---
name: "Sylvia Syms"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sylvia-syms"
fi1m_id: "sylvia-syms"
imdb_id: "nm0843401"
tmdb_id: 15736
wikidata_id: "Q291443"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 January 1934"
died: "27 January 2023"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 71
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-07T13:12:05.938044+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 Syms

## Identity

Sylvia Syms

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sylvia-syms
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** sylvia-syms
- **IMDb ID:** nm0843401
- **TMDB ID:** 15736
- **Wikidata ID:** Q291443
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Syms, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q291443, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843401/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15736

Actor. Born 6 January 1934 in Woolwich, London, England, UK. Died 27 January 2023.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 January 1934, Woolwich, London, England, UK
- **Died:** 27 January 2023
- **Active:** 1992–2019
- **Also known as:** Sylvia Sims, Silvia Syms, Sylvia May Laura Syms
- **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 47 (1), 2000s 78 (2), 2010s 82 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 71 to 69 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Comedy 1, History 1, Romance 1, Thriller 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $167m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Syms, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q291443, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843401/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15736

## Biography

Sylvia Syms was an English actress who appeared in film, television and on stage. Born in Woolwich, London, she trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her film debut in the mid-1950s.

She was a leading player in British cinema from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, with roles in *Woman in a Dressing Gown* (1957), for which she received a BAFTA nomination, *Ice Cold in Alex* (1958), *Victim* (1961) and *The Tamarind Seed* (1974). Later credits include *What a Girl Wants* (2003) and *The Queen* (2006), in which she played the Queen Mother. She was appointed OBE and remained active into the 2010s.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, bfi.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Gentleman Jack* (2019), Fi1m 82, as Mrs Rawson — [page](https://film.one/tv/gentleman-jack.md)
- *The Queen* (2006), Fi1m 84, as Queen Mother — [page](https://film.one/film/the-queen.md)
- *At Home with the Braithwaites* (2000), Fi1m 71, as Marion Riley — [page](https://film.one/tv/at-home-with-the-braithwaites.md)
- *Shining Through* (1992), Fi1m 47, as Linda's Mother — [page](https://film.one/film/shining-through.md)

