Joanna Bacon, Breeders And EastEnders Star, Dead At 72
Joanna Bacon, whose myriad TV credits included the British soap EastEnders and the FX comedy Breeders, died June 14 following a "short and brave battle against cancer."
Her passing was announced Wednesday by the UK's Harlow Theatre Company.
"Many of our members will remember Jo and her force of nature, her wit, her fun, her passion and her natural ability as an actor," the company said in a statement. "She became a member of Harlow Theatre Company at its inception in 1978. She appeared in many plays in iconic roles such as Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Maddie in Dirty Linen and Beverly in Abigail's Party along with reviews, musicals and pantomimes all at the Harlow Playhouse.
"She continued to support HTC attending many of our productions," the statement continues. "She would settle herself in the front row with a notebook and watched with a critical eye and her passion for theatre. She never forgot to praise our work. Thank you, Jo."
Bacon's list of UK credits included her part as Maggie on the aforementioned EastEnders, as well as stints on Casualty, Prime Suspect, The Bill, Pie in the Sky, Little Britain, A Touch of Frost and New Tricks. On this side of the pond, she is best known for her turn as Jackie, mother of Martin Freeman's Paul, on the FX/Sky One comedy Breeders, which ran for four seasons and ended in 2023.
On the big screen, she played Natalie's mother in the 2003 classic, Love, Actually.