Kathy Staff
| Kathy Staff | |
|---|---|
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Kathy Staff
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| Born |
Minnie Higginbottom 12 July 1928 Dukinfield, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 13 December 2008 (aged 80) Ashton-under-Lyne, England |
| Other names | Katherine Brant |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1946–2008 |
| Spouse(s) | John Staff (m. 1951–2008) |
| Children | Susan Staff Catherine Staff |
| Relatives | Constance (sister) |
Kathy Staff (12 July 1928 – 13 December 2008), born Minnie Higginbottom, was an English actress, well known for her work on British television. She is most famous for her portrayal of Nora Batty on the longest running sitcom in the world, Last of the Summer Wine.
Born in Dukinfield, Cheshire, Staff was best known for her role as one of the main characters, Nora Batty, in the long-running BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. She played Nora Batty from the pilot episode in 1973, (though in the pilot and first series, she was referred to as Mrs.Batty), until 2008, the year she died from a brain tumour.
Shortly after the death of actor Bill Owen on 12 July 1999, coincidentally also Staff's birthday, Staff left the show briefly. She stated in interviews that things just weren't the same since his passing, and her heart wasn't in it anymore. She would later return and remain with the show until her death.
She began her acting career with touring repertory companies in 1946, changing her name to Katherine Brant. After she married John Staff in 1951, she adopted the surname as her stage name, hence Kathy Staff. She retired from the stage at this point to raise her family, but started working as an extra for Granada Television in Manchester in the 1960s.
Staff had a regular role as Doris Luke in the popular ATV soap opera, Crossroads from 1978 to 1984 and 2001 to 2002. Her other television roles included Coronation Street as Vera Hopkins,No Frills as Molly Bickerstaff, Open All Hours as Mrs Blewitt, Dawson's Weekly and The Benny Hill Show. She appeared in a television version of Separate Tables in 1983. She was also well known for her part In Last Of The Summer Wine, playing Nora Batty.
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