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Liza Goddard

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Liza Goddard
Born
Louise Elizabeth Goddard

(1950-01-20) 20 January 1950 (age 76)
Smethwick, Staffordshire,[1] England
OccupationActress
Years active1966–present
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1976; div. 1978)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1981; div. 1989)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1995; died 2018)​
Children2
Websitehttps://lizagoddard.co.uk

Louise Elizabeth Goddard (born 20 January 1950), professionally known as Liza Goddard, is an English television and stage actress, best known for her work in the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life

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Goddard was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire,[1] but spent most of her early years in Surrey. She is the oldest daughter of David Goddard (1925–1992), who produced and directed numerous TV shows and programmes, and his wife Clare. Goddard's younger sister is Maria.[2]

Her parents met in Germany. Clare trained in rep, and appeared in television adverts. They lived at Heath End, Surrey then at 10 Weybourne Rd in Weybourne, Surrey, and in Frensham, then 'Huffins' in Tilford. Maria and Liza performed in the Junior Tilford Players.[3]

She attended Farnham Girls' Grammar School, before her father moved the family to Sydney, when she was 15 in April 1965, upon his appointment as Head of Drama at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[4]

Career

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Goddard made early television appearances in Australia, including in the ABC anthology TV series Wednesday Theatre playing Eurydice in "Point of Departure"[5] and the title role in "Antigone"[6] She appeared in another ABC anthology series Love and War, playing Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet", the first Australian TV presentation of Shakespeare's play. She was also in episode 100 of Homicide ("The Traveller", 1967) and had a brief (non-speaking, uncredited) appearance in the feature film They're A Weird Mob (1966).

However, she is best remembered in Australia for her role as Clarissa "Clancy" Merrick in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, in which she appeared in the first two series and 48 episodes between 1968-70.[7][8][9]

After returning to the UK in 1969 as an adult, she was cast as Victoria Edgecombe, the character created by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham in Take Three Girls (1969),[8] later appearing in its sequel Take Three Women (1982). She also had a supporting role in the 1972 comedy film Ooh… You Are Awful, starring Dick Emery. Her career breakthrough was as April in The Brothers (1972–76), which also featured her first husband, Colin Baker.

A comedy role alongside Donal Donnelly in Yes, Honestly (1976–77), by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham followed, as did a role with Christopher Biggins in a BBC1 sitcom Watch This Space (1980), by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe. Later the same year, she also appeared as Jocelyn in "National Pelmet", the Series 2 opener of the ITV drama Minder.[10] This was followed by Pig in the Middle (1980–83) written by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham.

Goddard was one of the 'explorers' who were 'evaporated' in a (now missing) episode of the BBC science fiction quiz programme The Adventure Game (1980), played a space pirate in the Doctor Who story Terminus (1983), and appeared in Roll Over Beethoven (1985), opposite Nigel Planer. She later had a recurring role as Philippa Vale in Bergerac (featuring in four series between 1984 and 1989).

Goddard played a humanist in the 1987 biographical film Testimony, starring Ben Kingsley.

The following year, she played Barbara Colport in the Tales of the Unexpected (TV series) episode #9.6 "Wink Three Times" (1988). She then appeared in Woof!, a Children's ITV programme first broadcast in 1989. Her third husband, producer and director David Cobham, created this series. She had earlier appeared in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase (1981), also produced and directed by Cobham.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1984 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Ambassador's Theatre in London for the shows recording nearby, at the Regent Theatre.[11][12] Between 1988-92, she was the female team leader on the long-running quiz/panel show Give Us A Clue, replacing Una Stubbs in the role.[13]

In 1990, Goddard appeared as Laurel Manasotti in the ITV sitcom That's Love.[14]

Goddard appeared as Gilly in Wild West (2002), alongside Dawn French and Catherine Tate. In 2007 she appeared in the Midsomer Murders episode "A Picture of Innocence", reuniting her with Bergerac star John Nettles. In 2012 she had a cameo role in the all-star comedy film Run for Your Wife, and in 2013 she toured with the official Agatha Christie Theatre Company in Go Back for Murder, an adaptation of the book Five Little Pigs.[15]

In September 2016, Goddard played the guest role of Gloria Francis in the BBC1 drama series Casualty.[16] In March 2023 she again appeared in Casualty, this time playing Christine Robinson in the series 37 episode "No Regrets". In July 2023 Goddard was announced as taking the role of Dotty Otley in a national tour of Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner, following its run at the Phoenix Theatre, London.[17]

Personal life

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Goddard's first marriage was to Doctor Who actor Colin Baker.[18]

In 1981 she married Bernard William Jewry, the pop star Alvin Stardust.[19]

