Joan sims death

1. Biography of Joan Sims
2. Early Life and Career
3. Film Career
4. Television Career
5. Later Life

Biography of Joan Sims

Irene Joan Marion Sims, known as Joan Sims, was an English actress. She was best known for her roles in the low-budget British comedies collectively called "Carry On" and for her role as Madge Hardcastle in the sitcom "As Time Goes By".

Early Life and Career

Joan Sims was born on May 9, 1930, in Laindon, Essex, England. Her father was a station master, and she began performing in plays specially staged for people waiting for trains at the railway station. She decided that show business was her calling and became a regular participant in local amateur productions. Sims initially faced rejection when she auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1946. However, she persevered and was accepted on her fourth attempt, graduating from RADA in 1950 at the age of 19.

Film Career

Sims made her film debut with the role of Beryll in Michael Anderson's comedy "Will Any Gentleman...?" with George Cole in 1953. This was followed by another comedy, "Trouble in Store" with Norman Wisdom, and a supporting role in Ralph Thomas' film "Doctor in the House" with Dirk Bogarde. In the latter, Sims played a sexually repressed nurse named Rigor Mortis.

After the huge box office success of "Carry On Sergeant," in which Sims starred, she and director Gerald Thomas began planning their subsequent collaborations. Sims became the star of films such as "Carry On Nurse" and "Carry On Teacher," followed by "Carry On Constable" and "Carry On Regardless." Sims became a regular cast member in the low-budget comedies of the "Carry On" series until its closure in 1978.

Television Career

Sims continued her work on television. She appeared in the comedy-drama "Love Among the Ruins" in 1975, alongside Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, and then took on the role of Gran in the BBC sitcom "Till Death Us Do Part." Sims also appeared in four episodes of the long-running science fiction series "Doctor Who" in the story titled "The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet." She also portrayed Miss Amy Murgatroyd in the television film "A Murder Is Announced" and provided her voice for the animated film "The Princess and the Cobbler."

Later Life

In the later stages of her life, Sims battled depression. Her situation worsened when she lost both her agent, Peter Eade, and her best friend, Hattie Jacques, within two years. She also lost her mother. These consecutive deaths led Sims to develop a drinking problem. In 1999, she experienced Bell's palsy, a peripheral facial paralysis, and a year later, she suffered a hip fracture. Although she initially refused rehabilitation, Sims eventually took control of her life and triumphed over alcoholism. She began working on her autobiography and took the opportunity to portray Betty in the television drama "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells" in 2000, alongside Judi Dench and Olympia Dukakis.

On June 28, 2001, just ten minutes before her death, Joan Sims held the hand of her longtime friend, Norah Holland, who fondly reminisced about Hattie Jacques and Sims' involvement in the "Carry On" films. After her passing, Sims was cremated.

"I was always useless at flirting, and I just didn't know what to do to ensnare my target... I always ended up resorting to jokes, but most men don't like funny women. They like to do the joking."