Linda Bassett

Acting

Linda Bassett

Born

1950-02-04 (76)

Place of birth

Pluckley, Kent, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

64 titles

Linda Bassett was born in the Kentish village of Pluckley - location for the television series The Darling Buds of May (1991). She was brought up in Pimlico, South London, by her typist mother and police officer father. She became interested in acting as a child when she was frequently taken to see plays in London, most notably at the Old Vic, the famous classical theater. On leaving school, Linda went to work at the Old Vic as an usherette and catering manager, before going to read English at Leeds University. However, she dropped out after a year and became involved in a local drama group which put on plays in community-based locations, such as schools. She regards this as her theatrical s…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 2 titles

2010s · 5 titles

2000s · 13 titles

The Reader poster
7.5

The story of Michael Berg, a German lawyer who, as a teenager in the late 1950s, had an affair with an older woman, Hanna, who then disappeared only to resurface years later as one of the defendants in a war crimes trial stemming from her actions as a concentration camp guard late in the war. He alone realizes that Hanna is illiterate and may be concealing that fact at the expense of her freedom.

The Reader

2008

The Hours poster
7.2

The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

The Hours

2002

Calendar Girls poster
6.5

Members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women's Institute cause controversy when they pose nude for a charity calendar.

Calendar Girls

2003

Kinky Boots poster
6.7

Charles Price may have grown up with his father in the family shoe business in Northampton, central England, but he never thought that he would take his father's place. Charles has a chance encounter with the flamboyant drag queen cabaret singer Lola and everything changes.

Kinky Boots

2005

Separate Lies poster
5.8

Following a traffic accident, things take a turn when the victim's identity is revealed.

Separate Lies

2005

Don Quixote poster
6.3

Adapted from the work of Miguel de Cervantes, this is the story of a hidalgo, fanatic for chivalry novels, who loses his sanity and believing to be a knight named Don Quixote de La Mancha, decides to go on imaginary adventures along with his friend, the simple farmer Sancho Panza, who becomes his squire. On their journeys, they rescue dames in distress in honorable acts and fight giants among other perils, with Don longing to be with the love of his life, lady Dulcinea, and Sancho waiting to be rewarded with an island where he's about to become a governor.

Don Quixote

2000

Cass poster
5.9

The incredible true story of how an orphaned Jamaican baby, adopted by an elderly white couple and brought up in an all white area of London, became one of the most feared and respected men in Britain.

Cass

2008

Colour Me Kubrick poster
5.7

The true story of a man who posed as director Stanley Kubrick during the production of Kubrick's last film, Eyes Wide Shut, despite knowing very little about his work and looking nothing like him.

Colour Me Kubrick

2005

No artwork available
10.0

Have you ever wondered what happens with your pet when you are not at home? A dog worried about its future, a lazy parrot and an aquarium full of fish with strong religious beliefs, show us what really happens, since they share an uncertain future with the old age of its owner.

Lounge Act

2000

The Martins poster
5.3

Out of work, scrounger Robert Martin lives with his dysfunctional family - long suffering wife accident prone son and pregnant teenage daughter in a shabby house next door to a giant shopping center in the London suburbs. The Martins are the family from hell! Robert dreams if winning a dream holiday for his family, and when he fails to win yet another competition he flips, out tracks down the elderly winners, ties them up in the cellar and steals their tickets!

The Martins

2001

Spivs poster
5.7

Jack, Steve and Goat are East-End Spivs. They spend their time wheeling and dealing wherever and whenever they can. It's not until Jack and the others get involved with a guy called Villa, and they are landed with a big payday they have been waiting for, when they realise what a mess they are into. At the back of the lorry they have smuggled goods in, they find illegal immigrants. Most of them escape but they are left with 2 kids; a boy and a girl, and have to decide what to do with them... Are they going to look after them and feed them, clothe them, love them, etc. or are they going to leave them on the streets of East-End London?

Spivs

2004

This Little Life poster
NR

A powerful one-off drama written by Rosemary Kay , winner of the BBC's Dennis Potter award for new screenwriting. Sadie and Richie MacGregor are thrown into the terrifying world of neo-natal intensive care when their son Luke is born prematurely. Willed on by his desperate parents, he gradually grows in strength - but as Sadie develops a unique bond with her son, her relationship with Richie begins to suffer.

