Dora Bryan

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

85

Gender

Female

Birthday

1923-02-07

Day of death

2014-07-23 (91 years old)

Place of Birth

Parbold, Lancashire, England, UK

Dora Bryan

Biography

Dora May Bryan OBE was an English actress of stage, film and television. Born Dora May Broadbent, her career began in pantomime as a child actor. In World War II she joined the ENSA in Italy to entertain British troops.  After having established herself as a versatile stage actress, covering everything from drama and comedy to musicals, she started to appear in film in the late 1940s, and in 1968 she even had her own TV series, "According to Dora". At one point in her career she was Britain's highest-paid star. She was active on stage until the mid 1990s and continued to work in film and television until 2005, when she finally had to give up the acting profession as she could no longer remember her lines.  Her autobiography According To Dora was published in 1987. In 1996, she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to acting and the same year she was also awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for her role in the West End production of the Harold Pinter play "The Birthday Party". She was married to British cricket player Bill Lawton from 1954 to his death in 2008. She lived in a nursing home in Hove, outside Brighton, until her death in 2014. 

Known For

  • Casualty

    Casualty

  • Heartbeat

    Heartbeat

  • Last of the Summer Wine

    Last of the Summer Wine

  • The Sooty Show

    The Sooty Show

  • Absolutely Fabulous

    Absolutely Fabulous

  • Doctors

    Doctors

  • An Audience with...

    An Audience with...

  • Performance

    Performance

  • Apartment Zero

    Apartment Zero

  • MirrorMask

    MirrorMask

  • No Highway in the Sky

    No Highway in the Sky

  • Screamtime

    Screamtime

  • Street Corner

    Street Corner

  • Scarlet Thread

    Scarlet Thread

  • Gift Horse

    Gift Horse

  • The Intruder

    The Intruder

  • Harmony Lane

    Harmony Lane

  • Now Barabbas

    Now Barabbas

  • The Ringer

    The Ringer

  • High Treason

    High Treason

  • Operation Bullshine

    Operation Bullshine

  • Hello London

    Hello London

  • Small Hotel

    Small Hotel

  • The Fake

    The Fake

  • Bed

    Bed

  • The Fallen Idol

    The Fallen Idol

  • The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

    The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

  • Hands of the Ripper

    Hands of the Ripper

  • Frank Stubbs Promotes

    Frank Stubbs Promotes

  • dinnerladies

    dinnerladies

  • Odd Man Out

    Odd Man Out

  • Circle of Danger

    Circle of Danger

  • A Taste of Honey

    A Taste of Honey

  • The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

    The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

  • The Interrupted Journey

    The Interrupted Journey

  • The Cockleshell Heroes

    The Cockleshell Heroes

  • Adam and Evelyne

    Adam and Evelyne

  • Whispering Smith Hits London

    Whispering Smith Hits London

  • Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

    Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

  • The Quiet Woman

    The Quiet Woman

  • The Green Man

    The Green Man

  • Something in the City

    Something in the City

  • Women of Twilight

    Women of Twilight

  • The Dream Machine

    The Dream Machine

  • Lady Godiva Rides Again

    Lady Godiva Rides Again

  • Miss Robin Hood

    Miss Robin Hood

  • Alice Through the Looking Box

    Alice Through the Looking Box

  • Mad About Men

    Mad About Men

  • The Crowded Day

    The Crowded Day

  • Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

    Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

  • The Perfect Woman

    The Perfect Woman

  • The Cure for Love

    The Cure for Love

  • Time, Gentlemen, Please!

    Time, Gentlemen, Please!

  • Palmer

    Palmer

  • On the Up

    On the Up

  • The Young Lovers

    The Young Lovers

  • The Sandwich Man

    The Sandwich Man

  • Carry On Sergeant

    Carry On Sergeant

  • Up the Front

    Up the Front

  • The Blue Lamp

    The Blue Lamp

  • Once Upon a Dream

    Once Upon a Dream

  • Virtual Murder

    Virtual Murder

  • No Room at the Inn

    No Room at the Inn

  • Traveller's Joy

    Traveller's Joy

  • Follow That Horse!

    Follow That Horse!

  • You Lucky People!

    You Lucky People!

  • Don't Ever Leave Me

    Don't Ever Leave Me

  • Before The Fringe

    Before The Fringe

  • Educating Archie

    Educating Archie

  • Happily Ever After

    Happily Ever After

  • Both Ends Meet

    Both Ends Meet

  • Theatre Night

    Theatre Night

  • Desert Mice

    Desert Mice

  • As Long as They're Happy

    As Long as They're Happy

  • According To Dora

    According To Dora

  • Mother's Ruin

    Mother's Ruin

  • Fast and Loose

    Fast and Loose

  • Child in the House

    Child in the House

  • You Know What Sailors Are

    You Know What Sailors Are

  • No Trace

    No Trace

  • Thora Hird Tribute

    Thora Hird Tribute

  • Two a Penny

    Two a Penny

  • 13 East Street

    13 East Street

  • The Night We Got the Bird

    The Night We Got the Bird

  • The Real Thing

    The Real Thing