Patricia Hodge

Patricia Ann Hodge (born 29 September 1946) is an English actor. She made her West End debut in 1972 and starred in the 1973 West End production of Pippin, directed by Bob Fosse. She received two Olivier Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical, before winning the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the play Money.

Other roles include the 1983 film Betrayal, the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–1992), the 1986 TV adaptation of The Life and Loves of a She-Devil and the TV film Hotel du Lac (1986), for which she received a Best Actress BAFTA TV Award nomination. From 2009 to 2014, she starred in the BBC sitcom Miranda.

Early life

Hodge was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. The daughter of the Royal Hotel owner/manager Eric and his wife Marion (née Phillips), Hodge attended Wintringham Girls' Grammar School in Weelsby Avenue in Grimsby and then St. Helen's School, Northwood, Middlesex; before attending Maria Grey College (became West London Institute of Higher Education in 1976 then the Twickenham campus of Brunel University from 1995–2005), Twickenham to train as a teacher. She taught English and drama at Russell County Primary School in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, whilst also applying to London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She started at LAMDA when she was 22, being awarded on graduation the Eveline Evans Award for Best Actress.