The family of Dame Penelope Keith have announced that the actress died today (Monday, June 29) at the age of 86 at her home in Surrey after a battle with cancer.
She initially acted on stage as part of the Royal Shakespeare Comany and won an Olivier Award for her performance in Donkeys’ Years in 1976.
Fame followed thanks to her roles in two hugely popular sitcoms, starring as Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life (for which she won a BAFTA) and as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born.
Other notable television shows included in The Norman Conquests, for which she won a second BAFTA, Executive Stress, No Job for a Lady and Next of Kin (1995–1997.
She returned to the theatre in the 2000s, receiving critical acclaim for playing Madam Arcati in Blithe Spirit and Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest.
Her acting career, and her wide-ranging charity work including succeeding Lord Olivier as president of the Actors's Benevolent Fund, saw her appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Year Honours.
Here are 15 memorable quotes from the actress over the years.
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5. Penelope Keith on...her appearance
"I was very tall and very plain - I wasn't going to get very far on looks - so I thought I'd better be the funny girl." | Getty Images
6. Penelope Keith on...becoming a Dame
"It's a recognition for not only my 54 years of being an actress but also for all the charities with which I'm associated and I think they'll be thrilled." | Getty Images
7. Penelope Keith on...legacy
"I plant a lot of trees. I am a great believer in planting things for future generations. I loathe the now culture where you just live for today." | Getty Images
