TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – British actress Dame Penelope Keith, best known for her iconic roles in the classic sitcoms The Good Life and To the Manor Born, has died at the age of 86.
Her family announced on Monday that Keith died peacefully at her home in Surrey after living with cancer. She had lived at the property for more than 50 years.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey,” her family said in a statement. “The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”
As reported by the BBC, Keith became one of Britain’s most recognizable television stars through her portrayal of the snobbish suburban neighbor Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, which aired from 1975. The sitcom, centered on a couple pursuing self-sufficiency in suburban England, became one of Britain’s most beloved comedies and was later voted among the country’s greatest sitcoms.
She followed that success with another defining role as the widowed aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born. The final episode of the show’s first series attracted nearly 24 million viewers in 1979, making it the most-watched non-live television program in Britain during the decade.
Keith joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 after establishing herself on stage before transitioning into television. Early in her screen career, she appeared in productions including The Army Game, Carry on Doctor, The Avengers, and Private Lives before achieving nationwide fame.
According to AOL, Keith received her first BAFTA Television Award in 1977 for her performance in The Good Life. She won another BAFTA the following year for The Norman Conquests: Living Together, adding to a career that also included an Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in 1976 for Donkey’s Years.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Keith remained a prominent figure in British television, starring in sitcoms such as Executive Stress, No Job for a Lady, Moving, Law and Disorder, and Next of Kin. She also served as president of the Actors’ Benevolent Fund after succeeding Sir Laurence Olivier in 1989.
In later years, Keith returned primarily to the stage, appearing in productions including Blithe Spirit and The Importance of Being Earnest. She was appointed Dame Commander in 2014 in recognition of her services to the arts and charity.
Tributes poured in following news of her death. Her longtime co-star Felicity Kendal described Keith as “a comic genius” and said working with her had been “such special times.”
“I am deeply saddened to hear of my friend Penelope’s death,” Kendal said. “The shows I worked on with her were such special times in our lives and demonstrated her comic genius. My heart goes out to her beloved Rodney at this time. She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed.”
BBC Comedy director Jon Petrie also praised Keith’s legacy, calling her “one of the defining figures of British television comedy.”
“Her iconic performance as Margo in The Good Life remains one of the nation’s most beloved sitcom roles and continues to delight audiences today,” Petrie said.
Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth remembered Keith as “a wonderful actress, a real friend, so funny, so generous,” while comedian Sue Perkins described her as the creator of “some of the greatest sitcom characters of all time.”
The Society of London Theatre announced that West End theatres will dim their lights in Keith’s memory on Wednesday, while the BBC scheduled a classic episode of The Good Life to air as a tribute to one of Britain’s most celebrated comedy actresses.
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