---
name: "Sylvia Kay"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sylvia-kay"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "16 May 1936"
died: "18 January 2019"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T10:52:25.573256+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."
---

# Sylvia Kay

Actor. Born 16 May 1936 in Altrincham, Cheshire, England, UK. Died 18 January 2019.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 16 May 1936, Altrincham, Cheshire, England, UK
- **Died:** 18 January 2019

## Biography

Sylvia Kay was an English character actress. Born Sylvia Margaret Kay in Stockport, Cheshire, on 16 May 1936 and brought up in Altrincham, she trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after briefly studying psychology at Manchester University.

She made her professional debut in 1957 and appeared in West End productions, including as understudy to Vivien Leigh. Kay played Janette Hynes in the 1971 film *Wake in Fright*, directed by her then-husband Ted Kotcheff. Her best-known television role was as Daphne Warrender in the BBC sitcom *Just Good Friends* (1983–1986). Other credits include episodes of *The Avengers* (1968), *The Professionals* (1977) and *Jeeves and Wooster* (1993).

Kay later qualified as a psychotherapist and practised until 2017. She died in London on 18 January 2019.

*Sources: theguardian.com, thetimes.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Wake in Fright* (1971), Fi1m 86, as Janette Hynes — [page](https://film.one/film/wake-in-fright.md)

## Also known for

- *The Avengers* (1961), Matron
- *Jeeves and Wooster* (1990), Mrs Trotter
- *Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?* (1978), Reporter (uncredited)
- *The Professionals* (1977), Frances Cottingham

---
© 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/sylvia-kay