Josephine Melville

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Josephine Melville
Born(1961-12-04)4 December 1961
West Ham, Essex, England
Died20 October 2022(2022-10-20) (aged 61)
Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
Occupation(s)Actress, director
Known forEastEnders (1986)

Josephine Crawford Melville (12 April 1961 – 20 October 2022) was a British actress, director and writer who was best known for starring in the television soap opera EastEnders.

Life and career[edit]

Melville was born in West Ham, Essex on 12 April 1961.[1] After first appearing on television in 1983 in Luna,[2] Essex-born Melville[3][4][5][6][7] portrayed Tessa Parker in eight episodes of EastEnders in 1986, and Ellie Wright in one episode in 2005.[6] She also had roles on television in The Bill, Prime Suspect, Casualty[6] and Pie in the Sky, among others,[2] and in early 2022 she appeared in the music video for Ella Henderson's "Brave".[4][5][7]

In feature films, she had roles in Empire State in 1987 and in the forthcoming Slammer.[2] In 2021 she produced and directed Assistance, a short thriller.[6]

In 2021, Melville held workshops across Essex as part of the Know Your Roots project on preserving the stories of black women's hair.[6][8] In Southend-on-Sea, where she lived, she founded the South Essex African Caribbean Association[7] and organised the East Beach Festival.[3][9]

On 20 October 2022, Melville collapsed backstage after performing in a production of Natasha Gordon's play Nine Night at the Nottingham Playhouse. She was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.[10][3][4][5][6][7][2][11]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role
1987 Empire State
2021 Dead Of Night [12] Grandma
2022 Slammer Detective Russell

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1986 EastEnders Tessa Parker 8 episodes
2000s The Bill
Pie in the Sky
Little Miss Jocelyn
L8r
Hold the Sunset
Prime Suspect
2005 EastEnders Ellie Wright 1 episode

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Smurthwaite, Nick (28 October 2022). "Obituary: Josephine Melville". The Stage. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Quinn, Angie (21 October 2022). "Ex-BBC EastEnders star Josephine Melville dies backstage during play". MyLondon News. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c England, Sophie (22 October 2022). "Southend-based ex-EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage". Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Haque, Sarah (22 October 2022). "Ex-EastEnders actor Josephine Melville dies backstage after play". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Josephine Melville: Ex-EastEnders actress dies backstage after play". BBC News. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Josephine Melville, respected actor and director, dead at 61". Associated Press. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Lewis, Isobel (22 October 2022). "Josephine Melville: EastEnders actor dies backstage at Nottingham Playhouse after performance". The Independent. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Know Your Roots: 'My hair is the reflection of who I am'". BBC News (with video, 2 mins 33 secs). 1 December 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  9. ^ England, Sophie (22 October 2022). "Southend councillors pay tribute to the 'inspirational' Josephine Melville". Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Former EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage after play". Oxford Mail. PA News Agency. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Former EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage after performing in play". Sky News. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  12. ^ Melville, Josephine. "Actor". YouTube. Blue Moon Productions. Retrieved 23 October 2022.


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