Judy Catherine Claire Parfitt was born on November 7, 1935, in Sheffield, United Kingdom. She is of British nationality and white ethnicity. Parfitt began her education at Notre Dame High School for Girls and later went on to train at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), laying the foundation for her distinguished acting career.
Parfitt launched her professional acting career on stage in 1954. She gained recognition for her role with the Royal Shakespeare Company as Eleanor in the play Passion, written by Peter Nichols. Her performance was one among many that showcased her versatility and strong presence in classical and contemporary theatre.
Throughout her career, Judy Parfitt has appeared in numerous British and American television shows and films. In 1978, she was featured alongside Frank Finlay, Joan Plowright, and Laurence Olivier in the television series Laurence Olivier Presents, specifically in the episode Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Parfitt’s early U.S. television appearance included playing the Evil Queen—Stepmother of Snow White—in the sitcom The Charmings. In the show's Christmas special during its second season, her husband Tony Steedman guest-starred as Santa Claus. She also made a guest appearance in the crime drama Murder, She Wrote, and in 2002 portrayed the mother of Dr. Elizabeth Corday (played by Alex Kingston) on the acclaimed medical series ER.
Judy Parfitt played Lady Mount Temple in the 1997 biopic Wilde, starring opposite Stephen Fry, Vanessa Redgrave, and Gemma Jones. Her portrayal of Maria Thins in the 2003 film Girl with a Pearl Earring earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress. This role brought her recognition for her ability to convey depth and subtlety through supporting characters.
In 2004, she took on the role of the imperious American dowager Mrs. Van Schuyler in the television adaptation of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile, alongside David Suchet, James Fox, and David Soul. She further showcased her dramatic range by playing the harsh and complex character of Mrs. Clennam in the BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit, starring Matthew Macfadyen, Sue Johnston, and Alun Armstrong.
| Birth Date: | 7 Nov, 1935 |
| Age: | 84 yrs |
| Occupations: | Stage actor Film actor |
| Citizenship: | United Kingdom |
| Birth Place: | Sheffield |
| Education: | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | British actress |
| Net Worth 2021: | 600 thousand |