This Little Life

2003

No artwork available
3.5

Tracy a young working class girl, who - against the wishes of her parents and racist ex-boyfriend - becomes one of three wives of West London Persian restaurateur, Sam.

The English Harem

2005

1990s · 16 titles

Mary Reilly poster
5.8

A housemaid falls in love with Dr. Jekyll and his darkly mysterious counterpart, Mr. Hyde.

Mary Reilly

1996

Oscar and Lucinda poster
6.4

After a childhood of abuse by his evangelistic father, misfit Oscar Hopkins becomes an Anglican minister and develops a divine obsession with gambling. Lucinda Leplastrier is a rich Australian heiress shopping in London for materials for her newly acquired glass factory back home. Deciding to travel to Australia as a missionary, Oscar meets Lucinda aboard ship, and a mutual obsession blossoms. They make a wager that will alter each of their destinies.

Oscar and Lucinda

1997

Haunted poster
6.1

Professor David Ash exposes false spiritulists and mediums. He is invited to Edbrook to resolve the fears and torments within its secretive family. Soon after arriving Ash begins to doubt his own senses, and watching the strange behaviour of its residents does not make his task any easier. In time, he finds there's more to Edbrook than even he can debunk.

Haunted

1995

Let Him Have It poster
6.7

In 1950s England, slow-witted Derek Bentley falls in with a group of petty criminals led by Chris Craig, a teenager with a fondness for American gangster films. Chris and Derek's friendship leads to their involvement in the true case which would forever shake England's belief in capital punishment.

Let Him Have It

1991

Beautiful People poster
6.2

In London, during October 1993, England is playing Holland in the preliminaries of the World Cup. The Bosnian War is at its height, and refugees from the ex-Yugoslavia are arriving. Football rivals, and political adversaries from the Balkans all precipitate conflict and amusing situations. Meanwhile, the lives of four English families are affected in different ways by encounter with the refugees.

Beautiful People

1999

Far from the Madding Crowd poster
6.2

This powerful adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel spins a story of passion and destruction set in the nineteenth century. The proud, flighty and bewitching Bathsheba Everdene finds herself entangled into the passions of three men and her impulsive nature pushes her into a web of deceit and destruction.

Far from the Madding Crowd

1998

Alive and Kicking poster
5.5

A passionately committed young dancer is forced to re-examine his career and life when faced with death, finding hope through an older man who becomes his lover, mentor and companion.

Alive and Kicking

1996

East Is East poster
6.5

In 1971 Salford fish-and-chip shop owner George Khan expects his family to follow his strict Pakistani Muslim ways. But his children, with an English mother and having been born and brought up in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and start to reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general.

East Is East

1999

A Village Affair poster
5.0

An apparently happy wife in an English village has a relationship with a local aristocrat's daughter.

A Village Affair

1995

Spoonface Steinberg poster
8.0

Television film version of Lee Hall's award-winning radio play. Spoonface is seven years old, Jewish, autistic - and terminally ill with cancer. As she tries to come to terms with the meaning of life and death, she draws inspiration from the prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps who died with dignity and their spirit unbowed.

Spoonface Steinberg

1998

News Hounds poster
NR

Every cub reporter wants a front page 'splash' and the journalists from The Brit, a top-selling daily tabloid, are no exception. They're on the trail of a sensational story and their jobs depend on it.

News Hounds

1990

A Small Dance poster
7.0

In the emptiness of the Lincolnshire fens, rural teenager Donna feels trapped in a joyless life with a domineering father and a dull job at the food factory. She grasps at the illusion of affection offered by a passing stranger - and must then cope in lonely terror with pregnancy.

A Small Dance

1991

The Life and Crimes of William Palmer poster
8.7

Keith Allen plays William Palmer in this true story of a Victorian-era English surgeon who uses poison to settle scores and ward off debt. William lacks a sense of regret, even after killing his wife, brother and three of his own children.

The Life and Crimes of William Palmer

1998

Skallagrigg poster
4.0

Back in the 'bad old days' when the physically and mentally disabled were locked away in institutions a legend grew of someone who could stand up to the authorities and help them. This charming story is how a group of disabled people went to chase that legend. To assist them John is forced to come to terms with his daughter and her friends.

