Personal life

Jane Elizabeth Marie Burgess was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the daughter of Louise Elise (Burgess). Her stepfather, Yves Lapotaire, worked in the oil industry.

She studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the 1960s. Her performance in the title role of Marie Curie (1977) first brought her to wide attention. In 1978 she performed the title role Édith Piaf for Pam Gems's play Piaf, directed by Howard Davies for the Royal Shakespeare Company, in Stratford-upon-Avon and in London at the Warehouse Theatre, Covent Garden in 1979.

Two years later, the show moved to Broadway. Lapotaire won the Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Play that year.

She was married to director Roland Joffé from 1974 to 1980; they had one son, screenwriter and director Rowan Joffé (born 1973). Following their divorce, she was for a time the partner of actor Michael Pennington.

Writing

Lapotaire has written a number of memoirs: Grace and Favour, Out of Order: A Haphazard Journey Through One Woman's Year, and Everybody's Daughter, Nobody's Child, which includes an account of her childhood growing up in Levington Road, Ipswich.

Illness

In 2000 while working in France, Lapotaire suffered a cerebral haemorrhage. She writes about her recovery in Time Out of Mind.

Associations

Jane Lapotaire is Honorary President of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club, and is President of the Friends of Shakespeare's Globe.

Selected TV and filmography

• Eleventh Hour (TV series)
• The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV series)
• He Knew He Was Right (2004 TV mini-series) - Lady Milborough
• Bella and the Boys (2004 TV film) - Mrs. Rogers
• There's Only One Jimmy Grimble (2000) - Alice Brewer
• Arabian Nights (2000 TV film) - Miriam
• Shooting Fish (1997) - Dylan's Headmistress
• Surviving Picasso (1996) - Olga Picasso
• Simisola (1996 TV film) - Anouk Khoori
• Johnny and the Dead (1995 TV series) - Mrs. Sylvia Liberty
• The Alleyn Mysteries (TV series)
• Love Hurts (TV series) - Diane Warburg (Series 1-2, 1992-1993)
• Murder in Space (1989 TV film) - Louise Mackey
• Lady Jane (1986) - Princess/Queen Mary
• Eureka (1984) - Helen McCann
• Macbeth (1983 TV film) - Lady Macbeth
• Antony & Cleopatra (1981 TV film) - Cleopatra
• The Devil's Crown (1978 TV series) - Aliéner d'Aquitaine
• One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) - Miss Prescott
• Edward the Seventh (1975 TV mini-series) - Empress Marie of Russia
• Crown Court (TV series)
• Van der Valk (TV series)
• The Asphyx (1973) - Christina Cunningham
• Armchair Theatre (TV series)
• Love and Mr Lewisham (1972 TV series) - Miss Heydinger
• Callan (TV series)
• Antony and Cleopatra (1972) - Charmian
• The Edwardians (1972 TV mini-series) - Alice Houston
• Jason King (TV series)
• Crescendo (1970) - Lillianne

[ Source: Wikipedia ]