Eileen Essell
Eileen Joan Essell (8 October 1922 – 15 February 2015) was an English actress, noted in part for not beginning her screen acting career until age 79.
Also recorded as Eileen Joan Essell
Eileen Essell

Nayrbgb · I took this photo of Eileen at. our wedding party. Previously published: Not published elsewhere · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Eileen Essell
- Born
- 8 October 1922
- Died
- 15 February 2015 (aged 92)
- Birthplace
- London, England
- Occupation
- Actress
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Education
- Royal Central School of Speech and Drama · City and University of London
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Eileen Joan Essell (8 October 1922 – 15 February 2015) was an English actress, noted in part for not beginning her screen acting career until age 79.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Eileen Essell. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.

Died In · outgoing
London
Place
Pencil sketch by George Henry Harlow, 1814, http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/largerimage.php?mkey=mw05495

Born In · outgoing
London
Place
Pencil sketch by George Henry Harlow, 1814, http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/largerimage.php?mkey=mw05495
Citizen Of · outgoing
United Kingdom
Place

Educated At · outgoing
University of London
Organisation
Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Jóna Þórunn .
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q128599 · wikipedia · Eileen Essell
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Eileen Essell • Born — 8 October 1922 • Died — 15 February 2015 (aged 92) • Birthplace — London, England • Place of death — London, England • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — c. 1940s–2015 • Children — 1
Career
Career
Essell retired from stage acting in 1958 following her marriage to playwright and actor Gerard McLarnon. She later earned a living as a teacher at the Central School of Music and Drama and the City University. After the death of her husband in 1997, Christopher Webber (a family friend) lured Essell back on stage to play a leading role in a zarzuela he was directing at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, The Girl with the Roses (1999). Although she had acted onstage in the 1940s/1950s, Essell's first screen performance was in an episode of Doctors. She later appeared in The Bill, Doc Martin, Holby City, Hustle, Casualty, Ideal and Sensitive Skin, among other episodes. Essell guest starred as Christine in the episode "From Out of the Rain" in season 2 of the BBC spin-off show Torchwood. On film, she is best remembered for the role of Mrs. Connelly in Duplex and as Grandma Josephine in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Death
Death
Essell died on 15 February 2015, at age 92.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2002 — Ali G Indahouse — Mrs Hugh • 2003 — Duplex — Mrs Connelly — Released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as Our House • 2004 — Finding Neverland — Mrs Snow • 2005 — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — Grandma Josephine • The Producers — Hold Me-Touch Me
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2005 — Hustle — Mary — Series 2 • 2006 — Ideal — Mrs Coneybear — Series 2 Episode 4 "The Seance" • 2007 — Doc Martin — Mrs. Avril — Season 3 Episode 3 • Fear, Stress and Anger — Gran • 2008 — Torchwood — Christina
Identity
Identity
Eileen Essell is recorded as actress.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2015
Eileen Essell died at London.
Activity and practice
Eileen Essell is recorded as having studied at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and City, University of London.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Eileen AtkinsPerson
- Eileen DavidsonPerson
- Eileen DerbyshirePerson
- Eileen DietzPerson
- Eileen FultonPerson
- Eileen HeckartPerson
- Eileen HerliePerson
- Eileen MylesPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Eileen Essell?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.