'Carry On' star Fenella Fielding dies at 90

The actress Fenella Fielding, known for her roles in the Carry On films, has died at the age of 90.

According to her representative, she had suffered a stroke two weeks ago, and died yesterday.

Fielding spent more than 70 years in the entertainment business, and was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List earlier this year.

“We are very sad to announce that Fenella Fielding OBE passed away this afternoon on Tuesday September 11,” read a statement from her spokesperson.

“This follows a severe stroke two weeks ago. During that time, she has been very comfortable and always looked tranquil and divine. And always wearing her eyelashes!

“Miss Fielding was an incredible talent. That voice! A unique woman, much loved by family, friends and fans. She will be missed tremendously.”

Born Fenella Marion Feldman in London, she suffered abuse at the hands of her father, but left home after securing a place at St Martin’s School of Art aged 16.

She soon began her career on the stage, after winning a scholarship to RADA, before gravitating towards comedy, appearing on Hancock’s Half Hour, and in Harold Pinter and Peter Cook’s comedy review Pieces of Eight, with Kenneth Williams.

Though she lost out on the role of the role of Cathy Gale to Honor Blackman, she also appeared in The Avengers, and Danger Man with Patrick McGoohan, as well as regular appearances on the Morecambe and Wise Show.

However, she shot to fame in the Carry On and Doctor movies, appearing in Carry On Regardless, Doctor In Love, Doctor In Distress and Doctor In Clover.

Among her most famous roles was that of Valeria in the Hammer Horror parody Carry On Screaming! in 1966, once again starring opposite Kenneth Williams.

However, she feared that her roles in the Carry On films lead to her being typecast.

“You get set on a path and, if you succeed, you get better parts, but of the same kind. If you don’t take a lot of trouble, you get stuck like that,” she told The Independent in 2008.

“I’ve managed to get away from that, time and time again. But people still think of me in a certain way because of the Carry On films.”

Latterly, she appeared in the Bottom spin-off movie Guest House Paradiso with Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall, and the 2007 comedy The All Together, with Danny Dyer and Martin Freeman.

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