LONDON (AP) — Penelope Keith, the celebrated British actress who charmed audiences with her portrayals of haughty yet endearing upper-class characters in beloved sitcoms, has passed away at the age of 86.
Her family announced Monday that Keith had received a cancer diagnosis and died at her home in Surrey, just outside London.
Keith launched her career on the stage, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963, before television brought her to the height of her fame.
In 1977, she took home a BAFTA award for her role as Margo Leadbetter in “The Good Life” — a snobbish suburbanite horrified by her neighbors Tom and Barbara Good, who were portrayed by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal, as they abandoned modern comforts to live off the land.
Kendal remembered her co-star warmly, describing Keith as a “comic genius.” “She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed,” Kendal said.
Keith brought a similar blend of commanding presence and dry humor to “To the Manor Born,” which aired from 1979 to 1981 and returned for a Christmas special in 2007. In that series, she played Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, a cash-strapped aristocratic widow who is forced to sell her country estate to a newly wealthy buyer played by Peter Bowles — a man she shares a complicated love-hate relationship with.
Beyond her sitcom roles, Keith’s distinctive voice was heard on the children’s program “Teletubbies” and in advertisements for products ranging from Pimm’s to Parker Pens. She also hosted warm, documentary-style television programs, among them “Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages.”
Even into her 80s, Keith continued to take on stage roles. As a tribute to her legacy, theaters along London’s West End will dim their lights Wednesday evening in her honor.
In 2014, she was awarded the title of dame — the female equivalent of a knighthood — in recognition of her contributions to the arts and to charitable causes.
She is survived by her husband, Rodney Timson, and their two adopted sons.
