About Liz Smith (actress)
Betty Gleadle (11 December 1921 – 24 December 2016), known by the stage name Liz Smith, was an English actress. She was known for her roles in BBC sitcoms, including as Annie Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared (1975–1979), the sisters Bette and Belle in 2point4 Children (1991–1999), Letitia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley (1994–1996) and Norma ("Nana") in The Royle Family (1998–2006). For the latter, Smith was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Comedy Performance in 2007. She also played Zillah in Lark Rise to Candleford (2008) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Mother in the film A Private Function (1984). == Early life == Smith was born Betty Gleadle on 11 December 1921 in the Crosby area of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. Her mother died when she was two; her father remarried, but his new wife did not wish him to have any contact with his previous life. As a result, Smith was brought up by her widowed grandmother and attended Crosby Junior School and the Scunthorpe Modern and Day Commercial Schools in Cole Street. During the Second World War, Smith served in the Women's Royal Naval Service of the Royal Navy. == Career == === Early roles === In 1971, aged 49, Smith had a career breakthrough when she appeared as the downtrodden mother in Mike Leigh's film Bleak Moments: The moment that my life transformed was when I was standing in Hamleys one Christmas, flogging toys and I got a message from this young director named Mike Leigh. I was nearly 50 at the time, but he wanted a middle-aged woman to do improvisations.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.