Skallagrigg

1994

Loved Up poster
5.4

Tells the story of a girl who, while working in a London cafe, meets a "raver" who introduces her to the drug Ecstasy and the whole British drugs scene. The girl falls in love with the raver, played splendidly by Ian Hart, but - when fired from her cafe job - she becomes involved with the seedier world of dealing.

Loved Up

1995

In The Cold Light Of Day poster
NR

It is the late 1930s and some British households still eagerly await the arrival of electricity. When a pylon is erected in the garden, Morris's mother can't wait to show off her Swedish lumbago belt and toaster. But Morris is gripped by a deeper passion that will change his life - one that will not be illuminated for 50 years.

In The Cold Light Of Day

1994

Series credits

Midsomer Murders poster
7.5

The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

Midsomer Murders

1997

Casualty poster
6.2

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Casualty

1986

Call the Midwife poster
7.6

Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

Call the Midwife

2012

Call the Midwife poster
7.6

Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

Call the Midwife

2012

Heartbeat poster
7.1

Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.

Heartbeat

1992

American Playhouse poster
6.6

American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.

American Playhouse

1982

The Bill poster
6.8

The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands of policing this ground-breaking series focuses as much on crime as it does on the personal lives of its characters.

The Bill

1984

A Touch of Frost poster
7.6

Jack Frost is a gritty, dogged and unconventional detective with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice who attracts trouble like a magnet. Despite some animosity with his superintendent, Norman “Horn-rimmed Harry” Mullett, Frost and his ever-changing roster of assistants manage to solve cases via his clever mind, good heart, and cool touch.

A Touch of Frost

1992

Kavanagh Q.C. poster
7.3

John Thaw dons the silks as barrister James Kavanagh Q.C., one of the most highly respected criminal advocates in London, commanding admiration from colleagues and opponents alike. However, all this has come at a price as his dedication to work has taken its toll on his private life… Going beyond traditional courtroom dramas, “Kavanagh Q.C.” uncovers the pressures of legal battles and the problems of defining the truth, providing a compelling representation of the euphoric ups and costly downs of success and failure in the legal world.

Kavanagh Q.C.

1995

Strike poster
7.2

A war veteran turned private detective operates out of a tiny office in London’s Denmark Street. Although wounded both physically and psychologically, his unique insight and background as a military police investigator prove crucial in solving complex crimes that have baffled the police. Based on the bestselling novels written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Strike

2017

Lark Rise to Candleford poster
8.4

Set in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town, Candleford, the series chronicles the daily lives of farm-workers, craftsmen and gentry at the end of the 19th Century. Lark Rise to Candleford is a love letter to a vanished corner of rural England and a heart-warming drama series teeming with wit, wisdom and romance.

Lark Rise to Candleford

2008

Dramarama poster
7.2

Dramarama is the name of a British children's anthology series broadcast on ITV between 1983 and 1989. It tended to feature drama of a science fiction or supernatural bent. The series was created by Anna Home, then head of children's and youth programming at TVS, however production responsibilities were divided amongst most of the regional ITV franchise holders. Thus, each episode was in practice a one-off production with its own cast and crew, up to and including the executive producer. Dramarama was largely a place for new talent to prove themselves and was a launching pad for the likes of Anthony Horowitz, Paul Abbott, Kay Mellor, Janice Hally, Tony Kearney, David Tennant and Ann Marie Di Mambro. It was one of Dennis Spooner's last credits. One of Dramarama's episodes, "Dodger, Bonzo And The Rest", gained so much popularity that it was turned in to its own series the following year. It starred Lee Ross and was based around a large foster home. The episode "Blackbird Singing In The Dead of Night" was developed by Granada into the TV series Children's Ward. It was also repeated for the first time since its original broadcast on 5 January 2013, during CITV's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend. The Series 7 episode "Back To Front" – notable for featuring a mirror image of the Yorkshire Television logo card at the end – was repeated on 6 January 2013, again as part of CITV's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend.

