As one of the longest running and most successful franchises in action movie history, the James Bond films have seen their share of villains. Luckily for 007 however, whilst having to combat Jaws and Ernst Stravro Blofeld, he found himself on the same side as Margaret Thatcher. Britain’s first female Prime Minister was just two years into her premiership when the tongue-in-cheek spy series featured her in a bit part in For Your Eyes Only in 1981. Thatcher was portrayed in the film by Janet Brown, an impressionist of some note who worked with the likes of Mike Yarwood and Jon Culshaw. Brown became such a Thatcher specialist that she entitled her autobiography ‘Prime Mimicker’.
Roger Moore had played Bond in the movie, and he was present once again the next time Thatcher appeared as a movie character. The 1990 crime caper comedy Bullseye! featured Moore alongside fellow British legend Michael Caine. Kathleen Smith appeared as Mrs Thatcher in the movie, although the voice was supplied by a rather less flattering source - Steve Nallon, best known for voicing Thatcher in the biting satirical television comedy Spitting Image.
Bad as Bullseye! undoubtably was, it probably had little to do with Thatcher resigning from power in the same year as its release. The former politician was a Baroness by the time she was next portrayed on film, in 2007. The film in question, Back in Business, was another British comedy, starring Chris Barrie, Brian Blessed and Martin Kemp in a space-race family adventure. It was received every bit as poorly as Bullseye! This time the part of Thatcher went to Caroline Bernstein, who also played Thatcher in the short I am Bob in the same year. Bernstein’s other claim to fame is for playing Cherie Blair.
The character of Margaret Thatcher appeared in two television movies around the end of the first decade of the twenty first century. In 2008 The Long Walk to Finchley became the first film to feature her as a leading character, as it portrayed a light-hearted version of her early career and courtship in the 1950's. Andrea Riseborough starred as Margaret, and the role proved to be a springboard for her as she appeared in three big movies in 2010; Made in Brighton, Never Let me Go and Brighton Rock, before co-starring as another controversial female, Wallace Simpson, in W.E (2011)
When Harvey Met Bob (2010) told the story of Harvey Goldsmith, Bob Geldoff and Live Aid. Ian Hart and Domhnall Gleeson took the title roles, with the part of Thatcher going to Ingrid Craigie. In 2011 the character of Thatcher appeared in the comedy In Search Of La Che, and was portrayed by Louise Michelle Scott - although Steve Nallon once again supplied the voice.
Of course, 2011 also saw a rather more talked about - indeed, Academy Award nominated - performance as Mrs. T, from Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady. Streep’s list of credits, and awards, is varied and impressive, with Margaret Thatcher simply the latest in a long line of powerful roles. However, another actress also played Thatcher in the film. Alexandra Roach appeared as young Margaret. The actress, already known from television for Being Human and New Tricks, looks set to move onward and upward in the film industry, with roles in upcoming movies such as Private Peaceful (from War Horse author Michael Morpurgo) and Anna Karenina, Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of the Tolstoy classic, set to star Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Emily Watson.
Jonathan Squirrell - Jon Squirrell is a freelance writer and 3-dimensional cartoonist currently living on Humberside. As well as writing for Suite 101, Jon ...
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