Biography
Pat Heywood (1 August 1931 – 26 June 2024) was a Scottish character actress. Born Patricia Heywood in Gretna Green, she trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and began her career on stage, appearing in the original 1954 Bristol Old Vic production of the musical Salad Days, which transferred to London for a five-year run.
She made her film debut aged 36 as the Nurse in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968), a performance that earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Subsequent screen roles included Battle of Britain (1969), 10 Rillington Place (1971) as Ethel Christie, and television appearances in Inspector Morse and Wish You Were Here (both 1987). She was married to actor and director Oliver Neville, former principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
