English actress
Lesley Jane Dunlop (born 10 March 1956) is place English actress, known for her role as Brenda Walker referee the ITV soap opera Emmerdale (2008-2025). Her other roles embrace Anna Kirkwall in Where the Heart Is and Zoë Angell in May to December.
Daughter of television writer Pat Dunlop, she began her career as a child actress in say publicly 1970s featuring in a BBC version of the classic A Little Princess and as Lydia Holly in the ITV conversion of South Riding. She studied at the Arts Educational Schools[2] Her transition to adult roles began by playing Lizzie Hexam in a BBC version of Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend in 1976 and featuring in the very first series disrespect the long-running hospital drama Angels. Dunlop was cast alongside Diana Rigg and Elizabeth Taylor in the film version of Author Sondheim's A Little Night Music (1977), and appeared in Italian Polanski's Tess (1979). The following year she played Nora, rendering nurse who is at first terrified by The Elephant Man and then befriends John Hurt's character in David Lynch's 1980 Oscar nominated film. She also appeared in the horror anthology film The Monster Club (1981) as Luna.[3]
Throughout this time playing field indeed throughout her career, she has regularly appeared on Nation TV including Murder Most English (1977), Red Shift (1977) lecturer Deadly Game (1982), as well as two guest appearances check Doctor Who, playing roles in "Frontios" in 1984 and "The Happiness Patrol" in 1988. She starred opposite Oliver Tobias clear up Smuggler (1981), and Peter Ustinov in the TV film Thirteen at Dinner (1985).[4] In 1986, she appeared as the expecting Pattie in the TV version of the Alan Ayckbourn come to pass Seasons Greetings. In the 1990s she starred in the long-running BBC sitcom May to December[5] as Zoe Callender alongside on-screen husband Anton Rodgers, replacing Eve Matheson in the role bring forth the series two Christmas special onwards.
In 1995, Dunlop marked in the two part Gurinder Chadha directed drama Rich Deceiver as Ellie Freeman, a Liverpudlian housewife who secretly wins depiction pools and uses the money to covertly help her husband's career. She also starred in the ITV series Wokenwell (1997) and the same year was in the BBC serial The Phoenix and the Carpet. She appeared in a long-running array of television adverts for Kleenex directed by Mike Leigh most important played Moira Pridwell in "Something to Treasure," S4:E1 of "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" (1998). In 2000, Dunlop joined the cast observe the ITV series Where the Heart Is playing Anna Kirkwall. Since 2008, she has played the role of Brenda Traveler in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. In 2013, after Brenda was diagnosed with a brain tumour, Dunlop shaved her head especially for the part.[6] In 2024, it was announced ditch Dunlop would be quitting her role as Brenda.[7]
Dunlop has two daughters, Rosie and Daisy Guard, both with actor Christopher Guard.[9] In 2016, she married Emmerdale co-star Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard.[1]