Joanna Lumley's life from frosty first meet with Ab Fab co-star to what should have been an 'affair'
Wednesday season two is set to thrill fans, and the addition of Joanna Lumley to the Netflix series has certainly raised excitement levels.
Last year's announcement that the Absolutely Fabulous legend would be gracing the upcoming season of Wednesday, premiering on August 6, sent waves of anticipation through the fanbase.
Lumley will take on the pivotal role of Grandma Hester Frump, described as "razor sharp" and possessing a complex dynamic with her daughter Morticia Addams, portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones, in the darkly comedic drama.
As viewers count down the days until the release of Wednesday season two, let's delve into the fascinating background of Joanna Lumley.
Early life
Born in 1946 in Kashmir, India, Lumley's early life was marked by travel across the Far East due to her father's role as a major in the Gurkha Rifles.
Her family's ties to India stretch back generations, as she recounted to The Times: "It was my great-great-great-great-grandfather, James Rutherford Lumley, who was the first of my family to settle in India, at the end of the 18th century.
"He was a military man who became adjutant general of the Indian army.
"This lineage continued unbroken down to my father, also named James Rutherford Lumley, who served as a major in the 6th Gurkha Rifles."
At the age of eight, Lumley's education took her to England, where she attended Mickledene School in Kent followed by Holmhurst St Mary's Convent School in Hastings.
Modelling and Acting
Lumley honed her skills at the renowned Lucie Clayton Finishing School in London, before embarking on a three-year stint as a photographic model.
She earned a modest £8 a week as a model at the erstwhile Mayfair department store Debenham and Freebody, prior to working for designer Jean Muir.
Rumour has it that Lumley had aspirations of becoming a ballet dancer, but was considered too tall for the profession.
She made a brief appearance as a Bond Girl in the 1960s film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', where she humorously told Prospect "if you blinked you would miss me".
However, her big break arrived in 1976 when she was cast as Purdey in 'The New Avengers', a character who transitioned from a trainee ballet dancer to a secret agent.
"For two years I was on television all the time. People could remember my name," she revealed to Prospect.
"And that's one of the greatest things as an actor, to be remembered-for good or bad!".
"The pay was terrible, but name recognition changed my life. When people started to stop me in the street, I suddenly realised that I had stopped being a private person.
"At the time I thought I would forever be known as the Avengers girl; even when I was old and grey."
Absolutely Fabulous
One of her most memorable roles was as the booze-loving, chain-smoking Patsy Stone, starring alongside comedian Jennifer Saunders, in the sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous'.
During a theatre Q&A in Horsham, Joanna Lumley disclosed that her initial interaction with Jennifer Saunders wasn't the smoothest, recounting: "There she [Saunders] was sitting on this chair. I said, 'Can I call you Jen?' and she said, 'No.' It was quite a bad beginning.
"When I was offered the part, I turned to my agent and said, 'Can you get me out of this, because Jennifer is too polite or too shy to say that it's going to be a complete nightmare.'".
However, their relationship took a turn for the better when Lumley managed to make Saunders laugh, paving the way for a strong friendship.
Motherhood
On a personal note, Lumley became a single mother at 21 to her son Jamie, fathered by photographer Michael Claydon, choosing to raise him independently.
In an intimate conversation with The Guardian, she expressed gratitude for her family's support: "My parents helped in every possible way, and I cry my eyes out at the women who were made to give up their babies around the same time, because their families wouldn't have them, or they felt they couldn't keep them.
"And the damage that causes. I'm so lucky that didn't happen to me.
"Doctors had told me I could never have children, so I went on working until I was six months pregnant because they kept saying I wasn't pregnant. Jamie was born at seven-and-a-half months. It was a miracle for me."
Marriages
Reflecting on her romantic life, the actress from 'The Wednesday' was first married to actor and writer Jeremy Lloyd in May 1970, but the marriage ended shortly after.
While she previously described Lloyd, the co-writer of Are You Being Served and Allo Allo, as "witty, tall and charming", Lumley humorously suggested that they should have "just had a raging affair" instead of getting married.
Lumley later tied the knot with conductor Stephen Barlow in 1986 and has remained with him ever since.
Speaking to The Guardian, she revealed: "One thing that makes my marriage work is a lot of absence.
"We both have individual lives so we're always pleased to see each other, and treasure being together. I admire him and he, unbelievably, admires me.
"It's important to try to respect and admire the person you're with."
Wednesday is available to watch on Netflix.
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