BENIDORM star Sheila Reid is unrecognisable in snaps from early on in her hugely successful career.
The 84-year-old actress has starred as the fearsome Madge Harvey in ITV’s popular comedy from its first series in 2007.
But the over-the-top cigar chomping, scooter riding sun-lover is far removed from the real Sheila, who was born in Glasgow before her dad’s army career uprooted the family to India then Shropshire, England.
Reflecting on how her career began, she told the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald: “I got the acting bug I think because I’ve always been small; and I was very fat, I had crooked teeth that crossed over at the front… and I used to just live in the world of make-believe because I wasn’t terribly keen on who I was.
“It was interesting because with acting I would play character roles, and where there were roles where you were playing yourself I found that the hardest thing of all – because I would have to strip it all away and be me.
“I have an older sister and a younger brother, they weren’t interested in the arts at all but I used to drag them all in to do plays in front of my parents and relatives; I was writer, director and of course the star.”
She kicked off her stellar career in 1960, appearing in ITV series Armchair Theatre.
She was an original member of the Royal National Theatre in 1963.
She played Bianca in the National’s 1965 film version of Othello, with Laurence Olivier in the title role.
Her other film appearances include Brazil (1985), The Winter Guest (1997) and Containment (2015).
Shelia also starred in the BBC Christmas special of Call the Midwife in 2012.
She was formerly married to actor Julian Curry, but they divorced.
But on April 11, 2008, after 32 years together, she and partner Terry Bullen were married in London.
They wed in a private ceremony watched by just 12 close friends.
We recently told how Coronation Street has signed up Benidorm creator Derren Litten for a cameo role.
The writer and actor behind the hit ITV comedy will appear as Maria Connor’s political nemesis Bernard Barnes.
Since Benidorm ended in 2018 after 10 series, Derren created a BBC sitcom Scarborough and opened up a Benidorm themed bar in the Spanish town.
The star also made sporadic appearances on screen in the show, most notably as a chauffeur called Elvis.