Prior to Goddard's third marriage (1995) to producer and director David Cobham, Goddard was credited with helping to rescue Queen Elizabeth II's Range Rover and horse box that had got stuck in the mud near Holkham in 1994.[20][18]

In 2004, Goddard was locked in a giant kennel with MPs Paul Burstow, Evan Harris and Ivan Henderson and BBC Newsround presenter Lizzie Greenwood, TV presenter Liz Bonnin and DJ Becky Jago in a stunt to launch the annual RSPCA Week to raise awareness and funds.[21]

As of 2021, she lives near Dereham,[22] Norfolk, and works with the RSPCA, amongst other charities. She recovered from breast cancer in 1997.[23] She has two children.[18]

Selected filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 They're a Weird MobYoung Woman on FerryFilm (uncredited)
Wednesday Theatre EurydiceEpisode: "Point of Departure"
AntigoneEpisode: "Antigone"
1967 HomicideJenny CraigEpisode: "The Traveller"
Love and WarJulietEpisode: "Romeo and Juliet"
1968–1970Skippy the Bush KangarooClarissa "Clancy" Merrick67 episodes
1969–1971Take Three GirlsVictoria24 episodes
1972Ooh... You Are AwfulLiza Misseden-GreenFilm
1976The BrothersApril16 episodes
1976–1977Yes, HonestlyLily Pond-Browne26 episodes
1978 Crown CourtCarolina Wallis3 episodes
Wodehouse PlayhouseLady Geraldine SpettisburyStory: "The Luck of the Stiffhams"
1980 MinderJoceylnEpisode: "National Pelmet"
Watch This SpaceClaire6 episodes
1980–1983Pig in the MiddleNellie Bligh20 episodes
1981Brendon ChaseMonica Hurling8 episodes
1982Take Three WomenVictoria2 episodes
1983 Doctor WhoKariSerial: "Terminus" (4 episodes)
WagnerJessie Lausott1 episode (mini-series)
1983–1989BergeracPhillipa Vale6 episodes
1985Roll Over BeethovenBelinda Purcell13 episodes
1987TestimonyThe English HumanistFilm
1988Tales of the UnexpectedBarbara ColportStory: "Wink Three Times"
1989–1997Woof!Mrs. Jessop63 episodes
1990That's LoveLaurel6 episodes
1997–2001Bernard's WatchNarrator (voice)44 episodes
2002Wild WestGilly2 episodes
2006DoctorsPenny DatesEpisode: "Too Soon"
2007Midsomer MurdersMarion BellEpisode: "Picture of Innocence"
2009–2014Grandpa in My PocketLady Prigsbottom3 episodes
2012Run for Your WifeExercising WomanFilm
2016–2023CasualtyGloria Francis/ Christine Robinson2 episodes

References

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  1. 1 2 Before 1 April 1974 Smethwick was in Staffordshire
  2. ↑ "Liza's Story | Liza Goddard". Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Surrey Advertiser Wednesday 27 March 1963, page 9
  4. ↑ "Liza's Story". Liza Goddard. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  5. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (4 October 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Point of Departure and Man of Destiny". Filmink. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (1 February 2024). "Forgotten Australian Television Plays: Antigone". Filmink. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Newcomb, Horace (2004). Encyclopedia of television. CRC Press. p. 2108. ISBN 1-57958-411-X.
  8. 1 2 Falk, Quentin; Falk, Ben (2005). Television's Strangest Moments: Extraordinary But True Tales from the History of Television. Franz Steiner Verlag. p. 78. ISBN 1-86105-874-8.
  9. ↑ "Liza Goddard - Filmography by TV series". IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "#2.1 National Pelmet". Minder.org. 1 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Liza Goddard recalls This Is Your Life, 17 September 2017, retrieved 2 November 2023
  12. ↑ "Regent Theatre, London | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Give Us a Clue". Nostalgia Central.
  14. ↑ "That's Love". Nostalgia Central.
  15. ↑ "Go Back For Murder". Theatricalia.
  16. ↑ "BBC One - Casualty, Series 37, No Regrets". BBC. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Noises Off UK Tour announces full casting starring Liza Goddard, Matthew Kelly and Simon Shepherd". Theatre Weekly. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Goddard, Liza (12 May 2011). The Autobiography of Liza Goddard: Working with Children and Animals. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-908382-03-0.
  19. ↑ "Singer's baby recovers after fall down stairs". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 December 1981. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth II: The beach loved by the Royal Family". BBC News. 11 September 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  21. ↑ "MPs in the doghouse for charity". BBC. 26 April 2004.
  22. ↑ "Norfolk Famous People". Norfolk Tourist Information. 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021.
  23. ↑ "Big Issue Cymru, March 22–28, 2004". Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
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