Dora Bryan

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

84

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

  • Doctors

    Doctors

  • An Audience with...

    An Audience with...

  • The Sooty Show

    The Sooty Show

  • Absolutely Fabulous

    Absolutely Fabulous

  • Performance

    Performance

  • Apartment Zero

    Apartment Zero

  • The Interrupted Journey

    The Interrupted Journey

  • Street Corner

    Street Corner

  • Desert Mice

    Desert Mice

  • The Quiet Woman

    The Quiet Woman

  • The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

    The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

  • The Sandwich Man

    The Sandwich Man

  • Harmony Lane

    Harmony Lane

  • Operation Bullshine

    Operation Bullshine

  • Adam and Evelyne

    Adam and Evelyne

  • MirrorMask

    MirrorMask

  • Traveller's Joy

    Traveller's Joy

  • Once Upon a Dream

    Once Upon a Dream

  • Odd Man Out

    Odd Man Out

  • 13 East Street

    13 East Street

  • dinnerladies

    dinnerladies

  • Frank Stubbs Promotes

    Frank Stubbs Promotes

  • The Fake

    The Fake

  • The Cockleshell Heroes

    The Cockleshell Heroes

  • High Treason

    High Treason

  • Women of Twilight

    Women of Twilight

  • The Fallen Idol

    The Fallen Idol

  • Palmer

    Palmer

  • The Perfect Woman

    The Perfect Woman

  • Mad About Men

    Mad About Men

  • Circle of Danger

    Circle of Danger

  • The Green Man

    The Green Man

  • The Crowded Day

    The Crowded Day

  • Hands of the Ripper

    Hands of the Ripper

  • Miss Robin Hood

    Miss Robin Hood

  • The Ringer

    The Ringer

  • Whispering Smith Vs. Scotland Yard

    Whispering Smith Vs. Scotland Yard

  • The Cure for Love

    The Cure for Love

  • Don't Ever Leave Me

    Don't Ever Leave Me

  • Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

    Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

  • The Young Lovers

    The Young Lovers

  • Alice Through the Looking Box

    Alice Through the Looking Box

  • Now Barabbas

    Now Barabbas

  • The Dream Machine

    The Dream Machine

  • Two a Penny

    Two a Penny

  • Gift Horse

    Gift Horse

  • Virtual Murder

    Virtual Murder

  • A Taste of Honey

    A Taste of Honey

  • Follow That Horse!

    Follow That Horse!

  • No Highway in the Sky

    No Highway in the Sky

  • The Intruder

    The Intruder

  • Small Hotel

    Small Hotel

  • Something in the City

    Something in the City

  • No Room at the Inn

    No Room at the Inn

  • The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

    The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

  • Screamtime

    Screamtime

  • On the Up

    On the Up

  • As Long as They're Happy

    As Long as They're Happy

  • Up the Front

    Up the Front

  • Lady Godiva Rides Again

    Lady Godiva Rides Again

  • Both Ends Meet

    Both Ends Meet

  • Carry On Sergeant

    Carry On Sergeant

  • Before The Fringe

    Before The Fringe

  • Educating Archie

    Educating Archie

  • Happily Ever After

    Happily Ever After

  • Scarlet Thread

    Scarlet Thread

  • According To Dora

    According To Dora

  • Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

    Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

  • Hello London

    Hello London

  • You Know What Sailors Are

    You Know What Sailors Are

  • Mother's Ruin

    Mother's Ruin

  • You Lucky People!

    You Lucky People!

  • Bed

    Bed

  • Time, Gentlemen, Please!

    Time, Gentlemen, Please!

  • Thora Hird Tribute

    Thora Hird Tribute

  • The Blue Lamp

    The Blue Lamp

  • Fast and Loose

    Fast and Loose

  • Child in the House

    Child in the House

  • The Real Thing

    The Real Thing

  • No Trace

    No Trace

  • The Night We Got the Bird

    The Night We Got the Bird