Dramarama

1983

Sense and Sensibility poster
7.5

Sense and Sensibility is a 2008 British television drama, based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Andrew Davies, who said that the aim of the series was to make viewers forget Ang Lee's 1995 film version. As such, this series was more overtly sexual than previous Austen adaptations, and Davies included scenes featuring a seduction and a duel that are suggested in Austen's novel but absent from the feature film. A story of two sisters attempting to find happiness in the tightly structured society of 18th century England. Elinor, disciplined, restrained and very conscious of the manners of the day, represents sense. Outspoken, impetuous, emotional Marianne represents sensibility.

Sense and Sensibility

2008

Bramwell poster
4.2

The story of Eleanor Bramwell , a pioneering female doctor in the late nineteenth century, and the struggles she has with her friends, her colleagues and society. Determined to take the medical profession out of the dark ages, her strongly held opinions often draw her into conflict with the chief surgeon, a man keener on tradition than he is on progress.

Bramwell

1995

Grandma's House poster
6.5

Simon Amstell stars as a fictionalised version of himself, a TV presenter who quits his job, leading to family drama, particularly with his mother, Tanya, and her boyfriend, Clive, all unfolding at his grandmother's house.

Grandma's House

2010

dinnerladies poster
7.5

Dinnerladies is a BBC sitcom written by and starring Victoria Wood that chronicles the antics of a group of workers in a canteen in the north of England. Bren tries to maintain a semblance of order in amongst the chaos, while dealing with the canteen supervisor, slightly sex-obsessed cancer sufferer Tony. Dolly and Jean are the bickering menopausal older women, always at odds but best friends beneath it all. Then there's thick-as-two-short-planks Anita, and the terminally uninterested Twinkle, more concerned with having a good time than anything else. Making up the motley crew are military man handyman Stan, all rules and regulations, and ditzy Philippa, who never seems to get anything right.

dinnerladies

1998

Our Mutual Friend poster
7.8

After his father's will stipulates he must marry Bella Wilfer to inherit his fortune, John Harmon fakes his death to avoid the marriage and the threats on his life. He returns as John Rokesmith and becomes the secretary for the Boffins, who inherit Harmon's estate following his alleged death.

Our Mutual Friend

1998

Spies of Warsaw poster
6.6

A military attaché at the French embassy is drawn into a world of abduction, betrayal and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw. A classic tale of spying, intrigue, and romance, based on the novels of Alan Furst and adapted by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

Spies of Warsaw

2013

Frank Stubbs Promotes poster
7.5

Frank Stubbs (Timothy Spall) is a down-at-heel ticket tout with grand ideas. He has an ambition to become a 'high class' promoter of famous and talented performers. In reality, his ambitions tend to outstrip his capabilities.

Frank Stubbs Promotes

1993

Traffik poster
7.6

Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drugs trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Afghan and Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. It was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning three. It also won an International Emmy Award for best drama. The 2000 crime drama film Traffic, directed by Steven Soderbergh, was based on this television serial. In turn, the 2004 American television miniseries Traffic was based on both versions.

Traffik

1989

Far from the Madding Crowd poster
8.0

This powerful adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel spins a story of passion and destruction set in the nineteenth century. The proud, flighty and bewitching Bathsheba Everdene finds herself entangled into the passions of three men and her impulsive nature pushes her into a web of deceit and destruction.

Far from the Madding Crowd

1998

No Bananas poster
7.7

This 10-episode television miniseries, set in England during World War II, tells the story of two families, the wealthy Hamiltons and the working-class Slaters, now united through marriage.

No Bananas

1996

The Brief poster
7.0

Henry Farmer is a clever minded criminal practice attorney whose every day is a juggling act between surviving his messy personal life and pleading cases only he can win. Whether he's trying to keep an innocent person from going to jail or save himself from financial ruin, Henry's life is a symphony of chaos. His long list of problems includes a mountain of gambling debts, an affair with an important politician's wife, a distant son, and a sharp-tongued father who's also a judge.

The Brief

2004

The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby poster
NR

Modern interpretation of the classic Charles Dickens tale about a young man who must support his family following the death of his father, turning to his sinister uncle for help.

The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby

2012

No artwork available
NR

Three on-call GPs based in the fictional city of Haventry in Birmingham face a series of difficult patients and testing situations as they attempt to provide an "out of hours" service for the city's residents.

Out of Hours

1998