## Complete filmography (105)

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

- *Gentleman Jack* (2019), series, as Mrs Rawson — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/gentleman-jack.md)
- *Together* (2018), Actor
- *Talking Pictures* (2013), series, as Narrator
- *Run For Your Wife* (2012), as Hip Operation Woman
- *Playhouse Presents* (2012), series, as Alice
- *Booked Out* (2012), as Mrs Nicholls
- *Case Histories* (2011), series, as Binky Rain
- *The Long Lonely Walk* (2010), as Mrs. Didcott
- *Bunny and the Bull* (2009), as Hotelier
- *Collision* (2009), series, as Joyce Thompson
- *Is Anybody There?* (2009), as Lilian
- *Above Suspicion* (2009), series, as Mrs Hedges
- *The Queen* (2006), as Queen Mother — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-queen.md)
- *The Poseidon Adventure* (2005), as Belle Rosen
- *Child of Mine* (2005), as Alice
- *Agatha Christie's Marple* (2004), series, as Lavinia Pinkerton
- *New Tricks* (2004), series, as Beatrice
- *Blue Murder* (2003), series, as Peggy Gaumont
- *I'll Sleep When I'm Dead* (2003), as Mrs. Bartz
- *What a Girl Wants* (2003), as Princess Charlotte
- *Doctor Zhivago* (2002), series, as Madame Fleury
- *Born and Bred* (2002), series, as Elizabeth Grimshaw
- *The Jury* (2002), series, as Elsie Beamish
- *Judge John Deed* (2001), series, as Rose Hussein
- *At Home with the Braithwaites* (2000), series, as Marion Riley — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/at-home-with-the-braithwaites.md)
- *Mavis and the Mermaid* (2000), as Gioga
- *Holby City* (1999), series, as Margaret Larkin
- *Neville's Island* (1998), as Mrs. Campness
- *Food of Love* (1997), as Mrs. Harvey-Brown
- *Original Sin* (1997), series, as Esme Carling
- *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, as Maisie Barron
- *Half the Picture* (1996), as Margaret Thatcher
- *Ghosts* (1995), series, as Mrs Eversley
- *The Glass Virgin* (1995), series, as Lady Constance
- *Kavanagh Q.C.* (1995), series, as Claudia
- *Dancing* (1995), Actor
- *Staggered* (1994), as Margaret
- *Dirty Weekend* (1993), as Mrs. Crosby
- *Peak Practice* (1993), series, as Isabel de Gines
- *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Peggy Tatton
- *Mulberry* (1992), series, as Springtime
- *Shining Through* (1992), as Linda's Mother — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/shining-through.md)
- *The Laughter of God* (1991), as Diana
- *Thatcher: The Final Days* (1991), as Margaret Thatcher
- *Doctor Who: Ghost Light* (1989), as Mrs Pritchard
- *Shirley Valentine* (1989), as Headmistress
- *A Chorus of Disapproval* (1989), as Rebecca Huntley-Pike
- *Mr. H Is Late* (1988), Actor
- *Intimate Contact* (1987), series, as Annie Stanhope
- *The Ruth Rendell Mysteries* (1987), series, as Lilian Crown, Stephen's mother, Mrs. Thorn, Mrs. Whalby
- *Fifties Features - The Women behind the Pictures* (1986), series, Actor
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Bunny Tyrill, Mrs. Bullock — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *Absolute Beginners* (1986), as Cynthia Eve
- *Time for Murder* (1985), series, as Vivien Scott-Forbes
- *Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced* (1985), series, as Mrs. Easterbrook
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Diana, Margaret Thatcher
- *Miss Marple* (1984), series, as Mrs. Easterbrook
- *It's Your Move* (1982), as The Wife
- *Nancy Astor* (1982), series, as Nanaire Langhorne
- *There Goes The Bride* (1980), as Ursula Westerby
- *Give Us Tomorrow* (1978), as Wendy Hammond
- *Comedy Premiere* (1975), series, as Verity Martin
- *The Tamarind Seed* (1974), as Margaret Stephenson
- *Asylum* (1972), as Ruth
- *The Adventurer* (1972), series, as Karen Ballard
- *Paul Temple* (1969), series, Actor
- *Strange Report* (1969), series, as Carol Webber
- *Run Wild, Run Free* (1969), as Mrs. Ransome
- *The Desperados* (1969), as Laura
- *The Fiction Makers* (1968), as Joyce Darling
- *Hostile Witness* (1968), as Sheila Larkin
- *The Root of All Evil?* (1968), series, as Elizabeth Glover
- *Danger Route* (1967), as Barbara Canning
- *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Carlotta Forcelli, Frances
- *Half Hour Story* (1967), series, as Flora Halliwell-Holmes
- *Bat Out of Hell* (1966), series, as Diana Stewart
- *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Judy Marriott
- *The Big Job* (1965), as Myrtle Robbins
- *Operation Crossbow* (1965), as Constance Babington Smith
- *East of Sudan* (1964), as Miss Woodville
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Mrs. Pritchard — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *The World Ten Times Over* (1963), as Billa
- *The Punch and Judy Man* (1963), as Delia Pinner
- *The Human Jungle* (1963), series, as Margo
- *The Saint* (1962), series, as Arlene, Lady Anne Yearley, Amos Klein, Jeannine Roger
- *The Quare Fellow* (1962), as Kathleen
- *Victim* (1961), as Laura Farr
- *Flame in the Streets* (1961), as Kathie Palmer
- *Amazons of Rome* (1961), as Clelia
- *The World of Suzie Wong* (1960), as Kay O’Neill
- *Danger Man* (1960), series, as Paula Glover
- *Conspiracy of Hearts* (1960), as Sister Mitya
- *Expresso Bongo* (1959), as Maisie King
- *Ferry to Hong Kong* (1959), as Liz Ferrers
- *No Trees in the Street* (1959), as Hetty
- *Bachelor of Hearts* (1958), as Ann Wainwright
- *The Moonraker* (1958), as Anne Wyndham
- *Ice Cold in Alex* (1958), as Sister Diana Murdoch
- *The Birthday Present* (1957), as Jean Scott
- *No Time for Tears* (1957), as Nurse Margaret Collier
- *Woman in a Dressing Gown* (1957), as Georgie Harlow
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Kay McCone, Mary Fleming
- *My Teenage Daughter* (1956), as Janet Carr
- *Television Playhouse* (1955), series, as Hilary, Deborah Grayson
- *Sunday Night Theatre* (1950), series, as Janet Towne

## Gallery

- ![Sylvia Syms](https://film.one/media/person/99302/gallery-041530ce726a.jpg) Sylvia Syms — Image via TMDB
- ![Sylvia Syms](https://film.one/media/person/99302/gallery-865910bde385.jpg) Sylvia Syms — Image via TMDB
- ![Sylvia Syms](https://film.one/media/person/99302/gallery-819feb71bd04.jpg) Sylvia Syms — Image via TMDB
- ![Sylvia Syms](https://film.one/media/person/99302/gallery-4cbadba7712f.jpg) Sylvia Syms — Image via TMDB
- ![Sylvia Syms](https://film.one/media/person/99302/gallery-e4f96b0c02ca.jpg) Sylvia Syms — Image via TMDB
- ![Sylvia Syms](https://film.one/media/person/99302/gallery-05f586c858b6.jpg) Sylvia Syms — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Officer of the Order of the British Empire 2007: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (won)

*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/sylvia-syms