Ann Mitchell (born 22 April 1939) is a British stage and television actress. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she starred as Dolly Rawlins in the crime series Widows as well as the sequels Widows 2 and She's Out, all written by Lynda La Plante. In 2011, she was cast as Cora Cross in the BBCsoap operaEastEnders, the mother of Tanya Branning and Rainie Cross. Mitchell has appeared in many roles in film, theatre and television and has played a significant number of major roles such as Mrs. Warren in Mrs. Warren's Profession and her Laurence Olivier Award nominated performance in Through the Leaves.
She is a visiting lecturer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, East 15 Acting School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is Master Tutor on the foundation course at WAC. Mitchell is on the board of directors of the Unity Theatre Trust, a Trustee of Arbours (a psychotherapeutic care centre) and is a Patron of Clean Break, a theatre and training company for female ex-offenders.
Mitchell has been married twice and has two sons, one from each of her marriages, one of whom is the actor Ché Walker. She resides in London.
Career
In 1984, she received the Pye Award for Female who had the greatest impact on television for her role as Dolly Rawlins in the crime series Widows, written by Lynda La Plante. She had a cameo, as Amanda's mother, in the 2018 U.S. film version of her series, Widows. In 1992, she received the award "Performance of the Year" by The Independent on Sunday for her Hecuba at the Gate Theatre. In 2003 Mitchell was a nominee for Best Actress in the Evening Standard Awards and the Laurence Olivier Awards for her performance as Martha in Through the Leaves, first at the Southwark Playhouse and later the Duchess Theatre, London. Her work as a director and writer includes: Voices from Prison (RSC Platform), Cathy Come Home (first stage adaptation, Pit Theatre), Ever After (co-written with Cathy Itzin), Kiss and Kill (co-written with Susan Todd for Monstrous Regiment and nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize). She directed the world premiere of Barrie Keeffe's Sus, at the Royal Court Theatre.
Ann Mitchell first worked with Simon Callow over 35 years ago in a LincolnTheatre Royal production of The Erpingham Camp, where Callow made his debut. Since then, they have worked together several times, most recently eight years ago when Callow directed Mitchell in The Destiny of Me at the Leicester Haymarket. While not collaborating with Callow, Mitchell has built up an extensive stage career. In an interview with What's on Stage, Mitchell commented that her favourite was Eugene O'Neill. "I was about 15 when I first started reading him and, even at that age, I knew there was something going on there in the subconscious of his work. Tennessee Williams, because of his delicacy. I also like doing Racine, which is wonderful from the point of the view of the language. I've just done Britannicus at the Citz."[2]
In 2011, Mitchell was cast in the Britishsoap operaEastEnders as Cora Cross, the mother of already established characters Tanya Jessop and Rainie Cross. She first appeared to attend her on-screen daughter's wedding and was originally only scheduled to appear for a four episode guest stint. On 31 May 2011 it was announced that Mitchell was returning to EastEnders as Cora and will be back on screen as a regular character in summer 2011.[3] In an interview with Inside Soap, the executive producer of EastEnders, Bryan Kirkwood commented: "With the loss of Barbara Windsor, I was keen to find a new matriarch for the show, and Ann Mitchell is a dream booking. I've always been a fan of her work, and with the storyline we've got planned, we'll wonder how we ever did without Cora".[4] Mitchell had previously appeared in EastEnders as Jane Williams, a woman Roy Evans had an affair with but only appeared for six episodes. Upon joining the soap, Mitchell commented: "As a lifelong fan of EastEnders I am thrilled to join the cast. I am a great fan of June Brown’s and am looking forward to sharing some scenes with her." Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood added, "I’m very excited to have the much-loved Ann Mitchell joining us. Cora Cross is a formidable woman, cut from the same cloth as many glorious Walford women of the past, and Ann Mitchell is just perfect for the role."[5] She took a break in December 2015, and returned in 2017.[6]
