Linda Henry

Linda Varilis (née Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role she has played since 2006. She had previously appeared in EastEnders as the original Lorraine Salter, the mother of Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton) from 1991 to 1992. Her other acting credits include Cracker (1995), Prime Suspect (1997) and Trial & Retribution (1998). She has also appeared in the films Beautiful Thing (1996) and The Business (2005).

Linda Henry
Born
Linda Henry

(1959-08-24) 24 August 1959
Peckham, London, England
Other namesLinda Varilis[1]
OccupationActress
Years active1982, 1988–present
Notable work
Bad Girls (1999–2003)
EastEnders (1991–1992, 2006–present)
Spouse(s)
Stavros Valiris
​
(m. 1992)​

Early life

Henry was born on 24 August 1959[1][2] and was brought up in Peckham, London.[3] She spent some time with the Old Vic Youth Theatre, and at seventeen she went to the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Henry later set up a production company, Buster, which still exists although she is no longer involved with it.

Career

As well as her role in Bad Girls she is also remembered for her role as Sandra in the film Beautiful Thing[4] and has appeared in the British television programmes The Bill, Birds of a Feather, Touching Evil, Cracker, A Touch of Frost,[5] Trial & Retribution as Marilyn Spark and EastEnders, where she played Lorraine Salter, the prostitute mother of the teenage tearaway Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton).

She had a minor role in British film The Business as the character Shirley, which also starred Danny Dyer as the main character.

On 8 September 2006 it was announced Henry would be returning to EastEnders in a different role, this time playing Shirley Carter, mother to Carly (Kellie Shirley) and Deano (Matt Di Angelo) and ex-wife of Kevin (Phil Daniels).[6]

Shirley arrived in Walford in December 2006. Henry took part in the 2008 "WestEnders" Children in Need appeal where she sang alongside other EastEnders cast members. She is close friends with co-star Cheryl Fergison, who played her on-screen best friend Heather Trott. She also took part in a 2008 EastEnders edition of The Weakest Link and appears in the 2010 spin-off series EastEnders: E20.

Personal life

Henry married Stavros Valiris ​in 1992. Their daughter was born in 1993.

In 2014, she was arrested for racially aggravated harassment.[7] Henry pleaded not guilty and stood trial on 11 February 2015 at Bexley Magistrates Court in south London.[8] She was later cleared of all charges.[9]

Filmography

[10]

Year Title Role Notes
1982 The Young Ones Girl at party Episode: "Interesting"
1988 Rockliffe's Babies Sharon Hagerty Episode: "A Trip to the Zoo"
1988 Screen Two
The Comic Strip Presents... Jackie
For Queen & Country Kim
1988-1990 Eurocops Linda Jackson 3 episodes
1989 Forever Green Doc Series 1 Episode 4
The Nineteenth Hole Council tenant Series 1 Episode 7
1990 The Play on One Carol Fairwater Episode: "Yellowbacks"
Birds of a Feather Viv McCarthy Episode: "Falling in Love Again"
1991-1992 EastEnders Lorraine Salter 4 episodes
1992 The Bill Carol Armfield Episode: "Part of the Furniture"
1993 Don't Leave Me This Way Janet Weir
Cracker Mrs. Perry Episode: "One Day a Lemming Will Fly Part 1"
The Bill Anne Riley Episode: "Desperate Remedies"
1994 Moving Story Sheila Roebuck Episode: "Charlotte, Emma, Bamber and Anne"
Casualty Diane Daw Episode: "Blood's Thicker"
1995 Prime Suspect: The Scent of Darkness Forensic Scientist Television film
An Independent Man Julie Read 4 episodes
The Bill Chrissie Root Episode: "For Services Rendered"
1996 A Touch of Frost Sue Venables Episode: "Playing the Price"
Beautiful Thing Sandra Gangel
1997 Touching Evil Justine Barber Episode: "Deadly Web: Part 2"
Born to Run Judith Series 1 Episode 3
1998 Trial & Retribution Marilyn Spark 2 episodes
1999-2003 Bad Girls Yvonne Atkins 56 episodes
2005 The Business Shirley
2006-present EastEnders Shirley Carter 1,439 episodes
2008 Children in Need Housemaid Episode #1.29
2010 EastEnders: E20 Shirley Carter 5 episodes

References
  1. "EastEnders' Linda Henry cleared over 'racist abuse rant'". BBC News. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. "Cheryl Fergison - Twitter". Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  3. "Shirley Carter". Holy Soap. Channel Five. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  4. "Linda Henry". MTEDB. MTEDB. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  5. "BBC – EastEnders – Characters – Shirley Carter played by Linda Henry". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  6. "Former Bad Girl to join EastEnders – RTÉ Ten". RTÉ.ie. RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  7. "BBC News – EastEnders actress to stand trial for harassment". BBC Online. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  8. Stenhouse, Ann (27 November 2014). "EastEnders star Linda Henry to stand trial accused of hurling racist abuse outside restaurant – 3am & Mirror Online". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  9. "EastEnders' Linda Henry cleared over 'racist abuse' rant". BBC. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  10. "Linda Henry". Retrieved 28 December 2021.
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