---
name: "Elizabeth Spriggs"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/elizabeth-spriggs"
fi1m_id: "elizabeth-spriggs"
imdb_id: "nm0819655"
tmdb_id: 1220119
wikidata_id: "Q272554"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 September 1929"
died: "2 July 2008"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-07T13:26:24.070242+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Elizabeth Spriggs

## Identity

Elizabeth Spriggs

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/elizabeth-spriggs
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** elizabeth-spriggs
- **IMDb ID:** nm0819655
- **TMDB ID:** 1220119
- **Wikidata ID:** Q272554
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Spriggs, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q272554, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0819655/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1220119

Actor. Born 18 September 1929 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, UK. Died 2 July 2008.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 September 1929, Buxton, Derbyshire, England, UK
- **Died:** 2 July 2008
- **Active:** 1990–2001
- **Also known as:** Elizabeth Jean Williams, Elisabeth Spriggs, Elizabeth Jean Spriggs-Manson, Елізабет Спріггс
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 83 (3), 2000s 68 (1)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Fantasy 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,164m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Spriggs, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q272554, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0819655/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1220119

## 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*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, web.archive.org.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* (2001), Fi1m 68, as The Fat Lady — [page](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone.md)
- *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), Fi1m 85, as Mrs. Jennings — [page](https://film.one/film/sense-and-sensibility.md)
- *Middlemarch* (1994), Fi1m 78, as Mrs. Cadwallader — [page](https://film.one/tv/middlemarch.md)
- *Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit* (1990), Fi1m 86, as May — [page](https://film.one/tv/oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit.md)

## Complete filmography (99)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Is Anybody There?* (2009), as Prudence
- *Jericho* (2005), series, as Ellen Jericho
- *Love Soup* (2005), series, as Penny's Mother (voice)
- *The Queen of Sheba's Pearls* (2004), Actor
- *The Royal* (2003), series, as Dolly Smith
- *Nice Guy Eddie* (2002), series, as Vera McMullen
- *Shackleton* (2002), series, as Janet Stancombe Wills
- *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* (2001), as The Fat Lady — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone.md)
- *The Sleeper* (2000), as Cath
- *For My Baby* (2000), as Olga Jenikova
- *Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)* (2000), series, Actor
- *A Christmas Carol* (1999), as Mrs. Riggs
- *Wives and Daughters* (1999), series, as Mrs Goodenough
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret Service* (1999), as Schultz
- *Alice in Wonderland* (1999), as Duchess
- *The Barber of Siberia* (1998), as Perepiolkina
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Iris Rainbird, Ursula Gooding — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Paradise Road* (1997), as Mrs. Roberts
- *The Secret Agent* (1996), as Winnie's Mother
- *The Snow Queen's Revenge* (1996), as Brenda (voice)
- *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), as Mrs. Jennings — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/sense-and-sensibility.md)
- *Martin Chuzzlewit* (1994), series, as Mrs Gamp
- *Takin' Over the Asylum* (1994), series, as Grandma
- *A Pinch of Snuff* (1994), as Annabelle Andover
- *Middlemarch* (1994), series, as Mrs. Cadwallader — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/middlemarch.md)
- *The Hour of the Pig* (1993), as Madame Langlois
- *The Last Vampyre* (1993), as Eileen Mason
- *Anglo Saxon Attitudes* (1992), series, as Inge Middleton
- *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Rene Kirby, Mrs. Andrews
- *The Old Devils* (1992), as Dorothy Morgan
- *The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles* (1992), series, as Schultz
- *Performance* (1991), series, as Mistress Quickly
- *Soldier Soldier* (1991), series, as Mrs. Henwood
- *Impromptu* (1991), as Baroness Laginsky
- *Survival of the Fittest* (1990), as Eileen Blackett
- *Jeeves and Wooster* (1990), series, as Aunt Agatha
- *Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit* (1990), series, as May — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit.md)
- *Screen One* (1989), series, as Eileen Blackett
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Mrs. Trask
- *Young Charlie Chaplin* (1989), series, as Madge Kendal
- *Agatha Christie's Poirot* (1989), series, as Mrs. Leadbetter — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/agatha-christies-poirot.md)
- *Simon and the Witch* (1987), series, as The Witch
- *Doctor Who: Paradise Towers* (1987), as Tabby
- *The Ruth Rendell Mysteries* (1987), series, as Eva Peterlee
- *Watching* (1987), series, as Aunty Peggy
- *The Devil's Disciple* (1987), as Mrs. Dudgeon
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Barbara Thomas — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Daphne Shotley
- *The Thirteenth Day of Christmas* (1985), as Evelyn Smith
- *Time for Murder* (1985), series, as Evelyn Smith
- *Theatre Night* (1985), series, as Mrs. Dudgeon
- *Parker* (1985), as Mrs. Epps
- *Sakharov* (1984), as Nobel Presenter
- *Sherlock Holmes* (1984), series, as Mrs Mason
- *The Cold Room* (1984), as Frau Hoffman
- *Those Glory Glory Days* (1983), as School Mistress
- *The Merry Wives of Windsor* (1982), as Mistress Quickly
- *Spider's Web* (1982), as Mildred Peake
- *Objects of Affection* (1982), series, as Cora
- *Our Winnie* (1982), as Cora
- *Intensive Care* (1982), as Alice Duckworth
- *The Haunting of Cassie Palmer* (1982), as Mrs. Palmer
- *An Unsuitable Job for a Woman* (1982), as Miss Markland
- *Shine on Harvey Moon* (1982), series, as Nan
- *Bergerac* (1981), series, as Mary Lou Costain
- *Lady Chatterley's Lover* (1981), as Lady Eva
- *The Cause* (1981), as Olive James
- *The Kindness of Mrs Radcliffe* (1981), as Mrs Radcliffe
- *Fothergill* (1981), as Middle Class Woman
- *Richard's Things* (1980), as Mrs. Sells
- *Cribb* (1980), series, as Mrs Gurney
- *Fox* (1980), series, as Connie Fox
- *Fox* (1980), as Connie Fox
- *The Dybbuk* (1980), as Frade
- *The Enigma* (1980), as Miss Parsons
- *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Aunt May, Martha
- *Julius Caesar* (1979), as Calphurnia
- *Afternoon Off* (1979), as Miss Beckinsale
- *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Mistress Quickly
- *Able's Will* (1977), as Sarah
- *BBC2 Play of the Week* (1977), series, as Sarah
- *Victorian Scandals* (1976), series, as Hannah Cullwick
- *Love Letters on Blue Paper* (1976), as Sonia Marsden
- *Prometheus: The Life of Balzac* (1975), series, Actor
- *Leeds United!* (1974), as Maggie
- *Playhouse* (1974), series, as Miss Parsons, Middle-Class Woman, Mrs. Radcliffe
- *Second City Firsts* (1973), series, as Zena Pool
- *Rust* (1973), as Eleanor Hawkes
- *Black and Blue* (1973), series, as Eleanor Hawkes
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Sonia Marsden, Olive James, Alice Duckworth, Maggie
- *3 Into 2 Won't Go* (1969), as Marcia
- *Work Is a 4-Letter Word* (1968), as Mrs Murray
- *The Expert* (1968), series, as Mrs. Kyneston
- *All's Well That Ends Well* (1968), as Widow
- *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Maud Lowder
- *Theatre 625* (1964), series, Actor
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Maddy, Tabby — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *Festival* (1963), series, as Lampito
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, Writer

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Laurence Olivier Awards 1978: Laurence Olivier Awards (won)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1975: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/elizabeth-spriggs