Josephine Melville
Born(1961-04-12)12 April 1961
West Ham, Essex, England
Died20 October 2022(2022-10-20) (aged 61)
Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
Occupation(s)Actress, director
Known forEastEnders (1986)

Josephine Crawford Melville (12 April 1961 – 20 October 2022) was a British actress, director and writer who was best known for starring in the television soap opera EastEnders.

Life and career

Melville was born in West Ham, Essex on 12 April 1961.[1] After first appearing on television in 1983 in Luna,[2] Essex-born Melville[3][4][5][6][7] portrayed Tessa Parker in eight episodes of EastEnders in 1986, and Ellie Wright in one episode in 2005.[6] She also had roles on television in The Bill, Prime Suspect, Casualty[6] and Pie in the Sky, among others,[2] and in early 2022 she appeared in the music video for Ella Henderson's "Brave".[4][5][7]

In feature films, she had roles in Empire State in 1987 and in the forthcoming Slammer.[2] In 2021 she produced and directed Assistance, a short thriller.[6]

In 2021, Melville held workshops across Essex as part of the Know Your Roots project on preserving the stories of black women's hair.[6][8] In Southend-on-Sea, where she lived, she founded the South Essex African Caribbean Association[7] and organised the East Beach Festival.[3][9]

On 20 October 2022, Melville collapsed backstage after performing in a production of Natasha Gordon's play Nine Night at the Nottingham Playhouse. She was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.[10][3][4][5][6][7][2][11]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1987 Empire State
2021 Dead Of Night [12] Grandma
2022 Slammer Detective Russell

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986 EastEnders Tessa Parker 8 episodes
2000s The Bill
Pie in the Sky
Little Miss Jocelyn
L8r
Hold the Sunset
Prime Suspect
2005 EastEnders Ellie Wright 1 episode

References

  1. ↑ Smurthwaite, Nick (28 October 2022). "Obituary: Josephine Melville". The Stage. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Quinn, Angie (21 October 2022). "Ex-BBC EastEnders star Josephine Melville dies backstage during play". MyLondon News. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 England, Sophie (22 October 2022). "Southend-based ex-EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage". Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Haque, Sarah (22 October 2022). "Ex-EastEnders actor Josephine Melville dies backstage after play". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Josephine Melville: Ex-EastEnders actress dies backstage after play". BBC News. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Josephine Melville, respected actor and director, dead at 61". Associated Press. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, Isobel (22 October 2022). "Josephine Melville: EastEnders actor dies backstage at Nottingham Playhouse after performance". The Independent. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Know Your Roots: 'My hair is the reflection of who I am'". BBC News (with video, 2 mins 33 secs). 1 December 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  9. ↑ England, Sophie (22 October 2022). "Southend councillors pay tribute to the 'inspirational' Josephine Melville". Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Former EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage after play". Oxford Mail. PA News Agency. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Former EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage after performing in play". Sky News. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  12. ↑ Melville, Josephine. "Actor". YouTube. Blue Moon Productions. Retrieved 23 October 2022.


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