine began her acting career in theatre in the 1960s and she had regular roles at the Dundee Repertory TheatreDundee Repertory Theatre
Dundee Repertory Theatre or Dundee Rep is a theatre and arts company in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It operates as both a producing house - staging at least six of its own productions each year, and a receiving house - hosting work from visiting companies throughout Scotland and the United...
. Her early work also included collaborations with future film and television director, Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
.
From 1970 onwards, Gascoine turned her attention to television and made guest appearances in series such as 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...
, Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
, Softly, Softly: Taskforce
Softly, Softly: Taskforce
Softly, Softly the popular BBC television police drama series, was revamped in 1969, partly to coincide with the coming of colour broadcasting to BBC 1...
and Within These Walls
Within These Walls
Within These Walls is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison...
. In 1975 she had a part in British sex-farce Confessions of a Pop Performer
Confessions of a Pop Performer
Confessions of a Pop Performer is a 1975 British sex-farce film. This second instalment continues the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea and is based on the novels written under the name by Christopher Wood. In this case, the original novel was called Confessions from the Pop Scene, but was later...
. She then had a recurring role playing Letty Gaunt in The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin...
from 1976 to 1979. However, she became a household name in 1980 when she starred in the groundbreaking ITV drama series 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...
, playing Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes. This was the first British television drama that centred around a female police officer, coming several months before the BBC's similarly themed Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British television series, which ran on BBC1 between 1980 and 1985. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire.-Programme name:...
. The Gentle Touch ran for five series until 1984, though Gascoine continued to play Maggie Forbes in the more action-oriented spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes is a British television series made by TVS for ITV between 1985 and 1987.-Premise:The series was a spin-off from The Gentle Touch and saw Jill Gascoine reprise her role as Det. Insp. Maggie Forbes, having left the police force to join a private detective agency called "Eyes" that is...
from 1985 to 1987. Following this, she then appeared as Judy Schwartz in the final series of the sitcom Home To Roost
Home to Roost
Home to Roost is a British television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television in the 1980s. Written by Eric Chappell, it starred John Thaw as Henry Willows and Reece Dinsdale as his 18-year-old son Matthew....
(1989–90) opposite John Thaw
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
, and continued to make guest appearances on British television in series such as Taggart
Taggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
and Boon
Boon
-Places:* Boon Township, Warrick County, Indiana, United States of America* Boon Township, Michigan, USA* Boon Lake Township, Minnesota, USA* Boon Lay, Singapore* Boon Tat Street, Singapore* Boon Keng MRT Station, Singapore-People:...
.
After a high profile career that had spanned over twenty years on British television, Gascoine and her second husband, actor Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
, moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in the 1990s. Since moving there, Gascoine has made guest appearances on U.S. television in series such as Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
and Touched By An Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
, as well as performing extensively in theatre.
Though she still lives in Los Angeles, she returned to the UK in 2008 to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, appearing in the play Sister Cities at the Gilded Balloon Theatre.
In October 2009, it was announced that Gascoine would portray the role of Glenda Mitchell
Glenda Mitchell
The following is a list of characters who first appeared or are due to appear in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2010, by order of first appearance...
, former wife of Archie Mitchell
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb.The character of Archie is the father of already established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell , and a member of the Mitchell family, who have appeared in the soap since 1990...
and mother of Ronnie
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
and Roxy
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
, in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
soap opera 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...
from early 2010. However, during her first day on set, she withdrew from her filming commitments, as she felt that she "lacked the right experience to film such a big continuing drama". The part was re-cast with Glynis Barber
Glynis Barber
Glynis Barber is a South African actress of Afrikaner descent, born and brought up in South Africa. She was born Glynis van der Riet. When she was five years old, her parents divorced, and she and her mother moved to Johannesburg. She is best known for her portrayal as Sgt...
.
Novels
In the 1990s, Gascoine also began a career as a novelist. Her first novel was Addicted (1994), about a successful television actress in her fifties who embarks on a destructive affair with a younger, half-English/half-Spanish actor in his thirties. Interestingly, Gascoine's real-life husband Alfred MolinaAlfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
is an actor of Italian/Spanish descent and is 16 years her junior.
This was followed by Lillian (1995) about a woman who begins a love affair when she goes on holiday to California with her best friend.
Gascoine's third novel was Just Like A Woman (1997), which details the story of Shirley, a middle-aged woman who is being pressured by her family to have an abortion after she falls pregnant in her fifties.
Personal life
Gascoine states she has suffered from clinical depression for most of her life, which she believes stems from her unhappy time in a boarding school as a child.Gascoine has been married twice. Her first husband was Dundee hotelier Bill Keith, with whom she had two sons. However, the marriage ended in the 1960s, in part because of Keith's gambling addiction. Gascoine was then left to raise her two sons alone and has not seen Keith since they divorced.
In 1982, she met actor Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
when they were both working in the same theatre production. They later married in Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
, London, in 1986.
In 1997, Gascoine was found to have kidney cancer, though the disease was detected early and she made a full recovery.