Biography
Elizabeth Spriggs (1929–2008) was an English character actress. She trained at the Royal School of Music and began her professional career in 1953 with the Bristol Old Vic, later working at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962 and remained for many years, appearing in roles including the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Gertrude in Hamlet and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. In 1978 she won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Arnold Wesker's Love Letters on Blue Paper.
On screen she is known for the role of Mrs Jennings in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility, for which she received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and as the Fat Lady in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). She also appeared in numerous television series including Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie's Poirot.
