Dora Bryan

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

86

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

  • Heartbeat

    Heartbeat

  • Casualty

    Casualty

  • Last of the Summer Wine

    Last of the Summer Wine

  • Absolutely Fabulous

    Absolutely Fabulous

  • Doctors

    Doctors

  • Performance

    Performance

  • Screamtime

    Screamtime

  • Follow That Horse!

    Follow That Horse!

  • An Audience with...

    An Audience with...

  • The Fallen Idol

    The Fallen Idol

  • The Sooty Show

    The Sooty Show

  • Miss Robin Hood

    Miss Robin Hood

  • Time, Gentlemen, Please!

    Time, Gentlemen, Please!

  • Scarlet Thread

    Scarlet Thread

  • Frank Stubbs Promotes

    Frank Stubbs Promotes

  • dinnerladies

    dinnerladies

  • Hello London

    Hello London

  • The Intruder

    The Intruder

  • Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

    Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout

  • Operation Bullshine

    Operation Bullshine

  • The Crowded Day

    The Crowded Day

  • MirrorMask

    MirrorMask

  • A Taste of Honey

    A Taste of Honey

  • You Lucky People!

    You Lucky People!

  • Theatre Night

    Theatre Night

  • On the Up

    On the Up

  • Gift Horse

    Gift Horse

  • Odd Man Out

    Odd Man Out

  • Virtual Murder

    Virtual Murder

  • High Treason

    High Treason

  • Mad About Men

    Mad About Men

  • Hippies

    Hippies

  • Carry On Sergeant

    Carry On Sergeant

  • The Dream Machine

    The Dream Machine

  • Mother's Ruin

    Mother's Ruin

  • Bed

    Bed

  • Apartment Zero

    Apartment Zero

  • Hands of the Ripper

    Hands of the Ripper

  • The Cockleshell Heroes

    The Cockleshell Heroes

  • The Blue Lamp

    The Blue Lamp

  • The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

    The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

  • Before The Fringe

    Before The Fringe

  • Desert Mice

    Desert Mice

  • Up the Front

    Up the Front

  • No Highway in the Sky

    No Highway in the Sky

  • Circle of Danger

    Circle of Danger

  • Both Ends Meet

    Both Ends Meet

  • Happily Ever After

    Happily Ever After

  • The Sandwich Man

    The Sandwich Man

  • The Green Man

    The Green Man

  • Now Barabbas

    Now Barabbas

  • Educating Archie

    Educating Archie

  • Traveller's Joy

    Traveller's Joy

  • Thora Hird Tribute

    Thora Hird Tribute

  • The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

    The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

  • As Long as They're Happy

    As Long as They're Happy

  • The Fake

    The Fake

  • Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

    Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

  • Whispering Smith Hits London

    Whispering Smith Hits London

  • The Ringer

    The Ringer

  • Fast and Loose

    Fast and Loose

  • Lady Godiva Rides Again

    Lady Godiva Rides Again

  • The Night We Got the Bird

    The Night We Got the Bird

  • Small Hotel

    Small Hotel

  • Two a Penny

    Two a Penny

  • Adam and Evelyne

    Adam and Evelyne

  • Palmer

    Palmer

  • Don't Ever Leave Me

    Don't Ever Leave Me

  • Once Upon a Dream

    Once Upon a Dream

  • The Young Lovers

    The Young Lovers

  • Child in the House

    Child in the House

  • No Room at the Inn

    No Room at the Inn

  • No Trace

    No Trace

  • 13 East Street

    13 East Street

  • The Interrupted Journey

    The Interrupted Journey

  • Alice Through the Looking Box

    Alice Through the Looking Box

  • The Perfect Woman

    The Perfect Woman

  • Street Corner

    Street Corner

  • Harmony Lane

    Harmony Lane

  • Women of Twilight

    Women of Twilight

  • According To Dora

    According To Dora

  • You Know What Sailors Are

    You Know What Sailors Are

  • Something in the City

    Something in the City

  • The Cure for Love

    The Cure for Love

  • The Quiet Woman

    The Quiet Woman

  • The Real Thing

    The Real Thing