Mary Ellen Ray (3 January 1931 – 10 September 2004) was an American-born actress who had a career in the United Kingdom.

Early life

She was born as Mary Ellen McPherson in Springfield, Missouri in 1931 to 17 year-old Hayzle McPherson and her husband Owen M. McPherson. Following her parents' divorce in 1937 and her mother's remarriage to Earl Ray, she assumed her stepfather's surname.

Career

Ray spent two years with the ACT Theatre after which she went to the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre at Stratford, Connecticut where she appeared in such plays as The Crucible, Endgame and Under Milk Wood. She made her début at the Stratford Festival at Stratford, Ontario in 1970 as Mariana in All's Well That Ends Well and Mrs William Dudgeon in The Devil's Disciple.[1] In September 1970 she opened in Othello at the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre and appeared with repertory companies in the United States and Britain.[2] The couple separated in 1972 and divorced in 1974.[3]

She made her first television appearance in Britain as Telephone Operator in Long Distance (1958) before acting in the 'Shadow of Heroes' episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1959). Next she was Waitress in 'The Out-of-Towners' episode of ITV Television Playhouse (1960). Ray progressed to the named role of Nora in 'The Closed Shop' episode of Somerset Maugham Hour (1962) and Miss Cleaver in 'The Night of the Horns' episode of Detective (1964). She was in Theatre 625 (1966), voiced Mrs Dilber in the Oscar-winning animated television special A Christmas Carol (1971) and was Mary Crane in the short Some Kind of Hero (1972). She was Sonia in the television film Artemis 81 (1981); Nursing Staff in the film The Sender (1982); Mrs Bear in the film The Lords of Discipline (1983), and American Wife in the film Invitation to the Wedding (1983).[4]

She was Mrs. Abrams in the television series Tender Is the Night (1985); Aunt Hannah in Back Home (1989); Lynn Nesbit in Selling Hitler (1991); Landlady in Jeeves and Wooster (1992); Teacher in the episode 'I Don't Do Cuddles' of Unnatural Pursuits (1992); Rose Whitfield in The Bill (1994); Marie in the episode 'First Impressions' of Holby City (2000), and Eleanor Forsyth in Doctors (2004).[4] In 1993 she played Mrs Pascal in The House of Yes at the Gate Theatre in London.

Personal life

In 1952, as a 21-year-old secretary, Ray sailed on the RMS Queen Mary from New York to Spain with her two younger siblings and her mother, Hayzle Ray.[5] There, she met the British poet Anthony Edkins (1927–2018) who was teaching English in Ibiza in Spain. The two returned to England until her visa expired leading to their marriage in 1955 in Madrid; the couple had two daughters, Sarah Edkins and Lucy Edkins, a stage manager and actress. In 1966 she and Edkins moved to the United States for three years to allow Ray to pursue her acting career.[3]

Ray met the playwright David Pownall in 1973, with whom she had a son, Tom, in 1974. They collaborated together in the company ‘Paines Plough’ in Lancaster and London.

Ray died in Kensington in London in 2004 aged 73.[6]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Some Kind of Hero Mary Crane
1982 The Sender Nursing Staff
1983 The Lords of Discipline Mrs. Bear
1985 Invitation to the Wedding American Wife

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Long Distance Telephone operator Television film
1959 Sunday Night Theatre — Episode: "Shadow of Heroes"
1960 ITV Television Playhouse Waitress Episode: "The Out-of-Towners"
1962 Somerset Maugham Hour Nora Episode: "The Closed Shop"
1964 Thorndyke Miss Cleaver Episode: "The Night of the Horns"
1966 Theatre 625 — Episode: "Focus"
1981 Artemis 81 Sonia Television film
1985 Tender Is the Night Mrs. Abrams Episode: "1925"
1989 Back Home Aunt Hannah Television film
1991 Selling Hitler Lynn Nesbit Episode #1.3
1992 Jeeves and Wooster Landlady Episode: "Full House"
1992 Unnatural Pursuits Teacher Episode: "I Don't Do Cuddles"
1994 The Bill Rose Whitfield Episode: "Mean Streak
2000 Holby City Marie Episode: "First Impressions"
2004 Doctors Eleanor Forsyth Episode: "Cross My Heart"

References

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